Chapter 9

Liam POV

I was silent for a while as my mind felt it was on fire. “Mom, what are you talking about?”

She cleared her throat as I heard chatter around her. “Wait a minute! Is Ruby with you? Does she have a hand in this fallacy you're spilling right now!” My knuckles turned white as I couldn't control the anger bubbling in me.

“Check the news and get back to me! I don't owe any explanation since you have decided to do as you wish!” She yelled and dropped the call instantly.

I sat down frozen as a whisper in my head told me that this was just a joke. My gaze blazed and I held my breath. “Is everything all right?” Charlotte wondered as she enquired.

“Or he's not enjoying the food?” Daisy asked with her brows furrowed.

Not long ago, confusion clouded me, and a notification appeared on my phone from my mom. 

With anticipation and desperation in me, I opened the link instantly, and a cold shiver went down my spine. 

“Is Mrs Blackwood alright? You look tense and, at the same time, angry,” Charlotte asked as my silence was eating her up.

Suddenly, my fingers trembled on the screen of my phone and my hands become sweaty. I swallowed hard as I forced myself to believe this piece.

I blinked my gaze a bit from the screen as I drew a shaky breath and turned upside down. “Let's have a look, please,” Charlotte stated and pulled the phone from her hand.

“Is something wrong? Or you're not enjoying your meal,” Ethan finally asked after being silent and wondering.

As my gaze drifted on Charlotte with the phone in her hand, her fingers were suddenly shaking and trembling.

Her pursed lips remained wide open, and she dropped the phone on the table.

My voice suddenly betrayed me as I clenched by the side of the chair, and reality hit me like a hot slap. 

“What's that?!” Ethan added as the silence was deafening.

“So…it's true. Charlotte!” My voice suddenly became colder, almost harsh.

“What's true?” Ethan asked while Charlotte sat as if she was suddenly dumb.

For a moment, I felt numb and a sad smile curled on my lips. I thought I knew her, but I guess I was wrong. 

My thoughts whirled, and a slight tremor of dread washed over me. 

“I can explain, Liam,” she finally managed to utter some words.

However, I don't know why I'm finding it hard to even listen to her. Her sweet voice, which I was yearning to hear, suddenly turned me off.

“Explain what, Charlotte?!”

“What's going on? You have kept us in the dark,” Ethan stated with desperation in his voice, as well as his wife.

“What the heck will your explanation have to do here, Charlotte? Absolutely nothing!”

“I need evidence! That's what you should be talking about!” I added, my voice vibrating in the hall.

Her gaze travelled on me with her facial muscles tightened up. “What the heck is your problem, Liam?!”

“What!”

“If you have forgotten, let's refresh your memory.”

“What did you say before we signed our marriage certificate? You have suddenly forgotten, huh?”

“Is this the marriage of convenience you spoke about? Huh?

“You clearly made your intention clear from the onset so I'm not answerable to you whatsoever, Liam!”

“This? This marriage was never on commitment, Liam!”

I sat down frozen and my heart hollow. For a split second, dread spread on my entire body as the guilt suffocated me, and I could feel the heavy beating of my heart.

Yes, she's right. We're just married on paper and nothing more. She doesn't owe me any explanation whatsoever.

“What? Charlotte, I'm so disappointed in you! Why would you stoop so low into accepting such bullshit?! Marriage of convenience?”

“I'm disappointed!” Ethan exclaimed.

“Wow! Charlotte, so the news is true after all!”

“And you're right, you don't owe me any explanation whatsoever!” I dropped my last words as my heart fluttered wildly. 

“Norman, let's get out of here!” I ordered and was about to leave.

As I turned to take a step away, I hesitated. For a moment, just to hear some words from her but her gaze remained glued on the table.

I don't know why I'm holding back. She has become harder to ignore, and resist. 

I whispered some words on my lips as though I wished them in reality. She was never meant to affect me this way, but here I am, at my lowest for her. Desperate to look into her eyes.

I strolled to the door as Norman swung it open. I was completely stunned, and my heart skipped a bit.

I gasped in disbelief as amazement swirled in me, and my eyes were wide open. “Boss, do you know him from somewhere?” Norman enquired as we both watched each other intensely.

“Liam!’

“William!” We both yelled each other’s name and instantly hugged tightly.

“Wait a minute! What are you doing here? Are you just from the airport?” I didn't even know which question to ask first as I was shocked to the core. 

“I'm straight from the hospital. I couldn't have gone home without coming here first,” William replied.

“What are you also doing here?” He added.

The snippets of conversation echoed in the hall, and all of a sudden, Charlotte appeared. “Who's at the door?” She enquired.

As her question hung in the air, and she caught a glimpse of us, her forehead creased. It was like her words got stuck in her throat, and her lips quivered.

“I was on my way home, William,” I stated.

Just as I voiced out that, Charlotte yelled. “What! William! This is not true!”

It was as if she was contemplating whether she was hallucinating or not. “Yes, Charlotte! I'm back for you; that's why I came here first. What will my entire existence look like without you?” William replied and my mind oozed with thoughts.

What does he mean by that? 

“You're my world, Charlotte. I'm here to make up the lost time and I promise to be by your side forever,” he added.

As he spoke, Charlotte's gaze bore into mine as I held my breath. Despite the fueling rage inside me, I decided to maintain a calm composure. Could she be the lady he has been blabbing all this while! Hell no!

Out of mind, Charlotte rushed back inside leaving us. And as I rotated my head towards William about to utter a word, he had already followed her.

“She's overwhelmed, that's why. I will come over to your place and we will hang out later,” those were his last words as he followed her.

Meanwhile, I stood there completely stunned, gaping at them as they disappeared, and my skin prickled with alarm.