CHAPTER 18

TWO WEEKS LATER
"Hannah, save me! Save me! I don't want to die!"
"Leave me! I'm sorry."
"Why didn't you save me? I'll take you with me."
"No! No! No!" Liam's cold hands brought me back to my reality. I hugged him tightly before jerking off.
What was wrong with me? Why was I having those nightmares? I didn't kill him. Someone else did, so why am I being troubled? I would have saved him if I had the opportunity. I rushed to the table and poured myself a cup of cold water.
"Are you alright?" Liam asked worriedly.
"Yes.....yes."
"Still having those nightmares?"
"How did.....never mind."
"You sure you don't wanna see a doctor?"
"I'm alright. Why do you keep asking these questions? Plus, if you're worried, you won't let your ex-girlfriend stay in your house."
"What does Diana have to do with your nightmares?" He asked innocently.
Why does he keep doing these things? First, he plays hard to get, then he's caring, and next, he's playing innocent. He was the most complicated man I had ever met.
How could I tell him that Jacob died in the hands of Diana? I didn't even have any evidence to back me up and now these nightmares. Did I kill Jacob? I folded my clothes on the bed before taking a broom to sweep. I shot the gun but Diana also did. Was it the bullets from my gun that killed him? But the cops said it was Jasmine's bullet.
Two weeks had gone by since the whole incident. The cops had told Liam that Jasmine had jumped into the pool and died and they were yet to recover her body. Victoria and Lauren, Jasmine and late Jacob's adorable children moved in with us. We became the legal parents of their children although neither of us talked about it when we got home.
When I was done sweeping, I rushed into the bathtub to vomit. Liam ran after me with a cup of water. He tucked my hair behind my ears before patting me gently on my back. When I was done, I got up and took the water from him?
"Thanks." I appreciated him with my head bent. "I'm sorry. It wasn't intentional, I promise."
"It's okay. Is it part of the nightmare stress?"
"How can a nightmare make one puke? I frowned.
"You think I'm complicated but you are very unpredictable. One moment you are being all-loving and sweet, the next...."
"Now hold on. Who's the one who's being unpredictable? That's exactly why I compare you to Oscar sometimes. The both of you have similar temperaments."
"You're comparing me to a dog again? You!"
"What did I do wrong? You know, men should naturally be referred to as dogs."
"And what about women, huh?"
"Oh please, don't say you don't enjoy what we do to you all. Dog."
"I'll show you how a dog behaves." He pulled his watch, rolled his hoodies up before reaching out to me. I ran into the room, grabbed my phone, and ran downstairs screaming his grandma's name.
"What's the drama now," Granny asked exhaustedly. She placed her left leg on the stool close to her and her other leg on the sofa.
"Granny, Liam's trying to hurt me again. I just corrected him and he attacked me."
"Liam...."
"Grandma, now why would I do that to my wife? I just asked her to give me her phone for a second. I mean, can't a husband ask his wife for something as well?"
Granny's eyes lit up brightly but she settled for a little smile. "Why ain't you giving him your phone?" She asked as she tried so hard to hide her laughter.
"Granny, why do you believe him?"
"He's my grandson ." She got up and walked into the kitchen. While Liam was trying to approach me, his phone rang. He looked up at me in defeat before leaving the house.
Once everyone had gone out, I brought out the small note Dan had handed me. It was written in codes. I threw the paper on the table and sat down.
"Hey, Girl." Sophie greeted me from behind. She walked in with Daniel. He had his hand around her waist the whole time. For a second I wished I was her right now.
When she came closer, she poured herself a glass of chilled water before reaching out to the paper on the table.
"Lisa's address!" She exclaimed.
"Huh?"
"Not cool, gal. Why didn't you tell me you've found Lisa? I've been searching my entire fucking life for her. I couldn't even spend time with my baby." She crossed her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.
"Not the time for this." I separated them. "What do you mean by Lisa's address? I've been trying to figure out what was written in that paper."
"Oh, this says here that you can find Lisa down one Adrian's coffee shop at 2 pm."
"Hey, that's where I work!" I yelled. "Maybe I didn't notice because I always worked in the morning. Let's go there now."
"Hey girl, 2 pm. It's just 11:00 am. We have three hours before then."
"That's true. So what should we do now."
"We?" She smiled. "I dunno about you but, I wanna play with my boyfriend right now." Daniel smacked her gently on her buttocks before grabbing her again by the waist. "Bye......" They ran past nanny Mai's room and into the guest room.
Lisa Brown. Is she married? I speculated.
I walked into the kitchen and placed a frying pan on the cooker before turning the gas on. When I had done that, I cracked my egg open, put everything I needed, and poured it into the frying pan.
"I'll be going out." Mrs. Smith said. She was in the kitchen the entire time and I didn't notice. When she got up, she arranged her skirt and looked at herself in the mirror. "Anna is upstairs. Take care of her till I return."
