Lara Sterling Liam Thorne NovelOn my wedding day, Liam showed up with his new girlfriend, purely to humiliate me. But that's when I heard it – the voice in his head, filled with regret and a pang of heartache for me.

Liam Thorne demands one of our daughters in marriage, or he won't stop crushing our company!

If we refuse, the bank will foreclose on us tomorrow!

Dad looked at my sister and me with a tormented expression until I stepped forward.

I'll do it.

I only have one condition: the funds Liam's family injects must be used to stabilize the company Mom left behind.

Mr. Sterling nodded eagerly:

"Of course, that's a given."

"Sister!"

My younger sister, Amber Sterling, cried out and rushed to me:

"Liam Thorne is crazy! He hates our family. He'll torture you to death if you marry him!"

I gently stroked her hair. Amber was only twenty, pure and beautiful. How could she be pushed into a lion's den?

"Liam and I, we practically grew up together. Maybe... he won't be too hard on me."

Anyway, I was in the late stages of cancer and didn't have much time left.

I didn't tell anyone about my illness, silently accepting all the wedding arrangements.

On the wedding day, the luxurious ballroom was packed with guests.

Standing on stage, I remembered that year, Liam Thorne clinging to a tree, calling out to me.

"Lara, when we grow up, will you marry me?"

The boy who used to gently call me "Lara" had grown into a handsome, cold man.

Our childhood jest had come true, but at this moment, Liam Thorne walked in, arm in arm with another woman, also dressed in a wedding gown.

Two brides? The entire hall erupted in chaos.

Reporters' flashlights flickered madly, capturing this absurd scene.

Liam Thorne led Celeste Hayes to me and announced:

"Today, the woman I'm marrying is Celeste Hayes."

"As for her, she's just a 'gift' the Sterlings shamelessly shoved at me."

Countless gazes, like sharp blades, slowly carved away my dignity and pride.

"Liam Thorne, don't go too far!"

I forced myself to straighten my back, maintaining the last shred of grace befitting a Sterling heiress.

Liam Thorne leaned close to my ear, whispering:

"I advise you to watch closely. If you dare to leave even a step, the Sterlings will be bankrupt tomorrow."

That's when I vaguely heard a voice:

Isn't this too much for Lara? She looks... like she's about to shatter.

No, I can't go soft. Don't forget how my parents died!

Lara? That was my special nickname, a secret only Liam knew.

Why would he call me by my nickname? I shook my head. The wedding was so loud, it must have been my imagination.

The wedding continued.

I stood dazedly in a corner, watching Liam Thorne and Celeste Hayes exchange vows and rings.

"Look at that Sterling girl, how pathetic and humiliating!"

"Serves her right! Her mother ruined the Thornes back then."

"The Sterlings are shameless, shamelessly offering their daughter, but Mr. Thorne doesn't even want her!"

"She really brought this on herself, showing up in a wedding dress. Who gave her the nerve?"

I forced a smile, enduring the mocking and gloating stares of the guests.

My family sat in a corner, faces ashen, but daring not to speak.

After the wedding, Dad rushed to me, scolding me relentlessly.

"Why didn't you tell me Liam Thorne would do this? You made us lose face in front of everyone!"

"Father, I only just found out myself,"

I whispered.

"Useless!" Dad threw off my hand and walked away.

A sharp pain shot through my chest, and I coughed, a patch of bright red blood blooming on my handkerchief.

"Liam Thorne, does this kind of revenge make you happy?"

That year, the Thorne family suffered a tragedy. All evidence pointed to my recently deceased mother stealing business secrets, leading to their bankruptcy.

Liam's father, unable to bear the blow, jumped to his death. His mother, fleeing creditors, was hit by a car and died.

From then on, our two families became bitter enemies, and Liam Thorne vanished completely from my world.

When I heard Liam Thorne's name again, he was an influential business magnate, returning with a heart full of hatred.