Chapter 98 Whispers Beneath the Applause

Chapter 98 Whispers Beneath the Applause
Maureen's POV
~continuation~

Liam’s proposal to me had become the talk of the town. Everyone who had been present at the beach had made videos of us with their phones and posted them on social media. Almost immediately, bloggers and influencers picked it up, recording their own reactions and opinions, then sharing them on their pages, this time wrapped in kind words and glowing captions.

I didn’t like the idea of it at all. I hated having anything about me displayed on the internet, dissected by strangers who knew nothing about my life. Unfortunately, it wasn’t something I had any control over, so I forced myself to move along with it. After all, it wasn’t the first time my name had trended, and this time, at least, it didn’t feel entirely bad.

I was at Linda’s place, seated on her sofa with my legs tucked beneath me, absentmindedly munching cereal straight from the box in my hand while scrolling through my phone. I was so lost in what I was reading that I didn’t realize my lips had curved into a wide smile. The comments were sweet, supportive, and surprisingly sincere, and they pulled the smile out of me without permission.

“You should see yourself smiling, huh?” Linda’s voice suddenly broke through my little moment.

I quickly lifted my head, blinking as realization hit me, and I surrendered my face with a sheepish expression.

She didn’t say anything else. Instead, she reached behind her, pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, and began scrolling up and down dramatically. Her lips moved silently at first, then she cleared her throat and started reading the comments out loud on purpose, each word dripping with exaggeration.

“Whoa, you should see this,” she exclaimed, then paused mid-scroll. “Wait. This was the bitch talking nonsense the last time. I remember her. Well, it’s good she’s following the right path now.”

I only chuckled softly, my eyes still glued to my phone, my thumb moving slowly across the screen.

Without any warning, Linda lunged toward me in the blink of an eye and wrapped her arms tightly around my shoulders. The sudden force knocked the air out of my lungs, and I nearly choked on the cereal in my mouth as my body stiffened in surprise.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked, my words muffled as I struggled in her grip, my hands pressing against her shoulders in a weak attempt to push her back. Her arms only tightened, and after a few seconds of useless resistance, I sighed and gave up completely.

She finally released me and stepped back, her hands dropping to her sides as she stared at me. Her eyes shimmered, quickly filling with tears, and her lower lip trembled as emotion took over her face.

“Is anything the problem?” I asked carefully, leaning forward a little, my brows knitting together as confusion washed over me.

“I’m so happy for you, girl,” she replied, her voice breaking as the tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

She was crying because she was happy for me, yet a strange pity settled in my chest, and I reached out, pulling her gently into my arms. My hand moved in slow circles against her back as I held her close.

“Hush, little baby. Don’t cry. It’s okay,” I teased softly, my tone light despite the weight pressing against my heart.

We stayed that way for a long moment. From the outside, it might have looked comforting, even joyful, but inside me, a storm was raging. The thought of stepping into the next stage of life with Liam while still holding on to secrets made my stomach tighten painfully.

“Hey,” Linda said suddenly, pulling back and holding my hands in hers. I looked up at her, my breath hitching as her expression shifted from happiness to seriousness. “I am so happy for you, and I support you completely, but…” She trailed off, studying my face, then blurted the words out before I could prepare myself. “When will you tell Liam about Sam?”

She squeezed my hands gently as she spoke, her eyes filled with concern. “He needs to know, Maureen. He really does.”

My mouth opened, but no sound came out. “I… I don’t… I,” I stammered helplessly, my gaze dropping to our joined hands.

“I know you’re scared,” she continued softly. “I know you think he might leave when he finds out, or that his mother might come after Sam just to hurt you. But have you thought about how he’ll feel if he finds out from someone else, and not from you?”

I remained silent, my throat tight, my chest rising and falling unevenly.

“Look, I keep saying this because I care,” Linda went on. “And I won’t stop until you do the right thing. You really need to do the right thing, Maureen.” She hesitated, then added quietly, “I could help you tell him, if you want.”

I lifted my head slowly and met her eyes, searching her face, unsure how to react.

“Oh no,” she rushed on when I didn’t respond. “Only if you give me permission, of course. Or I could just be there with you when you’re ready. I just want you to be honest with him. He doesn’t deserve any of this.”

I exhaled deeply, my shoulders sagging as exhaustion settled over me.

“I know,” I said quietly. “I’m aware of it. I’m just not ready yet. When I am, I’ll tell him.” My voice came out flat as I picked up my phone again, using it as a shield.

“I really wish you do,” she whispered.

Sensing the tension rising between us, Linda suddenly brightened and clapped her hands together. “I bet you didn’t know you were going to get proposed to yesterday, right?” she asked, her teary face already glowing with excitement.

I smiled despite myself, memories flooding back.

“You guys really got me,” I said, laughing softly as tears gathered in my eyes. “I didn’t suspect a thing. Liam was acting strange at the beach, and you were busy showing me proposal videos. I honestly thought you were the one about to be proposed to. Even Scarlet was there.”

Linda burst into loud laughter, the sound filling the room, and soon I was laughing too.

“Speaking of which,” she said, drawing out the words dramatically, her smile turning playful and proud, “I might have good news for you.”

My eyes widened, and I leaned forward eagerly. “Really? Is this another proposal thing?” I teased.

“Well, something like that,” she replied, mimicking a child’s voice.

“I’ve got a boyfriend,” she announced happily, clapping her hands together, her grin wide.

I screamed in excitement and jumped to my feet, pulling her up with me. She launched into the story immediately, gesturing wildly as she talked about meeting him at the salon where she worked, how he had brought his mother in, how easy their connection had been, and how they had been seeing each other for days.

As if reading my thoughts, she laughed and added, “Don’t worry. You wouldn’t have noticed. I made sure it stayed discreet. I wanted to be sure of him first,”.