My Cheating Ex Thought I Was Poor, Now He's Begging

I found a box of used condoms on the nightstand in the master bedroom of the apartment Liam and I were supposed to share. And only Liam and I had keys to this place. What happened here was obvious. Clutching the messy sheets on the bed, my hands wouldn't stop trembling. Eight years of me pursuing him, two years of us dating – all a joke now. I sent the photos to Liam, wanting to hear his explanation. But he just brushed it off: "My buddies all said a guy needs to have one last fling before marriage, otherwise there'll be no chance after we're married. Can't live with regrets, right?" "If you really mind, you can find a guy and have a fling for a night too. We'll call it even." But later, when I actually went on a date with the wealthy heir my family wanted me to marry, he went completely crazy, saying he was wrong and begging for my forgiveness. When Liam rushed over, I was instructing people to throw out that huge bed and change the locks. He stood at the door, watching the movers carry out the bed, his face turning dark. "Olivia Reed! What the hell are you doing?! That bed cost over twenty thousand, and I only slept in it once. Are you really that petty?" His tone was annoyed, as if I didn't sweet-talk him right away, he'd throw a fit. In the past, I would have been scared, rushing to soothe him and make him happy. But now, I was done being a doormat. After simping for ten years, I thought marrying the man I worshipped was the luckiest thing that could happen to me, but he stabbed me in the back. What woman could tolerate her man sleeping with someone else? My mind involuntarily flashed to that empty condom box, imagining the intensity of their "battle." How could I possibly put up with this? How could I ever! I glared at him, a flicker of hatred in my eyes: "This is my home. It's my right to throw out dirty things." He blew up instantly. "What are you talking about?! This is "our" home! I even cleaned up after I slept in that bed, how is it dirty?!" So, even now, he still believed he'd done nothing wrong. I couldn't help but roar, "You know perfectly well what you did! There's no need for a wedding anymore! I bought this apartment, so it's naturally "my" home!" Liam looked at me in disbelief. "What did you say? You want to cancel our wedding over something so trivial?" Trivial? I couldn't believe he considered him cheating on me "trivial"! I truly couldn't believe that the man I'd loved for ten years was actually this kind of person! The person in front of me was a complete stranger, nothing like the high school boy I remembered… My heart ached to the extreme. I didn't know whether to be glad I saw him clearly before marriage, or to grieve over my decade of wasted devotion. But I knew one thing: I wouldn't turn back. My voice was cold, my tone firm: "Yes, the wedding is off! You like to 'test the waters,' right? Well, I'm giving you the chance. Take your sweet time 'testing'!" Seeing the determination in my eyes, Liam finally realized something was wrong. His tone softened, filled with feigned hurt. "Liv, all my buddies do this, have one last fling before they get married. I just never thought you'd find out." "If you really mind, you can go find a guy and have a fling too! I promise I won't say anything! Please don't be angry." He truly managed to shock me again and again, eroding my love for him bit by bit. I scoffed. "It's fine. We're breaking up. You can 'test' however you like; it has nothing to do with me!" When he saw I wasn't going to back down, he immediately erupted in anger. "Olivia Reed! I've already humbled myself enough! I even said you could find a guy to 'test the waters' with! What more do you want?!" "If it weren't for you chasing me for ten years, do you think I would have agreed to marry you?! There are plenty of women better than you!" So, he wasn't marrying me out of love. It was because I was enough of a doormat, willing to indulge and tolerate all his whims. This belated realization pierced my heart even more deeply! My eyes reddened. "Let's break up. I won't hold you back; go 'test' with more of those 'better' women!" Liam stomped his foot in anger. Before he left, he gritted his teeth and said: "Fine! Break up then! I'm not afraid to tell you, that woman was Chloe! She's back!" "Olivia Reed, you're throwing away your only chance to marry me. Don't you dare regret it! Hmph!" So, his first love, the girl he’d always been obsessed with, Chloe, had returned. No wonder he was so eager to "test the waters."Liam, Chloe, and I were all high school classmates. I'd had a crush on him since then. Liam was the school's heartthrob, Chloe was the school's beauty queen. They certainly seemed like a perfect match. After college, they naturally started dating, and I could only be a friend, quietly watching over him. But at the end of freshman year, Liam was suddenly dumped. Chloe went abroad, with no fixed date for her return. Liam was heartbroken and desperate, even contemplating taking his own life. I was the one who stayed by his side, comforting him and taking care of him. For three years of college, come rain or shine, I brought him breakfast, packed his lunch, and saved seats for him. I knew he liked grand gestures, and I understood his typical male need to show off. So, for every holiday, big or small, I would prepare flowers and exquisite gifts for him, satisfying his every vanity. After