I Don't Want a Shattered Happiness

1.

The year Liam and I were most in love, he died in a car crash.

Everyone expected me to fall apart. But I didn't shed a single tear.

Two years later, I was in the VIP lounge of a top private club in Manhattan.

And I ran into Liam.

He had his arms around some hot young thing, kissing her like his life depended on it.

His friends swarmed around me, trying to explain.

"Khloe, listen to us. Liam was seriously injured in that crash. He was in a coma at a clinic in Switzerland for two years. He just woke up, but he has amnesia... We hid it from you because we didn't want you to be sad."

Liam pushed the girl away and walked over to me. He scanned me up and down with a frown, that arrogant look of his completely unchanged.

"So you're my fiance? I don't remember. But since you've been hung up on me for so long, I guess I can honor our commitment."

A faint smile touched my lips as I looked at him calmly. "They're lying to you. We've never met."

What Liam didn't know was that on the day he "died," I received a video.

In it, Liam was on a yacht, holding a glass of champagne and boasting to his friends.

"The thought of being tied down to just one woman, Khloe, makes me sick. I'm going to fake my death for a few years, go have some fun in Europe. Make sure you guys comfort her, don't let her do anything stupid."

What he also didn't know was that during his two years of being "dead," I'd already found another man.

...

Our friends froze for a second before they started trying to persuade me.

"Khloe, what are you talking about? How can you say you don't know Liam? We were the ones who kept it from you, it's not his fault."

"Yeah, Khloe, we were all just trying to do what was best for you. Liam's finally awake, don't be like this."

The room filled with voices, all pointed at me.

Before I could say a word, a scoff cut through the noise.

Liam stood up from the leather sofa, a cigar between his fingers, and waved his hand dismissively. "If we don't know each other, then fine. Saves me the trouble."

The girl from before immediately latched onto his arm, her voice a mix of shy and nervous. "Liam... she might not know you, but I do. I'll marry you, okay?"

Liam didn't say anything. He just shot me a cool glance before pulling the girl in for another deep kiss, right in front of everyone.

Our friends, seeing this, instinctively blocked my view and started with their fake comfort.

"Khloe, you know Liam has amnesia. You know he loved you more than anyone."

"Exactly. You just need to be there for him, help him get his memory back. Don't be mad."

I opened my mouth, about to say something to this pathetic bunch, when a sharp pain, like a knife twisting in my gut, hit me.

My face went pale instantly, and I turned and walked out of the room.

I moved quickly, so quickly that no one in the room even had time to react.

It was only after I had disappeared down the hall that they turned to Liam with a sigh.

"Liam, you took it too far this time. Khloe was genuinely pissed. I've never seen her look so pale. Be careful or she might actually dump you for real."

A smirk played on Liam's lips as he settled back onto the sofa, swirling the whiskey in his glass.

"Khloe's the easiest to win over. Two years without me? I bet she's dying for it. Plus, now I have amnesia. Once I've had my fun, I'll just tell her my memory's back and that none of this was what I really wanted. I won't even have to apologize. A few sweet words and she'll come running back."

I walked out of the lounge and through the loud, pulsing dance floor. I finally collapsed in a corner of the hallway, squatting down.

The cramping in my abdomen was so intense I didn't even have the strength to make it to the restroom.

Then, a shadow fell over me.

A deep, magnetic voice spoke.

"What's wrong? Heartbroken? Thinking of getting back together with your ex?"

2.

I looked up and saw Iason, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his gaze coolly fixed on me.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored black shirt. The dim light cast a shadow from his sharp nose, making his expression unreadable.

Iason used to be Liam's best friend.

In that moment, a wave of unfairness washed over me.

Tears started to fall before I could stop them.

Iason's arms dropped instantly. He strode over and knelt in front of me.

"Don't cry. I'll shut up."

His arms were strong and steady. He lifted me from the floor with just one.

The clean, cool scent of cedarwood cologne filled my senses, bringing an unexpected sense of calm.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered.

"My stomach hurts..."

Iason paused for a moment. "Your period came early?"

I nodded, my lips accidentally brushing against his strong jaw as I rested my head on his broad shoulder.

Iason carried me to his black Bentley parked by the curb. He turned on the heated seats and the heat, his voice low.

"Wait for me in the car. I'll go get you something."

He closed the door and walked towards a nearby pharmacy.

A few minutes later, a video call request popped up on my phone.

It was from Iason.

"They're out of the brand you usually use. Which of these do you want?" The camera was pointed at a shelf full of pads and tampons.

Just as I was about to choose, a familiar, surprised voice came from the background.

Liam had walked into the store with that girl, his eyes scanning Iason, who was busy picking out feminine products. He shouted dramatically.

