Kate Told Me That Liam Is Back

**POV: Harper**

Kate met up with me at a coffee shop, and I narrated my ordeal to her, earning her sympathy as she hugged me tightly, reassuring me that everything would be okay. She held me for a long time, rubbing my back in a circular motion as I cried in her arms. This was just what I needed; I needed to be reminded that there was still light somewhere amid this darkness.

At the coffee shop, I could unburden my heart to my friend, feeling the warmth of her embrace as I cried freely. It was a slow release, the pain ebbing only slightly, but inside, I held onto the hope that there must be a part of him that cares about me. I have to keep hoping for clarity for myself and my unborn child, whom Ethan still doesn’t know about.

“I thought he loved me,” I murmured to Kate, my voice breaking.

“But I was wrong, Katie. I was just a… a placeholder, a fucking substitute for his lover. He never truly loved me, and I was too blind to see the truth,” I sobbed.

“He’s a fool if he can't see your worth. You’re more than just a backup, Harper. You are not her replacement; you are too unique, too special to be someone’s substitute. You are beautiful and amazing, Harper, and you cannot be compared to anyone.” Kate told me firmly. Her reassuring words were soft and kind, just what I needed. She took me home with her to watch over me while I figured out what to do.

“Wait until I see Ethan and give him a piece of my mind; I’ll fucking punch him in the face, and I’ll teach that lady a lesson!” she threatened angrily, punching the steering wheel to emphasize her point. She kept saying kind words to me on the drive home, reminding me of my unique qualities. I knew she was doing her best to keep me calm, but in the corner of my mind, the questions still lingered, like

“What if he never really loved me at all?

What if he still wants her back? What am I going to do?

Will I be able to walk away with our child? Can I move on with my life without him?”

These thoughts kept haunting me on the ride to Kate’s home. I felt like a fool for falling so deeply for him. How had he succeeded in keeping something this big from me? How do I look him in the eyes and tell him about our child?

I could feel my head aching as the car sped down the busy road. At Kate’s home, I had a long, warm bath in the tub. I lay there, sobbing quietly as I thought of all the happy moments we shared and all the promises he made to me.

“You are my world, Harper. I am nothing without you. You are a part of me that I never knew was missing until I met you. You make me feel complete; you bring joy and laughter into my life. I will forever cherish you, Harper. I will never hurt you or lie to you. Making you happy will be my priority; waking up to your beautiful smiles will be my morning routine. You have a special place in my heart, my love, and nothing can ever change that. It’s you and me forever, baby; nothing can come between us.”

This was his vow on our wedding day. His words kept ringing in my head, reminding me of his betrayal and deceit. How could he make such a vow to me when, deep in his heart, he knew he was lying?

He must have had Emma in his heart all the while he was with me; he must have had her in mind as he said those vows to me on our wedding day. Those sweet promises were never meant for me; I was never the special one in his heart. It’s so sad to think that I never meant anything to him. All this time, I thought I had a special place in his heart. I had no idea there was no room in his heart for anyone else because Emma already occupied that space.

After a few minutes that felt like hours, I came out of the tub and got dressed. I wanted to take some aspirin and nap before facing Ethan again. But I found Kate waiting for me in the bedroom, pacing the room angrily. I had never seen her looking this furious; it seemed like she was holding back her own anger to let me calm down first. She was furious after knowing everything. She threatened to break Ethan’s legs for hurting me. She looked so angry and scary right now; I didn’t even recognize my best friend anymore.

“I will kill him, Harper! I’ll fucking break his legs and send him to the hospital to be with his first love. They can both share the same ward and even sleep on the same bed for all I care. How could he do this to you after all the love and care you showed him? You don’t deserve such treatment; I won’t let him get away with this.” She vented, threatening to hurt him and everyone involved.

