CHAPTER 8

I woke up to the sound of Liam and Diana's loud conversation in our bedroom.
Summer turned the air into a wet, simmering stew. One smelling of sweat and dried up leaves.
The humming fan in our room stirred it but it was like standing close to a burning house and fanning yourself. Liam had intentionally turned off the air conditioner.
I was already used to sleeping without an air conditioner way back when I was still staying at my parent's home. Lisa, out of jealousy, cut off my A.C wire. I was already used to it all. Lying on my hot sheet, with the windows open but no breeze penetrating.
Maybe I would have slept more if not for Liam and Diana. The summer wasn't a match for my sleeping habit.
I sat straight up on the bed, rolling my eyes at the sight of Diana.
While sitting I felt the heat roll down my back. If only I was at my parent's home, I would have taken off my clothes and walked around naked. I grumbled.
I turned on my phone and read the time out softly. It read 8:40 am. Normally, the staff would do the chores but all thanks to Diana, I'm the one responsible for cooking and doing some other household chores.
I felt a warm fur on my feet. When I looked down, Gerald, Liam's dog was staring up at me. He was the cutest little thing ever. I picked him up and nuzzled him before embracing him tightly.
I heard the rumbling of thunder, I could feel my inside leaping with excitement. I loved the rain, at least when I was at my parent's home. The way the trees danced to the rhythm of the storm, the way lightning flashed. During the rainy season, Lisa and I got to play together. Hide and seek was our favorite. It was difficult to find the other because of how dark the house was. That was the only time we played as sisters.
"Gerald, I have a feeling that this rain will fall today," I whispered into his ears.
I rolled my hair up and tied it. I loved long hair until it was summer. The heat made my hair stick to my back and it made me feel scratchy and uncomfortable.
I got out of bed, completely ignoring Liam and Diana even though it hurt to see your husband with his ex. I stood close to the window and sniffed the tiny breeze that managed to penetrate through the cotton.
I closed my eyes and imagined what it would have been like if I was married to someone I love. We probably would have been together in the pool all naked.
"If you are done wasting your time, go make me my breakfast." Liam's harsh voice echoed from the corner of the room. He had his head on Diana's lap while she massaged him. If he was doing this deliberately to hurt me, I didn't know.
"I know what I'm to do unlike someone else." I fired back.
Diana looked straight at me with a grin on her face. She's been here for two weeks and it seems like 10yrs. She's created more problems for me than Lisa ever did. She placed her hand on his chest and rubbed him gently.
"I don't like him, so I shouldn't be jealous." I tried to assure myself. I grabbed my robe from the bed and tossed it on my body before going downstairs.
When I got down, no one was around except Nanny Mai. She was arranging the dining table when I arrived. When she noticed me, she threw me a warm smile and proceeded to do her job.
"It must be hard on you." She said calmly.
"Yes. Sometimes I wish that someone will come to tell me, Hannah, it's just a dream. But I guess, wishes don't come to pass."
When she was done setting the table, she entered the sitting room to arrange it. She wasn't much of a talker. She could literally be talking to you and suddenly go numb for a long time. I picked up the other towel and dusted the couch. She was doing the job I was given as punishment for what I didn't do. I observed her to know if she would say anything to me concerning what I just told her but there was nothing. Feeling very agitated I put on my apron and entered the kitchen.
"Why start a conversation when you won't finish it," I mumbled. "What do you do? I don't even know how to cook." The only chore my mum never let any of us do. I guess even living comfortably with everything you need, has disadvantages too. It helps you to be so lazy.
I turned on the gas and placed a pot on the cooker with water in it. "Yes. I'll make them tea." I leaped with joy. I mean, who doesn't like a warm cup of tea or coffee in the morning?
"Are you trying to get yourself punished again?" Nanny Mai asked while making her way into the kitchen.
"Nanny, I don't know what to do."
"You think I didn't know that? There is nothing I can do. If I help you to cook, they will eventually find out as I've been cooking for them for the past 25yrs."
"What should I do?" I asked nervously. The weather was already hot and on top of it, I was standing close to a cooker and now I'm tense. I gently wiped the heat off my forehead before proceeding to ask, "Can you teach me?"
"Yes. You are a lady. You should have learned all these at your parent's home."
"As if my husband's family taught him manners." I sighed.
Once we were done preparing the food, well, preparing the food was like looking for a perfect cloth to go meet your crush. The kitchen looked like a farm. After 15 failed attempts to make a good meal, we finally succeeded.
Nanny Mai walked out of the kitchen and arranged the dining table while I carried out the food. After we were done setting up the food, I arranged the kitchen and washed the dirty plates.
"Breakfast is ready! I yelled.
"Wow, can't believe we are having breakfast by 9:40 am," Diana said while coming down the stairs with Liam, his parents, and little sister.
