Chapter 52: BIRTHDAY PARTY I

The encounter with Marie, Liam's aunt, had left a bitter taste in my mouth. Her skepticism and the thinly veiled judgment had cut deeper than I had expected.

I paced back and forth in my room, the plush carpet beneath my feet doing little to ease my restless energy. Marie's unimpressed attitude echoed in my mind, each sarcastic remark and raised eyebrow replaying like a broken record. I had thought this visit would be an opportunity to find solace and understanding within Liam's family, but instead, I felt like an outsider, an unwelcome guest in my own engagement.

My trust in Liam had been unshakable, or so I had believed. But now, doubts crept in like shadows in the corners of my mind. Had he ever truly cared about me, or was he just nice to be the day before cause of the self guilt that he had a hand in my presence in that restaurant?