The Loveless Romance

Chapter three: Just a Nanny

After a long business trip, Antonio returned to his country. He looked happy because today he has decided to purpose the love his life. He ha brought a beautiful diamond ring for her. 

He hopped in the backseat of his car and the driver started the engine. Antonio pulled the velvet box out of his pocket and a smile invaded his lips. He opened the gallery of his phone and looked at the pictures of Adriana with love-filled eyes. 

He leaned back and sighed, keeping the phone on his chest, over his heart. 

"My Queen." He whispered, looking out of the window.

The weather is romantic today. The clouds are wandering in the sky and a pleasant wind is blowing. The leaves of the trees are dancing with the cadence of air and the birds are chirping, musically. Everything looks clean because it had been raining last night. 

Everyone is looking at the sky because the black clouds are now covering the sky, giving their shades on the earth. They surely are gonna rain heavily. Antonio was not observant about the weather and all these kinds of stuff but when Adriana came in his life, he started seeing the beauty of life. 

She loves rain and he loves to see her getting excited about rain. She doesn't smile often but when she does, she takes his breath away. This is how madly he is in love with her. She is her first and only love. 

The car stopped in front of a huge mansion. He hopped out and jogged towards the entrance. He opened the door and was greeted by silence. He looked around and his eyes landed on his mother who was seated on the sofa, watching tv. 

Antonio walked to her, taking small and slow steps until he reached behind her. He leaned forwards and threw his arms around her, engulfing her in his hug. She shrieked in surprise when he kissed her cheeks. 

"Antonio!" She exclaimed, slapping his arm for scaring the hell out of her. He laughed and sat beside her. 

She hugged him properly and he laid his head in her lap, sighing.

"I missed you, mom." He muttered but his mother slapped his head, lightly. 

"I missed you more, my son." 

"Today I'm so happy, mom." He said, sitting up and taking the velvet box out of his pocket. 

His mother's expression changed suddenly. She got a hint of why her son was happy and she also knew that his happiness is nothing but an illusion. 

"Uh— you must be tired. Go take a bath and come to have lunch with me." She said, getting up from the bed but he caught her wrist. 

"I'm going to purpose her, mom." His eyes brightened up as he told his mother. She felt the earth slipping under her feet. 

He doesn't know the girl he loves is now married. 

"I'm afraid. What if she said no?" He said out his fear. 

His mother sat back and cupped his face. Her teary eyes perplexed him. He palmed her hands and kissed them, wiping the tears which just left her eyes. 

"Mom." He whispered.

"Is everything okay, mom?" He asked but she didn't reply. She was watching her son's dreams shattering in front of her eyes.

"What happened, mom?" He questioned again.

"Adriana got married to Liam, yesterday." She finally told him and he went numb. The breath stuck in his throat and he shook his head, getting up from the sofa.

"No!" 

"This is impossible!"

"Adriana can't marry someone else! How can she? This is a lie. Right?" Antonio looked at his mother who gave him a sad look and grabbed his face. 

Antonio shook his face when he realized that it wasn't a lie but a bitter reality of his life. His love of life was no more his. The girl he loves with all his heart is now his cousin's wife. 

The cousin he loathes most. 

"Ho— How can she betray me?" His voice cracked and the tears pooled up in his eyes. His mother caresses his cheeks but he stepped back, looking away to hide his tears. 

"Antonio, my son." His mother patted his back and he hugged her tightly. 

He broke in tears. He sobbed like a baby and his hiccups pierced his mother's heart. He broke the hug and sat down on the floor on his knees. He palmed his face and groaned in agony.

His mom sat beside him and engulfed him in a consoling hug. He was heartbroken. It was almost impossible for him to face reality.  

Liam's POV:

She was there. In my arms. I could feel her on my chest. Her face was lying over my heart. I snaked my arm around her to bring her closer. To hug her tight. To feel her against my body.

I want to tell her how lonely I have become after her. I want to let her know how much I love her. I want to ask her what caused her to leave me like this. Didn't my love was enough for her? Didn't I try my best to provide her with everything she wanted? 

But now she is back. I won't let her leave me again. She is mine. Just mine.

"Liam—..." 

She mewled like a cat and tried to escape my grasp. Her body was writhing in my arms. I grasped her wrists in my hand and pulled my leg over her. She smacked her fists on my chest and said something which made my eyes snap open.

"I'm Adriana..."

My eyes grew wide and I looked at her face. A disappointed invaded my mind and the anger rushed in my blood. I untangled her from my body and pushed her unintentionally and she fell down on her butt.

Adrianna's POV:

"Li- Liam." I clutched his arms which were snaked around me. His grip was tight.

"I'm Adriana." I shook him and his eyes snapped open. He frowned as he scrutinized my face. He pushed me as if I was going to sting him.

I stumbled back and fell down on my butt. Ouch! It hurts. My butt, my thighs & — my heart.

I sat straight and closed my eyes to cope with the pain. The collision didn't hurt but the hatred in his eyes shook me. He makes me feel so unworthy and disgusted. I know what Serena did was wrong but why he is punishing me for her sins?

"Why are you here?" He asked, looking down at me.

No apologies came out of his mouth. That's how they all treat me but Liam wasn't in such category before. He used to treat me nicely but it seems nothing is like before.

Nothing lasts forever. Everything changes with time. Even good people changed into the worse. The circumstances bring out the worse of them.

"I- I came to take Oliver," I replied, fighting with my tears that were floating on the rim of my eyes.

"Why?" He fumed, ignoring my tears.

