She Looked Like My Dead First Love Until I Learned Why

Stella Watson hurt Liam Sheridan ninety-nine times before he finally decided to leave. As the eldest heir of the Sheridan family, he was mocked by the city’s elite as Stella’s lapdog. Only Liam knew he stayed because she looked like Suzy York, the woman he loved and lost. Stella loved Liam’s half-brother, just as Liam loved Stella’s half-sister. Liam let Stella hurt him ninety-nine times in the hope that he could finally let go of Suzy. But when a chandelier fell, Stella, who had always treated him like a weed, threw herself over him to protect him. Liam froze. Then he remembered Stella’s friend saying the beauty mark by her eye had appeared only recently. He thought of the suspicious ruling after the car accident years ago and finally realized that the woman living as Stella was an impostor the Watson family had put in her place. Chapter 1 "I'll trade Liam Sheridan for Skyler Lawson. Let Skyler go." Liam was Stella Watson's personal secretary. He stayed by her side for three years, took a knife wound for her, and tested poison for her. He was her most loyal weapon. But she didn't love him. She only had eyes for Skyler, Liam's half-brother. Even now, she pushed Liam toward the kidnapper without a hint of concern. Liam did as she wanted. He took two steps forward and said, "I'm the eldest heir of the Sheridan family. You'll get more ransom if you take me." The kidnapper grinned and shoved Skyler toward Stella. Then he pressed his knife against Liam's throat without the slightest care. "Stella." Skyler threw himself into her arms, his voice full of hurt. Stella kept her eyes on him. Only when she held him did the worry in her eyes fade. "Don't be afraid, Skyler. I told you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you!" Skyler sniffled. "I knew you'd come save me, Stella..." Their tender exchange made the kidnapper realize he'd been tricked. He pressed the knife harder, breaking the skin on Liam's neck, and shouted, "Hey! What are you two doing? "Tell the Sheridans to come here. I want two hundred thousand dollars... No, a million! Or I'll kill him!" Only then did Stella spare Liam a glance. He frowned but showed no fear. If blood hadn't been running down his neck, he would have looked almost like a machine. His eyes stayed fixed on the small beauty mark beside hers. "Kill him." Stella gave a signal without another thought. The sniper behind her shot the kidnapper in the head, with no concern that he might lash out and hurt Liam as he died. She covered Skyler's eyes and led him away. Liam saw everything. His eyes widened. Even though he tried to prepare himself, the bloody sight still shocked him. As the kidnapper's body fell, Liam clenched the hand at his side. Would she have ordered the shot if Skyler had been the hostage? He bit down hard on his lower lip. Then Skyler asked innocently, "Stella, why did you cover my eyes? What was that sound? My brother isn't in danger, is he?" Stella's eyes passed over Liam without a flicker of emotion. She held Skyler's face so he couldn't turn around. "Want to know? Give me a kiss, and I'll tell you." She never let Skyler see any of the blood, and she didn't answer his second question. Skyler blushed bright red but still pecked her on the right cheek. "You're teasing me, Stella!" Liam watched them. He couldn't stop himself from asking hoarsely, "Why did you shoot?" "Are you scared?" Stella glanced at him. "You had plenty of nerve when you tried to get into my bed.” The mocking looks from the people around them drained what little color remained in Liam's face. A rival once drugged Stella. Liam took off his clothes, hoping to help her through it, but she pushed him away. The drug acted quickly, yet she endured it under a cold shower until the ambulance arrived. That was all in the past. Stella broke his heart for the ninety-ninth time today. He was leaving. When Liam said nothing, Stella finally said, "Fine. I can see it frightened you. Take the day off." Then she drove away with the others, leaving Liam alone. He waited in the cold wind for half an hour before a kind stranger called him a cab. He gave the driver an address, but it wasn't Stella's villa. It was a cemetery. There was only one headstone, with a small portrait set into it. The woman in the portrait bore a striking resemblance to Stella. Liam gently touched the faded portrait and laid the flowers he’d picked by the roadside at the foot of the grave. Stella loved his half-brother. Liam loved her half-sister, Suzy York. "I told you I'd leave after you broke my heart for the hundredth time. "Your death was the first. Stella took care of the other ninety-nine. "Suzy, I'm leaving." Chapter 2 It was late when Liam returned to the villa. Stella clearly wasn't waiting for him. The rest of the villa was dark. Liam felt his way toward the only light and unexpectedly heard soft, breathy moans. Under the dim bedside lamp, Stella held Skyler's photograph and murmured: "Skyler, darling, once I marry