Part 2When I found out I could talk, I ran away.

"Mom, Dad, I don't want to marry Chloe anymore."

When they heard me speak, their eyes instantly welled up.

My mother hugged me, sobbing, asking again and again if I’d truly recovered completely.

My parents had never wanted me to follow Chloe around, let alone marry her, so they readily agreed to my request.

Though I’d practiced for a long time, my voice was still hoarse and strained.

My parents immediately contacted doctors abroad.

I nodded. "Once I’ve handled everything here, I'll go abroad for treatment in a week."

Back then, to save her, the enraged kidnappers had nearly choked me to death in a dilapidated warehouse.

When I woke up, I couldn’t make a sound. Chloe was sobbing beside me, tears streaming down onto the hospital bed, soaking the sheets.

After years of fruitless treatment, Chloe became disheartened. Unwilling to see her stressed and exhausted from all the traveling, I simply gave up.

Chloe had said, "Liam, don't be afraid. I won't ever look down on you."

When I got home, Chloe was nowhere to be found. It seemed she’d wasted no time leaving the moment I did.

My friend, Dylan, sent me a message with a video attached.

[Liam, is this Chloe?]

[Why is she hugging and kissing some guy at a bar? Aren't you two getting married soon?]

[That guy looks familiar. I think he’s Tyler, the new intern at the company.]

In the dazzling, hazy lights of the bar, it was the same young college guy from last night. Chloe was grinding against him on the dance floor, passionately kissing him.

Her slender arms were wrapped around his shoulders, intimately draped around his neck.

Before, she wouldn’t even deign to give me a kiss. At our engagement party, I only had the right to kiss the back of her hand.

She told me she liked to take things slow, that we should wait until after the wedding to kiss.

But they'd only known each other a short time, and they were already hugging, kissing, and sleeping together.

I was such a complete and utter fool. Chloe never liked me, not for a single moment. Back in school, she was the adored princess, completely oblivious to my feelings for her.

It was only after I got hurt saving her that she even gave me a glance. Just as she’d said, she was willing to marry me only to keep up appearances.

She just didn't want to be known for being ungrateful.

I contacted Dylan, setting up a meeting with the stock transfer agreement.

He looked at me, bewildered. "Liam, isn’t this what you were planning to give Chloe as a wedding gift?"

The three of us had started the company. Dylan and I each owned 33% of the shares, while Chloe held 34%.

I’d always intended to transfer my 33% of the shares to Chloe for free when we got married, as a token of my sincerity.

But now, I didn't need to.

After a moment of thought, I spoke, "She doesn't need it anymore. I'll transfer these shares to you at the lowest price. From now on, you'll have veto power and won't be controlled by her."

Dylan stared at my moving mouth, frozen in shock. It took him a long moment to process it.

His voice was choked with emotion, tears of joy welling up. "Y-you’re… you’re better? Liam, you can speak!"

I nodded, signing my name on the stock transfer agreement.

Dylan was my best friend. I felt completely at ease leaving the company in his hands. Before, because I loved Chloe, I always overlooked her unreasonable business decisions and ignored Dylan's concerns and complaints.

Never again. The company would definitely thrive under Dylan's leadership.