Chapter 3

Lianna hands Maeve a mug filled with coffee and sits down across from Maeve on the chair. Maeve takes a sip before she continues.

“I still can’t believe it. You’re getting married? I never thought I’d see the day.” Maeve places the mug next to her. “And you’re getting married to none other than William Rhodes. I’m so jealous,” Maeve says with a giggle. Lianna rubs her eyebrow and lets out a tired sigh.

“How do you even know who he is?” Lianna crosses her legs on the chair and leans back.

“His name appears a lot in the news and he is constantly in the tabloids. He is so dreamy. And you’re getting married to him,” Maeve says, placing a soft punch against Lianna’s arm. Lianna rolls her eyes while shaking her head.

“Sheesh, so he is like a celebrity?" Maeve nods her head with excitement. Lianna laughs at her reaction. "One of these days you'll be reading about me."

"Don't even joke about that." Maeve takes another sip from her mug. Lianna stretches out her legs.

"At least I will get to know him better this week once he moves in.”

“See, you even get to live with him. And you said you left the rich world behind you,” Maeve lets out a desperate sigh while folding her arms.

“I did leave it behind. The rich world doesn’t want to leave me behind. It’s not as great as it sounds. You know I only agreed to this to get the money.” Maeve eyes Lianna up and down and takes another sip.

“Sure, whatever you say. I still don’t believe you, though.” Lianna laughs and pulls Maeve in for a hug. Maeve giggles and hugs Lianna back. Lianna’s phone interrupts them. She jumps up and hurries to her desk. It is an unknown number. She looks up at Maeve with a frown, slowly lifting the phone to her ear.

“Lianna’s phone.”

“Who is it?” Maeve whispers. Lianna shrugs as she waits for someone to say something.

“Lianna? Hello, can you hear me?”

“William?” Maeve claps her hands together with an excited shriek. “Yeah, I can hear you. What’s going on?”

“I’m at your apartment block. Where are you?” William’s voice sounds distorted.

“What? You’re already at the apartment? But you said you’ll be there at four. It’s only,” Lianna turns to the clock hanging against her wall. “Oh, shit. It’s already half past four. I completely lost track of time. I’ll be there in a minute,” she says while rushing to gather all her things.

“See you,” William says before ending the call. Lianna throws all her stuff into her backpack.

“He’s already at the apartment. Heish, I can’t believe I didn’t check the time. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Lianna says as she runs out of the class. Maeve giggles as she picks up her mug. Typical Lianna.

Lianna jogs all the way back to her apartment, occasionally stopping to catch her breath. Luckily, the apartment is not far from the school. She rounds a corner, and the whole neighborhood comes into full view. There are five apartment blocks, each with at least three floors with about two apartments on a floor. She is surprised William found her apartment without getting lost since all the apartments look the same.

As she passes a few people, she greets them with a smile. She rushes to her block and stops at the bottom, her heart beating in her ears. With a deep sigh, she hurries up the stairs to her door. On the second floor, she looks around for William. This is her floor, so where is he?

She knocks on the door next to her apartment and waits. There are only two apartments on this floor, so he has to be here somewhere.

An old man opens the door and smiles when he sees Lianna.

“What can I do for you?”

“Sorry to disturb you, Uncle Dean. But have you perhaps seen a tall, handsome-looking man in front of my apartment?” The man looks over her shoulder to her apartment and shakes his head.

“No, no one has been here today. Are you sure he is here for you?” he jokes and Lianna smiles, laughing lightly.

“Unfortunately, yes.” She clicks her tongue. “Thank you. And sorry once again.” She bows her head, and he closes the door. Where could he be?

She unlocks her phone and dials the number, walking down the stairs while she waits for him to answer.

“Lianna, are you here?”

“Yes, but where are you? You’re not at my apartment.” As she exits the building, she cannot hear what William is saying. “Wait, I can’t hear you.” She walks to the building across from her and lifts her phone into the air. She puts it on speaker. “Where are you?”

“I don’t know. I am in one of the buildings. The first one on the left,” he says and she hears the frustration in his voice.

“I have no idea which one that is. Are you at someone’s door?” she yells at the phone. The people that walk past her do not even bat an eye. This is a common practice for trying to get a signal around here.

“Yes.”

“Knock on the door and ask for their name, apartment number, and block,” she says and waits for William. She can hear him knock over the phone and a door opening.

“Excuse me. What is your name?" Lianna closes her eyes and laughs at him. She hears a woman telling William to go away. “No, you’re not in trouble. Please, just- “

“William,” Lianna shouts at her phone. You never ask someone for their name here. They all think you are either police or loan sharks. “Put me on speaker, please?”

