Liam's Turmoil

Liam Darrow sat hunched over his desk in the Academy's common study hall, staring at a half-finished essay on "Corporate Governance in Modern Society." The irony wasn't lost on him.

His pen hadn't moved in twenty minutes.

Instead, he kept glancing at his phone, where the same three notifications blinked at him like accusations:

"Your mother has been seen entering Cornelius Holdings."

"Helena Darrow spotted having tea with Vincent Cornelius."

"Sources say the meeting lasted over two hours."

The fat boy beside him—Kaliya Patel—munched loudly on imported spirit-enhanced crackers, completely oblivious to Liam's internal storm.

"Bro, you look like someone stole your cultivation manual," Kaliya said, crumbs falling from his mouth. "What's eating you?"

Liam's jaw tightened. "Nothing."

"Come on, we've been friends since orientation. I know your 'nothing' face. This is your 'someone-needs-to-die' face."

Friends. The word tasted bitter. In his previous life, Kaliya had been one of the first to abandon him when the Cornelius family came down on them like a hammer. The moment things got difficult, this so-called friend had transferred to a different academy, citing "family concerns."

But right now, Kaliya was the only person who'd listen without judgment.

"My mother," Liam said slowly, "met with Vincent Cornelius today."

Kaliya's chewing stopped. "The Vincent Cornelius? CEO of Cornelius Holdings?"

"Yeah."

"Dude, that's... that's actually pretty cool. I mean, your mom's moving up in the world, right?"

Liam's hands clenched into fists. "You don't understand. He's the one who—" He stopped himself. How could he explain that Vincent Cornelius was the man who would destroy their family? That he'd watched his mother waste away because of that man's machinations?

"He's what?" Kaliya pressed.

"He's dangerous," Liam muttered. "She doesn't know what she's getting into."

Kaliya shrugged. "Maybe she does. Your mom's pretty smart, isn't she? Maybe she's playing some long game."

The casual dismissal of his concerns made Liam's blood boil. "She's being manipulated. Can't you see that?"

"Or maybe," Kaliya said, popping another cracker into his mouth, "you're just not used to your mom making decisions without asking your permission."

The words hit like a slap. Liam shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. Several students looked up from their studies.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Kaliya raised his hands defensively. "Nothing, man. Just... you've been pretty protective of her since your dad died. Maybe too protective."

"Too protective?" Liam's voice cracked with indignation. "I'm trying to keep her safe!"

"From what? From success? From opportunity?" Kaliya's voice grew quieter. "Look, I get it. Change is scary. But maybe your mom deserves a chance to be more than just 'Liam's struggling mother,' you know?"

The words stung because they echoed something Liam had been trying not to think about. In his previous life, he'd been so focused on his own pain, his own humiliation, that he'd never considered what his mother might have wanted for herself.

But that didn't matter now. What mattered was that Vincent Cornelius was a snake, and his mother was walking into the serpent's den with a smile on her face.

"You wouldn't understand," Liam said coldly. "Your family's never been targeted by people like him."

Kaliya's expression hardened. "My family's never been important enough to be targeted by anyone. But at least I don't assume the worst about everyone who tries to help us."

Liam grabbed his books and stalked out of the study hall, leaving Kaliya shaking his head behind him.

The Academy's eastern garden was nearly empty at this hour, with only a few students scattered across the benches reading or meditating. Liam found Rina Mehra sitting alone under a flowering jasmine tree, her economics textbook spread across her lap.

She looked up as he approached, her dark eyes widening with what might have been surprise or concern.

"Liam? You look upset."

He sat down beside her without invitation, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Do you think... do you think parents should trust their children's judgment about dangerous people?"

Rina's brow furrowed. "That's a strange question. Why?"

"My mother met with someone today. Someone I don't trust."

"Someone you don't trust, or someone you don't like?"

The question caught him off guard. "What's the difference?"

"Well," Rina said carefully, "not trusting someone usually means you have a good reason. Not liking someone can just be... personal."

Liam stared at her profile, noting the way the afternoon light caught the gold flecks in her brown eyes. In his previous life, he'd been too caught up in his own misery to really appreciate how beautiful she was. This time she will be his.

"What if I told you this person was dangerous? That they've hurt people before?"

"Then I'd ask if you had proof."

"I do," he said immediately. "I know things about him. Things that haven't happened yet, but—"

He caught himself. Rina was looking at him with genuine concern now, and he realized how insane he must sound.

"I mean, I know his reputation. I've heard stories."

"Stories from who?"

Liam hesitated. He couldn't exactly say 'from my previous life' or 'from the future.' But he needed her to understand. He needed someone to believe him.

"From people who've dealt with him before. He's not what he seems, Rina. He's... he's the kind of man who destroys families for sport."

Rina closed her textbook and turned to face him fully. "Liam, you're scaring me a little. This doesn't sound like concern for your mother. This sounds like obsession."