chasing him for three years, he finally relented and agreed to be with me. I thought I had finally replaced Chloe in his heart. But I never expected his first love to still be his first love. The moment she returned, he forgot all about morality and decency for her! After calming down, I called my parents to inform them the wedding was canceled. I expected them to scold me. After all, I, a genuine heiress, had simped for a guy for ten years, only to realize he wasn't worth it – it was embarrassing enough. But my parents sighed in relief, laughing and scolding gently: "Honey, finally woke up? Marriage isn't a game." "Once you're married, it's a lifelong commitment. If you pick the wrong person, you'll suffer your whole life. No matter what you choose, your dad and I support you." Yes, some people treat marriage as a lifelong promise, while others treat it as a game. If he was already immoral before marriage, how could I expect him to be faithful afterward? After talking to my parents, I felt a little better. My phone rang. I thought it was Liam, but to my surprise, it was Chloe. "Liv, long time no see. If you're a real woman, come out for a drink. We're old classmates!" It turned out they had organized a high school reunion to welcome Chloe back. Her tone made it clear she wouldn't take no for an answer. But I also wanted to go and see how shameless they truly were. I wanted to clear things up in front of everyone, so I wouldn't be taken advantage of and become a silent joke. When I arrived, Liam and Chloe were sitting together, flirting openly. Her chest was pressed close to his arm, and she was laughing flirtatiously. Chloe, too, seemed to enjoy it, her arm intentionally rubbing against his. If this were before, I would have surely rushed over and slapped Chloe. After all, Liam was like a god to me, and no one should defile him. But now, none of this had anything to do with me. He was no longer the pure school heartthrob I remembered! An old classmate greeted me warmly, and that's when Liam noticed I had arrived, his face full of mockery. "Olivia Reed, you actually chased me here. I knew it, you'd definitely regret it!" "I'm telling you, if you don't buy me a Rolls-Royce this time, I won't forgive you!" I glanced at him, my voice flat. "I'm not here for you. Your precious Chloe graciously invited me, so I came to see." Chloe stood up, walked over, and took my hand, smiling broadly: "Liv, you're finally here. I was just talking about you with Liam." I sneered. "Talking about what? How he forgot all about you after five years with me? Or how you two rekindled your old flame?" "Or how you two were so shameless, having sex in my new apartment? You even used up all the condoms!"The noisy room instantly fell silent. The classmates who were clinking glasses moments ago all stopped, exchanging uneasy glances. Chloe's smile froze, her face darkening. "Olivia Reed, I kindly invited you out for a get-together. What nonsense are you spouting?!" Liam also stood up, his voice filled with anger: "Olivia Reed! What are you saying this for?! Don't be ungrateful!" "Apologize right now, or don't expect me to show up at the wedding in a few days. I'll make you a laughingstock!" Laughingstock? I was already a laughingstock to everyone here. All the old classmates knew that after Liam and Chloe broke up, he was with me. They even knew Liam and I were supposed to get married in a few days, walking down the aisle. But he, right in front of everyone, was still intimately flirting with Chloe. Since he had no shame, why should I? I might as well tear off the facade completely, and finally let myself move on! I stared coldly at Liam, watching until he started to falter. He stammered, "W-why are you looking at me like that?! You're clearly just being petty! Always making a fuss, always causing a scene!" Seeing my silence, he thought I was giving up, that I would compromise like I always did. So he spoke with even more self-righteousness: "Apologize to Chloe immediately, and then buy me a Rolls-Royce. Then I'll consider forgiving you." I burst out laughing. I never realized before how vain and shameless he was! He cheated on me, and then expected me to buy him things to pacify him! Chloe also winked at me, a smirk on her face: "Liv, a woman shouldn't be too petty. We've been old classmates for years, and Liam and I just have a close relationship." "We were just having some drinks, we didn't do anything else. You're wrong to be angry at Liam." Watching her gloat, I could no longer suppress the rage in my heart. Amidst gasps from the crowd, I swung my fist with all my might! I pinned her to the floor, landing punch after punch on her face. Only when her pretty face was swollen like a balloon did I let the other classmates pull me away. Liam's eyes reddened with concern for Chloe. He rushed forward like a madman, trying to slap me. I grabbed his hand, then slapped him back, my voice icy: "One slap, and our ten years of entanglement are over! Remember, "I'm" breaking up with "you". The wedding is canceled, so don't bother showing up!" "From now on, nothing you do has anything to do with me! You want to 'test' with any woman in bed? Go right ahead!" Liam clutched his face, falling to the ground, his eyes full of disbelief. He pointed at me like a lunatic and cursed: "Olivia Reed, you must be crazy! How dare you hit me?! This time, even if you get on your knees and beg, I won't forgive you!"