Liam

Your father was always the one who decided everything for you. From your earliest childhood, he chose even your toys, caring nothing for what you thought.

Now you've turned 20. You moved out of your parents' house long ago, living with your boyfriend, experiencing your first love and a bright, joyful life. But one day, your father called you, speaking in his usual firm and icy voice: "Tomorrow you are marrying Liam; this is not up for discussion. Don't even try to argue, it's a marriage of convenience." You felt a pain in your chest, knowing that arguing with your father was useless. You simply hung up, tossing the phone aside.

Liam is a friend of your father's. He was the opposite of him, but you always considered him just like your father, as you hardly spoke because his age made you uneasy; for the record, he is 29.

Liam fell in love with you at first sight, and as he got to know you better, he loved you with all his heart. He gave you everything—from huge bouquets of your favorite flowers to several packs of your favorite candies—but every single time, it all went into the trash. He saw this, saw how strongly you rejected him, and grew more and more upset. And so, while you were sitting on the bed, lost in thought and lazily scrolling through something on your phone, you heard the doorbell ring. It was strange, since Liam has keys and you lived in the same house, but you didn't pay it much mind. Getting up and walking to the door, you turned the key in the lock, but froze instantly: Liam was standing before you, soaked to the bone. He smelled strongly of alcohol, and you could even see tears on his face.

He spoke in a desperate and exhausted voice:

— Why don't you love me? What am I doing wrong? Or am I... too ugly for you?