Chapter 2 Begging

• THE next day, Liam went to his Uncle David's workplace to persuade him to withdraw from the deal. His mother forbade him from doing so, but he was nonetheless anxious to give it a shot.
• "Uncle, I beg you," he said nearly whimpering, weak knees but attempting to stand in front of his uncle.
• When his Uncle David shook his head, he knew there was no hope.
• "Please, uncle..." his feeble knees landed completely on the floor. "Please..." muttered he. Trying to find a glimmer of hope that his uncle may show kindness. “I love, Stella…” His eyes welled up with tears. It's making him weak thinking about how he'll tell her about his marriage but not to her.
• "Liam, Chloe loves you. Give her a shot."
• Liam sobs more, hands clenched, head down... screaming pain inside his chest.
• David averted his gaze since he couldn't bear Liam's anguish at the moment. He doesn't agree with Chloe's favor, but Chloe is his only kid, and he can't bear the thought of losing her.
• Liam knelt for a few minutes, sobbing like a little boy who wanted to buy toys at the store but his mother refused. He had never begged before in his life. He never went down to ask a dumb question.
• "Why?" he mumbled. "How come, uncle?"
• "I apologize, son. We're family, and I'd like to help—"
• "Bullshit!" he screamed, slowly rising. With the back of his hands, he wiped the tears that were streaming down his face. He looked his uncle David in the eyes. "You were my father's best friend. Aunt Alice's dearest friend was Mom. I don't need your help with the company!" he exhaled, "You knew I didn't want your aid and would violate the agreement, so you just let Mom sign instead. You are taking advantage of her. You knew she was easily persuaded. You chose her over me since you knew I wouldn't agree!" He yelled his last statement, causing the old guy to lurch away from his seat. Liam rubbed his moist cheeks again till they dried. "I hope you're delighted because you let your lunatic daughter's small favor wreck my life," he added, living the words that could make the elderly guy feel bad. "Since there's nothing, I can do about it, I'll marry your daughter tomorrow." He's too weak to ask for anything else. Liam left the room after he was finished.
• -
• CHLOE was on the phone talking to her best friend, Mia. Who’s now in New York. She’s an architect in her uncle's Architecture firm.
• “I still can’t believe that Liam will marry you. He has a fiancé, yet he will marry you,” Mia said, who seems curious.
• Chloe sighed. “Yeah. Tomorrow is the wedding said Dad,” she replied.
• “Sorry, girl, I can’t come to your wedding—”
• “It’s okay,” she cut in. “It’s just a civil wedding. As much as possible I want to keep it a secret. You knew they’re facing a problem and I don’t want the media to take the chance to make money and release an article about it. Dad informed me that the wedding must only be between us.”
• Mia seems to sense something through Chloe’s words.
• “Chloe…”
• “Yes?”
• “Will you tell me the truth? Liam will marry you not because he’s in love with you, right?”
• Chloe’s eyes widened and heaved a deep sigh after.
• “Chloe… tell me the truth. I knew you for a long time. Liam will never be in love with you—will not marry you if he’s deeply madly in love with Stella.”
• Chloe’s eyes started to pour out tears but she wiped them immediately. Since their last encounter with Liam inside the coffee shop. She couldn’t sleep at night… feeling guilty through his words but she can’t just give up the chance. She will be marrying the man of her dreams and she will do everything to make him fall in love with her.
• “It was a favor,” she finally said.
• “What? Are you sure about that? What if Liam will get mad at you—”
• “He’s mad at me.”
• She heard the deep sigh of her friend on the other line. “My God, Chloe. Why did you do that? What if he will punish you or will do something to you since you’re getting his supposed to be happy living with Stella—”
• “I know. And I won’t let him. Trust me, this marriage will work out. We’ve been friends for years and I know he will treat me the way how he treats me—”
• “What? Are you insane? Do you think Liam will still treat you nicely after what have you done?”
