Chapter 91 Greatest Enemy
Liam's POV
Finally, the dinner with my family was over. I had never been so relieved to see a meal end.
At least I did not have to ride back to the mansion with my parents. Stacy insisted on driving me home, and my parents were practically glowing with happiness because of it. They looked at us like this was proof that everything was falling into place exactly the way they wanted. I forced a smile, played my role, and even acted sweet toward Stacy just so they would leave us alone without questions.
"See?" Stacy said, starting the engine. "It was so easy. If you act like you actually like me in front of your parents, they make things easier for you, Liam."
I stared straight ahead, my jaw tightening. "Just drop me off at the nearest bus stop," I said flatly.
She laughed, as if I had told a joke. "As if you even know how to commute."
"I can take a taxi, Stacy," I replied, my voice calm but distant. I did not bother to look at her.
She fell quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Stop treating me like I am the villain in your life, Liam. Can't you see I am trying my best to help you?"
Her words were meant to sound hurt, but all I felt was exhaustion. Help. That was what she always called it. Helping me with my parents. Helping me play a role I never agreed to.
I clenched my hands in my lap, staring out the window as the city lights blurred past. If only she knew that every time I pretended, every time I smiled for my parents, it felt like I was betraying myself and the girl I actually cared about.
But I said nothing. Because explaining the truth would only make things worse.
"That was exactly what I was telling you about, Liam," Stacy said, her voice calm, almost reasonable. "You could not even defend the girl you claim to love in front of your parents. Instead, you let her stand there and serve food like she was nothing. You called her your girlfriend, yet she was serving us food, like she was just a maid in your household."
She spoke as if she was explaining something obvious, something simple. But every word landed like a weight on my chest.
"You say you love her," she continued, not giving me a chance to respond, "yet you sat there as if she meant nothing to you. You did not speak up. You did not move. You did not protect her. Do you know what you did tonight, Liam? You humiliated her. And that was not love."
I clenched my jaw, my fingers curling into my palm. I wanted to argue. I wanted to tell her she was wrong. But the truth was, I could still see Mia standing there, holding that tray, trying to stay professional while my family looked at her like she did not belong.
"So you should stop lying to yourself," Stacy added quietly. "Accept reality. You and Mia will never have a perfect relationship. You will never end up together. Your own family will always be your greatest enemy."
She paused, then delivered the final blow.
"Unless you are willing to walk away from everything. Your parents. Your name. The life you grew up with."
I stared out the window, pretending not to hear her, pretending her words did not matter. But they did. They slipped past every wall I tried to build and sank deep into my soul.
Because no matter how much I hated to admit it, Stacy was right.
In the end, I convinced Stacy to drop me off at Daniel's house. I told her it would be easier, that I needed space to think. She did not look convinced, but she agreed.
"Are you really sure you don't want me to take you home?" Stacy asked, glancing at me from the driver's seat, her voice calm but with that familiar edge I had already learned to recognize.
I shook my head and forced a small smile. "Yeah. I need to talk to Daniel first," I replied, trying to sound certain even though my mind was already somewhere else.
She studied my face for a second, as if she was measuring how serious I was. Then she sighed softly and nodded.
"Alright," she said. "But remember what I told you. Starting today, you have to call me and text me every day. If you don't, I won't help you deal with your parents anymore. And if that happens, you might not be able to see Mia again."
Her words sounded more like a warning than a reminder. I wanted to tell her to stop, to tell her she was being unreasonable, but the truth was I needed her help. I hated admitting that, even to myself.
I swallowed the frustration building in my chest and looked at her. "Okay... but what do you really want me to do, Stacy?" I asked quietly.
She didn't hesitate.
"Simple," she said. "You can still date Mia if that's what you want. Just do it in private. No one has to know."
I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
She turned to me fully this time, her expression serious, almost calculating.
"I want you to start treating me like I'm really your fiancée," she continued. "In front of your parents. Hold my hand. Stay close to me. Act like everything between us is real. It will make them happy. It will keep them calm. And it will make things easier for you."
My chest tightened. I didn't know what to say. It felt wrong, but at the same time, I knew she was right. If I wanted to keep seeing Mia without making things worse with my parents, I needed time. And right now, Stacy was the only one giving me that chance.
Before I could answer, she rolled her window up. The conversation was over for her.
Then, without another word, she stepped on the gas and drove away, leaving me standing there alone, staring at the empty street, feeling like I had just agreed to something I wasn't sure I could handle.
The moment her car disappeared down the street, I let out a breath I felt like I had been holding all night.
I did not go inside Daniel's house. Instead, I flagged down a cab and gave the driver Mia's address.
It was already close to midnight when I arrived. The street was quiet, the lights dim, and the air felt heavy with everything I had been carrying since dinner. I stood there at the edge of the driveway for a long time, unsure of what to do. I did not know how to apologize. I did not know which words could possibly make up for what I had allowed to happen.
All I knew was that I could not go home without seeing her.
Hours passed. Maybe longer. I checked my phone more times than I could count, my heart pounding every time a car passed by. I replayed the scene at the restaurant over and over in my head, each memory twisting deeper into my chest. I expected anger. I expected disappointment. I expected her to look at me like I had failed her.
When Josh's car finally pulled into the driveway, my entire body went rigid. I straightened where I stood, bracing myself, preparing to hear words that would cut because I knew I deserved them.
But when she stepped out of the car, everything else faded.
Instead of hurt or anger, Mia looked up and gave me one of her softest, sweetest smiles. The kind that reached her eyes. The kind that felt undeserved.
And in that moment, standing there under the dim streetlight, I realized I was falling for her all over again harder than before.