Chapter305
Faith gestured to the waiter for her coffee order, then directed her attention back to Lauren with a smile. "I know when Liam was with you, he and I weren't together yet."
Surprise flashed across Lauren's face.
"But now, Liam and I are an item, and we're about to get engaged, followed by marriage," Faith continued, carefully observing the changes in Lauren's demeanor. She paused before adding, "Don't you think it's time for you to step aside?"
"Why should I? I was with Liam first," Lauren retorted, her voice rising as Faith's poise and arrogance pricked at her both visually and emotionally.
Faith chuckled dismissively, raising an eyebrow. "Because Liam's heart hasn't been with you for a long time. Otherwise, why would you put on this charade, first attempting to end your life with slashed wrists and then setting fire to yourself at the Willow Heights villa? What did it get you?"
Lauren's eyes widened, barely containing her shock.
She never saw it coming—the fact that Faith had every detail down pat.
Who spilled the beans? Could it be Liam?
"Turns out, any flicker of affection Liam had for you has turned to disgust, disdain," Faith said with grace, holding Lauren's astonished gaze.
"That's not true!" Lauren snapped back, her restraint gone. "Do you really think, if you weren't from Coppola, Liam would give you the time of day? Dream on!"
"Maybe you're right," Faith conceded with an effortless smile. "But I'm Faith, and you're Lauren. Some things we can't change."
Just then, the waitress brought over a coffee and set it in front of Faith.
"Thank you," Faith said warmly before she daintily sipped her coffee. She then took a napkin, patted her lips with poise, and once again looked up at Lauren.
Lauren's eyes were ablaze with unchecked fury, and her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into fists.
Unfazed, Faith continued to smile. "Ever wonder why Liam ended up in bed with you, why he felt even the slightest affection?"
"Why?" That was something Lauren genuinely wanted to understand.
"Because in so many ways, you remind him of Teresa." Faith didn’t hesitate with her answer. "You were Teresa's student, and you got to be around her. And since Teresa is Liam's ex and ended up marrying Gabriel instead, Liam never got her."
"That's nonsense. Liam's feelings for me had nothing to do with anyone else—he just liked me." Lauren's carefully hidden thoughts were laid bare, and she growled in anger.
"There’s no need to yell. I'm just stating the facts. Even if Liam did like you once, that was then, not now." As she spoke, Faith stood up gracefully, grabbed her purse, and looked at Lauren one last time. "We’re both women, Lauren. I don't want to make things harder for you, and I hope you won't for me. Take care of yourself."
With that, Faith moved to leave.
However, just as she stood up, her eyes caught the sight of a man walking into the café.
Tall, striking, and composed—a man of wealth, position, and talent—what woman wouldn't be drawn to him?
Of course, Teresa gave him up for a better option.
Faith halted her steps as she spotted the approaching man, a tender smile gracing her face. Liam met her gaze with warmth in his eyes and a gentle curve of his lips.
Noticing something off about Faith, Lauren blinked in surprise, then turned her head to follow Faith's gaze.
Her breath hitched when she saw Liam approaching, and her heart skipped a beat.
Snapping back to reality, she quickly stood up, stammering, "Liam?"
However, Liam didn't even glance her way, not even a flicker of acknowledgment from the corner of his eye.
Striding straight to Faith, he reached out and took her hand, murmuring, "Sorry, I didn't mean to trouble you."
"No problem," Faith chuckled, shaking her head. "I just happened to run into Lauren and decided to catch up for a bit."
"Liam, I'm sorry. Please don't ignore me, okay?" Lauren's voice broke as she gazed at Liam's strong back, tears falling freely. Her voice softened, contrasting starkly with her earlier tone.
"Lauren." Liam's voice was distant as he turned to look at her, his tone and mannerisms distinctly colder. "I've made myself clear. We're done. Move on. If you continue to hassle me or disturb my fiancée, I won't be so amiable."
After glaring coldly at Lauren, Liam shifted his gaze back to Faith, his expression softening as he said, "Let's go."
"Okay," Faith nodded, letting Liam lead her away.
Lauren stood there, watching them walk past, fingers interlocked like the sweetest of lovers – and at that moment, she felt like the world's most pitiful clown, lurking in the darkest corner, where the light of day could obliterate her existence.
How could Liam be so heartless? How could he?
...
Lauren didn't know how she managed to leave the coffee shop or how she ended up on the bus. As she sat dazedly on her way back to the college dorm, her phone vibrated in her pocket.
The winter break had started she had nowhere to go but the dorm.
Pulling out the phone, she saw an unfamiliar number, but she knew who it was.
"Hello?" she answered mechanically.