His help was something that was nowhere seen so I helped myself and got up from the floor. Those eyes which used to bring a smile to my face were now glaring me bitterly. This scissors my heart.

"He hasn't eaten anything. He must be hungry." I said.

"Do you really care? Huh?" He questioned, getting up from the bed and towering above me.

"I love him and care about him. He is only wh-..."

"Stop your speech of lies!" He stormed, gripping my jaw all of sudden, making me gasp. The color of his eyes changed. I have gone through everything but it was my first experience with an angry man. I was literally shaking under his gaze.

His jaw was flexing and his eyes turned red like that of some angry beast. He was clenching his teeth and his fingers were digging in my cheeks.

"You are here for his care and if you can't do this then f*****g say it because then I won't waste a minute in signing you divorce papers and throw you out of my house!" He spat, accentuating every single word.

The grief now overcame fear. This was how important I was in his life. Just a signature on papers and then nothing would left. I adore Oliver as if he was my own son but as I'm not his biological mother, I have to make everyone realize that I really care about him.

If that's how my life was supposed to go on then why didn't I die with my mother? It would have been good for everyone around me.

"I'm sorry. I will take good care of him from now." I said and all my restraint gave up, letting the tears flow down my cheeks.

His grip softens and his blazing angry eyes turned back to normal. His mood changed all of sudden. He looked in my eyes with concern just like a baby. He seemed innocent & it was perplexing.

"Thanks for clearing my status in this house. I will be more careful from now as I'm already homeless and I don't want to lose this shelter." I heard myself saying all this.

Tears couldn't affect me as I was habitual of crying. He stepped back and ruffled his hair with his fingers. He may be regretting or maybe not but I don't care. I should not flatter myself with more misunderstandings. He has cleared everything.

I wiped my tears and climbed on the huge bed to carry my little sleeping Oliver. I carried him in my arms and he rubbed his eyes, opening them slowly. He looked at me and smiled, warming my heart.

I can't imagine my life without him now. He is the only one who makes me happy. He is my everything.

"Moma." He called, rubbing his nose against my chest.

I melted by his voice. I always forget everything when he calls me Moma. The way he pouts and hugs me, hiding his face in my neck is enough to make me forget my worries.

"My little superhero," I whispered, tickling his tummy to which he giggled. He sat up in my lap and held my face in his little palm, rubbing our noses. He then bites my chin with his little teeth which are still half inside his jaws.

I laughed totally forgetting Liam's presence. When my eyes landed on him, I saw Liam smiling at his son. It was another heart-melting sight. Both son and dad have a killer smile.

Why I even admiring his smile?

Didn't he just tell me my status?

Didn't he just hurt me?

Yes, only my Oliver has a killer smile. He looks rude even with a beautiful smile.

"My Oliver is hungry?" I asked Oliver and he pouted, palming his tummy, and nodding his head.

"Aww! let's go then." I said, getting up from the bed with Oliver in my arms.

I tried to get off but my legs entangled with each other and I was on my way to collide with the floor with Oliver.

I screamed, closing my eyes but someone caught us. I opened my eyes to see Liam's arms around both of us. I exhaled a deep breath,  clutching Liam's shirt with my free hand.

From Oliver's giggles, I concluded that he was enjoying it. Liam helped me to stand straight and I smiled looking at Oliver who was clapping as if I showed him some magic trick.

I hugged him and kissed his chubby cheeks. He kissed me back, opening his lips. I was about to walk past Liam when I felt Oliver slipping from my arms. I held him tightly and looked behind where he was clutching his father's shirt.

"Dada." He said and jumped up and down in my lap.

Liam's face lit up because it was the first time that Oliver called him Dada! Liam extended his arms for Oliver but he wrapped his little arms around my neck and played hide and seek with his father.

"Dada!" Oliver called him again and then hide his face in my neck when Liam tried to catch him.

The baby of his playful mood!

"And where is my little man?" Liam played along with his son. "Is he hiding behind his Nanny?" He asked, freezing me there.

Nanny? I'm his mama! Ain't I?

Liam took him from my arms and threw him up and then catching him perfectly while I stood there, watching him in bewilderment.

"You were hiding behind your Nanny? Huh?" He asked Oliver who shook his head and said Moma pointing his little index finger at me.

"She is your Nanny. My little Oliver's Nanny." Liam said again and my heart broke in pieces when Oliver called me Nanny.

"Nanna!" Oliver said, extending his arms for me to carry him. Taking him in my arms, tears rolled down my eyes.

This was the only happiness that was keeping my life bright and he took it from me? He darkened my slightly illuminated world.

Liam came near to me and leaned forward to say something in my ear.

"You are not his mother. You are just a Nanny and marrying me can't change your status. Oliver won't call you mommy because you both sisters don't deserve Oliver. And if you have any misunderstanding about this relationship then let me make it clear to you, " He paused, holding my elbow, bringing me closer to him.

"I will divorce you when Oliver turns three so basically this is a one-year contract. During this time, I will find some loyal and beautiful woman who would be my wife and Oliver's mother." He told, digging his nails in my elbow.

This felt so insulting and heartbreaking. I wasn't a piece of trash that he would throw away. I'm also a human. I deserve respect. I deserve love. He can't do this with me. If he was not ready to accept me as his wife then why did he marry me?

"And if you think I'm being unfair with you then go and ask your father how many millions of dollars he has received from me in his account for this marriage." He added, leaving me no room for the argument.

"He sold you to me!" He spat.

What do I say now when my own father has sold me?