CHAPTER 85:
TRUST YOUR PARTNER
Diane’s P.O.V.
Frowns immediately appeared on my forehead as I questioned her in bewilderment. “I begged your pardon, Nana?”
The old woman just immediately understood that I was only making sure of what I heard from her. “Perhaps, the place where Liam saw you were just near here because he doesn’t come here much anymore. You know what? Liam was too picky when it comes to his clothes, and you just puked over his American coat.” Nana laughed before she continued.
“But don’t worry, I already took care of it. Then, Liam asked me a favor last night if I could clean you up and change your clothes. Liam was still gentleman until now—he would not take advantage of you.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I guessed I had been a total mess last night. Anyway, were you perhaps—Nana Lydia?” I asked her. “Liam mentioned to me before that you were a great cook, and it proves with this mushroom soup.”
“Oh, really? I’m flattered, and yes, I am Nana Lydia. So, I assumed that you were the one who encouraged Liam to eat a dried fish then?” She ecstatically smiled before patting me on the shoulder.
Reminiscing about Liam and I being stranded at an inn last year, I ended up nodding at her. “Hmm, I guess so.”
“Well, it was a good thing that my daughter’s dress fitted in you; otherwise, I would have let you wear Liam’s T-shirt. Actually, I was wondering about Liam’s expression last night—he was so worried about your condition. He used to be cold and reserved. Did you know that last night was the first time I had seen him investing too many emotions for a girl?” Nana Lydia elucidated.
That explained everything. Before I lost my consciousness in the nightclub, it might be Liam who caught me in his arms before I fell to the ground.
Liam was probably the one who fought with those men around me last night. I was so drunk that I thought it was Lorenz.
But what happened to my best friend then? Did he just leave me there? How could he?
“Hmm… w-where is L-Liam, Nana?” I asked her before I sipped on the glass of milk.
“He left this morning because he still needs to take care of something in the office. See? Today’s even a Saturday. That child was indeed hardworking! I’m sorry, Hija, huh? Now I no longer wonder why he was so concerned about you last night. He just told me this morning that you are indeed his girlfriend.”
Nana Lydia smiled at me and what she said made me stain my cheeks. Liam really wanted to let the whole world know about our relationship. And just like what Lorenz told me, I was certainly the one who used to complicate things. It was not because of ego but because of my insecurities.
“Liam also said that you have to wait for him here. So, don’t you dare leave and sneak out from me because the two of you will talk later, okay? He already informed your Mom about you, so you don’t have to worry at all.” Nana Lydia was somehow threatening me while expressing her second phrase.
“You know what? I already knew Liam for quite a long time, and you were the only girlfriend that child introduced to me. You two were indeed a perfect match, both gorgeous and handsome! Now, I wonder what your offspring would look like. He or she would be so perfect for sure!” Nana Lydia flattered me that I ended up scratching my head.
I didn’t know why, but a big part of me was shaken by Nana Lydia’s words. That caused me to gradually lose the jealousy that I only felt yesterday. It was slowly replaced by glee, causing my mood to lift and my heart to jump in a surge of happiness.
Does it mean that Nana Lydia didn’t even know that rice cake, Isabelle, who introduced herself as Liam’s girlfriend?
“Hmm… can I ask you a question, Nana?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“How well did you know Liam’s family?” I asked before I resumed eating the mushroom soup. The pain that I felt because of what happened yesterday had already diminished and I wanted to hear something from her that would continue to cheer my soul.
“It has been a long time, dear. Leandro and Liam were just kids when I started serving their family. They were almost my children, so as long as I can, I would still go to the mansion and provide them my services.”
“I actually retired when they went to the States to work on their post-study degrees, but Liam let me stay here, in one of his houses with my daughter. Although I knew him to be silent and cold, I guessed that Liam already changed when he met you.”
“He became so sweet now, and I could say that he was already romantically devoted with you. You are such a lucky girl to captivate his heart. Have you two been together for a long time, huh? But why are you getting drunk, Hija? Do you have any problems that you want to talk about?” Nana Lydia asked as she sat on the bed, then hand-combed my hair as if she was Mom.
“Liam and I had been together for seven months now, Nana. We just had a little misunderstanding last night. But instead of giving us a chance to talk things through, I walked away from him and went to the club with Lorenz. Lorenz was my college buddy and best friend—the one I was asking you about earlier.” I smiled at her before I continued.
“Hmm… I went for a few drinks to forget the pain, but I guessed I wasn’t able to control myself. Repentance is always in the end,” I shyly admitted to her, making me bow my head. I continued to eat the soup, but I didn’t realize I already consumed it. That was when I drank the milk.
She held my hands after I gulped all the contents of the glass and placed it over the tray. “Hija, if you two ran again into a problem, take time to sit down, held hands together, and talk about it immediately. As much as possible, fix any misunderstandings before tomorrow comes.”
“In every relationship, you cannot just love your partner. I mean, love alone can’t always make your relationship work. You should take care of him, understand him, and trust him wholeheartedly.”
“Because when you trust him completely, you will never doubt him. You will listen, and you will trust whatever he says, more than what other people have to say. Your partner should be the one who matters most, and that’s why you chose him as your partner.”
“Learn from this experience, dear. Alcohol will never be a solution to problems as it can lead you to a much bigger problem later on. Next time, you just have to breathe first, calm yourself, and analyze things. You have to be completely sane for you to think straight.”
“What if Liam didn’t see you yesterday? I hated to say this, but what if you woke up in a different room, completely naked with someone else, and had already made a drunken mistake? Was everything resolved? No. It would only create another problem that might lead you to depression.”
“I didn’t know what exactly happened between the two of you and I’m not saying this because I almost raised Liam. I wasn’t taking sides here, but I want to enlighten you better. It should be a part of your maturity as a person, and I think you owed Liam a chance to explain too.”
“You two were only steady for seven months—which is still less than a year, Hija. There will be more trials in your relationship later on, so don’t give up too quickly. Don’t overthink. After all, what’s the point of having a relationship if you trust the other people more than your partner?”
Nana Lydia emphasized everything with her calm tone, but she was so serious that every word lanced through my brain. It was as if she already knew what happened even though I didn’t tell her everything. I was sure that Liam wouldn’t also voice out about it.
From what Nana explained to me, I became enlightened. I had to render my apology to Liam for being so stubborn and selfish yesterday because I didn’t even listen to him. He loved me so dearly that I even saw him shed tears.
Depriving him of trust and understanding was one thing Liam didn’t deserve from all the things he did for me. I was so guilty. Despite what I did—shouting at him, never giving him the chance to explain himself, shoving him away, and even running away from him—he still came and rescued me.
Drowning myself in too much hatred and jealousy, I forgot that Liam should matter first more than anything. I wasn’t able to think straight and didn’t even weigh the situation first. Lorenz and Nana Lydia were both right, but was I wrong not to blame myself at all?
Perhaps, I loved Liam so much to be hurt like this. I loved him so much that I could no longer analyze things properly. I loved him so much to be effortlessly eaten by jealousy.