"I asked you to go for drinks tonight and you said no, and here you are buying stuff for a girl! Iason, are you on a video call with her? Let me see! Who's the girl who finally managed to tie you down?"

Liam reached out, trying to grab Iason's phone.

I instinctively moved my face out of the camera's view.

But Liam never touched the phone.

Iason just gave him a single, cold look. The sheer pressure of it made Liam sheepishly pull his hand back.

"Alright, alright, I see you're protective of this one. Just make sure you bring her out to meet the guys sometime! By the way, Iason, I saw Khloe. She walked into the wrong room and caught me kissing another girl. It scared the shit out of me. Luckily, my friends were quick and said I had amnesia. I'll play around a bit more, then 'get my memory back.' And of course, I have you to thank. I wasn't ready to settle down, and that 'fake your death' idea you gave me was brilliant. It worked like a charm!"

The screen shook for a second, and then the call ended.

Ten minutes later, Iason was back.

He wouldn't look at me. He handed me the bag, quickly got into the driver's seat, and locked the doors.

"I had hot chocolate and painkillers sent to my apartment. Do you... want to go?"

There was a hint of caution in his voice.

It almost made me laugh.

Iason was the classic heir to a family fortuneDarrogant and cold.

Back when Liam and I were together, Iason was always at the parties.

He was so cold to me then. Especially when Liam was with me, he wouldn't even spare us a glance, sometimes even looking at us with a hint of scorn and disgust.

Everyone in our circle thought he hated me.

Until the day Liam "died" in that car crash. That was the day I received the video.

Iason had sent it to me.

But he never told me that the whole 'fake death' scheme was his idea too.

This man was terrifyingly manipulative.

When we arrived at Iason's penthouse on Central Park West, he scooped me up in his arms the moment I stepped out of the car.

3.

After I got myself cleaned up in the bathroom, Iason laid me down on his enormous custom-made bed and handed me his phone to kill time.

I finished the hot drink, and he expertly shed his jacket and lay down beside me, his warm hand gently rubbing my stomach.

The warm yellow light from the bedside lamp draped over him like a thin veil. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing the tempting lines of his muscles.

I bet he feels incredible, I thought. And then I acted on it.

Iason caught my wandering hand.

"Behave."

I didn't listen.

He cupped the back of my head and kissed me.

Two years had been more than enough time for him to learn every inch of my body.

In the heat of the moment, he took my hand, his voice husky, "Help meD"

I'd learned all about Iason's stamina two years ago, on a night when I was drunk.

Just as my wrist was about to give out from soreness, the phone on the nightstand rang.

It was Iason's phone.

I accidentally hit the answer button and put it on speaker.

"Iason, it's Liam. I'm thinking of throwing an engagement party with Bella, just to piss Khloe off. What do you think? The girl sees I'm alive and doesn't even come check on me. All she does is get jealous and still hasn't contacted me. Seems like she's gotten bold in the past two years. I need to show her what she's missing. I'm gonna plan it out, and you can..."

Liam's voice cut off abruptly.

Because I couldn't help but let out a gasp.

It wasn't because of what Liam said. It was because something had woken up again, even twitching in my hand.

I shot Iason an annoyed, embarrassed glare.

Liam's surprised voice came through the phone.

"Well, well, Iason! What are you up to over there? You've got a woman with you? Spill, is it the one from the video call today?"

He hadn't seen me in two years, and I had only made a single sound.

Liam had been with so many women over the years that he didn't recognize it was me.

Iason clearly had no intention of talking to him.

His eyes were locked on me, swirling with deep, raw desire.

I glared back at him, trying to squirm out of his arms and crawl to the other side of the bed.

But I hadn't moved an inch before Iason grabbed my ankle and pulled me back.

Liam was still talking.

"Iason, you have to bring her out so I can see what she looks like! Oh, and about the engagement party, I was going to ask you to invite Khloe for me, but then I remembered how much you've always hated her..."

Before Liam could finish, Iason impatiently hung up the phone.

He tossed it onto the carpet and then carried me into the bathroom with one arm.

By the time we came out again, three hours had passed.

Iason looked completely satisfied. I, on the other hand, was glaring at him, refusing to even acknowledge him as I lay in bed.

I picked up my phone and saw a new text message.

It was from one of Liam's friends.

[Khloe, Liam is getting engaged to someone else. It's in seven days, at The Plaza Hotel. You have to come and talk to him! I don't want him to regret this when he gets his memory back! None of this is what he really wants!]

I glanced at it and deleted it immediately.

I'm not the type to meddle in other people's business.

What did Liam's engagement have to do with me?

Iason reached out to pull me closer, but I shot him a death glare and he quickly retracted his hand.

I was not in the mood for another three-hour marathon!