“I’ll run him over in the street; I’ll kill Ethan for lying to you and using you as a replacement for his lover. He has no idea who he’s messing with; he has just crossed the fucking line! He sure picked the wrong girl to mess with! I’ll make him regret the day he crossed paths with you and decided to use you as a replacement for his lover. And as for Serena and Emma, I’ll teach them a lesson. They won’t get away with this, Harper. I won’t let them off easily!” she continued angrily. The intensity of her words began to overwhelm me; I had never seen her this way before. It looked so scary that I had to beg her to calm down before she did something crazy that we would both regret.

“Kill Ethan? Are you insane, Kate? For fuck’s sake, he is still my husband. Besides, I can’t let you commit such a crime for my sake and end up in jail. I won’t let you hurt Ethan or the girls; I can’t let you get in trouble because of me. They are not worth it!” I told her firmly, trying to redirect her anger.

“Are you saying we should let it go so you can return home and continue being a good wife to Ethan? Are you fucking kidding me right now? Are you insane, Harper? How can you be so blinded by your love for Ethan? Why do you still love him so much after what he has done?” she inquired furiously.

“I fell in love with him, Kate, and that’s why I married him. Besides, I’m not saying I will let them get away with what they did to me; I just don’t want you to do something crazy that would get you in trouble. I can’t bear the thought of losing you or watching you get hurt for my sake. I will deal with my husband in my own way; just let me handle it. Promise me, Kate. Promise me that you will stay back and let me handle this matter the way I want. You will not do anything stupid, and you will not hurt anyone.” I told her sternly, watching her squint her eyes in thought as she struggled with the idea of me handling this alone.

“You know I will never forgive myself if something happens to you, right?” I asked her, earning a smile from her.

“Having you by my side as my friend is the best thing that has ever happened to me. You have no idea how relieved I feel after sharing my problems with you. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I confessed, my eyes tearing up again. She came forward and engulfed me in a bear hug, crying with me as she led me to sit on the couch. She held me until I stopped crying.

“I’m sorry, Harper; I shouldn't have upset you with my anger. Fine, I won’t hurt anyone; I promise. But I’ve got my eyes on them, especially on those ladies.” She admitted, making me smile warmly at her determination. She stayed with me on the couch, trying to help me regain control over my emotions. I felt relieved with Kate around me, and I was grateful to have stopped her “murder intentions.” It would have been a disaster.

“So, what’s the plan, Harper? What are you going to do now?” she asked, looking me straight in the eyes.

“I don’t know, Kate; I feel so lost and confused. Especially with the baby—how am I supposed to tell him that I’m pregnant after all this? How do I share my thoughts and feelings with someone who betrayed me?” I asked her, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill again.

“Oh my God, Harper! You are pregnant! I’m going to be an aunt soon! Why didn’t you tell me about your pregnancy, Harper? I’m so mad at you; come here!” she yelled excitedly, pulling me in for another hug, but doing it more carefully to protect my baby.

“I'm so confused, Kate. You know how I had to grow up without a dad after my father died early. I don’t want that for my baby; I don’t want my baby to grow up without a father. I can’t do this without Ethan; I need him, Kate; I really do,” I admitted sadly, thinking about the child growing inside me. Just then, my phone rang, and I checked to see that it was Ethan again. He had been calling me, but I had no energy to deal with him right now. I was about to reject his call again, but Kate snatched the phone from me and answered in my stead, raining down curses on his head.

“You asshole!

You fucking bastard!

You are so lucky that Harper doesn’t want me to cause more problems. I would have taught you a huge lesson. I would have hit you with my car and broken your fucking legs, idiot!” she yelled at the top of her voice, berating him. I was so shocked by her actions that I just sat there staring at her in surprise, like, didn’t she just promise to behave?

“What?” she asked me when she ended the call.

“I said I wouldn’t hurt him; I didn’t promise not to abuse him and give him a piece of my mind, did I?” she asked, laughing at her own words.

“Besides, I can always get Liam to step in and fight for you. You do know that Liam is back in town, right?” she mentioned suddenly, reminding me that Liam was back in town.