Liv Taylor stood at the edge of the cliff, the wind whipping through her hair as she stared down at the churning waves below. The rugged landscape of the wilderness stretched out around her, vast and desolate, with no sign of civilization for miles. This place had always felt like a haven—a place she and Will could escape to when the pressure of city life became too much. But now, it felt like a prison. A dark, suffocating prison where secrets thrived, and the truth was buried beneath layers of lies.
The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "no body, no crime" played in her mind like a sinister lullaby: "He did it, he did it... no body, no crime." Liv's mind was clouded with suspicion, anger, and something even darker—a feeling she had tried to suppress for months but couldn't anymore. She had discovered Will's betrayal. He thought she didn't know, thought she was oblivious to the affair he'd been having with Kate, her best friend. But Liv knew everything. She had seen the signs, the late-night phone calls, the secretive text messages. She had even followed him, her heart pounding as she watched Will and Kate meet in secret.
And now, standing on the cliff, she was here to confront him.
Will's footsteps crunched on the gravel behind her, slow and measured. He didn't know what was coming. Not yet.
"Liv," he called out, his voice full of false warmth. "What are you doing out here?"
Liv didn't turn around. She kept her gaze fixed on the ocean, her mind racing with all the things she wanted to say. But instead of anger, she felt a cold detachment settle over her. She had played this moment out in her head a hundred times, and now that it was finally here, she felt... numb.
"I was just thinking," Liv said, her voice calm, almost eerie in its stillness.
Will came closer, his presence a looming shadow beside her. "Thinking about what?"
Finally, Liv turned to face him. She met his eyes, and for the first time in months, she saw him for what he really was—someone who had broken her trust, who had shattered their life together without a second thought.
"About us," Liv said, her tone even. "About how everything has changed."
Will's smile faltered, a flash of something—guilt? Fear?—crossing his face. "What do you mean? Everything's fine, Liv. We've been through rough patches before, but we always make it work."
Liv let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "You really think I don't know, don't you?"
Will's eyes widened, but he quickly composed himself, his expression becoming defensive. "Know what?"
"Don't play dumb, Will. I know about you and Kate."
The silence that followed was deafening. Will's face went pale, and for a moment, he looked like a man caught in a trap, scrambling for a way out.
"Liv, it's not what you think," Will began, his voice shaky. "Kate and I... it's nothing. It was a mistake, okay? It's over."
"Is it?" Liv asked, her voice sharp. "Because I saw you two together last week. You were holding her like she meant something to you. You didn't look like a man who'd made a mistake. You looked like someone who was living a double life."
Will took a step closer, his hand reaching out for hers, but Liv pulled away, her eyes blazing with anger now. The calm facade she had maintained was crumbling, and the betrayal she had been trying to contain boiled over.
"Don't touch me," Liv snapped, her voice cold. "I trusted you, Will. I gave you everything, and you threw it all away for... what? For her?"
Will's face twisted in frustration, his patience fraying. "Liv, you don't understand. Things have been... complicated between us. You've been distant. I didn't know how to reach you anymore."
"Don't you dare put this on me," Liv hissed. "This isn't about us. This is about you. You're the one who lied. You're the one who cheated."
Will's jaw clenched, and for a moment, Liv saw a flash of something darker in his eyes—something that sent a shiver down her spine.
"So what now, Liv?" Will asked, his voice low, dangerous. "You want to ruin everything because of a mistake? You want to throw our life away?"
Liv met his gaze, her heart pounding in her chest. "Our life? There is no 'our life' anymore, Will. You ended that the moment you betrayed me."
The wind howled around them, the ocean crashing against the rocks below. For a moment, they stood there, locked in a silent standoff, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between them.
Then, something shifted in Will's expression. His face hardened, and Liv realized with a sickening certainty that he wasn't going to apologize. He wasn't going to beg for forgiveness.
"You're not going to leave me," Will said quietly, his tone unnervingly calm. "You think you will, but you won't. Because you need me. And you won't survive without me."
Liv's blood ran cold at his words. The man standing in front of her wasn't the man she had once loved. He was a stranger. And in that moment, Liv knew what she had to do.
"You're wrong," Liv said, her voice steady, even as her heart raced. "I don't need you. Not anymore."
Without another word, she turned and walked away, her mind buzzing with adrenaline. She didn't have a plan, not yet, but she knew she couldn't stay here. She couldn't pretend anymore.
Back at the cabin, Liv paced in front of the fireplace, her thoughts racing. Will had followed her back inside, but the tension between them had only grown thicker. He sat on the couch, watching her with an intensity that made her feel like prey being stalked by a predator.
"You're overreacting," Will said finally, breaking the silence. "You're blowing this whole thing out of proportion."
Liv stopped pacing, turning to face him, her hands trembling at her sides. "I'm overreacting? You cheated on me with my best friend. How am I supposed to react, Will?"
Will stood up, his voice rising. "I made a mistake, okay? It's not the end of the world."
Liv's heart pounded in her chest as she took a step back, her mind racing with possibilities. She thought about the isolation of the cabin, the wilderness surrounding them for miles. If something happened here, if something went wrong... who would know?
The lyrics from "no body, no crime" echoed in her mind again: "Good thing my daddy made me get a boating license when I was fifteen..." There were so many ways to make someone disappear in a place like this. No one would ever know.
Liv's thoughts darkened, her anger and fear swirling together into something dangerous. She had spent so long pretending everything was fine, but now, with the truth out in the open, she realized just how trapped she had been.
Will took a step toward her, his voice softening, though there was still an edge to it. "Come on, Liv. We can work this out. You don't want to throw everything away over something like this."
But Liv didn't feel like working it out. Not anymore.
She stepped forward, her voice cold and deliberate. "You don't get to decide that, Will. You don't get to control me anymore."
Will's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, Liv thought he might lash out, might try to grab her. But instead, he just stared at her, his jaw tight, his fists clenched at his sides.
"You'll regret this," he said quietly, his voice full of venom.
Liv didn't respond. She just turned and walked out the door, leaving him behind in the cabin.
The night was dark, the wind howling through the trees as Liv made her way to the edge of the lake. She stared out at the water, her heart pounding, her mind spinning with everything that had happened.
She knew she couldn't go back. Not now.
And as she stood there, the dark water lapping at the shore, Liv realized that sometimes, the only way to survive was to disappear.
No body, no crime.
And no one would ever know.