you..." Her voice was tender and lovestruck, nothing like the cold tone she used with Liam. Liam waited, but Stella seemed unable to satisfy herself that night. She lost herself completely. Only when she caught sight of his reflection did her unfocused gaze clear. She frowned at him impatiently. "Why are you standing there?" "I came to resign," Liam said calmly, ignoring her irritation. Still, the sight of her face sent a faint ache through his chest. Suzy would never have treated him this way. But Stella wasn't Suzy. Suzy was dead. Stella frowned. "Tired of being my secretary? Going back to being the Sheridan heir? "Of course. Someone like you, who uses his status to bully Skyler, couldn't stand a little hardship. "Fine. Finish the project with Graham Lewis, and then you can leave." She handed Liam an invitation. Stella seemed to know it would hurt him. She smiled cruelly. "It's my wedding. Make sure you come." Liam looked at the gold-embossed invitation and agreed with a smile. Nothing stirred in his eyes. Stella always insisted that he bullied Skyler. Without his grandfather Leonard Sheridan to protect him, Liam’s father would have ruined him long ago. The social climber was married to Liam’s mother for ten years and cheated on her for eleven. The pain caused by Skyler's mother even drove Liam's mother to her death. This was the hundredth time. ... The next morning, Liam found Stella, who rarely got up early, bringing in breakfast. She had bought a shrimp omelet and a box of mini beef pies. Liam reached for the omelet, but Stella slapped his hand away. “What are you doing? Don’t you like beef pies?” Liam froze. For a moment, he thought she remembered the bet he lost for her, when he had to eat a hundred mini beef pies straight from the oven. The scalding gravy blistered his mouth. He couldn’t eat for three days afterward, and even the sight of those pies made him feel sick. He shouldn't have expected her to remember. "Fine." Liam drew back his reddened hand. He didn't look at the food again and only drank water. Stella glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you throwing another spoiled-heir tantrum?" Liam studied her for a moment, then calmly put a beef pie in his mouth. He chewed mechanically before hurrying to the bathroom to retch. Stella followed him on instinct and brought him water to rinse his mouth. "What's wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Before Liam could answer, Skyler's voice came from behind her. "What's wrong with Liam? Did he eat something bad?" Stella's brows drew together. The concern in her eyes turned cold. "Liam, you're unbelievable. You made yourself throw up just to upset me. "What, is the breakfast I bought you not good enough?" He was still retching, almost bringing up stomach acid. But Stella glanced at her watch and took Skyler's arm. "You need to clock in at the office in ten minutes. Skyler, let's go. We can eat on the way." By the time Liam rinsed his mouth, Stella's car was long gone. He worked as her secretary for three years and never once got a ride to work with her. On Skyler's first day as his replacement, he sat in Stella's passenger seat. Liam couldn't put his feelings into words. It only felt a little easier when he reminded himself that Stella wasn't Suzy. Suzy was so good to him that he couldn't forget her unless he let Stella hurt him. There were never other boys around Suzy. She only had eyes for him. She remembered everything he liked, knew his weaknesses, and understood his heart. Before the car accident, Liam thought they would be together forever. But there was no forever. Suzy was dead. Chapter 3 When Liam reached the office, he heard a commotion. "I heard Liam's getting fired! Skyler came in this morning with a tiny cut on his finger, and Ms. Watson nearly cried over it. When has she ever cared that much about a man?” “I thought Liam was still her boy toy.” "He's just a lapdog! He's supposed to be the Sheridan heir, but he can't even compete with an illegitimate one. How embarrassing." Liam tightened his grip on his coffee mug and walked through the crowd without arguing or showing his anger. The conversation stopped. One coworker tried to smooth things over. "Liam, don't be upset. We were only joking..." Liam gave a faint smile and carried his resignation letter to Stella's office. "What time are we meeting Mr. Lewis tonight?" Liam handed her his letter along with the project documents. Stella finally looked up from her work. Her voice was quiet. "Nine. Keep your voice down. Skyler's asleep." Without another glance, she signed the papers Liam handed her. Her profile looked most like Suzy's. The way she told him to be quiet just then reminded him of Suzy too. Liam used to nap while Suzy worked. But Stella wasn't Suzy. Liam's lashes trembled. He turned to leave, but as he reached for the door handle, Stella spoke again. "We can go together tonight. It's on my way." Perhaps she felt guilty about what happened that morning. Her tone was gentler than usual. Liam