Chapter 6
872 Words
“You can’t just make decisions that have nothing to do with you,” Anthony snapped. “Who gave you the authority to come in here and decide you know how to treat her acne? Since when did you become an expert in curing even the simplest ailments?”
Alice glanced between Anthony and Liam. “Is he right? Do you not work here?”
“He’s my husband,” Taylor interrupted. “I’m sorry if he gave you hope, but Liam has no medical experience. He’s just trying to help.”
“And since when can he talk?” Sofia blurted out, voicing the shock everyone felt. “Have you been pretending all this time, Liam? What else have you lied about?”
“If he’s lying about speaking, what else is he hiding?” Esther turned to Alice. “Miss, I suggest you consider plastic surgery. It can’t be worse than this.”
Alice looked at Liam, her gaze skeptical. “Do you really have no experience?”
“Yes, but I have a lot of knowledge. I understand if you don’t trust me, but I’m willing to try, and there’s no harm in it.”
Alice seemed to consider this, perhaps swayed by the confidence in Liam’s voice. She beckoned Sofia over. Sofia hurried to her side.
“Give this man whatever he needs to make a treatment right now,” Alice commanded. “If he doesn’t improve my face immediately, your family will face my wrath.”
Sofia glared at Liam but quickly fetched a note to take down his instructions. He sent her to the nearest market with a list of herbs and supplies. As they waited, Liam gently examined Alice’s face, careful not to touch the affected areas.
In the background, Anthony and Esther whispered furiously to Taylor, questioning Liam’s motives and predicting disaster. When Sofia returned, she dumped the items on the table, her face flushed and her armpits damp.
“That was the most horrifying errand of my life!” she complained. “If this doesn’t work, we’re all in trouble, and I’ll make sure you pay for it—”
Liam suddenly turned on her, so abruptly she stepped back and fell silent. “I’d like some privacy while I work on Alice Shawn, please.”
Alice peeked around him and shooed the others away. “Yes, leave. I need to be alone with the expert. The rest of you, go.”
Once they left, Liam mixed the herbs, asking Alice questions. Her initial responses were curt but grew more detailed as she realized the necessity. His calm demeanor seemed to put her at ease. Liam soon faced her with a mixture. For a second, he hesitated. He didn’t know what he was doing. He didn’t know why he did what he did, and how that knowledge suddenly appeared into his head. Worse, his body was moving on their own accord. The words that left his lips weren’t his own.
“Now, Miss Alice, this will burn at first, but it will be fine after that.”
Outside the room, Anthony turned to Taylor with a frown. “You never said your husband could talk.”
Before Taylor could respond, Esther interjected. “He stopped speaking after marrying Taylor. We thought he was just being difficult, and after a year, we assumed some god had struck him mute.”
“I can’t believe he’s been deceiving us,” Sofia added. “What if he plans to take the company from you, Taylor?”
Taylor was lost in thought. “It’s more complicated than we think. I should probably question him about it later.”
Anthony grasped her hand, his needy eyes on her. “We should run away together before your husband ruins everything. I have enough money to take care of you. You know he can’t cure her. You’ll be sued and in debt by the time he’s done—”
Before he finished, she pulled her hand away and wiped it on her suit. “Listen, Anthony. Even if I weren’t married to Liam, we would never be together.”
“Don’t say that to him. He’s just wants to help,” Esther said.
“But it’s true. Mom, stop pushing us together. I’m not interested in Anthony, and I never will be.”
A scream from the consultation room froze them all. Esther and Sofia disappeared in an instant. Taylor couldn’t resist. She tried to enter the room, but Anthony grabbed her arm, stopping her.
“You don’t have to do this, Taylor. This is your chance! Run away with me.”
Taylor pulled her hand back and nearly slapped him. “I can’t run away forever. Don’t you understand that? I don’t love you. Why won’t you get that?”
She sighed. “Besides, Liam is still in there. I need to see what he’s done.”
Taylor stepped into the room, closing the door firmly behind her. She hoped Liam had not f****d them all up, and if he had, the worst thing she could do now was lock the door and never let anyone leave. That way, the news of the disaster would never leave that room.
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