Chapter 108 Auntie Liyah
William laughed a little. He didn’t know what happened to her but he was not complaining at all, in fact, he was enjoying it thoroughly.
With a felicitous smirk engraved on his lips, he opened the door, only to find the most unwanted figure there.
The foundation of his nightmares, the button his dread, the reason behind his miserable childhood.
His Aunt Liyah Hartman.
His amusement died down when the elegant elderly lady was before him.
“Huh?”
Not giving him a moment to register, she pulled him in a hug, kissing his cheeks.
“Oh, William, you live on this floor? Why didn’t you tell me? I had to ask Helena,”
“Auntie…?” Taken aback, he pulled away from her.
Averting his gaze uncomfortably, he asked quietly, “What brings you here? I send your allowance,”
“Do you think I only want money, huh!? What else could it be? To see your bride!”
“Aunt-”
Not giving him a moment to register, she waved her hand gracefully and entered the ravishing apartment with a grin.
Disquiet, he held his hand out to stop her but she didn’t listen and continued in a fake sorrowful tone.
“Just because I was sick, no one bothered to tell me you got married. How horrible of you. You are still a bad boy. Never cares for me,”
Curling his hand in a helpless fist, he knew he was unable to decline or refuse her.
Lowering his head in defeat, with his glee dying by each passing second, his tone softened to a more poised one.
“It’s nothing like this. Um, if you were coming, you should have told me, I would have prepared a room for you,” He cleared his throat.
“I don’t need reasons or announcements. Plus, you can still do it now, won’t be a bother for you,” She smirked, pointing towards a random room in his spacious apartment.
He nodded, grabbing her bags and placing them neatly before coming out and saw his Aunt was checking her expensive ancestral rings.
He came, she gave him a stern look.
His chest clenched but there was nothing he could do or speak and looked down immediately.
Keeping his eyes on the ground, William stood motionless until Arabella grew tired of waiting and came out with one strap of her silk slip dress on her shoulder seductively.
“What’s taking you so long, William? Who’s at the door?”
Upon seeing the old lady, she straightened quickly, setting the hanging strap and clearing her throat when her eyes judged Arabella.
Before Liyah could make an insensible remark, William appeared in between, “Uh… Bella, she is,”
He cleared his throat, placing his hand on her shoulder protectively, forming his well-known fake charming smile.
“She is my Auntie, Liyah. The one who brought us up after our parent’s death,”
Arabella was surprised at first but she had heard tales of her cruelty from Helena too. And it enraged her, glaring at the woman from the corner of her eyes.
Making a disgusted face, her lips parted to snarl but gripping her shoulder warning, William gave her a look of ‘don’t do it,’
Relaxing at his gesture, staying firm on her determination of ‘making him crazy for her again,’ she played along and faked a smile too.
“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you. I am Arabella. William’s wife,”
“Nice to meet you too, Dear. Ah, aren’t you pretty? Your eyes are so beautiful,” Liyah grinned, walking towards Arabella, pulling her into a hug, checking her out.
“Thank you,”
William said politely, “Please take a seat, Auntie,”
“Come, sit with me, Dear,”
“Sure, um, give me a moment, I will change. William, can you come here for a second?” Arabella paused, glancing at William.
“Yea-”
Liyah raised her hand in the air, “William, son, a glass of water,”
“Yes, Auntie,” Ignoring Arabella’s call completely, he nodded and gave her a glass of water.
Liyah smirked, “Dear, you should go, let William sit two minutes with his Auntie,”
“William?” Arabella called again, waiting for his reaction. He pretended to not hear her and continued filling the glass.
‘I am sorry, Bella,’ He thought, biting the inside of his cheek.
Gritting her teeth, she went back to the room to change into something appropriate while resenting how Liyah made William ignore her.
Still upholding her posture, she walked out and saw William was sitting beside Liyah.
“So, what brings you here, Liyah?”
“William, tell your bride to not call my name, I am elderly. Use Auntie like you do,”
William ordered sternly, “You heard Auntie, Bella, call her like we do. Don’t be so informal,”
“... Okay,”
Arabella bore with it too.
Playing it cool, she sat right in front of them to study the woman who was not letting go of her nephew’s hand.
“I heard about his marriage and came to see his bride myself. I am so excited. I am sure William must have told you about me,”
“I have heard about you from Helena,” Arabella spoke cautiously, narrowing her eyes while cursing her in her heart.
She knew most of the things she did, what the siblings had to go through in her home after their parent’s death.
Arabella hated that woman. She never wanted to meet her, knowing her tongue would slip.
“Good,”
“I am sure you must have married a woman of your status. Since you were so hellbent on earning money and surpassing us,” Liyah added, turning to William who was looking elsewhere.
“Yeah, you can say it. Bella is actually Helena’s childhood friend,” He chuckled anxiously.
She frowned, “You mean Helena’s middle-class best friend? Of all people, you married her. What must be your reason to choose her?”
Arabella first waited for William to defend her but he only laughed a little, making an apologetic expression.
“I thought you would choose someone like Peach Harrison to compete with others but you just decided to be a normal person. How gauche,”
Her jaw clenched, folding her arms at her chest when Liyah continued with her remarks, giving her a look of disapproval.
Before Arabella could retort, she faked a smile and waved her hand to seal her mouth, not giving her an opportunity to shut her.
“You must be so lucky, Dear, of all people, William chose to compromise with you. You should be grateful,”
Arabella scoffed, “What brings you here apart from judging me, Liyah?”
“William?”
“Bella, be polite,” William said strictly again.
Gesturing to her to stop. Arabella hated it but tolerating this at the moment, she merely rolled her eyes.
“Anyways, I am not going anywhere until the marriage,”
When she announced, the couple exchanged a bewildered glance, asking at the same time, “Whose marriage?”
“Who else?”
Beaming, Liyah enunciated the reason for her arrival delightfully.
“Luke’s!”