The call came just as Liam left the race track.
When he saw the name flashing on the screen, he ignored it, and his sister went to his voicemail. He wasn't in the mood to listen to Willow go off at him about his irresponsible, selfish actions. They'd had a lot of such calls in the past several weeks, starting when Senior first brought up his succession plan.
His phone pinged again. This time it was a text from Holly, the youngest Anderson child. As the baby of the family, Holly was the most spoilt and self-entitled.
Their parents could never refuse her anything. Liam figured being a renowned ballerina helped, because no matter how ridiculous her demands were, Clarke and Lois would bend over backwards to cater to her every want and need.
When Holly wanted her very own private ballet studio, Clarke had bought a warehouse and refurbished it specifically for her needs.
When she demanded a six-bedroom penthouse in Rock Castles' prime location, an army of realtors had to run around like headless chickens to secure it for her, never mind that the place would stay empty because she was hardly in the country.
The most ridiculous of her whims though was that one time when all the boutiques on 9th Street had to be closed because she wanted to choose her fifty thousand pair of shoes and matching handbags without all the commoners gawking at her.
Her text was yet another demand. She wanted Liam to get his ass to the Medi-Clinic in Glen Eagles ASAP.
Willow called again. He put her on speaker. His heart crashed to his feet when her desperate sobs filled the car.
It took him a few minutes to calm her down and get her to tell him what's wrong.
"It's Dad," she bawled on her end, "You have to come to the hospital!"
Liam hung up and made a U-turn, ignoring the huge warning sign forbidding him from making a turn there. He skipped every red traffic light and ignored the millions of car horns blaring at him. His eyes were firmly on the road ahead, but his mind was back in his father's study, replaying their heated exchange and the last words he said to him.
In the ten minutes it took him to get to the hospital, he prayed harder and more times than he's ever done in his life. He made silent promises and bargained with everything he had. He'd give it all up, his dreams, racing, the tournaments if it meant having just one more hour with his father.
Liam didn't know how he got to the hospital; he snapped out of his daze when he pulled up in the visitor's parking lot and heard screeching ambulances race off to save lives somewhere.
Both his sisters came to meet him at the entrance.
On most days, Holly and Willow–both named after trees because of their Mom's love for plants–were immaculate visions of class and poise. With their ink-black hair, large green eyes, porcelain skin and slim frames, they could easily pass for twins despite the four-year difference between them.
Tonight, though, they were both dishevelled, their faces splotchy with tears and snot, their eyes red and hollow with fear.
They threw themselves in his arms when they saw him. He hugged them tight and tried to assure them as best as he could even though he didn't know what the situation was.
"What happened? Where's Mom and Dad?" He asked as he released them from his embrace, and they headed to elevators to take them to the VIP wing.
"Dad's very sick, Liam," Willow said in a tearful voice.
"That can't be," Liam shook his head, refusing to accept something's wrong with Clarke. The man has never missed a day at the office because of an illness. "There has to be a mistake. I saw him today. He was fine!"
"That's what he wanted you to think," Holly murmured. "He's been sick for a while now."
Liam paused and stared at the two of them, a suspicious scowl on his face. "How long is a while and what's wrong with him?"
"About six months," Holly replied.
"Colon cancer," Willow added.
The air swooshed out of Liam's lungs. For a stunning moment, he felt like he was sinking in quicksand as he gasped, convinced his sister's announcement would suffocate him. The worst though was the silence, the terrible, never-ending silence. He couldn't hear anything except Willow's words, echoing in his mind over and over.
Colon cancer.
Wasn't that for really older people?
Clarke wasn't old. At 58 he still had a lot of life in him, and he was the healthiest person Liam knew.
His father took care of himself, exercised at least an hour every day. He played golf on Saturdays, went bowling on Sundays. And the most sinful thing he ever ate was a thin slice of cake for dessert, and only on special occasions.
What Willow said didn't make sense to him.
"No!" Liam shook his head in denial as he forced air into his lungs. "You are wrong! Dad is not sick. Dad would never get cancer!"
"Liam," Holly reached for him and held him close, trying to keep him from unravelling right there in the middle of the corridor. "Dad is not okay."
"He would have told me if he was sick," Liam brushed off her hand, and they began walking again.
"He didn't want you to worry," Willow explained. "After you take over, he and mom planned to go overseas to get treatment."
"He should have told me sooner!" Liam raged as they stepped inside the elevator. "I wouldn't have fought him so hard. How bad is it?"
"Enough to require immediate surgery to remove part of his colon," Holly said.
Liam stared at his sisters, an incredulous look in his eyes. They both seemed to know so much about their father's condition.
"Am I the only one who didn't know?" He asked softly.
"We wanted to tell you, but Dad made us promise not to. He knew you were training hard for the tournament and he didn't want to take your focus away from the competition." Willow murmured as she rubbed her swollen eyes.
"You think I care about any of that now–" He was about to lose his shit, but the elevator dinged open, pausing what would have undoubtedly been their biggest fight yet.
