CHAPTER 21

Leaning on the kitchen table, my hand reached for the iPad placed at the other end. Fried catfish. It's easier to make. Nodding in agreement.
       "I'll make the food, Ma'am." One of the Cooks bent over and brought out a frying pan. "Ma'am Diana had asked me to cook for Liam."
       Ma'am Diana my foot. Snatching the pot from her, my eyes pulled her gaze away to the door. "Leave. I'll do it." I said, my voice laced with aggression. "There's no need for you to take off my husband while I'm here. I'll handle everything." Her stubbornness fell on deaf ears as I remained defiant, washing the frying pan. "Oh, you can cook for Mr. Smith's guests."
       She restricted her eyes, fingers curling around her skirt. "Guests? The boss didn't mention anything about no guest."
       That's true. "The burial took place a day after her death and it's been two days already. I'm pretty sure family members and friends would want to visit. Don't worry. As soon as everything's over, Liam and I will go home. We came here just for the burial."
       "You should visit once in a while." The girl blushed. "It's your father-in-law's place after all."
       I'll put that in mind. Waving frantically at the girl, a soft sigh escalated my lips.
       Nanny Mai and Grandma strolled into the kitchen, chatting loudly and giggling. For a split second, it felt like time had been reversed. How could they have such positive expressions on their faces after the incident?
       "I'll be back." Grandma stepped out briskly without another word while Nanny Mai assisted in preparing the food.
       As soon as the meal was ready, after several failed attempts, I poured it into a white curve plate and arranged it neatly on an orange-flowered tray with a glass of orange juice by the side.
       I noticed Grandma outside the sitting room, she was discussing on the phone with someone. Walking up to her, I greeted her.
       "I'll be right back, dear." She said softly.
       "Is something wrong? Where are you off to so early in the morning?" Even the servants could read the anxiousness in my voice.
       "It's nothing. I'm alright. I'm going over to Liam's house to collect some important documents."
       "But," before I could finish up, she rushed out of the house with her Gucci handbag. "Thanks, Nanny." I appreciated when Nanny Mai stepped out. She seemed to not have heard me as she was changing Lauren's diaper.
       Ascending the stairs, my legs paused in front of Mrs. Smith's room, Taking in a deep breath, my hand rested on the door before fixing my right eye on the small opening on the door. "I wonder if she's still there." Grumbling at the zero results my efforts made, a guy dressed in overalls, carrying a plunger and metal box, pointed to the left.
       "That's Liam's room. You are in the wrong room."
       "My apologies. This is my first time at my in-law's place. I'm not familiar with anything."
       "Sure. Nancy! It's not your fault. These employees are useless." He nibbled on his bottom lip.
       A plumber with so much authority. Hmm. He must be a relative.
       Once Nancy arrived, she apologized and pointed. "It's that way." She wore a white long gown and black rubber shoes. Her hair was tied up in a bun and she had a name tag on her chest.
       "Thanks, Nancy." Counting my steps to his room, the door flung open as if my arrival was anticipated.
       He was sitting on the floor, his head resting on the bed while looking heavenward. I guess he's been that way for two days. Poor guy. Thank God he unlocked the door today. I almost thought he was going to commit suicide. Dropping the tray by his side, I packed his clothes into the closet then grabbed the vacuum cleaner and cleaned the room. All the time he didn't flinch. He sat still, his gaze fixed on nothing specific.
       "Hey," I sat close to Liam and arranged his meal in front of him.
       "Hannah, just let me be." Liam requested calmly.
       "If you are upset with me then scold me. I can't take this silence anymore. Liam,"
       "Do you even know what the pain of losing someone you love is like?"
       "Yes."
       "As if. How could you know the pain when you haven't lost someone you love before? Just get out. I don't know what I might say to you if you stayed longer."
       Take it easy, Hannah. This ain't a time to pick a fight. "I understand your pain. I lost my dad when I was only 5yrs."
       "Look," he waved his hand at me. "I'm in no mood for jokes."
       "My dad died because of me. If I hadn't insisted on a birthday present, he won't have stepped out of the house. I was so selfish I couldn't think of anyone other than myself."
