CHAPTER 14

"Care for some?" I offered Liam some of my chocolate bars. He glanced at me for a while before turning away.
He hadn't said a word since the previous night when I chose to dance with his cousin instead of chatting with him.
"Liam,"
"Speak." He replied coldly with his eyes fixed on his phone.
"I don't get why you are mad at me. You said you don't love me."
"What reason do I have to be upset? I'm not in a good mood right now. Leave. When you are around me, I can't think properly." He replied.
"That's one of the signs of being in love with someone."
"You are crazy."
"It's not craziness, it's love. You don't understand because you've never been in love before. Real love." I joked.
The expression on his face changed. He was smiling for the first time since morning.
He walked back to the bed and threw his wristwatch and chain on the bed. He brought his face close to mine and pinched my cheek hard.
"I've been in love, sweetheart. Diana was my first real love."
Diana again. The one time I thought we'll have a normal conversation more like an argument as a couple, he had to bring her name up. Speaking of Diana, I haven't seen her since this morning. Usually, she would come into our room and sit on Liam's lap.
I cleared my throat and pulled him closer. "If you wanted to get romantic with me, you could have just asked. I'm up for it."
"You've lost your mind." He walked out of his room with his towel on his neck.
I picked up his laptop and turned it on. Jeremy had given me Diana's address the previous night. I was going to find out who the hell she was no matter what.
When the laptop was set, I clicked the search button and typed in the address. An image of a small beautiful house was shown. Outside the house, there was a picture of an old woman with her umbrella. I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down the number put on the screen for more details about the house.
"Lisa Brown," I whispered while typing her name. There was no news or clue about her whereabouts. Not like I was expecting any news. After all, she wasn't popular. Her social media accounts had long been deleted.
"Diana first. I'll have to find Lisa some other day." I tucked my hair behind my ears and exhaled loudly.
When I was done with the laptop, I turned it off and dropped it back on his desk. I rolled up my hair in a bun, grabbed my towel and toothbrush, and entered the bathroom.
When I was done, I dried my hair, applied lotion, and wore my anti-cancer shirt and a black trouser. I combed my hair, arranged my bed, and stepped out of the room.
"Liam, baby," I called out when I got to the kitchen. "I haven't seen your friend anywhere."
"I haven't had anything to eat for 2days. Why is the kitchen so empty? I'm very sure I kept someone in charge of food in my house." He complained. He moved from one pot to another, opening their cover lid. "Why have servants if they can't do their job properly?"
"You are hungry? Ain't you keeping fit?" I asked, intending to hurt him.
"I'll prepare something to eat myself." He didn't look up at me. He washed out a lot and placed it on the gas, poured water into the pot, and turned on the gas.
"I'll take care of it," I added enough salt and stirred it.
"I don't need your help. I'm not too old to serve myself.
"It's not about your age. You are just too proud. You think you don't need anyone's help, whereas you do. I'm fed up with your nonsense."
"Says the one who won't let me touch her."
"Love before sex. You already violated the rule."
"Really?" He scoffed. "You're the one who tried to commit suicide and then, bam, a new Hannah was born. You wanted me so bad."
"That's not true." He grabbed the spaghetti from me and poured it into the pot. "You wanted it. I didn't force you so why didn't you refuse?"
"You are my wife. Who says no to his wife's sexual desire? Now get out. You don't know how to cook anything."
"That's not fair. I know how to do other things."
"Go and tell that to Jeremy. I have no interest in your talents."
"Are you jealous?"
"What reason do I have to be jealous of my cousin?"
"Liar. I saw how you walked out on Diana."
"It's nothing like that." He turned his face away. "I was only feeling stressed out, that's all."
"You are so cute. I love you."
"What do we do next? Once the spaghetti is ready, how do we prepare the sauce." He asked
There was a loud persistent knock on the door, I washed my hands, dried them with a towel.
"You cook for yourself, I'll go check who's at the door."
"You do that." I entered the sitting room, when I got to the entrance door, I turned the doorknob and the door flung open.
"Hi!" A young vibrant girl of about 7yrs was standing close to the door. She wore a pink ballerina gown with yellow cover shoes. A butterfly bow was neatly placed on the side of her hair. Her parents stood behind with baskets of fruits.
"Hi? Come in." I invited them after scrutinizing them.
"I'm Gabrielle and I'm 7yrs old. And you are?"
"Hannah Smith. I'm 21."
"Then I'll call you, Hannah. You are still a small child." The little child skipped her way into Anna's room.
"Small child?" I mumbled.
"Where's Liam?" The girl's father asked. "It's been a long time since we bonded."
"He's in the kitchen."
"See you, girls, later." He kissed his wife on the cheek and walked past us.
"Hi, um,"
"Jasmine." The little girl's mum replied joyfully.
"I see."
"Hi, gal." Jasmine greeted me. She flashed her baby bump on the mirror and winked at herself. "I get more beautiful every day."
"Well, if you think you are beautiful then you are. You don't need anyone to tell you that."