“Okay, you’re on,” he answers, and she clears her throat.

“Sorry to bother you. My friend over here is just lost. Which apartment are you in?” Lianna asks with a loud voice. The lady mumbles something and William says something, but she can’t hear him. “What?” she yells.

“Is this you, Lianna?” The woman’s voice sounds familiar.

“Yes, Mrs. Davis?”

           “Oh goodness. Why is there a strange man asking where you live?” Lianna laughs with relief as she now knows where William is.

“He is staying with me for the week. Wait, I’m on my way.” Lianna ends the call and runs down the small street. She reaches the second block and walks around to the entrance of the first floor.

William thanks the woman and heads down the stairs. He has walked more today than in the last few months. He thought he was at the right apartment, but John's instructions were not clear. And why do all the apartments look the same? He grunts as he puts his suitcase down and exits the building.

This must be some kind of joke. There is no way Lianna, the daughter of one of the richest man in the hotel industry, lives in such a poor area. This is the poor middle class. What is she doing here? He leans back against the wall and checks his phone. The signal here is horrible.

Loud laughter snaps him back to reality and he looks to his left. He pushes himself off the wall and narrows his eyes. Is that . . . Lianna? The girl walks closer to him, still laughing loudly. He notices the dark blue highlights in her hair. She did not have those last night, did she? She seems so different from last night.

“Look at you. You’re a mess,” Lianna says, followed by more laughter. William closes his eyes and sighs heavily. At least she made it. “What happened to you? Why are your shoes covered in mud? And your coat?” William looks down at his shoes. He tries to calm his breathing, the anger rising in his chest. Why is she laughing?

“I had to walk all the way because my driver could not drop me here. Why didn’t you give me better instructions on how to get to your apartment?” He stares into her eyes and sees how her smile disappears. She clicks her tongue and walks closer to him. Rich people are always so serious.

“Are you angry? Aw, mianhae.” Lianna says with her hands together and a deep bow. William frowns. “It means sorry. Let’s get going. Uncle Dean is steaming broccoli tonight, so I have to get back to close all the windows before the smell gets in. Come on,” she says and takes his suitcase. He follows her, and they make their way back to her apartment.

“What language was that?” he asks and catches up with Lianna.

“Hmm? Oh, Korean. I visited one of my friends from school in Korea. I picked up some phrases,” she says as she waves to a group that passes them. They enter a building that looks exactly like the one William was in.

He goes to pick up the suitcase, but Lianna is already carrying it under her arm up the stairs. He stares at her as she walks with ease up the stairs. He follows her up the flight of stairs. She puts the suitcase down in front of a bright yellow door and pulls out her keys to unlock her door.

“Welcome to your home for the week.” She gestures for him to enter her apartment. He peeks in from the door and his jaw drops. How can a place be this small? His bathroom is bigger than the whole apartment.

Lianna scoffs and enters her apartment with his suitcase. “I know it’s a mess, but I wanted to clean up before you got here. I lost track of time while I was at school. It doesn’t always look like this,” she says and walks further into the apartment.

The front door opens into the kitchen which is about 3 feet in width and 5 feet in length. The kitchen has a small island that separates it from the living room. The living room is not much bigger. There is a large bookshelf against the wall with a small coffee table in the middle of the room. A comfortable couch is against the wall opposite the shelf with a chair diagonally from the couch. The soft pink walls are decorated with photos. A large bulletin board hangs next to the couch. It is covered in papers of all sorts. This place looks like something from a fever dream. Where is the bedroom?

“I’m going to lock you out of the apartment. I don’t want the whole place to smile like broccoli,” she threatens. William hesitantly shifts closer. “Wait! Your shoes,” she says as she points to his shoes. “I’ll wash it. Give it here.” She holds her hands out. William steps out of his shoes and picks them up.

“You don’t have to wash them. I’ll wash them,” he says and steps into the apartment. Lianna laughs in disbelief and puts her hand on her side.

“Do you even know how to wash shoes? Hot or cold water?”

“Hot, to remove the mud,” he answers with confidence.

“Eh, wrong answer. Just give me the shoes.” She takes the shoes from his hands and throws them into a container. “I need to make dinner first. I’ll wash it later and put it in front of the fan to dry for tomorrow.” She pushes the suitcase out of the kitchen to the living room. “Make yourself at home.” William gives a polite nod and enters the apartment.

He closes the door behind him and follows Lianna into the living room. He sits down on the couch. It is a comfortable couch. He looks around at notices that she does not have a television. There is an old radio on a small wooden table in the corner of the room. The bookshelf is disorganized and there is other stuff between the books, like papers and some plants in colorful pots.

