Where the Cornflowers Grow, Love Died

Sierra's POV

“It looked like he still has feelings for you,” the driver said. “With the way things are for you now, having someone around to take care of you might not be a bad thing.”

I gave a small laugh and replied softly, “There wasn’t any dramatic reason. He just cheated on me with my best friend.”

This year marks twenty years since I first met Liam. For twenty years, our small hometown hadn’t changed, but the people had.

I still remember that year clearly. My parents had just moved us from North America to the city. Right after I stepped off the bus, I brushed shoulders with Liam as he walked by.

We were teenagers then—young, bright, and full of possibilities. In that brief moment, when our shoulders bumped, something sparked in my heart.

The town was small, so it didn’t take long before we fell for each other. We spent the most carefree, beautiful years of our youth together.

Later, trouble hit his family. They had no money left, and he couldn’t afford school anymore. Before he left, he gave me an oil painting and told me he was heading south to work.

I stood there in silence for a moment, then turned around and ran home. Through tears, I told my parents I didn’t want to be apart from him.

My dad lit a cigarette, thought for a long time, and asked me just one question, “Are you sure? Is Liam the person you want for the rest of your life?”

I nodded.

Because from the very first moment I met him, long before we fell in love, I had already decided that no matter what happened in this life, I would only love him.

My dad didn’t say anything else, yet he stayed up the whole night thinking.

The next morning, he sold ten of our cattle, took a stack of cash, and went straight to find Liam. He patted him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about the tuition. Just study well and grow into someone worthy.”

Liam froze for a long time before falling to his knees, bowing again and again. He said that once he graduated, he would repay this kindness a thousand times over.

But my dad only helped him up and said with a meaningful tone, “I’m not asking for repayment. If fate brings you and Sierra together, just treat her right.”

Liam agreed. He raised his hand toward the majestic snow-capped mountains and swore he would never fail me in this lifetime.

From that day forward, we officially started dating.

And he didn’t disappoint my father. He got accepted into a top art academy, quickly gained fame with his paintings, and after graduation, became a faculty member at the school. For a time, he was the rising star everyone talked about.

Also, he didn’t disappoint me. After years of being together, his love for me never wavered.

On our wedding night, he tattooed the little doodle I once drew for him right over his heart.

He held my hand, letting me feel the beating beneath the ink, and said, “Sierra, remember this feeling. My heart will only ever beat for you.”

That year, our love was at its brightest—so intense that we couldn’t stand being apart even for a day. Whenever he traveled for work, we were on the phone nonstop.

Once, I had a fever. I took some medicine and accidentally fell asleep in the middle of our call. When I woke up, my phone was covered with hundreds of messages.

Panicked, I video-called him to let him know I was okay.

The moment the screen lit up, I saw him sitting in the driver’s seat, crying. “Sierra, why didn’t you answer my call? I called you several times, but you didn’t answer any of them. I even had the delivery guy knock on your door, but no one answered. I was terrified something happened to you. If anything ever happened to you, what would I do?”

He said he had been scared out of his mind. He said he was just worried. He admitted he was probably overthinking, but he didn’t dare take that chance.

Over a thousand kilometers away, in temperatures below freezing, he completely lost reason. He pushed aside all his work and started driving straight toward me.

By the time I rushed downstairs to meet him, it was already the middle of the night.