Chapter One Hundred and ThreeKarmaSebastianMy heart was filled with so much excitement. It had been over a month since I confessed my love to Olivia, and it really felt like the heavy burden and weight that were on my mind before had been replaced with joy and continuous excitement.Every single day was always filled with excitement. Seeing her and having her by my side filled my heart with happiness. Sometimes I wondered what took me so much time before getting to know how I felt and telling her because I have deprived myself of this happiness.It was her birthday, and I wanted to make it a very special one for her. I had asked her friend, Edie, and he was the one who told me about Olivia’s birthday and things she loved to do on that day. I promised him that I would make the day one of the best for her.“I got a really beautiful dress for you. I’ll go get it now, and you’ll go change into it and join us for the party later.”I smiled and kissed her softly on her forehead, my hand
Chapter One Hundred And FourGiving UpOlivia"Bert? I wasn’t sure if I was seeing right, if it was because of what was happening to me or something else, because it’s been long years since I saw Bert last.I was still wondering until I heard him call me by the pet name he gave me. “Vivi?” He moved closer to me. “Is that you? Is this really you?” He held me by my shoulder.I nodded at him, sure that the one standing in my front was Bert, my stepbrother. Bert had been deployed for years and I have had to deal with Sara and Mitchie all by myself. When he was still here, he would help and support me whenever Sara and Mitchie tried to maltreat him.I had it hard when he was gone, but he was back now and I just couldn’t contain my happiness.“Bert.” I murmured.“I have been looking for you since I got back, Olivia, but mom never told you where you were, I tried to ask dad, but you know.” He held my hands. “Where have you been?”I sighed. “Sara got me married.” I began, “it is really a long
Chapter One Hundred And FiveThe First TrialSebastianStepping out of the van and standing in front of the courtroom made my heart raced, it felt like I had seen this before, like I had seen this scene before, just like I saw it all coming but didn’t act well enough to avoid it.I knew there was no other way out now, I would have to face the truth and accept whatever punishment they give to me, because I deserve it all. I stared at my handcuffed hands, this was what I was scared of, this was the reason I tried to stay away from any other woman and even Olivia for those months after our marriage.Now, I was face to face with my fear, I was facing my reality and there was no escape for me. If only I had told everyone the truth about what happened then, if I had told them what happened that night, maybe it would have been easier to get away from this, but now, there was no way out.“Come on.” The cop said and grabbed my hand, dragging me into the courtroom.At the door, we met with Sop
Chapter One Hundred And SixThe Truth Behind The Night 1Olivia“Sebastian!” I stood up and rushed to him as soon as he was brought into the waiting room.I didn’t know he kept avoiding eyes contact with me throughout the trial, he didn’t even look at me once and that kept tearing my heart apart.“Why did you do that, Olivia?” He asked and I could see the pain and hopelessness in his eyes. “Why did you have them adjourn the case?” He asked.“We did it because of you, we know there is something suspicious about this case and we need to find that.” Attorney Fred said.“He is right, Sebastian, we need to bring you out of here.” I added.“You shouldn’t have done that, Olivia.” He shook his head and took his seat. “It wouldn’t change anything, I will still get the same judgment and sentence.” He shook his head again. “Doing this won’t change my fate, Olivia.”“But we still have to try, you can’t just let you get punished for what you didn’t do.”“I did it.” He said briskly. “I did it all,
Chapter One Hundred And SevenThe Truth Behind The Night 2OliviaGetting back to the quiet and empty home, I left Edie and Bert standing in the main room and rushed up, not considering my condition.There was no importance of my condition and life is Sebastian wasn’t there, I had grown too fond of him that living without him seemed so impossible, I couldn’t imagine that. After we made up and began to live a happy and fulfilling life, I never imagined staying without him, it never came to me that there might be a time I wouldn’t be able to be with him, I would have planned and thought about how to deal with it.But who would wish bad on themselves? I got to the room and stopped for some minutes, resting on the door as I tried to catch my breath. Even though my life or my baby would be of no importance if Sebastian wasn’t there because he was the one made me, I still had to look after myself and the baby.I knew I would get something that would help him out from there, I knew I would
Chapter One Hundred And EightThe Final HearingOliviaBert had refused to go home the previous night, he stated that he wouldn’t be calm after leaving me all alone. I was glad that he was here, because it wouldn’t have been easy or even the same without him, I was grateful to him.He was always there for me, unlike my stepmom and stepsister, they weren’t even bothered about what was going on in my family, they didn’t even call me once to ask how it was all going. I hope that someday they would realize their mistakes and apologize for it.“Good morning, Vivi.” Bert came out of the room and pulled me into his embrace.I felt so calm and safe with him. Even though Bert was much more younger than me, he had that leading ability and aura that made him feel like an elder brother to me, maybe because of his gender, but he had always been protective and supporting.“How are you?” He asked and I nodded at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to eat anything before we leave? You know you have to
Chapter One Hundred And NineSorrows. Prayers.SebastianI shook my head, struggled, and pinched myself. I closed and opened my eyes, blinked several times just to be sure that I wasn’t seeing and making up things, that what I watched was real, that what I heard was the truth, but it was hard.How could Sophia do this to me? I felt more miserable than before, I felt dumb and used. How could I have believed all that she showed me for love? I could remember how she was so persistent, how she kept on asking the pins and passcode of everything I possessed; I thought she was just curious.How could I have been so dumb? I hung my head; I thought I possessed so much authority, I thought I was a man people looked up to, but I was nothing. I was just an empty barrel, someone who would mistake obsession for love, one who could be easily manipulated.I had never felt vulnerable in my entire life, but watching all that, I realized that I had been more than vulnerable; I also played dumb. After I
Chapter One Hundred And Ten The Surrogate MotherSebastianI could no longer hold back; I had to see her, I had to see for myself that the doctors were saying the truth because I still couldn’t believe it. I jumped up from the floor and pushed the door to the ward room open. I met one of the nurses there who was trying to cover her up.“Stop!” I yelled and pushed her away. “She’s not dead; she can’t be dead. She is just sleeping; she is just trying to scare me.” I fell beside her and held her hand.The coldness of her head, the now stiff limbs and closed eyes, her pale face and dry lips, the flat and steady tone of the pulse rate monitor, all of that was a testament to my emptiness. She was gone like they said, and I was left to figure myself out.“No! Olivia!” I screamed out, tears gushing down my eyes.I shook my head multiple times, I pinched myself countless times; it couldn’t be true. It was just a terrible nightmare that I could still wake up from.“Please don’t punish me this