The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 96: The Phone Call

Chapter 96: The Phone Call

"Coffee for you, honey," Liam walked in.

"How did you know I need coffee?"

With a grateful heart, Rory accepted the coffee.

"Hmm..." She savored it. He always gets her what she needs even if she is not sure what she wants. She never understood how he could do it.

"You know, I know some women who ended their relationships with a guy because they cannot get their coffee orders right. But you... You’re an angel, Fizzy," she kissed his cheek.

"Oooh! They dumped their men for something trivial like that?" Liam was shocked. He was never in the dating game, but he has heard men complaining that getting the "right woman" is not easy these days.

But seriously... Women would dump men for a coffee?

"There would be just other issues, probably..." Rory shrugged. "Coffee just accentuates it... Or... Who knows? They are fine women and they can be choosers, right? I’ve never seen them without a man by their side. Men like them and want them. They are attractive, accomplished, and smart. So, they just...try and find their best option."

Liam shuddered in his heart. He has heard others tell him that he is lucky he got the best wife. He never gave much thought about it because he got her so easily. But if he was not her neighbor, she wouldn’t have bothered with a loser like him. He knew how many men wanted her. They still do.

And he... He might look like a better option, but honesty who could put up with his hot temper, as good as Rory does?

Man! I really got lucky! Cherry... she’s the whole package and she does not even flaunt it! God! How stupid was I to bring up the divorce? Had I let her go, another man would have snagged her and treated her like a queen as she deserves.

I should start treating her as a queen before she gets tired of me.

Liam was in deep thoughts. Rory nudged his shoulder with hers. "You should be thanking me for being so low maintenance, Fizzy...I don’t think any woman would have put up with you without even a small gift for years."

Rory thought Liam would fire up as he would in the past whenever she would bring up the gifts but he hugged her.

"Once you get better, let’s go shopping. Buy whatever you want."

"Mmm...okay..." Rory did not understand why he is acting weird.

Shopping? Like grocery shopping or something?Whatever! It would be better if I bring him along for my shopping. I will need someone to look after Ellie while I am in the trial room.

In the past, they would go grocery shopping together and it was a fun experience. He would like to buy whatever he sees and she, the one who looks after the "books" would have to stop him from overspending. They did get a lot of allowance from their family and it would be shameful if they ask for more. So she always maintained a balance.

At times, she would save some and surprise him. She didn’t know if he remembers her getting him the silly, overpriced mug he always wanted, as a surprise.

Ah... the memories.

"I’ll take you to my apartment. It is very unorganized," Liam said and Rory rolled her eyes.

"You could take care of a company that has millions in turnovers but you cannot organize your house?" she asked.

"I...don’t have you... When I go into that apartment I..." He bit his lips and looked down. "I had an interior decorator fill up that place. But she was no good. She filled it up, but it was not like how you do it. It never felt..."

His eyes met up with hers. "...Home... I missed you so very much the past year, Cherry. I had my work and..." He took a deep breath. "Still... I know you would have suffered more than I did but... I found that it is very hard to live without you, Cherry. Without hearing your laugh, without having my fingers tangled in your hair, without smelling you..."

So he missed me...

"Tell me more..." Rory was interested to know what more great sufferings he went through without her.

"The empty shoe rack, a needlessly large kitchen with no food on the table, a refrigerator that never had what I needed, empty products in the bathroom, the unmade bed, the unvacuumed floors..."

"Looks like you needed a maid!" Rory said. She was not offended by his words. She did those things around the house because she liked doing them.

She didn’t even do it for him. It was not like she had to do it. They could afford a housekeeper. But she did it for herself.

She didn’t know it would create a deep impact on him.

But anyone could do that, right? He has the money. He could have hired someone.

"No," he shook his head. "I did hire a housekeeper and a chef. The house was clean, but it smelled different. When I return after a tough day, there was always food on the table carefully made with the best ingredients and plated artistically. But I yearned for the clumped-up mac and cheese you used to make when I was in a bad mood~"

"It was not clumped up, it was~"

"Cherry, " he kissed her and interjected her. "It was hell."

Rory wetted her lips and looked at him. She could tell him that she—who was pregnant—suffered more than the little old Liam who couldn’t live with all his money and the change in his lifestyle— the change he wanted.

But she knew that would cause a fight. She didn’t want a fight.

He is saying that he missed her! She decided to be happy about it.

In the end, everything is in the mind. One can decide to be happy seeing the positives in their life or choose to focus on the negatives and be unhappy.

I should try to be happy... And... He missed me!

"Poor baby," she hugged him. He sank his head in her thick hair and took a long sniff.

"You are not going to ask me why?" He said.

Her unwillingness to ask him why he wanted the divorce surprised him. Just a few days ago, that’s all she cared about. But after she said she won’t ask about it, she is not asking about it.

He wondered if she is the sort of woman who would fight for anything and everything. But now, he could see that she is someone who can keep her word.

And it frightened him for some reason.

"You can tell me if you want to. I am not going to ask," she rubbed his back.

"I want to tell you. But... Not here. It’s something... You can choose not to be with me after I say it. I would understand it but I hope you will stay with me."

"Okay..." Rory nodded. The preamble is very intimidating. She wondered what he might tell her.

As much as she was interested, she didn’t want to push him. This guy, for as long as she knew him, has been good at closing his heart for her. But now that he is opening up, she didn’t want to force anything out of him lest he regrets opening up to her.

He is a troubled man and she knew she needs a lot of patience for him to come around. And she can wait for him. She has all the patience for him.

-----

Rory stayed in the hospital for another day. There was no need for her to stay there (according to her), but the doctors insisted she did. Derick too.

Liam stayed with her the whole time with Ellie.

Ellie didn’t want to leave her, but she got so attached to Liam. For Rory, watching those two together gave the utmost happiness.

She checked the news about the latest body they found. They just now revealed that they found the head of the person in the morning. Apparently, it was in the landfill and a dog(?) dragged it to the Park nearby for the police to be notified.

It was like fate played a part in finding the head of that woman.

The cops said that the head matched the other parts they found in the past couple of days. But they didnt say anything more. They looked disturbed, which is what Rory understood from seeing their expression.

They were terrified.

She thought it might be the pressure from their superiors to find the culprit.

Whatever!

She threw the phone on the table. She looked at the scratches on her hand left from attacking the creature.

The local cops didnt look like they took anything seriously. They found Frank’s truck some hours ago. But other than that, they didn’t find anything of value.

Did I hurt their ego that much? Even after seeing the scratch marks and hearing both of our statements, they are still unwilling to look for that creature.

Sigh!

As she was thinking, her phone rang. The caller ID said it was from some police precinct. She thought it would be regarding the complaint they filed, and answered.

But hearing the other side, and answering their questions, she got terrified.

The latest body they found is Allison!

Allison is dead!