Page 79 of Second Chance with the Enemy CEO
I paused, staring at him and then the cheque on the table. I wipe my face with the back of my hand, my voice trembling. “Hate is a strong word, Liam, but it is the only one that fits how I feel about them. Was it my fault that I was an orphan? Was it my fault that I was poor?”
“No…”
“Yes.” I step closer, my tone hardening. “Do you want to know how many times your mother tried to pay me off? Twice. One was the day after your birthday, and the other was the night, the day after you came back.”
He runs a hand over his face, looking torn. “Hazel, I…”
“And you,” I cut him off, my voice rising. “You believed them. You believed whatever they told you without even asking me. Why, Liam? Why?”
“Because you cheated,” he says after a long pause.
“I told you, I never cheated on you.”
“Do not lie. I saw the pictures,” he says after a long pause. “With three different guys, Hazel. Not one. Not two. Three.”
I stare at him, stunned. “Pictures?”
He nods, his voice harsh. “Owen, Todd, and some pink-haired guy. All in the space of three months while I was away.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Then explain it,” he demands.
“Fine,” I snap. “Orlando was planning a surprise proposal for his girlfriend. He paid me to help him, and you know I would do that sort of thing as long as I am paid. We went to restaurants, hotels - places to plan the perfect moment. And you know howOwen is; he has always been huggy and needs some sort of physical contact.
“As for Colin, I met him at a bar when I went to deliver food. He was black out drunk, barely able to stand, and the bar was about to close, so I helped him to the bus stop and waited with him for a friend who was coming to pick him up. That is it. But apparently, helping someone in need makes me a cheater. Let me guess: you got pictures of him resting on my shoulders or me stroking his lips?
“Yeah”
“Figured,” I chuckle. “The dude was practically drooling on me; my hand was on his lips. To hold his mouth shut.”
“And the guy with pink hair?”
I let out a breath, my voice softer now. “Josh is my aunt’s son. My cousin. His mom did not even know my mom had a child because she ran away from home. We met by chance and clicked. That is all.”
“You were pretty intimate with these guys.”
“Have you never heard of photoshop?”
“Is that the truth?” Liam asks.
Scoffing, I reply, “Yes it is. Do you still doubt it? How…, how in God’s name would you think I would do that to you? Cheating with one guy is one thing, but with three? Didn’t that seem weird to you, knowing my kind of personality? Knowing who I am? How could you, of all people, believe pictures, not even word of mouth, pictures?”
Liam’s face falls. “I… I don’t know.”
“Of course, you do. Maybe it is because deep down, you have always had doubt or suspicions, so seeing the pictures just solidified whatever you thought. Right?”
He rubs his hands over his face, the weight of my words visibly sinking in. He tries to speak but stops, his mouth opening and closing like he cannot find the right words.
I cross my arms, my voice cold. “Who told you I cheated? And was it before or after you got the pictures?”
He hesitates before answering. “Lillian, and it was before.”
A bitter laugh escapes me. “Of course it was Lillian. God, Liam, your family…, and I bet that set off an atom of doubt in your mind that you let foster until you got the pictures that solidified what Lillian said, right?” I shake my head, letting out a dry, humorless chuckle.
“Haze…” He took a step towards me, but I hold up a hand, stopping him in his tracks.
“No. Don’t. Now that you know everything, get out.”
