The Secret Obsession of the CEO
Chapter 99: Getting Framed

Chapter 99: Getting Framed

Fizzy...

Rory remembered her phone call, thinking about Liam. She wondered if he has finished giving his statement. She also wondered if he won’t talk too much and get entangled in trouble.

"One moment...I have to call Liam..." She stood up and walked to the window. But she paused as she thought of something.

"I got a call from a detective regarding the death of a woman, Mrs. Delport," Rory decided to inform her. She wasn’t even sure if her grandmother is the big shot she believes she is. Because she never helped her.

But if she is, she might help them if help is needed, right?

"What woman?" Mrs. Delport has calmed by now after the sudden attack from Rory and had her usual pleasant smile.

"Allison. She and I..." Rory gulped.

She already regretted bringing up Allison. Now she will have to explain to her family that she hit Allison in the face just days before she went missing and was killed cruelly.

"You didn’t get along?" Mrs. Delport guessed it already by her expression. "You recently had any altercation with her?" she quizzed Rory.

"Yes. And I...pu-punched her in the face the last time I met her..." Rory paused as Agnes let out a deep sigh. Mrs. Delport gulped but she still had a smile on her face—a forced smile.

"And..."

"There is more... Ma’am, there is more," Mrs. Delport clenched her hands over her lap and was still having the same smile on her face.

"Speak!" Agnes’ stern voice rang inside the room.

"Liam was in LA around the time Allison went missing and she probably was killed around that time too," Rory said.

Agnes said nothing and turned her face away. Mrs. Delport still was looking at Rory with a smile. But she saw that she looked a bit troubled.

"Do you have anything to do with her murder?" Mrs. Delport asked.

"No! No! I was here, remember?" Rory clarified. "And Liam too."

"But he was there, no?" Mrs. Delport asked.

"Yes, he was there. But he has nothing to do with her murder."

"Did he tell you?" Mrs. Delport asked and Rory shook her head.

"We haven’t talked about it yet. The detective confirmed it was Allison~"

"Then you won’t have to worry," Agnes spoke. "Courts are there for a reason. They won’t convict an innocent. As long as you don’t lie..."

"I know, but..." she stopped herself. She knew her woes won’t be heard by her grandmother.

Rory wanted to say that there are many instances when the innocents are convicted and face prison or worse the death penalty.

Not to mention, even getting charged wrongly will ruin the life of the wrongly convicted. And no one will care what the court says. Once they decide someone is guilty, they will be guilty in their eyes forever.

Liam is just starting his business. And he is not a model citizen. Anyone in this town will say that Liam would do anything for her. And he loves waving that stupid knife in front of everyone’s face!

The fight she had with Allison, and the rumors in the company that Allison was Liam’s girlfriend would give a perfect motive for murder. If something goes wrong, his life will get ruined. She didn’t know how Liam will get out of it.

She knew it is early. But the interest the detective she spoke to had in Liam, rubbed her the wrong way.

Liam is a perfect suspect. She hoped Allison had many crazy exes or some other dangerous connections that would widen the suspect list.

"So what are you going to do about your aspiration?" Agnes asked, snapping Rory from her deep thoughts.

Looking at her grandmother, she smiled wryly. Of course, her grandmother will only care about her studies alone. The granddaughter of the great Agnes Roberts cannot waste her time on love or family.

NEETs are forbidden in this family!

"I am taking the LSAT this fall, grandma," she answered.

Agnes looked at her for a few seconds. Then she looked away. "Is being a wife--staying home and looking after the kids and everything else--that hard?" Agnes said.

Rory looked at her grandmother. Aging had caused a lot of wrinkles on her face. After her grandfather’s death, her grandmother stopped looking after herself and let go. Still, there were gentle traces of the beauty that according to her grandfather "would make any man fall on his knees for her".

But she looked stoic. Like how she always presented herself to Rory.

