Taming Demi's Mom (ONGOING)

Chapter 26

{VICTORIA}

FROM the moment I stepped through the door of our house, I immediately sensed intense tension. The door was open. Upon entering, I found Lion and Edward sitting side by side on the couch. Lion had his eyes tightly shut, with his one hand gripping his forehead. Meanwhile, Edward's eyes were open, and our gazes met instantly.

Edward didn't look angry at me, but rather disappointed. This was the first time he looked at me like this.

"Where is Demi?" he asked me in a cold voice.

I swallowed hard. Lion's eyes widened as he searched for Demi beside me. When he realized Demi wasn't there, his expression darkened.

"Don't tell me you left your daughter to him?" Lion asked me forcefully. I stood frozen in my place. All this time, Samantha had been right by my side. Thankfully, having someone with me prevented me from collapsing earlier since I entered our house.

He stood up without waiting for my response, grabbing the key from the table in front of him.

"We're getting your child, RIGHT NOW!" He declared decisively, emphasizing his last two words.

Samantha immediately intervened, blocking Lion. "Lion, please, calm down. Maybe you two can talk calmly. This isn't the way!" She pleaded with my older brother.

Lion's eyes remained fixed on me. I wanted to cry and apologize to them, but it wasn't the right time.

"It all happened suddenly," Finally, words came out from my mouth.

Lion laughed bitterly. Samantha stepped away from him as he took aggressive steps toward me. He forcefully tossed the key he was holding, narrowly missing my face. I closed my eyes in shock and fear.

A heavy silence fell among the four of us, broken only by the sound of keys hitting the door down to the floor as it fell.

"Where did you take and left your mind, Victoria? Why did you have to go with that son of a b***h, and why involve my niece in your stupid mess?" Lion yelled at me.

I struggled to open my eyes, finding it difficult to meet his gaze and the anger in his eyes.

After a few moments, I finally opened my eyes completely. I looked at him with determination. "He's still the father of my child, Lion! There's a reason why I did that. Can't you trust my decisions in life?" I responded.

His gaze towards me intensified.

"Damn it, Victoria. What about Jackson? You make him believe he's just your affair! With what you did to Jackson, it's like you have no brother. What if the same happens with me and Anderson? Didn't you even think about that, huh? Why choose to be with that son of a b***h and hurt the real man who loves you?" Lion's words cut through me like a knife.

My chest started pounding rapidly. It felt like my heart wanted to burst out of my ribcage. The mere thought of Jackson felt like a repeated stab of pain in my heart. Lion was brutally confronting me with the harsh reality. I had made Jackson my lover. I wanted to scream. This is the gravest mistake I've made. Of all the things I could forget, why did it have to be my divorce with Liam?

When I left New Orleans for good, I believed I would never fall in love again, never let anyone into my life. That's why I postponed the divorce proceedings. I wanted to completely move on from Liam before facing him in court. I was too hurt to bear seeing the man I had loved for so many years, only to discover he was never truly in love with me. He had just used me.

Then, when I met Jackson, he made me forget everything about Liam and our unresolved marital conflict. It might be the most foolish thing I've ever done in my life—letting Jackson into my life before sorting out and closing the chapter of my past.

I thought that what I'm doing now is fixing everything, so that when I return to Jackson, there won't be any obstacles in our relationship. But this is becoming increasingly difficult for me.

"Did you love Jackson? Do you still love that jerk? Or do you love that jerk more than Jackson?" Lion asked me again, leaving me speechless.

I sat down on the floor. My legs couldn't support me anymore. They gave in to weakness. Tears streamed down my face. I realized I couldn't pretend to be strong, especially when it comes to Jackson.

"God knows how I love that man so much," I pointed out about Jackson.

"If you love him, why did you choose to let him be the one to get hurt instead of that son of a b***h?" Liam asked me one final question before he turned away, leaving me with heavy footsteps.

Samantha immediately came to my side. I couldn't help but hug her tightly and break into tears.

"Where's Dad?" I asked Samantha amid my sobs. I didn't want Dad to see me in this situation. He was too old to be burdened with such stress.

Really, Victoria? He probably already knows everything. I don't know why or how, but surely everyone is aware.

Samantha gently stroked my back. "Lion asked Uncle to buy some food at the public market. He doesn't know that you and Demi are coming home today. Lion deliberately planned it so that Uncle wouldn't catch you and him in the middle of a heavy argument," Samantha explained, easing my worries. Good to know.

I released my embrace from Samantha, and she helped me stand. I approached Edward, who had been silently watching me. I held both of his hands.

"I'm sorry, Edward. Please trust your older sister. I know what I'm doing may seem wrong, but it's what feels right. I don't know how to explain everything to you yet, maybe soon. But not now," I explained to him.

To be honest, I already have explanations for everything I'm doing. However, I feel like I should keep them to myself until I've resolved everything from the past. I'm not ready to reveal what's inside me, but one thing I know for sure is that I'm doing this for myself, for Demi, and for Jackson.

I was surprised when Edward suddenly hugged me tightly. "We love you so much, old sis, which is why our reaction was like this when we found out you went with Liam. Jackson's Dad told us about it. But please, choose the man who will love you the most and will never let you go from his life. Think carefully, because this could be the biggest mistake you'll make in your life," he reminded me. I nodded in agreement, even though he couldn't see my face.

"How about Jackson? Have you spoken to him? Did he come here?" I curiously asked Edward.

"He hasn't reached out to us yet. We can't contact him or his Dad either. I just hope he's doing fine. Jackson was a good man. We only met him once, during a drinking session, but Lion and I knew he was the right person for you. And the way Demi talked about him to us, he did a good job of being a father to her," he explained at length.

His response further motivated me to continue with my decision. I need to resolve all my conflicts here in New Orleans so I can finally be with Jackson.

I PLACED the fresh yellow tulips in the vase inside my temporary room here in Liam's mansion. Before heading home, I stopped by the flower shop to buy them. These are the same flowers Jackson offered me when we first met. It's a pity I didn't accept them then.

Their color is so vibrant, mirroring how my day brightened when I saw Jackson at our office. He was my happiness. He's my yellow.

Jackson, please wait for me. It might take a while, but I'll come back to you. You deserve more than just being my lover, more than a woman still tied to her ex-husband. I'm doing all of this to be worthy of you. I place these flowers in my room to remind myself that no matter what I go through, I will always choose you in the end. I'm sure I love you. You're the only one I love. But I'm afraid I don't fully understand myself. I still feel something for Liam, and I don't know what it is—maybe because he was my first love and my ex-husband. I want to clarify all my feelings, so I'm staying here. When I come back to you, I want everything to be clear, no doubts, no what-ifs, no confusion. Please be patient with me. No matter how long it takes or if it takes years here, I'll come back to you.

When I saw Liam at the ball, it was as if time around us had stopped. Then I realized I missed him, or maybe I missed the feeling of being with him. I'm not so sure. As our eyes met, flashbacks of our happy past came back to me, and my heart still beats for him. It's confusing. But with Jackson, I know within myself that he's the one I love now. And I hope I can find my way back to him.