Mrs. Smith had her purse in her hand while the servants carried her bags.
"What's going on?" I whispered into Nanny Mai's ear.
She pulled back Mrs. Smith's seat a little when she arrived. She did the same for Mr. Smith and Liam. When they had all settled down, I dished out the food.
"Come sit over here." Mrs. Smith pointed at a chair next to Liam. I didn't know if she was doing me a favor or just trying to punish me.
"Go on." Nanny Mai pushed me gently.
"No." How could I sit in between Liam and his ex. If he could shamelessly bring Diana into our bedroom what could he not do in the dining room? "I'm fine here. I'll have breakfast with Nanny Mai."
Liam looked up from his food. "Nanny Mai,"
"Yes, Liam."
"Come sit."
"Thanks." Why was he inviting her over to the dining table? She's never eaten with them before. Was he doing this so I would sit close to him? I pulled her chair back a little for her to sit.
"Once you are done, come sit next to me."
I pushed her chair back in when she had sat down. "I'll have my breakfast in the kitchen," I replied coldly. Why was he so interested in getting me to sit next to him?
The mood on his face changed instantly. He wasn't happy with my refusal to sit with him. He pushed his food back before setting his laptop on the table.
"Liam, it's time for breakfast. Keep work away for now." His dad urged.
"Coming from the mouth of the very person who values work more than his family. I'm flattered." Liam retorted.
I wonder what kind of beef these two men had against each other. Ever since I got married to Liam, I've only ever seen them argue. They've never been on the same page.
I pulled my chair back and sat down when I noticed the length of heat my refusal to sit was causing.
"Are you all having breakfast without me?" An elderly woman asked from behind. Mrs. Smith got up from her chair and walked up to the woman. When I turned to see who the lady was, I gasped at the sight of her. She was the same old woman from the hotel Liam and I first lounged when we newly got married. The one who intentionally accused Liam in public.
"Grandma." Anna ran up to her.
Grandma! I shook my head in awe. Why would his grandma do that to him in public?
"What's wrong, Hannah? Did a fly get stuck in your throat?" Diana pushed me so hard that I almost hit my breast on Liam.
"Diana!" I didn't realize when I screamed her name so loudly. The entire family turned to look at me and Diana. She had an expressionless face. She was very good at playing innocent.
I turned to leave but Liam pulled me back to my seat. He had his hand on my lap. He strokes me back and forth with his palm before whispering into my ear. "Be a good girl. Granny just got here since we got married. You don't want to create a bad image of yourself in front of her."
He was right, after all, who wants their in-law's family to hate them? Although I agreed to play cool, I also wouldn't let this one slide. When no one was looking, I added enough spice to her food.
"Do I know you?" Liam's grandma asked while staring down at me with her glasses on her nose.
"Yes. We met at the hotel."
"Which hotel?" She had the same cute smile she had on the first day we met. Was this cute old lady messing with me or does she truly have amnesia? I breathed in twice and tightened my fists.
"Be cool, Hannah," I told myself. If I didn't hurt Diana for all that she's done to me, why hurt this old lady. Hardly had I picked up the glass of water on the table to drink when I noticed Diana choking. Her face had already turned red. Sweat was dripping from every corner of her body. I held onto the glass of water in between the two of us. I wasn't going to let her drink this water for at most 2minutes.
Liam couldn't control his laughter, he turned to the other side and smiled. I noticed him and his dad smile at each other. It was the first time I saw them hold hands and laugh.
After so much struggle, I finally let go of the glass. It smashed to the ground in an instant.
"Help me!" She struggled for words.
"No. You will have to get water yourself." Liam's granny instructed. Diana crawled into the kitchen and poured herself six glasses of water. As if that wasn't enough, she puked in the sink.
"Is aunt Diana pregnant?" Anna asked innocently after peeping at Diana.
"No dear. She just had a big lunch." I joked.
"A big lunch!" Diana yelled on top of her lungs while coming out of the kitchen.
"Chill. Why are you making a fuss out of such a minor issue?" I struggled to hide my laughter.
"Liam," she hugged him tightly from behind, not minding if the family was watching. Liam patted her gently on the head before removing her hands from his neck. "She tried to kill me."
"That's not true. I made the same food for everybody, Diana."
"Didn't you know that I'm allergic to onions and spicy foods?"
"Really? I didn't know. I mean, how was I supposed to know when I don't even know you that well." I answered sarcastically.
"Yes dear," Mrs. Smith added. "She doesn't know much about you. It's my fault, I should have told her about everyone's preferences before asking her to cook." This is the first time Mrs. Smith took my side. Mr. Smith turned to look at me. When our eyes crossed paths together, he quickly turned. Mr. Smith looked tough on the outside but something I came to realize was that he happened to be the nicest in the family. Why Liam hated him so much was what I didn't understand.
