~~Scarlette~~Few days now, and Liam and I still havenât talked about everything that happened. The silence is thick, but neither of us dares to cut through it. The truth sits there between us like a wound left open. The fact that his mother even dared to threaten himâher own sonâis something I still canât wrap my head around.She had the audacity to look him in the eye and demand that he leave this house. Her son. Her blood. She wanted him gone like he was nothing. Like he didnât belong here. Like she could erase him just because he chose something she didnât approve of. What a witch of a mother. Ruthless. Cold. Unforgivable.And honestly, if Liam had said yes to herâif he had even shown a flicker of agreementâI donât think I wouldâve gone with him. I donât care how harsh that sounds. I wouldnât. Not until I make sure everything I want falls exactly where I need it to. Not until I take back everything that was stolen from me in this place. Not until this house bends to me, not t
~~Scarlette~~The stare in Liamâs eyes was intenseâfucking intense. Like heâd been suppressing his anger for days, just waiting for the right moment to explode.âWhat are you talking about?â Ethan snapped, still seated while Liam stood over him, towering and calmâbut only on the outside.âWhatâs going on here?â Mother chimed in, voice laced with fake concern, the kind that almost sounded like tears. âWhy does it feel like thereâs no peace anymore? Ever since Scarlette came into your life, Liam, youâve been different. Like youâre under some damn spell.âI swallowed hard.âItâs just me,â Liam said, his voice low. âIâve always minded my business. Tell meâsince when did it become wrong to love a woman?â He turned to Mother. âForgive me, but Iâve loved Scarlette ever since Ethan married her.âMy breath caught in my throat.âAlso forgive me⌠for being obsessed with my brotherâs wife.ââWhat the hell?â Ethan barked, standing up now.Liam kept going, like a man possessed. âForgive me for seei
We were downstairs⌠and of course, my body was itchingâitching to hear what the hell Liam had to say to Ethan. What unfinished business? He was too damn serious about it. And I could tellâit wasnât just about confronting Ethan over Emelia or what she had done to me.Liam rolled a chair out from the dining table and carefully lifted me from the wheelchair, settling me on it.The dining room was empty. No sign of Mother.Not even Emelia, who was always glued to her phone on the couch like she had no purpose in life. Maybe this time, she didnât want to show her face after what she pulled. Good.And Ethan? The one Liam was dying to see? Nowhere in sight.I didnât press further about Liamâs unfinished business. I didnât want to trigger another argument. Not here. Not now. And definitely not in front of people who would just pretend to careâespecially Mother. Sheâd sit back and sip her tea like the drama was background music.Then Madam Julie walked out of the kitchen with a tray.My stomac
~~Scarlette~~Since Liam didnât believe me the first timeâwhen I told him I didnât just slip⌠that Emelia pushed meâmaybe now he would.Maybe now that he saw it with his own eyes.Emelia stood frozen. Her chest rising and falling fast. Panic clear on her face.âUmâŚâ she started, but her voice shook. She stuttered like a damn amateur liar.She stepped closer to Liam, who still stood at the doorway. Silent. Shocked.It was probably a lot for him to take in. He hadnât said a word again. His jaw clenched, eyes cold, like he was holding himself back from snapping in two.âLiamâŚâ Emelia began with that fake soft voice. âYou see⌠I was just helping Scarlette to⌠um, bathe. When you left, she was calling for help.âCalling for help?I stared at her. My mouth hung open.Is she seriously lying right to my face right now?Iâm right fucking here. Alive. Watching her lie like Iâm invisible.Bitch.Liam blinked slowly. His voice was low. âShe called for help?âEmelia nodded. Innocent. Like butter w
~~Scarlette~~âSo⌠I use a wheelchair now?â I asked, my voice shaky as he dragged the chair from the corner near the window. His other arm still held me like I was made of glass.âItâs just temporary, huh?â he replied. âItâs not like your legs are totally damaged. Iâd be damned if it gets to that stage.âHe pushed open the bathroom door and gently lowered me into the wheelchair.I tried to hold back my tears. But my chest was tight, and my mind was cracking apart.My lifeâŚIt sucked.It was the kind of life that made you wish you were never born.The kind that made you regret marrying your first husband.The kind that made you wish you had the perfect glittery life people only display.I watched Liam as he turned on the water tap in the tub, letting it run.He dipped his hand inside, maybe checking how warm it was.âDo you want me to help you before Julie comes in?â he asked, kneeling down in front of me.âYou need a proper bath. Itâs only been sponge-cleaning since... well, since eve
~~Scarlette~~The beep of the alarm hit my ears first.I felt weakâmy legs, my body, even my fingers. Everything ached like Iâd been run over. My eyes felt heavy, like someone had poured sand in them.But what struck me was the smell.Instead of the sharp, cold smell of antiseptics and bleachâlike hospitals usually haveâI smelled cologne. Familiar. Warm. Liamâs. And then⌠something awful. Soup? God, whatever it was, it smelled totally wrong.I forced my eyes open, ignoring the ache.This wasnât the hospital.This was our room. Mine and Liamâs.How the hell am I here?I tried turning to the side, but my body said no. My limbs felt pinned down, useless. So I moved my hand instead. Slowly. It brushed against something warm. Someone.Liam.I could smell himâlike he was stitched into my skin. And weirdly, his scent was all over me, like he hadnât left my side.âYouâre awake?â His voice came out rough, sleepy.He sat up, rubbing his eyes like a boy who didnât sleep much.âLiamâŚâ My throat w