"Yes, aunt."
"Who's the egg for?" She asked. She was in the habit of nosing in my business. Did I need permission to cook in my husband's home? It was more like I was a slave.
"For me."
"What about your husband? Did he eat before leaving for the office?"
She already knew her son didn't like eating in the morning unless granny was around to force him so why was she asking? Plus, no one could force Liam to do something he didn't want to do. I turned off the gas and put the egg into the plate I had set aside. "No, aunt. Even if I had prepared the best dish for him, he wouldn't eat."
"You must make sure your husband is well fed before leaving the house. Do you want another lady to do that for you?"
Another lady? If I was really worried about that right now, I probably would have suffered depression. I've seen him eat with several ladies that I have lost count of. Diana works at his office, definitely, he eats with her during their lunch break. "No, aunt," I replied.
"Then you need to sit up. I wonder what's wrong with this generation. I'm leaving."
"Bye, aunt."
When I was done eating, I stepped out of the kitchen and climbed upstairs. Diana's room door was open. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me. When I was convinced, I walked into the room quietly.
She was nowhere to be seen. I quickly opened her drawer and searched through her clothing. She was a very sneaky person. I didn't expect her to hide any evidence that could be used against her in her drawer.
I noticed a piece of paper with Lisa's writing on her table. When I licked it up, I read through it before folding it and keeping it in my pocket.
"Your pizza is here!!!" A little girl knocked on Diana's door. She had a smile on her face. She didn't look like it was her first time in this house. "Hello, where's ma'am Diana?"
For a while, she just stared at me. Then she smiled and sat down.
"Diana's not here," I replied calmly.
"Ok. I'll just go to her other house. This pizza can't be a waste."
"Hey," I pulled her back gently. "Let me give you a lift."
"No. Thanks."
"Please. I feel bad for you. You had to come all the way here and now....."
"Alright." She cut in. "If that's the reason then it's okay."
"Let me get the car keys." After she had gone, I walked out of Diana's room and shut the door.
Anna was in the sitting room when I arrived downstairs. She was playing a game on Liam's laptop.
"Hey, cutie." I kissed her on her cheek.
"Hannah! Where have you been all day?"
"I'm sorry. I've been so busy that I forgot to check on you."
"It's ok. You can go out with your new friend, I'm fine." She assured me.
"But,"
"I'm fine. I'm a big girl now."
"Just 5mins. I promise to return soon. Love you." I hugged her tightly and ran out of the house to meet the little girl.
"Don't delay me again. I have a cold pizza in my hands to deliver." The girl warned harshly.
We got into the car and drove off speedily. The pizza girl kept her hands on her lap. She didn't turn her neck, not even for a second.
"Hey, stop here!" She shouted.
"Come on, girl, you almost gave me a heart attack." One could easily hear the sound of my heartbeat. I packed the car close to the house and we both got down. The little girl walked up to the house and knocked twice. There was no response.
"Are you sure this is the right house?" I asked.
"Why? Do I look like some kind of small kid to you? I'm not foolish."
"No one said you were." I pressed the bell on the wall for a long time before releasing it.
"Hey, you live in a big house and you don't know how to use a bell."
"Keep quiet. Someone's coming." I pulled her to the side. She struggled to free herself from my strong grip. When the door opened I unintentionally freed her hand, making her fall in front of Lisa. Lisa's mouth dropped at the sight of me. I guess we didn't expect our first meeting after a long while to be this way.
"Hannah?" She gasped. So she remembers my name? What other thing did she remember? I tried my best to keep Lisa out of my mind but today instead of seeing Diana, Lisa is here.
"Where's Diana?"
"Who's Diana?" She asked innocently with her hand still on the door.
"Don't lie to me. I know Diana lives here. This child came all the way here to deliver pizza to her. You can't tell me she had the wrong address cus she's been here before." I yelled.
"Hannah, I know you've been through a lot but....."
"Move." I pushed her to the side and entered the house. Diana! Diana! I know you are here, come out now. Your truth is finally revealed." I walked into every room searching for her. There was no sight of her, only her red purse.
Before I could open the last door to the right, Hannah pulled me back forcefully. Her brows stood straight.
"Hannah, you need to control yourself. It's pretty rude to come into someone's house without their permission and make a fuse."
"Really? But isn't it rude to run away on your wedding day?" I asked coldly.
She brought out a tissue and cleaned her hands and poured the wine on her table into two different cups.
"Want some?"
"I haven't come here to drink with you. Where's Diana?" She didn't feel moved by what I just said. "You don't care about mum and your dad."
"I do." She cut in. "Hannah, isn't my happiness important to the family?"
"And what about our parents' happiness? You had enough time in your hands to stop the wedding but no, you refused. Instead, you chose to run away like a coward."
"Hannah!"
