Chapter 4 The Drive To The Hospital

We arrived at my house and we both got off hurriedly. There was no time to waste. The stranger asked me why the front door was open, and I proceeded to give him the little explanation that I could give hastily.

"Help me get my mom up." I beckoned at him, my hands trembling as he was frozen to a spot, examining our house and my mother's terrible condition.

He nodded his head and agreed. Soon, my mother and I were in the backseat of his car and as the stranger was about to open the car door to get in, I suddenly remembered something important.

I scrambled out of the car, heading for the door.

"Hey, where are you going?!" He yelled after me in confusion.

"I'll explain later!" I answered back as I got into the house, got up the stairs and into a room and quickly grabbed what I needed.

"Let's go!" I said as I came out of the building and got into the car.

Immediately, we both drove off at speed. I never saw my dad.

As we were driving on the road, the stranger kept looking at me and my mother through the rear-view mirror.

"What?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable because of his stares.

"Oh, it's nothing... I just can't believe that you actually went to get a doll from the house earlier on." He said, his eyes brimming with disbelief.

"It's not just a doll, it's the only memory I'll have of her. It was her favorite doll." I said downward, staring at the window.

"Whose favorite doll?" He inquired further.

"My little sister's," I told him. "She's dead now." I said, staring at the doll in my hands.

I saw his eyes widen and filled with regret for asking any question about the doll in the first place.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-" he tried to say.

"It's okay." I assured him. "It's been three years since she died, so..." I couldn't complete my words as I felt like I was about to cry.

I looked up at him, and he quickly averted his gaze, focusing his eyes on the road.

It went silent, and I stared at my mother, holding her hands gently.

"If you don't mind me asking," he said, breaking through the silence.

"How-how did she die?" He stuttered to ask, not wanting to hurt my feelings.

"Car accident." I said, reliving the whole incident in my mind.

He let in a sharp intake of breath immediately after my words.

"We were crossing the street when a car came out of nowhere, hitting all of us. My sister died, and my mom and I were seriously injured. I was in a coma, and Mom had six surgeries. The accident left us broke, and Dad turned to alcohol to cope," I narrated, my eyes filling up with tears as I stared at my mother.

"The abuse didn't start until the anniversary of my sister's death. He hit Mom that night, and it just kept happening. At first, we thought it was grief, but we should've reported him. We let it go on for too long. He should've been in jail," I continued, my voice breaking. "I can't forgive him. He was supposed to protect us, but he hurt us. I don't know how to move on from that."

I immediately wiped the tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Why didn't you ever leave?" He asked, his voice thick with emotion. "Why didn't you ever run away?"

I swallowed hard, struggling to find the words to answer him. "I guess... deep down, we always believed that he would change. We thought he was just grieving, and that one day, he would go back to being the person we used to know."

"They never change!" The stranger said, his tone firm and resolute.

"You're right. We found that out the hard way," I said as I focused my gaze at the window.

We passed by a hospital and panic arose in me.

"We just passed a hospital," I said, my voice trembling with panic. "Why didn't you stop?"

"That's because I'm taking you to my private hospital, where you'll be attended to much faster than at a public one," he explained, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. "We'll be there in a few minutes." He focused his gaze back on the road.

I was shocked. "A private hospital? Who are you?" I asked, feeling more and more confused by the minute.

"My name is Liam Anderson," he said, a playful smirk on his lips. "Nice to meet you, girl, even if it's under... unusual circumstances."

My eyes widened as I struggled to process what he'd just said. "Liam Anderson?! As in, the Liam Anderson of the Anderson family?! The son of Mister Gray Anderson, CEO of Anderson Corporations?!"

He nodded, his face showing amusement at my reaction. "I think you've got it all figured out," he said with a chuckle.

I let out a deep breath in utter disbelief, my brain still reeling from the realization that this stranger I had agreed to marry was the son of the richest man in the country!

"You seem to know us well," Liam said, raising an eyebrow.

"Who doesn't?" I replied. "And besides, I actually applied for a data analyst position at one of your company's divisions a few months ago... but I didn't get the job."

"On behalf of the company, I apologize for that," Liam said sincerely.