paused. He neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he opened an app and booked his own ride. ... That evening, before it was time to leave, Liam received a text from Stella. "Skyler wants to buy some cupcakes. Go there on your own." Liam seemed to expect it. He went outside and got into the car he'd booked. Lunch was the only meal Liam ate that day, and his stomach burned by evening. He thought about asking Stella to excuse him from the meeting, but she would only say no. Soon, he arrived at the bar's private room. He was a few minutes late. He could already hear people talking as he approached the door. "Stella! It's been ages. When did you get that beauty mark by your eye? I heard a new mole can mean cancer. You should get it checked when you can. And who's this?" A beauty mark that had appeared suddenly? Liam stopped at the door, his heart jolting. Stella put an arm around Skyler's shoulders and introduced him to Graham with a smile. "This is my fiancé, Skyler Lawson." For a moment, Liam forgot to breathe. Then he gave a bitter smile. Stella would face tremendous pressure for marrying an illegitimate son. When Liam once argued with his grandfather over marrying Suzy, he was beaten so badly he nearly broke a bone. She really did love Skyler. The two exchanged greetings. Liam finally found a chance to open the door. "Liam! There you are!" "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Lewis." Liam smiled apologetically, though he felt an intense gaze on him. When he tried to find its source, it vanished. Graham pulled Liam into the seat beside him and raised a glass. "Since you're late, you owe us three drinks. You know the rules!" Liam looked uneasily at the strong liquor. He remembered the doctor telling him he had early-stage stomach cancer and turned to Stella for help. Stella rubbed her thumb against her glass. The memory of Liam humbling himself to beg Graham for the project flashed through her mind, and anger rose for no reason she could name. "If Mr. Lewis tells you to drink, then drink. Liam, when did you become so delicate?" Liam froze. He forced the corners of his mouth into a smile and took the glass. "Mr. Lewis is right. I'm late, so I owe everyone a drink." He emptied it. Someone filled it again, and he kept drinking. After three glasses, pain churned through his stomach. Stella grew irritated at the sight and turned away. Skyler, who was eating strawberry cake, tugged at her hand. He stared curiously at the liquor Graham had just made Liam drink. "Stella, can I try that? I've never had alcohol. Liam can drink it, and I want to learn too!" "It's strong. It'll hurt your stomach." Stella caught his hand on instinct. Only after the words left her mouth did she remember that Liam, not Skyler, had a stomach condition. "I knew you cared about me most!" Skyler swung her arm and rubbed his head against her slender shoulder. Then he noticed her attention had shifted to Liam. Graham poured Liam drink after drink. His hand wandered over Liam as he leered. "The Sheridan heir really is handsome! With a face like that, you'd even make a beautiful woman." Liam's stomach couldn't bear the last drink. He vomited a large pool of dark brown blood. It splashed all over Graham. He raised a hand to strike Liam, but Stella smashed a bottle against the back of his head. He grunted and collapsed. "Liam! How do you feel? Someone call an ambulance!" She held his shoulders and helped him sit upright, unable to hide the panic on her face. Skyler suddenly cried out, "My face hurts!" Stella turned and saw that a shard from the bottle had cut him. She let go of Liam and hurried over to comfort Skyler. "Skyler, I'll take you to the hospital." Skyler looked at Liam. "What about him?" "He can manage on his own." She left Liam behind again. After vomiting blood, Liam forced himself to call emergency services. Then his eyes closed as dizziness overtook him. An absurd thought surfaced in his mind: what if Stella was Suzy? No, Suzy would never have treated him this way. Chapter 4 When Liam woke, he was in a hospital bed. Stella sat on the sofa beside him, watching him. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" Liam pressed his lips together. He looked at her, unable to name what he felt. He spent years at her side, doing everything she needed, and his stomach suffered for it. Whether Stella truly didn't know or only pretended not to, Liam no longer cared. When he didn't answer, she continued, "You worked on the Lewis partnership for so long, and now you've ruined it. How are you going to make it up to me?" Only then did Liam notice the oatmeal and shrimp omelet beside him. "Which Sheridan project do you want?" His face was pale as he opened the food and began eating. "We'll talk when you're better. Don't come to work for the next few days. I'll approve your resignation." Liam nodded. "I understand. Aren't you going to stay with Skyler?" Stella hadn't expected him to send her away. She paused, but before she could speak, a doctor opened the