Meanwhile, Diana kept arguing with Mrs. Smith. She tried her best to convince Mrs. Smith that I did it deliberately. I would have stayed longer if not for my phone. It rang out embarrassingly.
"Excuse me." I got up from my seat and climbed upstairs.
I walked into my room and shut the door behind me. Jumping on the bed, I took out my phone and answered it.
"Did I wake you?" The receiver asked.
"No. It's 10 am. Only an abnormal person will still be sleeping by this time."
"See who's talking?" She gave out a loud laugh.
"Sophie, you know me too well. I'm the abnormal one. If I was at my parent's home, I probably would have been in bed till noon." I smirked. Sophie and I lived together when her mum was diagnosed with cancer. We went to the same school, had a crush on the same guy, and probably loved the same thing. Anybody that saw us thought we were twins. Her mum returned home to her and her dad, so she had to move back with them.
"Hey, I'm outside your home."
"What." I jumped off the bed and headed for the window. When I got there, I looked out to see if she was truly there.
"Over here." She whispered loudly.
"What are you doing there?" I asked after I noticed her.
"Come down quickly, let's go out."
"Give me 15 minutes." CLICK. "Now she's ruined my perfect morning. I thought I was going to watch Diana display." I said as I walked into the bathroom and had my bath.
When I was done, I applied lotions to my skin, wore a sleeveless orange top and small shorts with a hoodie tied around my waist. I picked up my boots and wore them before combing my hair and tying it in a ponytail.
I carried my handbag and applied some make-up before skipping out of the room. I felt like my 21yrs old self before I met Liam.
Nanny Mai and the entire Smith family watched me come downstairs. Liam couldn't take his eyes off me. He was very good at hiding his emotions so it was difficult to tell if he was happy or upset with what I was wearing.
When I got to the sitting-room door, I bid them goodbye before walking out. I increased my pace so that Mrs. Smith won't stop me. When I arrived at where Sophie was, we embraced each other and reminisced old memories.
"Where are we going?"
"We'll go anywhere our legs take us. Not with a car but strolling like in the good old days."
"Okay."
We walked for hours before settling down outside of a coffee shop. I told Sophie about my marriage and Diana. Her anger was out of the ordinary. Someone might mistake her to be the victim. I calmed her down with a bottle of apple juice and a packet of grilled chicken. It was her favorite.
While we were still chatting a white Mercedes pulled up in front of us. The man at the back got down from the car. It was the same guy. The guy Sophie and I once had a crush on when we were still teenagers. I looked at Sophie in bewilderment.
He walked past us into the coffee shop. Sophie kept on eating her chicken. I guess she was already used to being snubbed by guys. No one thought her to be beautiful because of the scar on her face. She had that scar when a fire broke out at her home a year before she moved in with us. Why the fire broke out, she never told us.
I patted her on her shoulder and smiled. "When the right guy for you comes we will know."
"Nay. I'm not interested in getting married. I'm going to be an independent woman. I won't have to obey rules, behave decently, eat properly, and probably get monitored by my husband." We laughed together before staring back at the car. "I can't believe Daniel didn't notice us."
"I believe. He's always been arrogant. I would be shocked if he had stopped to say Hi.
"Mahn." She sighed before continuing. "Daniel's hard work paid off. I should have taken my education seriously."
"As if." Not long after Sophie and I got up to leave, Daniel stepped out of the coffee shop and bumped into Sophie. Sophie struggled to gain balance before reaching out to my hand. I pulled her up in an instant with the help of Daniel.
"I'm so sorry. Sophie?"
"No, Cynthia." She snapped. "Hey, what use are your eyes if you can't see with them?"
"Unbelievable. I used to think that people changed with time but your case is different." He sneered.
"How long are you two going to keep arguing like children? Can't you two see what I'm seeing?"
"What" they chorused after taking a glance at each other.
"Love. You two love each other but pride is getting in the way. Why not fix a date and see if I'm right." I blurted out. I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing but one thing I knew was, my friend won't end up alone. I grabbed Sophie's hand, placed it in Daniel's right hand and touched their chins. "Trust me."
"Sophie, do you wanna hang out?" Daniel asked calmly.
"Not what I expected my first date to be like but, ok. Thanks, Hannah. I saw what you did there."
"Anytime."
"Wait, wasn't it supposed to be our special time together?"
"It's fine. You can go with Daniel."
"Kk. Bye." Daniel grabbed her by the waist and walked her to his car.
"Hey! Who's gonna walk me home!" I yelled. I picked up my purse and walked home. I wasn't familiar with the road but I wasn't going to call Liam for help.
I trekked until I got to the bus stop. When I got into a cab, I took out my phone that had been ringing since Daniel bumped into Sophie.
"Liam?" Why was he calling? I dropped the phone in my purse, I opened the magazine on the seat and started to read.