Liam Vance and I were friends with benefits. The very first night we reconnected, I hit him with my terms for a trial sleep contract.
"Go get a check-up at the clinic. Prove you're clean and healthy. How else am I supposed to know if you can even satisfy me?"
Hearing my words, the desire that had been building in Liam's eyes instantly fizzled out.
"Fine. Let's get my body thoroughly checked out! We'll see exactly how well I can satisfy you!"
He gritted his teeth, looking at me, his eyes burning with the desire to conquer me.
1.
Running into Liam Vance again was pure chance.
That night, I'd been betrayed by my own fiancé.
SMACK!
"Ethan Cole! How could you do this to me! It's my birthday, and you sneak off to get a room with my goddamn best friend? Are you two trying to deliberately screw with my head, get some sick thrill?!"
Seeing the half-naked pair of dogs before me, I couldn't hold back my fury any longer. I slapped my fiancé across the face.
My eyes were red with rage, and I put all my strength into it. The slap nearly knocked Ethan's head off, and half his face immediately started to swell.
"Ah!?!"
My 'best friend,' Jessica Bell, shrieked.
Clutching the bedsheet, she ran over, carefully cupping Ethan's face, her own expression filled with exaggerated pain.
Tears welled in her eyes, making her look pitiful yet defiant.
"Ava, you've gone too far this time. Even if Ethan and I did something inappropriate, you can't just hit people! Look how swollen it is, that must hurt so much..."
Her fake innocent act made my stomach turn.
"Since you care about him so much, why don't I just give him to you."
"Ethan Cole, we're done. Hope you two live happily ever after."
After landing the blow, I didn't waste another word. I turned sharply and walked away.
Jessica gaped, seemingly shocked that I'd let go so easily.
But Ethan panicked. He grabbed my hand, ignoring his own throbbing face.
"Ava, I'm sorry, I messed up! It was a moment of weakness! We've been together for years, how can you just throw me away like this?!"
Me throw him away?!
Seeing his wounded expression, I just wanted to laugh.
Seriously, how blind was I before? It was like I went dumpster diving and pulled him out.
But hey, the world’s full of all sorts.
Plenty of people seem to enjoy trash.
Jessica wrapped her arm around Ethan’s and tried to 'explain.'
"Yeah, Ava, there's nothing going on between Ethan and me. He was just here helping me with a massage..."
The challenge in her eyes was impossible to miss.
Their closeness made even Ethan visibly uncomfortable.
"Really?!"
A cold smile touched my lips.
"Of course... Jessica and I, we..."
SMACK!
Before Ethan could finish, I slapped him again, this time on the other cheek.
He clutched his face, utterly stunned.
SMACK!
SMACK!
Before he could react, I landed two more quick slaps on his right cheek.
"There. Now it's symmetrical."
I nodded, satisfied, looking at Ethan's swollen face as if admiring a piece of art in a gallery.
Jessica was too shocked to even scream.
Ethan, now sporting four handprints, glared at me, face dark, veins popping. He looked like he wanted to punch me right back.
Too bad for him, he didn't have the guts.
"Ava Sterling, you're going way too far! I'm still your fiancé, you know! Even if I made a mistake, you should show me some respect in public! I'm your man, after all!"
Hearing that, I rolled my eyes so hard I could practically see my brain.
Never heard of a kept man, caught cheating by the woman footing the bills, trying to pull the 'macho man' card.
Did being my lapdog give him a superiority complex?
2.
Turns out, I actually did laugh out loud.
"Heh..."
I advanced on him, step by step.
Ethan, who had been puffing out his chest, shrank back as I approached.
"What... what do you want..."
He swallowed hard, his voice tight with nerves.
But I just extended one long, delicate finger and pressed it against his chest, delivering my judgment in an almost cruel tone.
"Nothing much. Just wanted to inform my former man that you're cut off. I'm revoking all my favors."
My voice was cold, detached.
The commanding presence, ingrained in me from birth, seemed to suffocate him.
He froze, terrified, and started to tremble uncontrollably.
Tch, coward!
Ballsy enough to cheat, but not to own up to it.
I despised him from the bottom of my heart.
