Taming Demi's Mom (ONGOING)

Chapter 38

{VICTORIA}

WHEN I opened my eyes, the violet ceiling of my room greeted me. I grasped beside me, but Demi was no longer there. Liam was also gone beside me. I wasn't sure if he slept with us or not.

I touched both sides of my cheeks, feeling the dried tears in my eyes. My eyes ached, and I could sense the throbbing pain because of my swollen eyes. It was a struggle to keep my eyes open for long. Luckily, the room was dark.

I slowly got up from bed, leaning on the headrest. My attention was drawn to a vase in the drawer in front of me. Every time the lavender flowers in it withered, Liam would replace them with new ones. And right now, I realize what is wrong every time I look at it. Now I understand why I felt a certain way whenever I looked at it.

I'm the one who put that vase on top of the drawer with some yellow tulips, which I personally brought one year ago. It was a reminder for me that I now have Jackson in my life. He's the reason I'm doing this. It also served as a reminder that, no matter what I feel, no matter if I lose my way, I will seek and find the path back to him.

I remember the night I saw Liam at the ball. He was my first love. I used to love that man. I won't deny that I realized how much I missed him when I saw him again. As we got closer, when he grabbed me by my waist and looked deeply into my eyes, all the feelings I had for him rushed back. My heart suddenly raced. I couldn't help it—even if I tried to resist, I couldn't change the fact that the man in front of me was my husband.

And then Jackson showed up. Despite being confused about my feelings, I know I love that man more than anyone else, even more than my own husband, whom I am considering as my ex-husband. But I did nothing. I let him hurt right in front of me.

I love him so much that I don't want to chase after him. I don't want to defend myself to him because I know he will accept everything I say. I know he would forgive me, and we could go on with our happy lives, which would be totally unfair to him.

AT that moment, I decided that I would clarify things before returning to him. I can't explain it clearly, but I want to be certain about myself. He deserves a woman who feels nothing for other men, and at that moment, I am not the kind of woman he deserves.

I chose to stay with Liam because I want Demi and him to be together. I want to clarify my feelings and eliminate the doubts in my heart. I want to put an end to the conflicts between Liam and me in the past.

However, I found myself blinded by the situations in front of me. Liam helped rekindle my old feelings for him. I recalled how we met, how I fell for him, how he proposed, and the vows we exchanged in front of the altar.

It was Valentine's evening when Liam asked me on a date along the long bridge over Bourbon Street. He picked me up at our house with his bicycle since the place was just a short walk away.

I hopped on, sitting at the back of his bike with my arms wrapped around his waist. The cool breeze gently brushed against my cheeks, and it danced with my hair. I can't help but smile while savoring this moment.

We stopped at the side of the bridge. The walking street here was spacious, adorned with lights along the entire length of the bridge, creating a Christmas holiday atmosphere every day. Many people gathered here, making it the central attraction in the heart of New Orleans.

After a while, I heard a loud burst of fireworks. I looked up at the dark sky above the wide river beneath the bridge. My eyes widened as I saw the beautiful red fireworks display. It was all in the shape of hearts with different sizes. I was amazed, and I can't believe I am seeing this kind of beautiful thing right now.

I glanced at Liam. He didn't tell me about this. But I was beyond happy. Fireworks are rare for me, and this date turned out to be the sweetest ever. I am loving his surprise for me.

"Don't look at me. Just look over there," he said, nodding toward the river.

It was then that I noticed four large boats below. Shortly, they slowly illuminated, and my heart seemed to stop as the letters formed the words, 'WILL YOU MARRY ME? ' appeared before my eyes, one by one.

When I looked back at Liam, he was already kneeling beside me, holding a ring box. He slowly opened it, revealing a diamond ring that looked worth thousands of dollars. I was very shocked at the moment. I've been waiting for this moment, but he never gave me a sign that he would do it today, so I'm actually surprised.

"Victoria, will you marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?" he asked with a smile.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I quickly nodded at him.

"Yes, Liam," I happily replied. He stood up and swiftly placed the ring on my finger.

He cupped my cheeks, gazing affectionately into my eyes. I could see true happiness in his eyes.

"Thank you, Victoria," he said warmly, hugging me tightly. I closed my eyes; his embrace was like a comforting pillow.

As he let go, he looked deeply into my eyes again. Then his gaze shifted to my lips, and slowly, he leaned in to kiss me. As our lips met, I heard loud cheers from the people around us. After our short kiss, I was surprised to see my dad and my two siblings among the cheering crowd, along with some close friends and Liam's entire family.

AT that moment, I chose to give those memories and vows a chance. Perhaps, I thought, I should mend this family. Maybe I should allow Liam an opportunity to redeem himself for me. Perhaps Jackson was just a passerby in my life, and this is my true reality. I have a husband I vowed to spend my life with, and I have a daughter with whom I should create a perfect family.

I deceived myself into thinking I had forgotten Jackson and that I could find happiness without him. Yes, I did find happiness without him, but there was always a lingering pain in my heart. Now I realize that all those times, I was just fooling myself. I recognize that I only miss the feeling of being with Liam; I miss our memories, and I miss him because he has been a significant part of my life. But that's where it ends.

Now I realize that I no longer love him. I was just confused when we saw each other again, and our situation only added to my confusion. But now that I've found my answer, I should proceed with the plans I originally intended. It took over a year to clear all my emotions. If it weren't for my daughter, I might not have snapped out of it and continued fooling myself. Even if what happened last night didn't occur, I know myself well enough that, given time, my heart would find a way back to Jackson.

After completing my original plan, I'll be free to love him without any doubts or questions about myself or my feelings. Maybe this time I will be worthy of his love. But I hope he hasn't married someone else.

I suddenly felt nervous, remembering that it's been over a year since we last saw each other at the ball. I have no updates about him. For the past few months, I haven't bothered to find out about his life. Because, though I may not admit it, I know myself. I might rush back to him even if I haven't fully realized my feelings yet. And if that happens, everything will become even more complicated.

Being apart from him is what we needed to fully understand our feelings for the next time we get back together. Everything will be clear, and whatever issues I left in the past will be over. I may look like a foolish, selfish woman, but I swear I'm doing this for Jackson and myself. I admit I was wrong to let my old feelings influence me and delay my realization, but right now, everything feels worth it. Now I truly know what I feel.

But I can't get over the thought of Jackson thinking that he might find another woman already that he would love. What if Sabrina seduced him and he totally gave in? But I'm confident that he wouldn't do that. But what if a perfect woman had come into his life?