       "You always called me arrogant and mean." He wiped the tears in my eyes. "But Anna saw another side of me no one else did. She wasn't just a sister but a best friend. She loved me so much. When everyone kept telling her I was bad news, despite being young, she stood by my side and challenged them. I'll forever miss that beautiful and comforting smile. I didn't even get to spend enough time with her."
       "I'm sorry."
       "She's gone. She's never coming back."
       I placed his head on my neck and comforted him.
       It was one of the most painful days for the Smith family. Anna was one of the most admired people in the house. Her energy, kind heart, good looks, weird personality, and much other good quality were what drew people close to her. Losing someone you loved ain't easy. The pain of never having to see that person again hurt the most.
       Mrs. Smith had not left her room since Anna's death. She didn't let anyone come in or speak to her, Mr. Smith had to make an unplanned travel to India for a business deal.
       "I'll be going to the office. I can't think straight in this house." He said then raised his head and got up from the ground.
       "But you haven't had anything to eat for 2days."
       "Mum hasn't eaten too. Give that food to my mum."
       "But she despises me."
       "Her reasons are justified. If you keep avoiding her because she hates you, how do you want to mend your broken relationship?" He walked out of the room leaving me confused at his question.
       He is right in a way. If I keep avoiding her, the distance between us will keep expanding. No matter what happens, I must give her this food. I assured myself. I nodded.
       Walking past a few doors, I arrived at her room. Looking through the small opening again, I noticed Mrs. Smith sitting on the floor with a big portrait of Anna close to her. Her cheeks were swollen and she had lost a lot of weight.
       You can do this. Knock and wait for a response. All attempts to get her to open up failed as she remained unchanging in her decision to isolate herself. "Aunt, open up! I'm not going anywhere until you come out!"
       "What do you want?" She opened the door and yelled. "Will you only leave me after I'm dead!"
       "Aunt,"
       "Get lost! I don't want to see you again." She sobbed.
       "Aunt, just hear me out. It was my fault. I was careless, I couldn't take care of my little sister."
       "You are correct. It was your fault. Let's say, I forgive you for being careless. What about not telling me that my daughter passed away three nights ago?"
       "Mrs. Smith, I....."
       "Liar. One moment you act like a changed person and the next, you show your true colors."
       "That's not true, Aunt. I wanted to tell you all but....."
       "But what?" She cleaned the tears in her eyes. "What was so important that you choose to keep such a huge thing from us? If you had told us that night, we would have been able to save her. Why, Hannah, why?"
       "Mum," Liam called out from outside the room. He walked in and hugged her. "It's now in the past. Anna's gone. We have to move on even if it seems difficult."
       "Hannah will be punished for what she's done."
       "Not just Hannah but Diana as well," Liam added.
       "Punished?" Diana flung the door open and stormed in as if she had placed a camera in the room. "What have I done wrong?"
       "You were in charge of giving Anna medicine. If it was too hard for you, you could have told me."
       "I did my job well until Hannah said she could handle everything. She said she was your wife and only she had the right to give Anna medication."
       "Pathetic liar!" I screamed.
       "Liam, she's lying. She told me to give her Anna's medicine." She was good at fibbing. How could she comfortably tell a lie despite knowing the condition of the family?
       Liam drew near, lips pressed against each other then asked, "Hannah, did you tell Diana to give you Anna's medicine?"
       "Liam, I....."
       "I just need one answer. Yes or No?"
       "Li......"
       "Answer me!"
       "Yes!" I replied angrily. He wasn't willing to listen to me. Diana was right in their eyes. I was Liam's wife but Diana was being treated with more love than I was.
       Liam walked back and forth, his hand on his forehead. Mrs. Smith was giving him that look of 'I told you so.' I scribbled on the wall repeatedly. I already sensed what was coming.
       I've been trying my hardest to mend my relationship with Liam. At times I wondered if we were even made for each other.
       Was this what love was like? People said in a relationship there are always ups and downs. But my relationship was filled with only sadness and no joyful moment. Who tolerates seeing her husband's ex-girlfriend in his house? I did that. Rather than being appreciated, I was always the main target when something bad happened.
       I'll be punished like a little girl again. I already promised Mr. Smith that I wouldn't create problems for the family again.
