Page 58 of Begin Again, Part 2

"I knew you were sleeping with her!" Holly shouted gleefully, going way off tangent. "I called it on my birthday when you defended her honour!"

"Shut up!" Liam snarled at her. "You don't know shit about our relationship."

"Why didn't you tell us you have a history with Eden?" Lois stopped sniffling long enough to cast him another accusatory frown. "Why pretend you don't know her? Why keep the truth from us?"

"Mom, it's complicated!"

"Well, simplify it for us, son! We have the whole night." Clarke took over with the disapproving look.

Liam collapsed on the armchair beside the fireplace. "It was a hook-up! We met at Crush two years ago, spent a night together, and she vanished from my life only to resurface recently."

Shocked gasps echoed through the room following his announcement. Clarke looked ready to chop off his head, and Lois was inconsolable. Holly and Willow couldn't hide their glee. They were thrilled to finally have front row seats to his moment of shame, and were enjoying every minute of his humiliation. After all, he was always the golden boy, the apple of their father's eye.

"I did nothing wrong!" Liam balled his fists on his lap. "I didn't know about Aiden. If I knew, I would have taken care of him from the beginning."

"I warned you your life of hedonism and philandering ways will catch up with you someday! Look at this mess! No Anderson man has ever fathered a child out of wedlock in all six generations! Liam, you've disappointed me!" Clarke bellowed, his voice louder than ever. But it wasn't his anger that saddened Liam. It was the disappointment he saw in his eyes that killed him a little.

He bowed his head in shame and stared at his hands. "I'm sorry I've disappointed you, but I believe I'm old enough to make my own choices, and times have changed—"

"Times may have changed, but principles don't!" Clarke shouted, his whole face as red as their hair. "And you know damn well that every choice has a consequence. You will do the honourable thing and take responsibility."

"That goes without saying," Liam said. "I plan to take care of Eden and our son."

"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page." Clarke nodded. "We have to meet with the McBrides to—"

"It's too soon." Liam held up his hands, stopping the train before it went off the rails. "Things are complicated with the McBrides. They're going through a divorce."

"Oh, dear!" Lois dissolved into a puddle of tears again. "They looked so happy when we saw them last month."

"The McBrides' divorce has nothing to do with your marriage, Liam. So don't find silly excuses to wriggle out of doing the right thing. I taught you better than that!" Clarke stated. "Get this shit done and wrap it up neatly and quickly! The tabloids will have a field day if they find out about this, and I don't need to remind you what this will do to our share prices."

"He's getting married? When?" Both Liam's sisters looked flummoxed.

Things were changing every minute at neck-breaking speed. Plans were being made on the fly, and dynamics were constantly shifting, so their confusion was understandable.

Liam had a few hours' head start on the circus show that had become his life. But he was just as bewildered. He needed a minute to collect himself, regroup, and make sense of everything.

In less than twenty-four hours, he'd waded through every emotion imaginable, gone to war with the love of his life, stared grief and heartbreak in the face. He was so tired, not just physically, but also in the depths of his soul. If there was ever a reset button, he'd hit it right this instant and start over.

Silent for a large part of the meeting, Willow burst to life like she'd just been zapped by a jolt of electricity. "There must be a reason she kept him from you! Why would she not tell you about him?"

Liam threw her a murderous glare. "Stay out of this."

Ever ready for their tag-team fight, Holly jumped to Willow's defence, "but she's right. She chose to go at it alone for two years. Why is that? Liam, what did you do to her? No woman in their right mind would freeze you out knowing you're worth billions."

"I'm surprised no other woman has come forward. With your reputation, I think we're all waiting for the other shoe to drop. Poor Laura, the news must have so crushed her. And poor Eden, she doesn't know what skeletons will pop out of your closet!"

"If you know what's good for you, you won't say another word!" Liam growled just as Dave called them in for coffee.

The heated debate continued on the patio.

"How do you plan to handle this?" Clarke asked. "I'm giving you six months to marry Eden, or your inheritance goes straight to Aiden!"

More stunned gasps from Liam's sisters and mom.

"Thank God I have some savings, Dad!" He smiled. "Otherwise, how would I survive without your fortune?"

"Quit being a smart ass! Now, what are your plans?" Clarke demanded as he dumped a ton of sugar in his cup. He never sweetened his coffee, preferred it black and bitter. But Liam's latest stunt had surely left a taste in his mouth so sour, he urgently needed something to sweeten it. He even asked Dave for another slice of carrot cake.

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