There were several guards stationed throughout the floor and two outside Clarke's private ward. Their only job was to keep the media out. The last thing they wanted was stories of his father, true or otherwise, making the rounds. A CEO on his deathbed wasn't good for business and share prices. Lois flew to him when they walked in. He hugged her, and she wept harder as he gently patted her head. It all made sense now, Liam thought, her lack of inspiration, the listlessness, the faraway look in her eyes. It wasn't that she couldn't paint. His Mom didn't want to. How could she when her best friend and soulmate was staring death in the face? "Oh Mom," Liam whispered in her hair as he squeezed her. "You should have told me." "You are here now," Lois gave him a shaky smile as she sat down again and took his father's hand. Liam reluctantly approached the bed, a visceral feeling of terror bubbling at the pit of his stomach. He couldn't understand how Clarke h
The next several weeks passed in a blur as Liam adjusted to his new role. He was constantly sitting in various meetings, attending numerous conferences in and out of the country and making sure his father received the best treatment. His days began as early as 4:00 AM and some nights he'd only drag himself to bed after 2:00 AM. He was cranky and short-tempered, not surprising since he was running on two hours sleep at the very least. In those first few weeks, he made a lot of enemies in and out of the company; as a result, his security detail had to be ramped up following anonymous death threats. Liam found the endless army of guards annoying, but the board didn't want to take any chances, not when Anderson Logistics’ share prices took a beating following the news of his father's illness. He wasn't their best choice, but for now, he was the only Messiah who could safely wade them out of shit-creek.He made a lot of shakeups internally. He disbanded the
Crush was hopping when Liam finally made it there almost an hour later.There were people everywhere, grinding and stepping on each other. Liam was glad his cousins had a VIP booth. He couldn't handle all the rowdiness tonight."You made it!" Julian hiccupped over the loud music; his speech already slurred as he stood and hugged him, almost toppling him over."Easy buddy." Liam pushed him back on the sectional couch and turned to Matthew. "How much did he drink?""All those," his cousin pointed at a line of empty shot glasses lined up on the bright yellow cube."What happened?" Liam asked as a scantily dressed waitress appeared at his side. He ordered the most expensive bottle of bourbon. After the hellish day, no, few weeks he's had he deserved every drop."He got dumped," Matthew said. "She left him for a wealthier, older man.""Ouch!" Liam touched his heart dramatically and rolled his eyes heavenward."How's the old man?"
Liam's night wasn't about to get any better. He found Laura waiting in his living room. "What are you doing here?" He demanded as he dumped his messenger bag on the couch and threw off his jacket. He was planning to go over the dozens of reports waiting for him and prepare for an out of town meeting. "I missed you, Li." She pouted as she pranced to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his back. They were ‘on’ again it seemed, Liam thought. After being ‘over’ for four months. He couldn't remember what ticked her off the last time. But he was pretty sure it was his fault. It was always his fault. "I have to work tonight," Liam pushed her hands away and turned to the stairs. He had to be upfront with her; there could be no misunderstandings and unnecessary expectations. "I have to work every night from now. If you thought I didn't have time for you before, I sure as hell won't have any now." "I know," she cried as she ra
After weeks of constant puking and generally feeling miserable, Eden plucked up the nerve to make a doctor's appointment. The receptionist was super nice, and she pencilled her in for 12:30 PM. Eden was happy with her time slot, even more grateful that the doctor was on the 4th floor of Van Holt Industries, her new place of employment where she’s been working as a junior Personal Assistant to the Marketing Director for almost three months. Her employer’s owned the building since the dawn of time, but only occupied the top fifteen floors. The bottom five were rented out to various businesses, with the ground floor serving as a mini shopping mall with all the different stores, coffee shops and restaurants. The wide choice of food was Eden's only comfort about the job she hated. There was nothing wrong with being an assistant to be fair, but it wasn't a job Eden saw herself doing for the rest of her life. The constant running of errands, typing u
Eden returned to her desk ten minutes later with a script in her hand and a dazed look in her eyes, her mind racing chaotically. She was going to be a Mom. She was carrying Liam Anderson's child, former motorsport racer now CEO of one of the biggest logistics companies in Rock Union. A married CEO. She'd obsessed over him those first few weeks after their encounter, consumed every little tabloid story she could find on him. There were plenty. But nothing about his marriage. She figured he'd managed to keep that part of his life very private. When it became clear, with each passing day, that she was nothing but a hookup where Liam was concerned, she'd firmly put him out of her mind. But now she had a part of him growing inside her– "Are you okay?" Lucia, the other junior assistant she worked closely with, asked when Eden sat down. She nodded and hastily stuffed her scan and prenatal vitamins script in her bag. She didn't want anyone at work to know she's expec
It took Eden fifteen minutes to get to her parents' penthouse. She knew they were both livid judging from the cold, silent way they regarded her when she came in. Both, professors at Rock Union University, prided themselves on being rational, thinking people who used words instead of fists, and the quieter and calmer the tone, the better. "I'm sorry you found out the way you did," Eden apologised as soon as she sat in the loveseat facing the endless pool on the deck. "Is it Simon's?" Erica McBride asked in her breathy voice, hope lighting up her small face. Eden always thought she'd easily be the prettiest woman in the room if she could smile more. She had the same slanted brown eyes like her. Her olive skin was smooth and ageless, thanks to the copious amounts of skincare products lining her vanity station in her enormous walk-in closet upstairs. Her brown hair was always kept in a chic bob, and she wore very little makeup. But she was still striking
[Two Years Later]... Eden's friends were already waiting to welcome her home when she pulled into the driveway of the single-story bungalow on Alice Lane, a quiet suburban street six blocks away from her old apartment in Forrest Creek. The 'sold' sign propped on the front lawn filled Eden with pride. She'd done it, bought her first home. It was small. Only two bedrooms. But since it was on a corner lot, she had a bit of extra yard space. With a growing, rumbustious little boy, she'd need plenty of yard space. She turned to check on Aiden sleeping in his car seat in the back. Her heart swelled with a love so intense she thought it would burst and shatter in her chest in a kaleidoscope of fragments. He was the love of her life, the light that had pulled her out of her darkest days. The moment she knew of his existence, she began to live and breathe for him. Eden unsnapped her seatbelt and pushed out of her Toyota Prius. Her friends ran to her wh