Calmly, I stood up, smoothed my clothes, and walked straight out.
As I passed Jessica, who was now frozen in fear, I paused and said four words to her.
"Same goes for you."
After dealing with the trashy couple, I felt restless and didn't want to go home. Instead, I went to my usual bar to drown my sorrows.
After two drinks, it felt pointless. I thought about calling a friend, only to remember that the person rolling around with my fiancé was my supposed best friend, Jessica.
"Hah. Pointless. So damn pointless."
I shook my head with a bitter smile and downed my drink.
"How pointless are we talking?!"
A shadow fell over me, and a familiar scent filled the air.
"Liam Vance?!"
I stared at the man sitting beside me, whispering his name.
I rubbed my temples, blinked hard.
Damn, I'd had too much to drink today. I was hallucinating.
"What?! Little Ava, so shocked to see me you're speechless? Or just dizzy with delight?"
Liam held his glass, a playful smirk on his face as he watched me.
That cocky grin and irreverent tone were all too familiar.
"It really is you, Liam Vance..."
I murmured.
Liam was my ex-boyfriend. My first love. And also, my most disastrous relationship ever...
When I was younger, I was the untouchable Ava Sterling, heiress supreme. My little hobby? Saving 'troubled' guys.
And back then, Liam Vance was exactly my type.
Worn-out, faded t-shirt, slightly messy mid-length hair, looking clean and cool all at once. And most importantly, drop-dead gorgeous.
And I happened to be totally shallow.
I remember spotting him across the basketball court one day – a single glance, and I was hooked.
Don't get me wrong, the guy couldn't play basketball to save his life.
When I saw him, he was in the middle of a 1-on-3 fight.
He was getting beaten up, covered in bruises, lip split, his handsome face bruised purple. Even like that, he was still stunning, adding this layer of tragic beauty.
Who could resist that?
A broken boy fighting his way out of a desperate situation! My heart skipped a beat.
My eyes were glued to him, couldn't look away.
All I could think was:
"Grandma's got her eye on you. You have to be mine!"
However...
How I wished he could have been mute.
Not that his voice wasn't nice. Quite the opposite, it was clean, matched his looks perfectly.
It was just...
"Son of a bitch! Had enough yet? You little punk, you think you can mess with me?!"
And just like that, the tragic beauty vanished. My dream guy... the broken boy... turned out to be a total punk...
3.
But later, I heard Liam was poor. Dirt poor. Working three jobs a month sometimes.
I secretly followed him once. Saw him in greasy overalls, lying under a car, fixing it, sweat dripping down his face.
And damn it, I was hooked all over again.
Fine, a punk was a punk. It's all the same in bed.
I would never admit I had zero resistance to his looks.
So, after Liam finished work that day, I ran up and blocked his path.
"Hey, Liam Vance! I've decided I want you. Name your price, I can give you anything!"
I'd imagined his reaction many times.
Would he curse me out and tell me to get lost? Or would he gladly accept?
But I never, ever expected...
He broke into a brilliant smile, threw an arm around me, and pulled me close.
"Alright. You can be my sugar mama~"
Huh?!
I admit, my brain totally short-circuited in that moment.
Later, lying with Liam on that big hotel bed, my head was still spinning.
Partly because I hadn't processed it, partly because he'd kissed me senseless.
"Wait!"
As Liam's hand slid under my clothes, I stopped him, my face flushed.
He just kept smiling at me, leaning down to kiss my neck.
His warm breath tickled my skin.
"Little Ava, don't you want me?"
Under his spell, my resistance melted away. My body went limp, like water.
Taking my silence as consent, the man grew bolder.
That night, I screamed myself hoarse.
The next morning, looking at the bruises all over my body, I belatedly realized I'd been played.
Liam Vance was a fox.
Cunning, but damn, so beautiful...
During the two years Liam and I dated, we spent most of our time in bed.
After all, I was seriously addicted to his body. Just like right now.
Huh?!
My wandering mind snapped back to the present. I looked down at the man currently nibbling on my chest, his shirt already off, revealing a set of lean, eight-pack abs.
My face was already flushed.
I managed to regain my senses just in time and grabbed a handful of Liam's hair, pulling his head up.
