The Ingenious Liam Price

3: Tricked Twice

"Chloe!" Bang, bang, bang.

There was a heavy downpour as Liam pounded his fist on his girlfriend's door. He had been knocking for the past ten minutes but there was no response from her. He could have assumed she wasn't inside but the light showing through the small opening of her window indicated that she was home.

"Chloe, dear, I have nowhere to go. I need your help." He knocked some more and gritted his teeth from the pain he felt in his knuckles. 

Chloe jerked the door open and glared daggers at him. She seemed to be dressed extravagantly more than she did yesterday.

"What do you want here, Liam?" Chloe couldn't hide the contempt in her voice.

"I came to see you," Liam said gently. When he saw the person he loved appear at the door, all his wounds seemed to stop hurting. 

"Now you have," Chloe curled her head aside and made to shut the door in his face when he put his hand on it, to refrain her from closing it.

"Let go," she struggled to push him away but he was stronger than her.

"Please listen to me," Liam implored. He couldn't even think straight. A lot had happened to him in one day, so he was sort of numb to the harsh way she treated him, "Emily's at the hospital, somewhere between life and death. I need some money..." Liam blurted out after gulping.

"Where do you expect me to get that kind of money from? Oh, you've been eyeing my insurance this entire time," Chloe let out a bitter scoff and fake undisguised viciousness flashed through her eyes, "Have you no any shame?"

"It's not true, Chloe! My sister is dying and I need to do everything within my power to save her!" His voice could be heard all across the neighborhood because he was shouting like he had lost all sanity.

Chloe was silent as she observed him. She didn't even budge while he threw a fit, instead, her lips curved up in a sneer.

"I have a solution for you," she rasped out and Liam stopped shouting immediately. He took a rough gulp and regret formed on his face that instant.

"What could that be?" There was so much hope in his eyes when he looked at her.

"Give your heart to hers instead, since you're willing to do anything to save her," Chloe looked him right in the eye as she let this out.

Liam was taken aback at this reply as was still as if he was frozen with ice. He had tolerated all of her disrespect but what she just told him stunned the shit out of his senses.

At this moment, Liam noticed that same Rolls-Royce from yesterday stopped a few meters from Chloe's house. And this time the owner hopped out of the car. It was a man, whose outfit screamed wealth. Then a few cars arrived and stopped right behind his Rolls-Royce.

"Valente!" Liam blinked unsteadily as he watched the woman who he loved, left his side, ran, and jumped on the Rolls-Royce owner.

It felt like a dream to him when the man carried Chloe up, hooked her legs around his waist, and locked lips with her.

If it wasn't the worst day in history for Liam. His day couldn't have been more horrible. There was a continually gaping hole boring violently into his chest.

"Who's this, Cara?" The man who was called Valente asked Chloe, referring to Liam. He had an Italian accent.

"He's my ex-boyfriend," Chloe lied and Liam's jaw touched the ground. This was another stab to his heart.

"Why is he here?" Valente asked Chloe, completely ignoring Liam as if he didn't exist.

"He's been bugging me to return to him when he's as poor as a homeless street panhandler. He cannot even take care of me as you do," Chloe's lip curved upward into a mocking smirk as she looked at Liam.

"Do you want my men to teach him a lesson?" Valente looked at his hefty bodyguards.

"No, honey. Just ignore him," Chloe tried to kiss him once more, whilst he just withdrew his head and she smacked the air with her lips.

Pulling Chloe's hands away from his neck, Valente went to meet Liam who was staring at him like a Zombie in The Walking Dead.

"You should learn to peace out when a woman doesn't want you anymore," he poked Liam's forehead like Liam was a mannequin, whilst his men just laughed.

"I don't know whatever lies she's filled your head with but I am not her ex," Liam spoke up when they were beginning to think he'd just say quietly like a mute.

"Then who are you?" Valente held his gaze.

"Her boyfriend who she's dated for two years," Liam muttered in distaste and bitterness. He was completely broken and it was getting the best of him.

"That's not true, I broke up with him six months ago!" Chloe denied.

Liam looked at Chloe with a raging heart, he couldn't believe she would betray him like this when he had loved her with his entire being. Tried his best to keep her happy, yet she had chosen someone with money over him.

"It's obvious you haven't gotten over Chloe," Valente shot Liam a pitiful look before putting his hand on Liam's shoulder, "Tell me what you want, I'll give it to you so you'll be out of her hair for good."

"I want nothing from you!" Liam shouted.

"Nah, I heard you. You want one million six hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars." He looked at Liam as if he thought he was like a dog, "Does such a small amount of money allow you to pester your ex-girlfriend?"

Valente sent a look to his first bodyguard who immediately opened his Rolls-Royce, and slipped out a black briefcase. He obeyed Valente's command and opened the briefcase, which left Liam astonished. Because he could see the stack of dollars neatly arranged in it

"This is two million bucks," Valente informed Liam before closing the briefcase and holding it out to him, "take it and stay far away from my Cara Mia,"

Liam took two steps back, he didn't know what to do. Take the money that fell from the sky, or choose his dignity.

Valente tossed the suitcase into the air and the dollars fell like raindrops. Chole let out a shriek, and couldn't help but laugh again.

"You funny crown." Chloe said, "Pick them up. You should be glad you are worth so much money as my ex."

Liam knelt in the rain and struggled to pick up the bills that had become dirty. He felt his pride shattering a little as he picked up each bill. But he had no choice.

*

Liam jumped out of the taxi when it stopped in front of the hospital, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him and accidentally bumped into someone when he was a door away from Emily's ward.

Something which pushed Liam to the floor and the impact slid open the briefcase.

And Liam wasn't prepared for the sight he was welcomed with.

Because it wasn't mint dollar notes he saw but heaps of plan sheets carved to the exact shapes as bundles of money. It was too dark just now for him to see clearly.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he cursed as he scrambled on the floor and touched the rest of the money, only to figure out that he was tricked.

Valente had one hundred dollars at the top and bottom of each pile of carved papers.

"God-damnit!" Liam screamed with all his might and it pulled the eyes of patients, doctors, and nurses to him.

His phone rang that moment and he picked it up, before slamming it against his ear.

Valente's harsh bark of laughter could be heard from the other end of the phone.

"How'd you like your surprise, boy? You mistook me for a fool?" He asked Liam who just slammed his phone against the wall in anger.

Too many tricks in one day. First, it was his boss and now it was the boy whom his girlfriend cheated with.

People had made fun of him because he was in dire need of money.

Liam rose to his feet and forked his fingers through his hair, as he paced back and forth. The universe was entirely against him.

And as if to mirror his expression, someone opened the door to Emily's ward and rolled out a stretcher with someone on it.

Liam's steps faltered because he knew it was his sister and what was worse was the fact that her whole body was covered in white sheets, including her face.

"What the fuck is going on!?" Liam put his hand on the stretcher to stop it from moving."

And the person removed his nose mask, revealing himself as Doctor Beistein.

"Tell me!" Liam thundered at the top of his lungs, with his veins bulging out along his neck.

And Doctor Beistein just shook his head at him, with a straight facial expression.

"I'm sorry, Liam. Emily couldn't hold on any longer. She's dead."