“Don’t tell me you have to wash your own clothes as well. Are there no maids here? I’m going to die,” he says and lets out a tired sigh. Lianna laughs in disbelief and puts her hand on her side. He is being melodramatic. “Do you make your own food?” Lianna nods and laughs at his expression. He looks around disgusted.

He is going to go crazy if he stays here for much longer. He stands up and walks to a closed door a few inches away from the couch. He looks back at Lianna who is cutting some vegetables on the island. He opens the door and realizes that it is her bedroom.

The walls are a calming green with white stripes. It is much tidier than the rest of the apartment. He smiles at her cover which is covered with turtles. It is kind of cute. The bedroom is the same size as the living room. The bed is full-size that takes up most of the space in the room. She has a white standing closet. The curtains are made of beads which allows the light to enter the room. There is a door that leads to the bathroom.

Suddenly the realization sets in. Where is he going to sleep? He heads back to the kitchen.

“Where am I sleeping?” he asks, putting up a flirting act. This is his chance to see who Lianna really is. Every girl he knows would give a kidney to sleep in the same bed as him.

“In the bed in my room,” Lianna answers casually. He walks closer to her, checking her out. Her jeans hug her wide hips nicely and her ass is round. She has a good body.

“Where are you sleeping?” She stops stirring the pot and looks up at him. She chuckles and gestures for him to come closer. He gives a small step closer, a smirk on his face.

“We are going to be married soon.” She leans even closer to him. This girl is worse than the other girls. Does she want to share a bed after knowing each other for less than 24 hours? She smiles and tilts her head.

“I’m going to sleep . . . “ She lowers her voice. The next moment, she punches his arm. “On the couch, you pervert.” He rubs his arm and scoffs at her. “Now get out of the kitchen. There is not enough space for the both of us,” she says and shoos him away. He steps out of the kitchen.

“Why don’t you take a shower and sort your stuff out? I still have to wait for the potatoes, so you can relax. I will call you when dinner is ready.”

William unpacks some of his stuff and places it on the bedstand. He grabs everything he needs and heads to the bathroom. He is not surprised to see how small the shower is. He struggles to get into the shower and nearly slips when he tries to get into a more comfortable position. How is he going to survive in this place for a whole week?

William sits on the bed, drying his hair and talking to his mother. He has not told her about Lianna’s living conditions. He is aware that she will use this as an excuse to get him out of the marriage. The call does not last long, and his mother ends it without saying goodbye. She is still furious that he might get married to Lianna and not the girl she chose for him.

“Dinner is ready!” Lianna calls and William gets up. He walks out of the room into the living room. There is a nice aroma of soup hanging in the air. Lianna is busy placing two bowls on the island with spoons.

She lifts her head when she senses William coming closer. She gestures for him to sit down. “How was the shower?” she asks while she gets the bread from the refrigerator.

“It was fine, thank you,” he answers and takes his seat across from her. She also sits down and reaches her hand out. William raises an eyebrow at her. He looks from her hand to her closed eyes.

“Take my hand,” she says and opens one eye. “Heish, just give it,” she says with frustration, grabbing his hand. The audacity of this woman. How can she just-

 She interupts him with a quick prayer. William stares at her in confusion. She lets go of his hand and opens her eyes. William’s eyes are wide open as he stares at her in disbelief.

“Bon Appetit,” she says and dips the bread into the soup. William sighs and takes a piece of the bread. He has never eaten like this. Back home, they all sit far away from each other, and everyone eats with their heads down. They never pray before they eat. This is the first time he eats using his hands. This is strange and unfamiliar, but somehow he feels at home.

He glances at her. She is looking to the side, deep in thought.

“How’s the soup?” she asks, still looking to the side.

“Surprisingly good,” he says before he realizes what he said. That was mean of him. He keeps his gaze on her, trying to see if she is offended. She has a warm smile and her eyes crinkle at the corners.

“I’m glad. How’s the apartment?” she asks and turns her head to him. He looks around the apartment and opens his mouth to answer, but she interrupts him. “Don’t lie. This is a safe space.” She laughs softly. He nods while his eyes fall on the board against the kitchen wall.

“It’s fine. Smaller than I’m used to but overall liveable.” Lianna raises an eyebrow and shakes her head.

“Your lying,” she says, taking another piece of the bread.

“No, I’m not.”

“Sure, whatever you say. You’re just a horrible liar.” William opens his mouth in protest but catches himself before he falls into the trap. Oh, she is good.