door. "Ms. Watson, it's time for your tests." "Are you sick?" Liam asked. For once, Stella answered patiently. "I was in a car accident three years ago. I still have some lingering problems that need treatment." She followed the doctor out. She didn't see Liam clutch the bedsheet. Another car accident. How could it be a coincidence? The calm expression he always wore around Stella finally cracked. What if Stella was Suzy? How could his Suzy have become like this? Before he could think any further, Skyler pushed open the door. He held up a medical report and looked at Liam smugly. "Liam, I have kidney disease. What should I do?" Liam had never bothered to be polite to him. "What? Are you dying? Though that wouldn't be such a bad thing. A bastard like you never should have been born." Skyler didn't get angry. He smiled. "I'm not going to die. And if I were, I'd take a kidney from you first. Stella cares so much about me. I know she'd choose me! Just watch!" He threw himself backward, hit the floor hard, and screamed in pain. Stella flung open the door. "Skyler! What happened?" Liam sat on the bed without moving. He watched it all with indifference. "You!" Stella glared at him. "Liam, why are you bullying Skyler? Don't you know he's sick?" She rushed over and grabbed Liam by the collar. The innocence in his clear eyes only made her angrier. Even now, he was pretending he'd done nothing wrong! "You'll pay for this." "Liam, Skyler is going to be my husband!" She helped Skyler up and hurried with him to the emergency department. Liam remained alone on the bed. He couldn't even be bothered to defend himself. Instead, he arranged for someone to pack his things at Stella's villa, then called his grandfather. “Liam, did something happen? You haven’t called your grandpa in a long time.” At the sound of Leonard's aging voice, Liam finally choked up. "Grandpa, I'm coming home tomorrow. I won't leave again. I'll be there to take care of you." They spoke for only a little while before Liam's eyes turned red. He was such a fool. He spent three years letting Stella hurt him because he couldn't let go of Suzy, while the person who truly loved him worried until his heart was broken. Before Liam could recover, two men in black uniforms burst into his room. "What do you want?" Liam barely got the words out before they seized his arms and legs. One of the men took out a handful of pills and several bottles of liquid medicine. He looked at Liam apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sheridan." Chapter 5 Then one of the men gripped Liam's jaw and forced a mixture of liquid medicine and pills into his mouth. The bitter taste made his stomach spasm. He retched again and vomited all over the floor. Stomach acid left his throat burning and numb. Only then did the men release him and pass on Stella's message. "These drugs won't harm your body. But Ms. Watson said that if she could, she'd make you feel the pain Mr. Lawson feels when he's sick." Liam choked and couldn't speak, but the words cut deep. He had early-stage stomach cancer. However serious Skyler's illness was, Liam didn't think Skyler suffered more than he did. Stella knew exactly how to hurt him most. Liam left the hospital that evening. When he returned to the villa, he found his bags piled beside the trash cans. As an employer, Stella treated him fairly enough. Whenever Liam was hurt or put himself in danger for her, she paid him compensation. That was as far as her concern went. Their memories together amounted to little more than stacks of plane tickets from trips around the world. In three years, Stella never gave him a chance to cross the line between them. Liam searched through his things and let out a long breath when he found the pocket watch, perfectly preserved and free of rust. Inside was the ring Suzy made for him by hand, engraved with both their names. Then he turned away. He threw everything connected to Stella into the trash. The Sheridan family lived in a neighboring city, only twenty minutes away by express train. Liam bought a ticket and changed his phone's SIM card. Before deleting Stella from WhatsApp, he saw her latest message. "Liam, I'm warning you. If you lay a hand on Skyler again, I won't support Sheridan Group or supply your grandfather's special medication. "And I still have those photos of you. You wouldn't want everyone in our circle to see the Sheridan heir groveling at my feet, would you?" Liam gripped his phone and bit down hard on his lower lip. Stella was more calculating than Suzy. Even after someone drugged her with an aphrodisiac, she thought to take nude photos of him to use as leverage and protect Watson Group's secrets. She was a skilled businesswoman. She was ruthless and clever enough to take control of the Watson family in just three years. Besides her message, Liam received an email. Skyler sent him a video of Liam standing outside Stella's bedroom while she pleasured herself over Skyler's photograph. “Liam, I bet you’re wondering why Stella hasn’t slept with me. We got drunk together once, and I let her think she’d taken advantage of me. I acted so shaken that she decided I wasn’t ready. She’s been waiting ever since.” Skyler's words openly gloated. Liam's expression didn't change as he boarded the train. Liam wanted to sleep with Stella only because she shared Suzy's genes. He and Suzy promised each other they would have children. Liam watched the scenery rush past the window and wondered how he could have been so foolish. If he died because he failed to take care of himself, Suzy would be angry with him. She would scold him for treating his life so carelessly. But he missed her desperately. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent fifty thousand messages to their chat, unanswered for three years. In all his time with Stella, they exchanged only a few hundred messages. Now Liam finally woke from his dream. Stella wasn't Suzy. He would no longer imagine that Suzy might come back one day. He was going home. Chapter 6 It was late when Liam got home, but Leonard was still awake. He came to greet Liam the moment he stepped inside. Louis Lawson, Liam's father in name, stayed where he was without moving. "Grandpa..." Liam lowered his head before him. "You're home, my boy. That's all that matters." Louis spoke at the worst possible moment and ruined the warmth between them. "Now that you're home, we should move forward with the marriage arrangement with the Sheffield family. "You're not getting any younger. You can't keep behaving like this. With Miss Sheffield as your wife, you could help Sheridan Group grow." Liam glanced at him, then rested his head on Leonard's knee. "Grandpa, I don't want to marry. I just want to stay with you for the rest of my life." Liam had only just come home. Leonard wasn't about to upset him. "All right. If you don't want to marry, you don't have to." He patted Liam's shoulder. "Go upstairs and rest. You've lost so much weight." Louis tried to argue, but Leonard shot him a fierce glare. "If you want a daughter-in-law so badly, arrange the marriage for that son you keep outside this family." Louis refused at once. "How could I? Skyler is going to marry Ms. Watson!" "You won't marry off your son, and I won't marry off my grandson. Don't think I don't know what you've done to Liam all these years," Leonard said with a snort. "If I hadn't wanted to spare you the embarrassment, you wouldn't have any place in the Sheridan family." Leonard went to his room, leaving Louis alone with his fists clenched in anger. What gave the old man the right to act so high and mighty? The Sheridan family was nothing special. Once Stella married Skyler, Louis would make the Sheridans pay dearly! Liam had barely reached his old room when messages from unfamiliar number appeared on his phone. [Back with the Sheridans already? You couldn't wait to leave.] [Why did you block me? Feeling guilty?] After the way she treated him, did she really expect him to stay? Liam gave a faint, bitter smile and replied without much thought: [If I stayed, would you accuse me of hurting Skyler again?] [Tell me what you want.] Stella sent him a photo of the wedding invitation he left behind, along with a reminder: [Don't forget to come. You won't get in without an invitation.] [Unblock my number, and I'll give you twenty thousand dollars.] Liam accepted. He might as well take the money. Then he muted their conversation, held Suzy's photograph close, and fell asleep. This was the last time he would lose himself in the past. From now on, he was no longer Suzy's Liam. He was Liam Sheridan, the heir to the Sheridan family. Early the next morning, he heard Louis and his grandfather arguing. "Stella is about to marry Skyler. A connection to the Watson family would benefit both sides! Can't you stop being so old-fashioned?" Even the most innocent servant in the house could hear what Louis was after. Leonard snorted. "Benefit both sides? You want the Sheridans to pay your illegitimate son's wedding expenses! He doesn't have a drop of Sheridan blood. What makes you think he deserves anything from this family?" A vein pulsed at Louis' temple. He gripped the edge of his shirt and was about to answer when Liam came downstairs and interrupted him. "Grandpa's right. Skyler is your illegitimate son. He has no right to present himself as a Sheridan. "But if you want him to have that title, I'll give you a chance. I heard you own a plot of undeveloped land. Give it to me, and I'll let Skyler call himself a Sheridan. What do you say?" Louis shook with anger. Plenty of companies wanted that land. It was worth a fortune, and he planned to give it to Skyler as a wedding gift! "You... you...!" Liam watched him struggle, then stepped forward to help Leonard up and patted his back. "Come on, Grandpa. Let's give Mr. Lawson some time to think." Louis watched them walk away. His fists tightened and loosened until he finally gave in through gritted teeth. "I agree. But you must promise Skyler won't be mistreated." "Deal," Liam said.