"You cook, you clean, you manage the accounts, you plan vacations, and you listen to him talking about his day leaning on your chest. You nurture your kids. Your kids will have healthy snacks waiting for them and a mother who they can lean on to confess their worries... You create a garden in your yard and look after the chickens. It is not that hard, right?"

Rory gulped. Her grandmother rarely speaks a lot. And what she says...

Rory imagined a life with a beautiful home that was decorated by herself. She was wearing an apron, washing the dishes when she hears the honk at the door. She walks to the door and opens it up. Along with the golden rays of the sun, it comes bashing two kids--Ellie and a boy like Liam wanted. The house was filled with soft music as she cooked dinner, along with the thudding noises of kids running around and their laughs. Hearing the sound of a car in the driveway, the kids run to the door shouting "Daddy’s back!"

*Cough*

Rory cleared her throat. She didn’t know from where she got that idea that was like a proper housewife from the past century. She has never even watched movies or TV shows like that. Her mother was a busy woman and she has never seen her grandmother near the kitchen.

Ah...Grandma Roberts... She was like that... And wasn’t she happy?

Rory shook her head to get that thought from her head. She might have been perfect and yet Grandpa Roberts cheated on her, breaking her heart. Rory still doesn’t know why grandma Roberts stayed with Grandpa Roberts even after that.

Did she truly forgive him? Or was it because of her lack of options?

"Finish your studies." Agnes’ voice interrup[ted her thoughts.

Ah, right! My grandmother would never ask me to become a stay-at-home wife. What was I thinking? Stop dreaming, Rory!

Agnes continued. "Get into a good internship with a successful lawyer of your choice. Advance in your career. Have maids and nannies take care of the house and your kids. At least when you reach your 40s and you are not as beautiful as before, and when your husband asks for a divorce because he fell in love with an intern in his company--the woman who reminds him of you from two decades ago-- and when your kids stop talking to you because you’ve ignored them all their life, you will have your career to fall back on."

"Y-yes, grandma..." Rory agreed.

Okay... what is this about? But... I should have options.

After looking at each other for some more awkward minutes, Mrs. Delport left with her grandmother.

"When you get discharged from the hospital today, stay in that house for a couple of days before returning," Agnes said before leaving.

"Yes, grandma," Rory agreed without asking why. She didn’t know why her grandmother does not want her home for two more days.

After they left, Rory plopped on the bed.

Cheating... comes up a lot. Do they know what Liam did?

Her heart filled with deep sadness. Her dear husband proved himself to be someone with wandering eyes. Although he didn’t go all the way, how trustworthy will he be in the future?

Like those elders say...when I stop being beautiful as age gets me...

Whatever! I need to make sure I am not totally dependent on Liam. I will have to figure out my future.

*Brrr*

She heard her phone ring and she picked it up.

"Fizzy, where are you?" She asked. "Is Ellie asleep?"

"Ellie is fine. I’m coming to you. I’ll be there in 10 minutes," he said and ended the call.

Rory stared at the ceiling. She was more confused than ever.

After some minutes, Liam came in with Ellie. Ellie jumped to her immediately and Rory fed her. She observed Liam starting at the wall in deep thoughts. She thought he would bring it up, but he did not.

"A detective called me to inform me of the death of Allison. I saw the pictures, Fizzy. It was terrible!" Rory decided to make him open up.

Liam looked at her. His eyes ended up on her bare chest for a moment before getting back to her face. "They called me too," he said plainly and looked at the wall again.

Okay...

Rory let out a sigh. It appears that he is not going to tell her anything. She didn’t talk anymore.

Ellie had her fill and she patted her back for her to burp.

"Cherry..." Liam spoke after a long time. "I think I am getting framed."

Rory wetted her lips seeing his pale face. He looked absolutely terrified.

"What happened, Liam?" She asked. "What is happening?"

She knew if he is this terrified, there must be something more going on. She worried for him.

"It..." Liam gulped.

As he was about to speak more, the door banged open and both of them turned to their side.

It was Derick.