The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 102: A Little More Serious

Chapter 102: A Little More Serious

"It seems like you are doing this for Ellie rather than for me, Cherry," Liam said holding Rory’s hand.

"Is the reason important?" Rory asked. But seeing the expectant look on his face, she sighed.

"Alright... I’ll bite," Rory bit her lips and cupped his cheek. "I’ve told you that I love you. I’ve always loved you and I will love you. Hell, I almost begged you to not divorce me. That’s how much I love you. My love is unconditional. So no matter what, I will love you. I don’t care what others say about you. All I care about is us. But Ellie... This little thing’s future depends entirely on our~"

"I get it," Liam nodded. His eyes watered hearing the words she uttered. He wanted to say that he does not deserve this unconditional love from her when all he did was hurt her, but he held back. If he thinks that way, then he would not be respecting her and her love.

"I asked you this to make you calm down. Cherry, I know I’ve put myself in a tough spot~"

"You’re not alone, Fizzy. That’s what I am saying. We are in this together. We are married and we are in this together. It’s not your problem alone. You are not alone. I’m here. You have a hard time asking for help. And that’s where I come in. Me... I’d do anything for your sake," she said.

Liam kissed her forehead. "And that, my sweet cherry pie, is what worries me."

Rory pressed her lips. He looked contemplative but she could see that he needs to talk to someone. He knows that too. But he is worrying for her. After a minute of silence, he looked at her as if he had reached a decision.

"I don’t know who I can trust and who I can’t, Cherry. You are the only one I can trust with all my heart," he said.

Rory patted his hand as she sensed him trembling. Her heart filled with sadness.

How long were you keeping your pain deep inside your heart, Fizzy? Why did you suffer when you have me?

"I... When I last went to LA, I didn’t go to LA per se. I went to Riverside first. I don’t know how she got the news, but Allison was there, waiting for me at the airport."

"Wait..." Rory stopped him. "Not this. Start with Laura Brown, Fizzy. May 5th, the day Laura Brown went missing... Tell me what happened after I left the bar."

"May 5th?" Liam gulped. That was the day he almost cheated with Allison because he thought that Rory was cheating with Derick.

He did not have the guts to look into her eyes and tell her that he doubted her with his cousin, whom she thinks of as family.

Maybe he does not have to give away all the details, right?

Rory could see the hesitation in his eyes. She knew that it was the day he "almost" cheated with Allison. She didn’t want to talk about that day as much as he does. But it is important to know how involved he is.

She cleared her throat. "You called me around 10:30..? Right? I couldn’t hear you well. I assume you were at the bar then? Ah... Derick visited that night. Did I tell you? He didn’t stay long because he wanted to meet "this girl" he was seeing", Rory smiled.

"He even left his car in our parking lot because he wanted to spend a night with her, you know? He couldn’t even straight up meet her for a "fun night" and had to pretend his car broke down. He was cute... Dating after a long time, after going through a tough divorce... He was very nervous...But... You continue," her attention turned at Liam.

Liam’s heart shattered to pieces.

So that was why Derick’s car was in our parking lot? All I had to do was ask her! But... I went and assumed what she might be doing with Derick when she told the truth that Derick left.

What have I done?

He wanted to bang his head on the wall for his stupidity. He felt like the pretty blue eyes looking at him will burn him with a cold flame.

He composed himself.

"... I was...It was 10:20 when I called you... And..." Liam said after a short silence. Since she has skipped to that time, he can skip over the fact that he came back to their apartment building and returned angry because he saw Derick’s car in the parking lot.

Something pricked his heart. It probably was his conscience telling him that he should be honest with her—totally honest and not hide anything from her.

But he shirked away that feeling.

He cannot tell her that! It would hurt her. It would destroy the relationship she has with Derick. It is not relevant to the matter at hand. So why should he bring hurt to her?

He cooked up a lot of reasons not to tell her the truth. He believed that it was just a little part of the story and it won’t change anything if she does not know. And he failed to factor in the most important thing.

Rory could see perspiration forming on Liam’s forehead. And her hold on his hand tightened. She could guess this is where Allison would come in and she was not very eager to hear the details. But she must know.

"... I started dancing with Allison and I left with her around 10:30. I reached her door...Didn’t enter and left her home..."

"Allison’s house would have been 7-10 minutes walk from the bar, right?" Rory asked. She wanted to erase everything involving Allison and Liam from her mind.

Because all she could think was what Allison and Liam did in that time they spent dancing and walking home.

Were they touching each other? Were they kissing? Holding hands?

But no, she cannot think about that. He was honest with her and she chose to stay with him even after knowing the truth. She was the one who did not want the divorce and she can not bring up his past mistake.

"Yes. So it would have been around 10:40 when I left her. After that... I took a walk to cool off, you know..." He looked at her.

His eyes were red and he looked apologetic and hesitant, hiding a cocktail of his emotions.

"It’s okay, Fizzy," Rory mouthed. She didn’t know what else she could say. She still wanted to support him.

"Tell me what happened next," she asked.

Laura Brown went missing around 11 PM. The next moments would be the most crucial.

"I was drunk, you know, like very drunk... I just wandered off through the streets, where my feet took me. And I somehow ended up at the road leading to the woods. You remember that old building with a big parking lot where junkies would gather?"

"Yeah," Rory nodded. She knew that place. "Why did you go to such a dangerous place in the middle of the night?" She got angry at him.

Many people get robbed in that place and someone was killed in a gang war among those who run drugs. Everyone knows not to go to that part of the town.

Liam shrugged. "I was...not thinking..."

It was mostly anger he had at Rory for "cheating" on him and his guilt for almost cheating with Allison that screwed up his mind.

As he was speaking, he realized something. Whenever he is in a tough spot, whenever he is hurting emotionally, he automatically seeks to hurt himself.

Wow! I’m a coward!

He didn’t know why he didn’t realize it till then. Whenever he faces any trouble, his first response has always been trying to destroy something. He tried to destroy himself or he destroys the love others have for him or he destroys the trust others have for him.

He is a destroyer!

He looked at Rory and she seemed to be thinking the same too.

"I am a coward, aren’t I?" He scoffed.

He was so prideful and he didn’t see his faults. He always thought that others were responsible for his hurt. He never looked in the mirror and reflect on his faults. He only pitied himself and never cared for the feelings of others.

"It’s...It hurts me, Fizzy, that you always thought you were alone. I’m sorry I didn’t express my love properly..." Rory wiped her eyes.

She didn’t know how many times he almost knocked on death’s door.

"No... No... Cherry. It was entirely my fault..." He buried his face in his forearm. He wanted to cry out loud.

But it would only make Rory worry for him. He does not deserve her care.

"What happened there?" Rory asked.

Liam looked at Rory and his eyebrows flinched as he recalled that night.

"I saw her... I saw Laura Brown... In a truck with some guy who was wearing dark clothes. For a moment I thought it was you, but..."

"But what?" Rory asked. She was holding his hand and she could feel his pulse getting faster.

Is he scared?

"I went a bit closer to see if it was you, but it was not you, thankfully and... I remember turning back and walking away. But..."

Rory gulped. She feared the "but" he said. It would mean that he has something more serious to talk about.

But his phone...