Chapter 6 Come to London
My mother's face did something, and just for a second, something cracked open in it, something warm and afraid all at once, she looked up at me properly, maybe for the first time since I'd walked in.
“Liana.”
I swear I didn't mean to say it out loud, didn't intend to say anything about the pregnancy, well at least not yet, maybe I'd have built the conversation gradually, until it was okay to talk about it.
Their silence was doing more than I actually expected it to.
“It's none of our business.” Father finally said, and mother nodded.
“You're an adult now, old enough to make your own decisions, why should we be worrying about you?”
Like that, the crack sealed over, Vivian was still, staring up with a sly smirk.
“Now your…” I stopped, and pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth, then breathed. “I'm your daughter, I'm pregnant and I have absolutely nowhere to go.”
“You made your choices Liana.” Father shrugged. “You married into that family, whatever comes from this marriage is between you and your husband, you don't expect us to…”
“I'm not asking you to do anything for me.” As if it wasn't frustrating enough that they were showing pure indifference about the divorce, now this?
I shut my eyes and swallowed the next words I was going to utter back. “What I'm asking for is a room, nothing else.”
He shook his head, slowly and as though he was exerting his control.
I turned to my mother, and honestly I should have known better, but I turned to her anyway because she'd looked at me.
She looked at me, just for a second like she remembered she was my mother.
Knowing that it's rare to get this version of her, I decided to use it to my advantage.
“Mother..”
She didn't look up.
“Please “
“Liana,” her voice was calm. “Your father had said…”
“I'm not asking father anymore, now I'm asking you.” I said, sniffing my tears back in.
She didn't say anything, but her hands were folded, as if she was trying to make the most difficult decision she's ever had to make.
Then said everything, those words probably would never have been said, and I took it, standing up.
My legs were steadier than they had any right to be, maybe because I was trying to make a tough decision on my own..
I picked up my bag, straightened my coat, and looked at each of them in turn; my father near the TV, my mother and her hands, Vivian with her phone already back up like the conversation had concluded itself.
At that moment, I didn't say anything, I didn't need to say anything. I mean there was no need saying anything to people who had already decided that getting rid of me was the best choice.
“I should never have come here in the first place.”
Father chuckled. “Yes. Now go back and fix your home.”
“Cheating is no new thing.” Mother mumbled.
I almost scoffed, almost told them that I would never be stuck in a marriage that was doing me more harm than good, or with a family who couldn't be less bothered whether or not I died.
But some words are better left unspoken after all…
How I got outside the mansion without breaking down is something I'd refer to as a mystery.
I made it to the wall outside the mansion before my legs slowed down, allowing me to lean against the brick, and remain there.
The street was quiet, but in the silence came whispers, reminding me that I was completely alone, in a world so cold and grey, with nothing to hold on to.
But then again, there was someone inside me who didn’t know anything about that, yet deserves the very best.
Now what?
My eyes grew teary, my throat tightened but I didn't try to fight it. There wasn't a need for that anyway, I mean… I needed to ease myself of all the pressure, and since crying volunteered.
Who was I to say no.
After a lot of thinking, I wiped my face with the back of my hand, and took out my phone, scrolling through my contacts, with a single person in mind.
Dr. Felicity Lane.
I pressed call before I could talk myself out of it, or try to convince myself that I was fine by myself.
She picked the call up at the first ring.
I opened my mouth to talk, but I didn't even know what I was going to say.
“Liana.” Her voice was soft and warm as usual, only that this time, it sounded as though she was actually expecting my call. “Where are you?”
I exhaled. “Outside my parents house.”
That was followed by a pause. “Are you okay?”
Of course she knew about the divorce and the fact that I was the one getting blamed by the entire universe, like I was the one who was supposed to hold it all together.
What would anyone expect, when I was actually up against Almighty Ethan D’Arden.
“Liana, are you there?” Her voice snapped me back to reality. “You okay?”
I placed my hand around my stomach in a rather comforting manner, at the same time as if I was trying to protect my baby from the harsh words flying all over the place.
“No.” I said, literally the first honest thing I've said s
ince everything.
“Okay.” She replied softly. “Can you get to an airport, and move over to London?”