       Diana's phone broke the long silence. "Excuse me." She walked out of the room after placing the phone on her ear. She was in the habit of walking out when the same number called.
       Who is the caller and why didn't she want anybody to hear her conversation? While I was about to follow her, Liam pulled me back.
       "Where do you think you are going?" He asked softly, still trying to hide his pain. Even when he tried to sound calm, there was this sudden fear that gripped me.
       "I know I'll be punished. Why should I stay?"
       "You don't even know what your punishment is." Mrs. Smith deadpanned.
       "Let me guess, I'll clean this house and take care of the cooking tomorrow and next." I rolled my eyes and flipped my hair to the back.
       Mrs. Smith glanced at Liam for a while then turned to face me. "Your punishment would be different this time. I lost my world because of you, so you will have to go through the same pain I'm going through."
       "Huh?" I muttered. What was she saying? I tapped my feet gently on the ground to relieve myself from the fear building up in me.
       "What are you talking about, mum?" Liam asked.
       "The both of you will stay in separate rooms for the next week. She won't speak to you till I say so."
       "Mum.."
       "My decision is final. If you think I'm wrong, then I'll leave this house." She threatened.
       "Alright, mum. If you say so. Excuse me."
       "Liam," I chased after him. He didn't seem bothered by my call. He rushed out of the house while I followed him. "Talk to me, Liam." I grabbed his arm. "Why ain't you saying anything to your mum? I admit that she's lost her daughter but that doesn't give her a right to punish me like a little kid. I'm your wife, not a slave."
       "Hannah!" He jerked back. "Don't you have a heart at all? You made a mistake and you're feeling bad about what Mum said?"
       "Are you even hearing yourself?" I fired back. "I already said I was sorry. What's the big deal? No one is above mistake, Liam."
       "You are trying to justify your mistake? It's my fault. I should have realized from the start that I was getting married to an insensitive person."
       "Yes. And I should have known better not to marry a heartless person. A man who can't make decisions for himself. You act so tough on the outside but on the inside, you are nothing. I'm glad my sister didn't get married to you, she would have committed suicide a long time ago."
       "Don't wait up for me." He entered his car and drove off without another word.
      Why would I wait for you? I fumed.   "I shouldn't have said those things to him. He was only furious and I let my anger take control. I'll apologize when he returns." I assured myself. It's good though. Now he won't have to feel depressed about Anna's death. He'll just spend the rest of today wondering why we got married.
       Walking out of the compound, I booked a cab and showed him Rosie's address before taking the backseat. We passed a few houses before arriving at her house. When I alighted the cab, I paid the driver, ran to the main gate, and knocked. The security guard looked through a small hole before opening the gate.
       "Who are you?" The middle-aged guy asked sharply.
       "Hannah Brown. Is Rosie home?"
       "How are you related to her?" He frowned while using his hand to hold the gate so I won't get in.
       "Friends. We worked together. I'm here to tell her... I mean, I'm here to deliver a message from our restaurant."
       "If you don't work together anymore how can you possibly deliver a message to her from the restaurant?"
       He's too impossible to convince. Why are they so conscious of everybody that comes to their house? I surveyed the place, thinking of how to convince him I knew Rosie. "Yes, we don't work together but I happened to pass by the restaurant and her boss told me to deliver a message to her."
       "Deliver it to me, I'll tell her."
       "Deliver it to you....dude, what's your issue?" The rising urge to visit physical violence knew no end.
       "Ma'am, my job is important to me. I'm sorry if I've offended you but...."
       "But what?" Diana strolled to the front. She seemed to have been following me. On one hand, she told me she's changed, and then she blurted out half of the truth to Liam and his mum.
       "What new drama again? I'm a changed person." I scoffed at her.
       "What could I have done?" She immediately replied like she knew what I was hinting at. "I was scared. I've never seen him that angry before. If I had said the entire truth, he wouldn't have spared me. He would have kicked me out of his house but you are his wife. He wouldn't do that to you. I'm sorry, Hannah."
       "It's okay. Why are you here?"
       "Well, I wanted to apologize to you. Mister," she called out to the security guard. "She's here with me."
       "Sure. You can come in."
       "Thanks."
       I stared at her as we entered the compound. How was she able to convince this man without much stress? Has she been here before?