• Chloe can imagine how frustrated Mia was. She let out a soft chuckle. “I can handle it. I promise.”
• “Chloe… you must not have done it. True love comes at the right time. Liam was not meant for you. You should’ve supported him as his childhood friend not in the way that you will be going to take his happy life to someone whom he truly loves—”
• “I love him, Mia. The wedding will be tomorrow and one thing that I asked for this because of what we saw after the funeral of Uncle John, right? You were there. And you think I just asked for this favor because of my love for him? I want to save Liam and Mia. He loves that girl. He trusts that girl. But what did Stella do?”
• “Chloe, you don’t know the other side of the story. You just can’t judge her just because she kissed Liam’s driver—”
• “No! it’s so clear. Why will she kiss the guy? In the lips?”
• “That driver was the son of Stella's mother’s best friend, right? According to the information that I got when you asked me to investigate, they were childhood friends.”
• “Exactly, just a childhood friend. The big question is, why would Stella kiss him on the lips? At the back of Liam?”
• Mia sighed. “So, why not just tell the truth to Liam then but not in the way that you will be going to marry him because you wanted to save him from Stella? He must know. And he has the decision if he will believe it or not—”
• “No. The wedding will be tomorrow. I’m going to marry him. No one can stop it.”
• “I’m against your wedding to Liam, Chloe. However, I’m your friend and I will support you no matter what. Just tell me if Liam’s treating you badly, okay? I will book a flight right away to hug you.”
• Chloe smiled and a tear fell from her eyes. Now, she realizes how she misses Mia. “I miss you, bitch.”
• She heard Mia’s laugh. “And I miss you too, bitch. Don’t worry, I will visit you once I’m done with my project. And oh, where will you stay after the wedding?”
• “Dad bought a house at Cameo Shores—”
• “Oh. Bitch, you’ll be having a prime oceanfront house. God, I can’t wait to see a beach,” Mia said.
• “Yes. It will be cool and we can have the perfect view of the ocean.”
• “But it cost a lot, bitch.”
• Chloe laughed. “It is.”
• “You hired maids?”
• “No. I want to be a full-time wife to Liam. Besides, my share in dad’s company will still increase and will be wired directly to my bank.”
• “Damn. I wish I was born rich too,” Mia uttered.
• Chloe rolled her eyes. “Your uncle is rich. He’s the brother of your mom. You’re rich too.”
• “But not as wealthy as your family,” she said.
• “Yeah. Yeah. Okay, I will hang up now, mom and I will go to the salon. You know, I need to look beautiful in front of my groom.”
• “You’re already alluring, Chloe. Well, just enjoy the day, bitch. As much as I want to spend your bachelorette moment this day, I just can’t since I’m a little far away and have things to do. I will make it up to you once I’m done with my project.”
• “It’s fine.”
• “Love you, bitch.”
• Chloe smiled, “love you too,” she said and hung up.
• -
• LIAM WAS with his friend, Theo, when they enter the bar near his company. He just wanted to grab a drink to make him forget just a little bit about the things between the Beckett family.
• “Dude, congrats,” Theo said as he sipped from his glass. “You’ll be marrying the university queen, Chloe Beckett,” he added, seeming mocking.
• But Liam remained silent.
• “Stella is hot but Chloe… she’s hotter than your fiancé, just admit it, dude. So, you still win. The sad part is, you don’t love her—well, you love her as your sister.”
• Still, Liam didn’t respond.
• “Have you informed Stella about your wedding?”
• Liam’s grip on his glass tightened as he looked at Theo, the latter gulped as he can see madness through Liam’s eyes. A moment later, the glass broke into pieces, and some pieces pierced into Liam’s palm.
• “Shit! Man!” Theo blurted when he saw blood dripping from Liam’s palms.
• Liam just lazily looked at it and seems not to feel pain. All he was feeling was rage. A rage towards Chloe.
• “I will make that bitch life, miserable,” he said—more of a curse.