I tried to brush it off. "Don't worry about it. I know I wasn't the best candidate for the job." I hesitated, unsure if I should share more, but then decided to come clean. "To be honest, they probably saw the bruises on my face and figured I wasn't the best fit. It's understandable."

Liam's eyes were filled with sadness and concern as I watched him increase the speed of his car.

"By the way, what's your name?" He asked, trying to change the topic and defuse the tension.

"Aurora. Aurora Brookes," I replied. "Nice to meet you too, Mister Anderson."

I couldn't help but ask burning questions on my lips.

"Mister Liam, you are not going to abandon us, are you?" My voice shook with concern as I looked at him, not knowing what to expect.

Liam pulled the car to a stop in the middle of the quiet road and unbuckled his seatbelt. My heart thudded in my chest as he turned to look at me, and I braced myself for the worst.

"I am not going to hurt you and I will never ever abandon you, Miss Brookes. I'll show you that not all men are evil, the good ones still exist." He said gently, wiping the tears from my face.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the dampness on my cheeks. His touch was soothing, his kindness a balm to my heart. He smiled softly, patting my head.

I wasn't sure why, but that small gesture made me break down, sobbing uncontrollably. Liam didn't say a word, just sat there, gently patting my head as I let everything out.

"There, there. You're safe now," he murmured.

I couldn't explain why I was crying-maybe it was the feeling of finally being safe, of having someone I could trust. As the tears flowed, something inside me shifted. For the first time in a long while, I felt... okay.

Mister Anderson continued patting my head, his touch calming as I cried. His soft words tried to soothe me, but the tears kept flowing, emotions I'd buried spilling out.

"Mister Liam, don't ever leave us, okay?" I sobbed, looking up at him.

He nodded, reassuring. "I won't. I'm not going anywhere. You can count on me."

His words were exactly what I needed to hear.

"Mister Liam, promise me you'll protect my mother. You can hurt me, but not her. Please promise." I extended my hand, fingers crossed.

He took it, his grip firm. "I promise, Miss Brookes. I will keep to my word and I will never let any harm come to your mother... or you."

He placed my hand close to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it. I was surprised that I didn't flinch. Normally, any touch from a man would send me into a panic, but not this time.

I'd spent years hiding bruises, locking myself away, too afraid to leave. Every touch, every movement from others made me brace for the worst. My mother had to take me to the hospital when the trauma became too much. The abuse I endured from my father left a deep and lasting impact on my mental health.

But here I was, letting a man I barely knew touch me without fear. Who would have thought that I'd be so calm when it happened?

Somehow, it felt different. Despite everything, I felt... calm. The tension, the fear-it all seemed to melt away. It was unexpected, but it felt right, like the most natural thing in the world.

His touch was gentle, almost reverent, as he kissed my hand. His eyes were filled with a sincerity that I had never seen before. "Let this be a reminder of my promise to you," he said softly. "I will never hurt you, and I will never abandon you."

I felt a rush of safety and trust, nodding in response, knowing at that moment that I could believe him.

The rest of the ride was quiet. When we reached the hospital, I quickly got out with my mother for treatment. Liam stayed outside, giving us the privacy we needed.

...

A doctor and two nurses approached Liam, their faces tense.

"Young master Liam," the doctor said, bowing, "I came as soon as I heard you were around."

Liam, who had been facing the operating room, turned to look at him. "Oh, Doctor Matthew," he said, a worried expression on his face.

"As lead doctor, I'd like to personally attend to your guest," Matthew offered, his head still lowered.

"Do what you must," Liam replied, his tone firm. "But make sure nothing happens to them. They're important to me."

Matthew's curiosity grew. "Who are they, young master?"

Liam's expression changed, becoming cold and unreadable. "They're my fiancée and her mother," he said. "And if anything happens to them, you will all regret it." His voice was icy, leaving no room for argument.

The doctor and nurses exchanged nervous glances. "Of course, young master," Matthew stammered. "We'll ensure their safety."

He signaled to the nurses, and they headed toward the operating room.

Liam watched them go, a sly smirk on his face. "Just what I wanted," he muttered to himself. "Now the media will find out in the next hour!"