"It's not obsession!" The words came out louder than he intended. Several students glanced their way. "I just... I can't lose her. She's all I have left."

Something in his voice must have reached her, because Rina's expression softened. She reached out and patted his hand gently.

"You're not going to lose her. And even if this man is everything you say he is, your mother is stronger than you think. She survived being married to your father, didn't she?"

The touch of her hand sent warmth up his arm. This was what he'd been hoping for—connection, understanding, someone on his side. But her words weren't what he wanted to hear.

"My father never tried to destroy us," he said quietly.

"Didn't he?" Rina's voice was gentle but pointed. "From what you've told me, he left your mother with almost nothing. He humiliated her publicly with his other wives. He made her feel worthless. How is that not destruction?"

Liam clenched his fists. "That's different. He was weak, not malicious."

"Is it different? Or is it just that you can forgive weakness but not strength?"

The words hit him like a physical blow. He stared at her, this girl he'd planned to protect and marry as his first wife, and realized she was seeing through him in ways that made him deeply uncomfortable.

"I should go," he said abruptly.

"Liam, wait—"

But he was already walking away, his mind churning with confusion and anger. Rina's words echoed in his head, mixing with Kaliya's casual dismissal of his concerns and the image of his mother smiling at Vincent Cornelius.

Nobody understood. Nobody saw the danger coming.

Fine. If they wouldn't listen to warnings, maybe they'd listen to action.

That evening, Liam sat in his dorm room, phone in hand, staring at his mother's contact information. He'd called her three times in the past hour. Each time, it had gone to voicemail.

"Hi, you've reached Helena. I can't take your call right now, but please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."

Her voice sounded... different. More confident. More polished.

It made him sick.

He was about to try calling again when his door burst open. Kaliya stood in the doorway, slightly out of breath and holding a tablet.

"Dude, you need to see this."

"I'm not in the mood—"

"It's about your mom."

Liam's blood ran cold. "What about her?"

Kaliya thrust the tablet at him. On the screen was a news article from Autumnvale Business Weekly:

"CORNELIUS HOLDINGS ANNOUNCES NEW COMMUNITY OUTREACH DIRECTOR"

Vincent Cornelius, CEO of mid-tier corporation Cornelius Holdings, announced today the appointment of Helena Darrow as Director of Community Outreach and Public Relations. Mrs. Darrow, widow of late businessman Elijah Darrow, will oversee the company's charitable initiatives and public image campaigns.

"Mrs. Darrow brings a unique perspective to our organization," Cornelius said in a statement. "Her experience with community challenges and her natural grace make her an ideal advocate for our values."

The appointment comes as Cornelius Holdings faces increased competition from larger corporations in the region, including Annapurna Financial Guild and Meridian Enterprises.

Mrs. Darrow could not be reached for comment.

Liam read the article twice, his hands shaking. She'd taken the job. She'd actually taken the job.

"This is good news, right?" Kaliya said uncertainly. "I mean, your mom's got a real career now. Prestigious company, probably great pay—"

"Mid-tier," Liam said flatly.

"What?"

"The article says 'mid-tier corporation.' Cornelius Holdings isn't some massive empire. It's just... average. One of dozens of companies at that level."

"So?"

"So why is Vincent Cornelius so interested in my mother? Why would a CEO personally recruit someone with no corporate experience for a high-level position?"

Kaliya was quiet for a moment. "Maybe because he likes her?"

"That's what I'm afraid of."

The truth was more complicated than that, but Liam couldn't explain it. In his previous life, Vincent's interest in his mother had been purely strategic—a way to get to him, to control him, to ultimately destroy him. But this time felt different. More personal.

Which somehow made it worse.

"I have to stop this," he said quietly.

"Stop what? Your mom's new job?"

"I have to make her see what he really is."

Kaliya grabbed his arm. "Liam, listen to yourself. You're talking about sabotaging your own mother's career because you have a bad feeling about her boss."

"It's not a feeling. It's knowledge."

"Knowledge of what? Have you ever even met Vincent Cornelius?"

Liam hesitated. "Not exactly."

"Then how do you know he's dangerous?"

"I just... I know."

Kaliya let go of his arm and stepped back. "You know what? You're right. I don't understand. I don't understand how you can claim to love your mother while being so determined to control her choices."

"I'm trying to protect her!"

"From what? From success? From respect? From the chance to be something more than just the woman your father left behind?"

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with accusation and truth.

"Get out," Liam said quietly.

"Liam—"

"Get the fuck out!"

Kaliya shook his head sadly. "I hope you figure out the difference between protection and possession before you lose everyone who cares about you."

He left, closing the door gently behind him.

Liam sat alone in his room, the tablet still glowing with news of his mother's new life. A life that didn't include him. A life that didn't need his protection.

For the first time since his reincarnation, he felt truly alone.

And for the first time, he began to understand why, in his previous life, his mother had stopped fighting for him in the end.