All Chapters of Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

12 Chapters

Chapter 1

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

The day Ryan shared a passionate kiss with his childhood sweetheart was on my birthday.He promised to take me to the estate that night to watch the fireworks. I dressed up carefully, wearing a red short dress despite the early autumn chill. As I stood downstairs, shivering slightly, Ryan finally arrived. A sleek black Maybach pulled up discreetly at the entrance. Avoiding my mom’s teasing gaze behind me, I quickly slipped into the car. As soon as I got in, I placed my hands inside Ryan’s coat pockets. Perhaps finding it inappropriate, he glanced at the driver with a slight frown and pulled my hands out. The car was already heading toward the airport. Midway, Ryan’s phone rang. I saw Michelle Wood’s name on the screen and felt annoyed, refusing to let him answer. Ever since she returned, every time Ryan and I were alone, she would find a way to insert herself. The three of us together always felt incredibly awkward. But Ryan never seemed to mind. In fact, when I compl

Chapter 2

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

It felt like I had to get everything off my chest. The more I spoke, the more heartbroken I became. By the time I finished, my voice was slightly hoarse. On the other end of the line, Ryan was silent the entire time. It wasn’t until my sobs finally died down that he spoke—his voice cold. "Are you done crying?" There was impatience in his tone, like a bucket of ice water dumped over me as if to remind me how ridiculous I was. The emotions I struggled to control vanished in an instant. I stared at the photo of him kissing Michelle, feeling a hollow ache spread through my chest. As much as I hated to admit it, when I had been pouring my heart out, I stupidly imagined he might still comfort me like he used to. But that single sentence shattered that illusion completely. Suddenly, everything felt meaningless. "Yeah," I murmured, not saying another word. Without hesitation, he hung up. …An hour later, an anonymous photo landed in my inbox. Ryan was carrying Mich

Chapter 3

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

He had the fresh-faced look of a recent college grad, probably no more than twenty-three.But more importantly, he looked familiar. The moment he saw me step inside, his eyes lit up. "Liz?" That was when it clicked. He was the son of my mom’s close friend, Cathy Mills. Back when I was in college, he even stayed at my house for a few days. I remembered it was during summer break. An eighteen-year-old boy, dumped at our place by his own mother because of his terrible grades. According to my mom, his name was Julian Walker—the youngest in the Walker family and a total troublemaker. The first time I saw him, he had a black stud in his ear, a rebellious streak written all over his face, and a whole crew trailing behind him. When someone joked about him getting kicked out of his house, he simply raised an eyebrow and said, "Get lost." At the time, I was twenty, still in college, and standing on the second-floor balcony when I saw him. I took one look and decided to stay

Chapter 4

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

I stared in silence. Perhaps sensing the awkwardness, Cathy was the first to speak."So, does this mean the blind date was a success? Are you two officially together now?" I opened my mouth to explain only to see Julian already nodding. I turned to look at him, and he lowered his voice. "Liz, that was my first kiss." Three sets of eyes remained fixed on me, waiting for my response.With nowhere to run, I could only nod. There was no getting out of this one. After all, I had literally tackled him in front of his mom—then kissed him on top of it. No excuse in the world would make this look any better. …When I got home, Julian sent me a message. "Liz, if you’re not interested in me, that’s okay. I’ll be fine."For some reason, that only made me feel more embarrassed. But when I thought about it, it wasn’t exactly a bad deal for me. He was handsome, and I already knew what kind of person he was. Maybe giving it a shot wasn’t the worst idea. And just like that,

Chapter 5

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

""I'll head over in three days and get her back. You know how she is—stubborn as ever. She just needs a good reason to swallow her pride."Ryan’s meaning was clear. The room fell silent as everyone exchanged looks before turning toward Michelle. Even though she was sitting right beside Ryan, her expression shifted, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto her face. I didn’t bother watching any longer. I pushed open the door and walked into the suite next door. …Julian’s friends weren’t quite what I expected. They were all young—some bold and flashy, others more reserved—but to my surprise, they treated me with genuine respect.It seemed like Julian had given them a heads-up beforehand. There were quite a few girls in the group as well, all friendly and welcoming, easily slipping into conversation about fashion and jewelry. As we got more comfortable, a few of girls—cheeks flushed from drinks—suddenly huddled around me, burying their faces against my chest with giggles. J