"Hey, hold on a sec!"
I stared at Liam's handsome face, my alcohol-and-lust-addled brain slowly rebooting.
"Liam Vance, how did we end up here again?!"
My voice was already husky.
The soft tone sounded almost like I was pouting...
"Little Ava, don't you like it?"
His large hand cupped my cheek. It was warm, and the places he touched grew hot too.
My gaze was hazy as I looked at him, and his actions became even more daring.
Just as he was about to take things further, I unexpectedly kicked him right off the bed and onto the floor.
Liam had absolutely no warning. He lay there on the floor, looking utterly bewildered and dishevelled.
"Pfft-"
"Hahahahahahaha!!!!"
It had been so long since I'd seen Liam look flustered, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Seeing me laugh hysterically, Liam's usually smooth, seductive face finally cracked a little.
"So you kicked me onto the floor just to laugh at me?"
He didn't seem too angry, though. Adaptable as ever, he just sat up cross-legged on the floor, arms folded, tilting his head to look at me.
4.
"Of course not."
I mirrored his posture, folding my arms and facing him.
"Then why?"
Seeing Liam's genuinely confused expression was deeply satisfying.
Hilarious. I loved it when he couldn't figure me out.
"You wanna get in my bed? Think you can handle it?"
I lifted my chin, casting a doubtful glance his way, my tone laced with provocation.
Sure enough, the one thing a man can't stand hearing is that he "can't."
Hearing my words, the previously grinning Liam instantly stopped grinning.
His face darkened as he stood up from the floor and slowly approached me.
"Ava Sterling. Whether I can handle it or not... shouldn't you know better than anyone?"
Oh ho, he used my full name. That was his sign of being pissed off. He'd asked me the same way when I broke up with him.
"Ava Sterling, do you really want to break up with me?"
I mentally replayed the scene of our breakup.
By the time I snapped back to the present, Liam had already pinned me underneath him.
Provoked into a fury, Liam didn't even have the patience to unbutton my shirt. He ripped it open, buttons flying everywhere.
My face remained impassive.
"Chanel. Thirty-eight hundred. You owe me."
"I'll pay! Ten of them, a hundred! After we're done, I'll buy out the whole goddamn store for you, take your pick!"
Liam whispered huskily, skillfully teasing me.
He knew my body better than anyone, knew exactly how to make me feel good.
In just moments, my body softened under his touch.
Just as he was about to move further, I stopped him again, pushing him away forcefully.
I avoided his gaze, grabbing the duvet to cover myself, taking deep breaths to regain control.
"Ava Sterling, you..."
"Want to sleep with me? You don't qualify right now!"
"What are you trying to pull?"
Liam gritted his teeth, staring at me.
"Go get a check-up. Prove you're clean and... capable. Even guys hooking up need proof they're healthy these days."
I continued to provoke him. I honestly thought he'd storm out in anger.
But...
"Fine! Let's get it checked! Get it thoroughly checked! So you can see exactly whether I'm capable or not!!!"
This time, it sounded like his teeth might actually crack.
Liam stormed into the bathroom to take a cold shower, and I burst out laughing again.
"Hahahahaha."
I had to admit, after all these years, I still got a kick out of seeing Liam Vance flustered.
But then, remembering the reason we broke up wiped the smile right off my face.
I stared towards the bathroom, lost in thought...
Liam Vance, why did you even come back?
Gradually, despite myself, I drifted off to sleep.
Liam always had this faint, lingering scent of sandalwood about him. Subtle, but it always made me feel incredibly safe.
I'd asked him once what cologne he used.
His response was typically cocky.
"Smells good, right? That's my natural musk, baby. One of a kind. If you like it, I'll graciously let you hug me more."
And then he'd pulled me into a bear hug, ignoring any protest.
So dumb, so bossy, but I absolutely loved it.
It's a shame... I hadn't felt that scent, that embrace, in ten years.
Lost in that thought, I felt myself being pulled into those familiar arms again.
The familiar scent, the familiar embrace, now mixed with the clean smell of soap.
I instinctively shifted, but he murmured in my ear.
"Don't move. I promised, and I won't break my word. Just holding you."
