chapter 5

The meeting with Rachel was set for a quiet café downtown after work. Liam held my hand tightly as we walked in, his palm slightly sweaty. I squeezed back, trying to steady both of us. Rachel was already there, sitting at a corner table looking polished and confident in a designer blouse. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me beside Liam.

“You brought her?” Rachel said with a sharp laugh. “This is between us, Liam.”

“No,” I replied firmly, sitting down across from her. “It’s between all of us now. Whatever you have to say, say it.”

Liam stayed quiet at first, but his grip on my hand never loosened. Rachel leaned back, stirring her coffee with a smug smile. “Fine. I wanted to warn you, Mia. Liam isn’t the perfect boyfriend he pretends to be. His little… problem? It’s not just stress. There’s a family curse he’s been hiding. His father had the same issue, and it destroyed his parents’ marriage. He’s scared history will repeat.”

Liam tensed beside me. “Rachel, that’s enough. We’re done. I’ve moved on.”

“Have you?” She looked at me. “He’s been seeing a specialist in secret for months. Hiding appointments from you. And there’s more — money he’s been sending to his mother to cover up old family scandals. He’s not impotent because of me, Mia. He’s broken, and he’ll break you too.”

The words hit hard, but I kept my voice calm. “He’s not broken. He’s healing. With me. Whatever his past is, we’re facing it together. Unlike you.”

Rachel’s smile faltered. She stood up, tossing money on the table. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Good luck, Mia. You’ll need it.” She walked out without looking back.

The silence after she left was heavy. Liam looked devastated. “I should have told you about the appointments. And the money… it’s complicated family stuff. I didn’t want to burden you.”

I turned to him, cupping his face. “No more hiding, remember? We’re testing this together. All of it.”

He pulled me into a tight hug right there in the café. “You’re amazing. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

That night at home, we tried again. After dinner, I led him to the bedroom with no pressure. We kissed slowly, taking our time. His touches grew more confident, his body responding in small but real ways. There was no full breakthrough yet, but the emotional connection felt stronger than ever. We fell asleep holding each other, closer than we had been in a very long time.

The next morning, another anonymous message waited on my phone:

Rachel only told you half the truth. Ask Liam about the real reason he can’t perform… and the child he’s been hiding.

My blood ran cold. A child?

I deleted the message quickly, but the doubt crept in. Liam had opened up more, but was there still a massive secret he wasn’t ready to share?

I was determined to keep testing our love and trust. But this new revelation might be the one that finally broke us.

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