"Right? If we keep listening to the opinion of others, we will end up living other people's lives. Where's the fun in that?" She sat on the sofa with her legs crossed. I jumped up from where I was and pulled her legs down.
"Don't do that. It won't be good for the baby."
"I'm so tired of people telling me what's good and not good for my baby. What about me? Don't I deserve a little bit of comfort? I'm the one carrying the load. I can't even eat what I want to eat again."
"I understand."
"How? She cut in sharply. "You've never been pregnant. You can't understand my pain if you haven't gone through it. Oh my!" She widened her eyes and covered her mouth with her palm. "Have you been pregnant before?"
"Keep quiet." I threw a pillow at her. "Be careful how you say those things here. I've never been pregnant. If Diana should hear you then......"
"Oh my, you've met Diana. You must really like her."
"Not really. There's nothing likable about her."
"Jealous, ain't you? Honestly, I know how it feels. I've known Liam for years."
"Wow." I picked up one orange from the basket and pilled it with my fingers. It was something I often did when I was a child.
"Liam's been so arrogant since we were kids. I was the first girl that loved him."
"Huh." Another Cinderella in the story. I sighed.
"Before you assume something else, I love my husband and daughter very much."
"I know that. I saw the way you were holding him like someone was about to steal him from you."
"Love ain't easy. Loving someone who doesn't love you is the hardest kind of love."
"Liam's never said he loves me. There are times I feel like I should just give up on trying. Why love when you ain't loved." When I was done peeling the orange, I gave it to her and picked up another orange.
"You just have to keep trying. Look, Jacob and I faced the same situation. When I recently got married to him, it wasn't based on love. Jacob's dad threatened to give his property to his youngest son if Jacob didn't find a wife."
"That's when the two of you agreed to get married." I opened the jar of milk on the table and poured it into two cups.
"You are quite intelligent. The first two years of our marriage were a tough struggle. No sex, no love, only hatred. But, who stays with a cute guy for long and does not fall in love, if my English makes sense?"
"Exactly."
"I kept trying and trying. I even took him out on dates. It was balanced between us. I didn't let him do the spending alone. I gave him a reason to think of me when he was with other girls. Now, look at us."
"Interesting."
"Look, if your love for Liam isn't strong enough, then quit now. But if you love him, you have to keep fighting. Fuck those people who say one can't forget their first love. My mum wasn't my dad's first love but hey, he's married to my mum and he loves her. Just as Jacob loves me."
"I love Liam. Our relationship could only improve if Diana's out of the picture."
"Is she the problem or are you unable to make your husband fall in love with you? So what if Diana's in his house? You have more right to him than her. I know Liam is arrogant but he respects women truly."
"Thanks for the advice."
"Hey, you owe me. When I give birth to my twins, you and Liam will have to come over."
"Twins?"
"Yes. In a few weeks, I'll be a mum again. I can't wait for the day, I can't wait for the day, I'll come to see you and Liam's baby."
"Me neither." I smiled.
Liam and Jacob made their way out of the kitchen with an apron around their waists. Liam carried the pot of spaghetti while Jacob held the plates in his hand. Jasmine and I laughed uncontrollably.
Jacob dropped the plates on the table, kissed her, and rubbed her stomach gently.
"Don't laugh too much. It's not good for the baby."
"Baby again. When is it going to be all about me?"
"Don't be upset, sweetheart. I love you more than life itself. Once the baby's out, we'll spend time together all alone." He cupped her cheeks and kissed her again.
"That's enough. Grow up." Liam deadpanned.
"Take lessons from him." I rolled my eyes. He looked up at me and scoffed.
"Wow, the guys do know how to prepare a tasty meal." Jasmine complemented.
"But the girls don't know how to cook." Jacob fired back. Liam tapped him on the shoulder and signaled to him that he was correct.
"That's rude," I replied.
"Do you know how to cook?"
"Why don't we hold a cooking competition?" Jacob suggested.
"That's not what we are trying to say. We just....."
"Fine with me," Jasmine replied excitedly with her mouth full of spaghetti.
"Jasmine,"
"It's fine. We can beat them. They are just men after all."
She obviously wasn't thinking straight. Liam was a very good cook and so was Jacob. How in the world did she think we would win them? I folded my mouth in frustration. If I had my way, I would lock her mouth and throw the key away.
Gabrielle, her daughter, came out with her board and chalk. She blew her whistle and drew a line in between the paper.
"Here's for the boys and the other girls." She mumbled to herself. "Okay, mum and aunt against dad and uncle."
"Fine. And if we win, you girls will have to do everything we ask of you." Jacob challenged.
"Ok. And if we win, we'll be in charge of whatever happens in your lives for the next one week."
"Deal."
"The competition will start at 2 pm today. Everybody get your things ready." She blew her whistle one more time and matched away.
"Liam and Jacob climbed the stairs together, looking back at us and grinning.
"I should have learned how to cook when I was with my parents," I whined.