Chapter 4
1054 Words
Liam woke up slowly. He had just dozed off for a few minutes, but somehow it felt like forever. When he raised his head up, he felt stronger than he had ever felt. Thoughts came to him faster than it normally should, and his body acted before he could even register it.
He staggered out of the bathtub, the water dripping into the bathroom tiles. His barefoot touched the ground and a flood of knowledge filled his mind— medicine, mathematics, and even some unknown human secrets. His mind was open to all that there is and all that there will be.
His body was unusually light, agile and powerful. He could see the almost invisible strand of cotton moving in the air. He felt the mysterious forces of the universe converging towards him so intensely that he desired to bury his feet in the earth and immerse himself in its beauty.
Liam walked slowly to the kitchen after throwing on a bunch of clothes. He even hummed to himself. His life suddenly felt beautiful; he should never have doubted the old man in the first place. Liam examined the petty herbs in the kitchen cupboard. Bay leaf, rosemary, lemongrass and a few things. He raised his hand to the sunlight and examined it. If he really was as knowledgeable as he’d thought, how about making an herbal tea to test his abilities?
Just as he thought it, so many options flew into his head. Liam moved mechanically, almost as though he was being controlled by his thoughts. He took out a cup and started mixing some of the petty herbs together. Before he knew what was going on, he made a hibiscus tea. The strong aroma filled the kitchen, compelling him to take a sip.
“Hmm.” He was surprised at the taste; it was far better than he’d expected.
Liam finished the tea, which immediately relaxed his tense muscles. He knew there was a tiny magic lint in the tea. He thought of making another and walking outside, perhaps inhaling sweet air and relishing in the cool sun that spanned over the city. He could live this way; making magic tea and just doing nothing.
“Mr. Laurent!” One of the maids gasped as she almost ran into him in the kitchen.
Liam nodded at her and then turned to leave. He knew she didn’t fully respect him; no one really does. He knew what they all thought about him anyways; but at least some of them had the decency to pretend in his presence.
“Mr. Laurent, have you heard the news?”
Liam turned slowly to look at the maid. “Huh?”
“The news. The family is in big trouble. Apparently they have an issue at the company and might get sued. I heard it from the other maids; they were talking about it.”
“Ah,” he replied vaguely.
Of course. When Taylor was taunting him for some answers in the middle of his transformation, he vaguely recalled her mother yelling about some issues at the company. Liam would usually not care since it wasn’t his business, but his budding curiosity could not be helped.
“You… you can talk?” The maid asked, her face white as if she’d seen a ghost.
As Liam walked away, he imagined what she’d tell the rest of the servants. They’d call her bullshit, as usual. There was no way the mute husband could suddenly know how to talk. It just wasn’t heard of.
He sang to himself on the way to Taylor’s cosmetic company. “And I say… will you, will you ever love me? Ever, ever, ever…?”
Liam started to laugh. Tears came to his eyes which he quickly brushed off. Who knew his voice could sound so nice? So deep and rough and sort of sexy? So enthusiastic and energetic and full of life? All those years he’d been mute, Liam had lost his will to live. The only reason he went on with life was because he had no choice to. Whenever he thought of suicide, the old man’s face seemed to blur the thought within him. Now that he’s got his voice, there was life. He could feel it budding within him, thumping into his chest and encouraging him. He could feel the strings and energy all around him; the magic that tied it all together. Liam was rarely sure that his depression was gone.
He heard the murmurs and saw the points in his direction before he even entered the company.
“Isn’t that Taylor Laurent’s mute husband? Such a joke.”
“Why do you think she’s still with him? I guess she likes the feeling of someone freeloading on her.”
“She has such a big company and successful career! Of course she won’t mind.”
“It’s that husband of his! Doesn’t he have a single shame on his bones?”
Liam’s fists clenched. He tuned out their voice and marched straight to the consultation ward, where he was sure Taylor and her family would be. If there was really any problem going on between them, that was exactly where they would stay and try to sort it out. Liam was just outside the door when he heard their voices.
“Are you trying to say that I’m lying? That I came here to frame you? Look at my face!” The voice of a shrill female pierced through the door.
“No, no, I’m not trying to insinuate that,” his wife’s soothing tone appeared. “It’s just that we haven’t had the problem in the past, Miss Alice. You must understand.”
“And you must understand that I can’t face the world like this! You either treat me, or you pay me in damages! You know what else I’d like to do, Mrs. Laurent? I’ll sue your company!”
Liam had heard enough. He pushed open the door, revealing those inside. A girl with dark hair and bright features sat on a white painted chair, surrounded by Esther, his wife’s mother, Sofia, his wife’s younger sister, Taylor, his wife and lastly…
Liam paused as he examined the other person in the room. It was no other than Anthony Jones, his wife’s love interest.
- Writer