       "What?" She asked.
       "It's nothing. Let's just go in."
       "Oh, you must be wondering how I easily convinced the man to let us in. Well you see, I've been here before a couple of times. That's when Liam and I were dating. Rosie worked for his dad."
       "So you know everything?"
       "It's all in the past. Plus, Liam warned us never to speak of it again. His dad doesn't even know the real truth."
       "They have such a sour relationship and it's because of one person. I wish I could just tell Mr. Smith the truth so everything will go back to normal."
       "No, you can't. Liam is only upset with his dad but he loves him so much. If anything should happen to Mr. Smith, I don't think Liam will forgive you. What if Mr. Smith hears the truth and he goes into a coma, then what?"
       "You have a point. Only God can fix their relationship now. Let's go in." We turned open her doorknob. When we got in, I looked around and saw an old man probably in his 60s watching an action movie. He seemed to not have noticed that someone was in his house.
       "Rosie's room is that way." Diana pointed.
       "Sure. Who's the man?" I asked quietly while we were on our way upstairs.
       "Rosie's dad. He used to be Mr. Smith's rival. He's a dangerous man. You do not want to mess with him."
       "I wasn't even planning on messing with him."
        When we got to Rosie's room, we opened the door and stood at the entrance. She was in there having sex with a guy. They looked really good together. Diana and I glared at each other and smiled. It was the first time I ever smiled at Diana. I stood still and imagined what it would have been like if I was the one in the bed with my husband.
        "Wake up from your daydream. You are here for something isn't it?"
        "Yes, D. Let's go in."
        "No." She looked up from her phone. She had just received a message and her mood changed. "I'll be right back. I need to settle something at home."
        "No problem. Rosie." I walked into the room after Diana had gone. The guy jumped off the bed with the bed cover on his waist. He ran into the bathing room while Rosie sat on the bed.
        "Hannah, you could have called me. Why did you have to come here?" She got up from the bed after wearing her clothes.
        "Rosie, the innocent girl. I should write a book about you. How could you take advantage of my good heart? I trusted you."
        "What are you talking about? Let's go out first and we'll discuss. I think you are in a bad mood."
        "I'm not. I'm grateful I found out the entire truth about you. Who's the guy that was with you? You said, you didn't have a boyfriend and you hated guys, so what happened?"
        "Hannah, I'll get you some water. You don't seem fine to me."
        "Sure. Go get me some water or should I say, go drug my water so I could feel dizzy and you'll just do anything you feel like doing to me as you did to my father-in-law."
        "Leave my house." She walked over to the door and opened it. "Now!"
        "Does the truth hurt? That's how much my family is hurting because of your one lie. Rosie, your lie won't remain hidden forever. I'll make sure you pay for all the damage you've caused."
        "Hannah, forget the past and move on with your life. You do not want to mess with me. For the sake of the friendship we once shared, I'm letting you go. Stay away from my family. You do not know anything and let it stay that way. Now leave before my dad comes to know about you."
        "That friendship you spoke of, is now over. I'll make sure you go to jail for your crimes."
        "I won't let that happen. Even if I have to take a life to protect myself. Get lost."
        "We'll see who would win in the end."
        "Hannah, focus on building your relationship and not me." She slammed the door so hard.
        I alighted the stairs slowly thinking of everything she had just said to me. She didn't even try to lie. Anyone in her shoes would have tried defending themselves or denying it but her case was different. Why didn't I see this side of her? When I stepped down, her dad was staring at me from the corner of his eyes. I greeted him with my head down then walked out hastily to avoid questions.
        "I'll be going," I reported to the security guard.
        "Take care. Hope to never see you here again. I got the biggest beating of my entire life because of you. I knew from the beginning that I shouldn't have let you in." He frowned.
        "I'm sorry. Hey, can I ask one question?"
        "You are indeed insensitive. Get lost."
        "Sure." I walked out of the house and trekked down to Liam's home. The lights in his house were on as if someone was home.
        Everyone was at his father's house so who could have been there? I reasoned.
        "Going home?" The cabman asked.
        "Yes."
        "Hop in." I opened the door and entered relaxing my head on the window and still looking at the lights that were turned on in Liam's house.