"As I said, I'm here for Diana. I know she lives here. I already know everything so why are you still lying?
"Yes, I know, Diana. To be honest, she was the one who found this house for me."
"Oh, so you and Diana planned all these? You were working with your sister's enemy. Is this how much you hate me?"
"How can I hate my sister? I had no idea you and Diana......I mean... I didn't know anything."
"Tell me everything you know about Diana."
"Hannah, what exactly can I tell you? I don't know her that well."
"I knew it. You haven't changed." When I turned to leave, Lisa called out my name. The little girl smiled at me from inside the house. She had been listening to me and Lisa the entire time.
Walking back into the house, I shut the door behind us and glared at her. She placed her hands in her pocket, which she normally did when she was scared.
"It's okay." I let out those words from the side of my mouth even though I didn't see any reason to sympathize with her after everything she's done.
"I know you might not forgive me if I tell you everything."
"It's fine. You can tell me. I'm aware we ain't so close to sharing our deepest secrets but, if it's bothering you then you can talk to me."
"Diana's brother, Ryan, is my boyfriend. That's how I came to know her. If I had known that she was trying to break up your marriage, I wouldn't have stayed here with her."
Does Diana have a brother? Everything keeps getting complicated. When it seems like I am close to the answer, a new surprise pops up.
"Diana is Liam's ex-girlfriend. Didn't you know that?" I asked.
"Yes. She told me it was over between them."
"She lied to you." I narrated everything to her. Including what Rosy and Jeremy had told me. She glared at me with sympathy, then hugged me tightly.
Did she not know about this or was she putting on an act to fool me again? She knows Diana and she's been living with her for 4months.
"About the girl, Liam was accused of raping, do you know who or where I can find her?"
"Rosie Downs? Her house is opposite Liam's house.
Rosie Downs? She was the same girl I worked with at Adrian's coffee shop. That same naive girl that said she didn't know anything about Liam?
Why didn't she tell me all these? Was Liam the same person that kept paying her every day? When Liam saw us together, why didn't he react?
" Hannah! Hannah!...." Lisa's loud voice echoed. "You've been staring at the ceiling with your mouth open for the past 5minutes, is everything alright?"
"Yes. Thanks... I have to go." I rushed for the door. Lisa kept running after me. "Lisa, we'll talk later. I have to find out something."
"Sure."
I drove out of her compound, plugged my phone, and opened the small chips on the other seat.
Why didn't Liam tell me all these? And Rosie, she calls herself my best friend and she didn't think it necessary to talk to me about her past. I told her a lot about myself. I'll have to ask Mr. Smith about all these myself.
"Hey!" A girl ran across my car. She was putting on a pink gown and her soft blond hair danced to the tune of the wind. She was chasing after some dude. She took off her shoe and threw it at the guy, he fell right in front of my car begging for mercy.
I stepped out of the car and slammed the door. When the man saw me, he jerked back and threw sand on us then ran away like a coward.
"Hey, what's going on here? What if I ran into you with my car?" I yelled.
"Now hold on," she flipped her hair and turned to face me.
"Diana?" Unbelievable. What was she doing here and why was she after that man? I looked at her closely. She didn't look anything like the Diana I knew. She had dark green eyes, there was a scar on her forehead, something the Diana that stayed with us never had. Was she trying to fool me again? I sighed.
"Yes? So, you know my name. If you don't know how to drive, at least get a driver."
"What are you doing here?" I asked, determined to know if she was the same person. "Why ain't you at the office?"
"Crazy lady. Do I look like I work in an office? You must be a fan. Why didn't I recognize? First, you knew my name, and now? Here's my autograph." She sighed on my purse and handed it back to me. "I'm excited to know that the people of Canada recognize me."
"You wanted to become a nurse, right?"
"Nurse? Oh please. Why in the hell would I want to waste my life studying a boring course? I have no interest in that. Oh, and from now on, call me Helen. That's my music name. One day, I'll become so famous that I will be on the front page of a magazine."
"That's true." I smiled. "Um, you've been here for 4months trying to achieve that, right?"
"I wish. I would have become very popular now. I've been here for only a week and a few days."
"Liam Smith. Do you remember him?"
"Yes." She bit her lower lips and put her head down like a little kid. I raised her head and comforted her with my warm smile.
"You can tell me."
"I knew him, not anymore. He was a part of my past. He's a nice person with a bad personality."
"I know." If this is the real Diana, who is the girl at Liam's house? Maybe if I bring her home, the whole truth will be out in public. "Hey, can you........" The girl had already gone. I looked around in search of her but she was nowhere.
I entered the car feeling deterred. When I started driving, Liam's call came in. I grabbed my phone and replied,
"Hey, my love." I teased.
"Come home quickly. Anna was in an accident."
"Anna!" Mrs. Smith is going to kill me if anything should happen to Anna.