“All right, it is very small and very messy. I also do not fit in the shower. And the bedroom smells like broccoli. Quite frankly, I hate it,” he admits. Lianna chuckles but then jumps up.

“The bedroom? Ah, I forgot to close the window.” She slaps her forehead and runs to the bedroom. William scoffs with a smile while he takes another slice. She comes back, out of breath as she sits on the chair. 

“I will clean up. I wanted to, but I lost track of time. If you want, we can go to my dad’s house tomorrow. He won’t mind,” she says with a mouthful of bread. William considers the proposal. Her father’s house will probably be more like his house, but this is oddly comfortable. It gives him a feeling of calmness even amongst the mess.

“No need.” He continues to dip his bread in the soup. Lianna’s eyes dart to him and she leans over the closer, almost spilling her soup.

“Seriously?” William gives a slight nod, and she jumps up with her hands in the air. "Yes," she shouts and clasps her hands together. She had hoped he would say no. William shakes his head and takes another bite of the bread.

“Well, I’m done. I’ll start cleaning.” She takes her bowl and walks to the sink filled with dishes from the weekend. She was at her dad’s house for her birthday and did not get home till late Sunday evening.

She walks to the living room and turns the radio on. William is still busy with his soup. He is a slow eater, which is not what Lianna had expected. He is a lawyer and businessman. He lives a fast-paced life so she thought he would also rush normal things like this.

William can feel her eyes on him and lifts his head.

“What?”

“Is the soup okay?” William looks down at the soup and back to her.

“It’s delicious. And I am not lying.” His brows furrow together, and she flashes a smile.

“Glad you like it,” she says with a wink and turns to the sink. She starts working on the dishes while William takes his time. She hums to the song playing on the radio as she places everything black in its place.

William stands up and takes his bowl to her. He places the bowl on the counter and she bows her head.

“Can I help with something?” he asks and looks around the apartment. How is she going to do this on her own?

“I’m good, thanks. You can just relax.” She motions for him to get out of the kitchen and he obliges. He might as well start with his presentation for the new hotel. The directors need to be on the same page as him if he wants this project to succeed.

Lianna has managed to clean the whole kitchen and living room within an hour. William is sitting on the couch with his laptop on his lap. He would occasionally look up and see Lianna dancing to the songs.

She is currently busy sorting things out in the bedroom.  A gag echoes from the bedroom, followed by Lianna almost falling out of the door. A soft chuckle escapes him.

“I asked him to stop the horror of the broccoli, but it is only getting worse. Ugh, where’s the fan? How are you going to sleep there tonight? You will be gassed,” she says and gags again.

William watches her struggle to get a box from on top of the shelf. He places the laptop on the table, gets off the couch, and walks to the shelf.

“Here,” he says and lifts the box from the shelf. He hands it to Lianna before returning to the couch.

“Kamsamida,” she says without even looking at him as she is walking back to the bedroom. He sits down with a sigh and stares at the empty PowerPoint in front of him. He does not even know where to start. Another sigh.

“Oi, stop that. It’s annoying,” Lianna blurts from the bedroom. William almost lets another sigh fall, but he catches himself. Why is he not allowed to sigh?

Lianna finishes the bedroom and bathroom rather quickly.

“I’m done,” she sings as she exits the bedroom. She falls onto the floor next to the coffee table across from William. He is startled by the loud thud and glances at her.

Her eyes are closed, and it looks like she is conducting an orchestra to the sound of the music. He shakes his head and returns his focus to his laptop.

Lianna opens one eye to look at William. He looks tired, the dark circles under his eyes are giving him away. William sighs again, but she does not say anything. He probably had a hard day and she is not helping him by forcing him to live in these conditions. She had gotten used to this and she enjoys this, but she is aware that it might not be his scene.

“I think I’m going to bed,” he says before he closes his laptop. She smiles and gives him a thumbs-up. He closes his laptop and walks to the bedroom, stopping before he enters. “Are you sure about sleeping on the couch?”

“Yep, I do it all the time. Don’t worry about me. Good night,” she whispers and waves to him.

“Night.” He switches on the light in the room. The room lights up from the fairy lights decorating the walls. He notices she changed the sheets to white sheets. He liked the turtles. The bed squeaks when he sits down. His back is not going to survive this.

After he finished his night routine, he lays down on the bed with the lights off. The warm light from the living room shines dimly into the room. He can see Lianna laying on the floor and lip-singing along with the song.

This has been the strangest day of his life, but something inside him feels warm. He has never felt so at peace with everything. In this tiny apartment in the middle of nowhere, everything feels right with the world.