Chapter 3
That night, Liam smelled like liquor. With bloodshot eyes, he had Olivia pinned against the wall.
She stood there, frozen, too scared to even speak. She’d never seen him like this before.
“Olivia,” he said, his voice rough as he grabbed her chin. “Why does it have to be you? Why? I wish you’d never come into my life.”
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She was still trying to make sense of it when his lips came down on hers, hard. Her head spun. ‘Is he out of his mind? How could he do this? Kiss me? This is crazy!‘
“Olivia! Are you even listening?” Maribel’s voice snapped her back to reality.
Olivia took a deep breath and forced herself to sound calm. “Got it, Mom,” she said quietly.
Then she walked to the curb, hailed a cab, and gave the driver the address for the Kline Manor.
It had been years since she’d left the place. Between her job and the time she spent chasing after Neil, she rarely had the chance to visit anymore.
Her phone buzzed in her bag. She pulled it out, expecting a text from Maribel. But to her surprise, it was from Neil.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his name at the top of the screen. She tapped on the message and saw a photo. In a dimly lit booth, a girl was on her tiptoes, kissing Neil on his lips.
A voice message followed: [See this? Women are all over me! If you’re having second thoughts, get over here and apologize.]
Olivia’s chest tightened. She felt a pang of hurt, but she quickly shook it off. She took a deep breath, cursed him inwardly, and then blocked and deleted him in one swift move. Finally, she let out a sigh of relief.
**
In the dimly lit VIP lounge, Neil kept tapping the refresh button, eyes glued to his phone, waiting for Olivia’s reply. Usually, her messages popped up almost instantly. But now, his screen was eerily silent, as if the internet had gone dead.
Neil couldn’t hold back any longer. He typed out another message: [Olivia, I’m not waiting forever. Do you really want to lose me?]
However, the words that popped up on the screen-“Message Failed“—were like a slap in the face. She’d blocked him. The bright screen seemed to mock
him.
‘What? She blocked me?‘ Neil’s hand went numb for a second, and for a moment he couldn’t even think.
They’d had their fair share of fights over the years. There were times when Olivia would cry and scream, calling him a bastard, but she’d never blacked or deleted him–until now.
He remembered her once saying, “I only block people when I’m completely done with them.”
Completely done–the words felt like a knife twist in his gut.
“Hey, Neil!” someone laughed. “Snap out of it. Drink up.”
“Happy birthday, man,” his friends shouted, raising their glasses. “May you score with the ladies, and keep your girl happy too.”
“Wait; where’s Olivia anyway?” someone asked. “Isn’t she supposed to be here by now?”
The teasing made Neil’s eyes narrow. He forced a smirk, pulled the girl closer- the one Olivia had seen in the photo–and said, “Ditched her. Why stick with yesterday’s news when you’ve got today’s headline?”
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Chapter 3
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The car rolled to a stop in front of an opulent villa. Olivia heaved her suitcase out and stood there, taking in the sight. It was both familiar and alien.
This was the place that had once shielded her from life’s hardships. But to her, it had always felt more like a temporary refuge than a true home. That was why she’d moved out right after her SAT.
“Ms. Erwin, welcome back.” Frank, the butler, hurried over with a broad smile.
Olivia offered a faint smile. She was about to speak when Frank glanced to the side and said, “Mr. Kline, it’s been five years since you last saw Ms. Erwin,
hasn’t it?”
His words hit Olivia.
nt