"Shh, little Ava. Let me get one good night's sleep."
And strangely enough, I didn't move again.
That night, we both slept incredibly well.
5.
The next morning, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Liam's bare chest.
Honestly, it was a great view.
But...
"Damn it, Ava Sterling!!!"
With another swift kick, Liam was back on the floor.
And I felt wonderfully refreshed.
I called my assistant to bring me a change of clothes. Just as I was about to head to work, Liam slung an arm around my neck.
I tilted my head back reflexively to look up at him.
"What do you want?"
"Not so fast, little Ava. We agreed on a check-up at the clinic. How convincing would it be if you weren't there to watch closely?!"
Liam forcefully bundled me into his ridiculously flashy Maserati and drove straight to the hospital.
And so, there we were, sitting obediently outside the Sexual Health Clinic.
Him in an Armani suit, me in Chanel haute couture. We stuck out like sore thumbs.
Everyone around us was throwing curious glances our way, and we could hear their hushed whispers.
"See that? Some people look so glamorous, but who knows how wild they are behind closed doors. Probably riddled with diseases!"
"I know, right? Such handsome and beautiful young people having those kinds of problems..."
"Maybe they're... you know... in that line of work? They wouldn't get clients if they weren't good-looking!"
............
I glanced sideways at Liam and saw his handsome face had turned thunderously black.
An idea sparked.
"Honey, what are we going to do? We both caught something... what about the baby?"
I summoned my best acting skills, looking at Liam with wide, pitiful eyes.
Liam turned to me, catching on immediately.
He grasped my hand tightly.
"It's okay, sweetheart. We both love our baby. Falling on hard times wasn't our choice, but don't worry, I'll take care of you both."
He spoke with such sincerity, his face earnest, even placing a hand gently on my flat stomach for effect.
Great. Now I was the one feeling awkward.
Feeling guilty, I quickly scanned our surroundings. The mother and daughter who had been whispering about us earlier now looked like they wanted the ground to swallow them whole.
Damn it, he managed to look good even doing this.
【Calling number twenty-seven, Liam Vance, to Consultation Room 1.】
It wasn't long before Liam's number was called. Under my watchful gaze, he walked into Room 1 with a grim expression.
I stayed outside, legs crossed, playing on my phone.
I couldn't help but smirk, imagining Liam's awkwardness inside that room.
"Ava? Is that really you?!"
I looked up to see Ethan Cole and Jessica Bell.
My gaze drifted down to where their hands were intimately linked.
Noticing my stare, Ethan awkwardly pulled his hand away from Jessica's arm.
"Don't misunderstand, Jessica and I, we were just..."
Ethan scrambled to explain.
But Jessica hooked her arm back through his, chin high, staking her claim.
"Yes, I'm pregnant. Ava, we've been friends for so many years. I hope you can accept us, wish us well!"
"Pregnant?!"
I eyed Jessica's slightly rounded belly. It actually did look like she could be pregnant.
Seeing Ethan's guilty expression confirmed they'd been sneaking around together for a while.
6.
"Ethan, when did this happen?!"
I folded my arms, questioning him.
"Ava, let me explain! It was an accident! You were away on business, we both had too much to drink, one thing led to another... I never meant to betray you! But Jessica's pregnant, I had to..."
Ethan rushed to explain, blaming everything on alcohol and Jessica, painting himself as completely innocent.
"Hmph!"
I snorted, feeling increasingly disgusted by him.
I wanted to smack my past self from two years ago.
How could I have been so blind to pick him?!
How could I have ever thought this greedy, lying sack of crap was anything like the clean-cut boy Liam used to seem like?
I must have been seriously messed up.
"Ethan, did someone force you to drink? Did someone force you to sleep with Jessica?"
"But I was drunk! I wasn't thinking straight! I just made a mistake any man would make! What did I do wrong?!"
Provoked, Ethan lost his temper and yelled at me.
"Tch, pathetic loser. Can't control your own dick, so you blame it on every man on the planet? You really think we're all animals like you?!"
Before I could even respond, Liam emerged from the clinic room, slinging an arm around my shoulder and looking at Ethan with pure provocation.
