Chapter 5 Disowned
I had no time to inhale the scent from the cab, neither did I even have the mental capacity to take it in.
My mind was clouded with thoughts of home.
How will mother react?
And father, will he listen to me, or he's just going to send me out of the house, reminding me that I'm fat and worthless?
Oh and Vivian, the perfect daughter, is she going to heap all the blame on me, and try to remind me that once upon a time, she asked me to be a golddigging wife.
I didn't realize how sick I was already feeling, until I felt cold liquid drop to my skin from my face.
Tears.
I fixed my gaze out the window, watching the streets, the perfect distraction.
Of course I knew these roads well enough, and although it's been a long time since I came here, nothing seems to have changed, or well… not much.
The traffic light around the corner that had been broken since I was twelve, was still the same. The mast, and roadside stalls still remained the same, and for a moment, I thought everything was waiting for me.
Except that, though they were waiting, it didn't stop them from being completely indifferent to the fact that my life has just collapsed, and I might have wasted the last five years of my life.
“I'm not expecting anything.” I mumbled, but just as soon as I said those words, my mind kicked against it, I was obviously lying to myself.
My chest was heavy with anticipation, you know that thing that happens in your chest when you're going home, but home has never really felt like it.
Not warm.
And even the memories attached to it are more complicated than good.
That's exactly how I was feeling, and although it's stupid, a part of me still felt like maybe things will be different this time.
Maybe, now that it's real and I'll be standing before them with nothing, maybe they'll just be my parents, and Vivi will be my sister.
“Would that ever happen?” I asked no one in particular, and sighed. “You never can tell, until you try.”
“You okay ma'am?” The cab driver asked, a little restraint in his voice, then it dawned on me that I wasn't alone in the car.
Makes perfect sense why my skin's been pricking like someone has been watching me.
“I'm fine.” I mumbled, and he finally pulled over in front of the mansion.
I paid, but didn't move a second. I just stood there staring at the mansion that held so many memories, the bad, the ugly, the nightmares.
The worst memories.
Dragging my bag, I began making my way to the gate, steeling myself for whatever was going to come next, and honestly wishing it didn't turn out bad.
The man at the gate was different from the man that used to be in charge when I was here, and that spoke volumes of how much things have changed.
I raised my hand to plant a knock on the door, but on its own, it came down, I tried again, and it was still the same, the third time, I shut my eyes, deciding to do it nevertheless.
To my surprise, the door opened, revealing the face I really wasn't ready to face.
Father.
He'd seen me coming in, which meant he'd been watching. If he felt any pity for me, I wouldn't really know since his face was the same way it's always been; closed emotionless and majoring, sort of.. like he was already calculating what my presence was going to cost him.
“G…Good Morning father.” I finally opened my mouth, allowing the words to fall out.
“Liana.” He called, placing emphasis on the second syllable. “You're here.”
"Can I come in?" I asked, keeping my voice level.
He stepped back, although not wide, but just enough.
A lot was different about the interior, hung loosely against the wall was a gigantic portrait of Father, mother and Vivian.
They've always been eager to get rid of me anyway, I shouldn't be surprised right?
Mother was sitting on a couch, and Vivian on the arm chair by the window. The way everywhere looked, so put together only meant that they'd been having a conversation before I walked in.
She looked up and I saw the relief and guilt that lingered in her gaze before she looked away, without uttering any words to me.
“Oh.. look who's back.” Vivian said, looking up from her phone, with the same weird facial expression she was fond of giving me.
Nobody hugged me, or looked happy to see me around here, after five years.
I knew they weren't going to welcome me warmly, yet somehow I still noticed and it made my chest heavy.
Since nobody was offering me a seat, I decided to sit down, knowing that whether or not I stood, it wasn't going to make any difference to the people I was in the room with.
“We got a divorce.” I mumbled, deciding to skip all of the details and preamble. “I have nowhere to stay right now, and I need a few days to figure out the next step.”
My father scoffed, still standing by the door, and for a moment it felt like he'd already formed his opinion and was waiting for the perfect time to deliver it.
“We know.” My mother said, her face was void of emotions. “The news is all over, people are talking.”
A heavy breath escaped my lips, I honestly hadn't thought about it that way, probably because there was already too much on my plate.
“Investors from your father's company have been calling, my friends…”
“I know.” I kept my voice flat, knowing mother well enough. “I didn't come here to talk about the company, or your friends, I'm here because I have nowhere else to go.”
Vivian shifted on the armchair. “Well…”
I looked at her, and she shrugged.
“You were married to a billionaire for five years, Liana five years.” She paused and shook her head, disgust dripping off her voice. “you had the whole time to build something for yourself, but you spent the whole of it being a good wife.”
She said the good wife, like it was the most embarrassing words she's ever had to utter. “Now look where all of that has gotten you.”
My eyes widened, and for a moment, my heart skipped. “Vivian.”
“I'm just telling the truth, and I can bet on anything, that this is what everyone else thinks.”
I shook my head. “You're saying what you're thinking, don't try to give it to a crowd.”
“Sorry.” She smiled, and picked up her phone, diverting all of her gaze back to the screen.
Father finally moved away from the door, and sat down beside Mother. “You know, you should have fought harder.”
Mother nodded. “A woman who lets her husband go like that…”
“He cheated on me.” My voice came out sharper than I actually planned. “With my best friend, in our house and on our bed.”
I paused fighting the memories from flooding my mind all over again.
“He served me divorce papers before I even got out of bed in the morning, what exactly was I supposed to fight for?”
Silence.
“The image.” Father finally said, like that wa
s a reasonable answer. “you fight for the image, to keep the house together, you manage..”
“I'm pregnant.” I blurted out.