Chapter 6

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

He told me in private that if Julian ever mistreated me, I could just let him know.When I left his grandfather's study, I saw half a wooden rod hanging behind the door. Julian leaned in. "There’s another half. It broke when I was eight after I got into trouble and was punished with it." …Back in the new bedroom, Julian immediately set me down on the low cabinet by the entryway and kissed me deeply. His body pressed between my legs. I tensed up completely, only able to wrap my arms around his neck. "Liz." His eyes were slightly red, carrying a strange trace of lust. Suddenly, I understood what my mom meant when she said, "Younger men are the best."Lying on the couch, I finally reached out my hand. His eyes were a little damp at the corners. Yet, for some reason, I felt a twisted sense of pleasure. He let out a muffled groan, his eyes growing wetter.I finally understood what it meant when they said a man's tears were a woman's aphrodisiac. But soon enough, he

Chapter 7

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

"I just never expected that he would actually fall in love with you." A flicker of irritation flashed in her eyes. I sat there, looking at the photos—Ryan carefully making gifts for her, celebrating her birthday… The fog in my mind finally lifted. Any lingering resentment I had toward him disappeared. "Well, you two really are a perfect match—one heartless enough to leave her boyfriend behind to chase freedom, only to come back and wedge herself into his new relationship. "And the other, still holding onto his past while pretending to move forward, keeping one hand on his girlfriend and the other on his ex."Michelle chuckled. "Lizzie, don’t say that. I was young back then, that’s why I left Ryan to go abroad. "I’m just taking back what was mine, isn’t that fair?" My phone vibrated. The number on the screen was unfamiliar, but the repeated digits at the end made it obvious who it was. I answered the call, looked at Michelle, and let out a cold laugh."Sure, don’t

Chapter 8

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

“Liz.” … On the other end, Michelle’s voice trembled with suppressed sobs. “Ryan, I asked Miss Lee out for tea, hoping to convince her to give you another chance. "But I never expected her to dump a whole cup of iced coffee on me.” …He barely registered anything else, only the mention of Lizzie’s name. Before he could think, the words left his mouth. “Liz, apologize to Michelle.” The moment he said it, regret hit him. But then again, this was how it had always been. Ever since Michelle returned, people naturally paired them together. At gatherings, there was always an empty seat beside him, left for her. Lizzie refused to play along. Michelle would then stand up, offering to switch seats, only to leave crying. The moment she walked away in tears, everyone would rush to comfort her. And he, frowning, would tell Lizzie to apologize. Lizzie’s face would stiffen with embarrassment. She’d press her lips together, refusing to say a word. So, he would simply

Chapter 9

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

I remembered that day when Ryan and Michelle returned from the amusement park. I was livid. That day, Ryan and I had gotten into an argument. He looked at me, frowned, and then turned to walk into the study, leaving only a simple request for me to calm down. Perhaps out of guilt, the next day Ryan had a room full of stuffed animals delivered to me. But I never cared about those toys. What mattered to me was that he gave everything I wanted to Michelle. Maybe before that night, I would have been moved by his gesture, but now, looking at Ryan, all I could think of were those words: “Late affection is as meaningless as a fleeting trend. If you don't act when it counts, it loses its relevance later on.”…I looked at him, offering a cold smile. “Mr. Patel, that’s all in the past now.” When old flames meet, I couldn’t pretend to be friends after a breakup, nor could I bury the past. To me, it was simply over. He looked at me, seeming to offer some form of compromise. “I’

Chapter 10

Goodbye to the Past, Hello to Love/Strange Cat

He even said, "If I lose my wife, I won’t be able to live." His grandmother was heartbroken. "How can that boy from the Patel family behave like this? He’s trying to steal my granddaughter-in-law? No way, you all have to do something about this." I finally understood why people always said, “You can offend anyone in the Walker family, but never Julian.”He was like a walking, talking menace, and being the youngest in the family, he was naturally spoiled. I thought it was a casual remark from his grandmother, but to my surprise, both of Julian’s uncles agreed. Only his father gave him a cold glance, almost as if he were used to it and had accepted it.The Walker family had strict rules. Even the tree by the gate stood tall and rigid, a symbol of their discipline.They didn’t take things lightly. If anything, it seemed like the once open door for the Patel family had now been firmly closed.… Ryan didn’t remember how he got back. He only knew that when he finally cleared his

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