“Livy, Livy.” Olivia heard someone call her name and shaking her a little.
“Livy honey, get up.” A female voice said.
Olivia opened her eyes slowly and saw two figures towering over her. It was a little dizzy at first, but after a few seconds, the picture became clearer. She slowly rose from the bench that had served as her bed the night before and noticed Eliana and William kneeling in front of her.
“Good Gracious! You finally woke up, Olivia.” Eliana exclaimed.
“Why were you sleeping here, Livy?” William inquired, a worried expression on his face.
Because your son assumed I was already in bed and locked the door without even checking on me. Not that it was my fault, but I was severely beaten up by a stranger who could have been a rapist yesterday.
“I woke up early, so I came here to take a breath of fresh air. But I guess I drifted off to sleep.” She said quietly. She shrugged in order to appear casual and convincing.
“All right!” William was still suspicious, but he accepted her lie.
She's gotten quite good at lying after all this time. She is skilled at concealing her emotions. She took her time removing the hood from her head, but she came to a halt when she heard a loud gasp.
'Oh shoot! I forgot I was beaten up, and I might have a bruise on my forehead.' She thought in her head.
It was normal in her home, so she didn't need to hide her face unless she had to go out and act like a perfect girl with a perfect family.
Only if they know!!
“What happened to your forehead?” Eliana cupped Livy’s face, her gaze fixed on her goddaughter’s brow.
“I slipped, and my forehead hit the edge of the bed.” She explained as she lied calmly.
She told you she is a consummate liar.
Eliana touched her forehead and didn’t even flinch. This isn’t the first time she’s been beaten. And this minor bruise is insignificant. She has been through a lot worse. Yet, with just a touch of makeup, her face looks as fresh as ever.
“I will just put some ointment on it, and it will be fine,” Olivia reassured them.
They weren’t sure, but they gave her some space. Olivia respected them for it. She stood up and walked towards the house to her room, but she came to a halt when she saw Caleb in front of her. He may have overheard everything. It makes no difference. She took a deep breath and walked right past him into her room as if nothing had happened.
Olivia shut the door and removed the pouch from her bag. She has quite a big pouch containing numerous medicines and ointments. She has it hidden in her bag. It is noticeable that a typical 17-year-old teen carries a large pouch of medications. She cannot let anyone give her the benefit of the doubt. She has a wide range of drugs, from pain relievers to sleeping pills. Those pills are lethal; if she didn’t use them correctly, she’d be dead and gone forever from this world.
She applied the cream to her bruised forehead. She took her clothes and went to the shower. Olivia could see that it wasn’t just her forehead that was injured, but also her arm and stomach. She ignored the stinging pain that occurred when water came into contact with those marks. She washed herself and put on her clothes.
She wore her usual loose, long-sleeved baggy shirt and leggings. She applied enough makeup to conceal all the purple marks on her face. The majority of them were faded, but there was enough to show that she had been physically abused.
Olivia placed her hair in a ponytail, grabbed her phone and sling bag, and went downstairs.
‘I should have listened to my intuition and checked on Olivia. Thank goodness I awoke early today and unlocked the front door. Otherwise, mom and dad would have discovered she had spent the night in the backyard and slept on the bench.’ Caleb had this thought when he noticed Olivia sleeping on the bench.
He knew something was wrong, which may be why he couldn’t sleep the night properly before. But he must admit that she is good at lying. Too good, in fact. Caleb was taken aback and felt sorry for her. He knows she wasn’t hurt by the bed in the first place because she hadn’t slept on one the day before.
Perhaps she had been beaten.
But by whom?
The worst part is that she didn’t even flinch when his mother touched her bruised forehead. What the hell? Even men withdraw when they are hurt physically. But not for her.
Olivia was on her way to her room when she noticed him. She took a breath and walked away after a few seconds. She most likely went to her room to clean herself. He quietly followed her upstairs. He was just checking to make sure she was okay. He noticed her quietly taking a larger-than-average pouch from her bag. Because she was sitting on the floor on the other side of the bed, he couldn't see her very well. He noticed her applying some sort of ointment to her brow, and she didn't flinch for a second. She got up and went for a shower as if nothing had happened.
He immediately hid when he thought he was about to get caught and went towards his room.
Caleb was consumed by guilt at first. He should have been more careful with her. He should not have left her alone to attend the party in the first place. But she shouldn't have gone to wherever she was going to get drugs. He could be wrong. But why was she beaten up in the first place?
Olivia couldn't have fallen because she wasn't at home. She used the bed as an excuse. She could have said she fell at the party or something, but she didn't. She gave the excuse of a home, which means she was beaten up, maybe by a drug dealer or something, for not having money.
After a few more minutes, Caleb went downstairs and sat on the couch. He noticed Olivia coming down the stairs. The bruise on her forehead had magically disappeared. She might have put on some makeup. He must admit that she is very good at applying cosmetics and concealing bruises.
Then he realized something. Olivia wasn't high to begin. You have to have a side and after effect from drugs. He had seen it with his own eyes, but he didn't find a single flaw in her eyes and on her face. Except for the purple mark on her forehead, she was as normal as a normal human being in the morning.
There is more to this girl than she lets on.
Olivia, who are you? What's the deal with you?
Caleb suspected that he was overthinking things. He should just leave her alone and let her do her thing. But he must give her fair warning before she hurts anyone. His parents adore her, and it would break their hearts if they discovered she is no better than his good-for-nothing brother.
He needs to talk to her and make things clear.
Olivia was delighted today. Not because she was beaten up, but because she met Cameron the day before. His innocent expression always makes her smile. Of course, she cannot support him, but she can be a better and stronger person for him. He is the only person she has left who is of her own blood. She went downstairs and sat with the Knights' family with great enthusiasm. “You look happy now, and you have done a good job hiding your bruise,” Eliana said. “Yes, I suppose you are correct. I feel better now, and I don't want people to know how clumsy I am.” She told her this while nervously laughing. “Are you going somewhere?” William inquired. “Uh, yeah, I am just going for a walk or something. To get some fresh air.” Olivia tried to reason. She didn't want to tell them the truth. “Well, that will be good for you,” William said, smiling. “I hope so.” She quickly ate some toast and drank some orange juice before leaving. She does not want them to question her about her eating habit
Olivia quietly packed all of her belongings. It had only been fifteen minutes since Caleb expressed his views about her. She gathered all of her thoughts and packed her bags. Since she had only two bags, it didn't take her long. It was one in the morning, and it was the perfect time for her to leave this house. She will be eternally grateful to the Knights for allowing her to stay in this house for so long. She greatly admires them for it. Olivia walked downstairs silently with her two bags, making no noises. Finally, she closed the door shut and exited their home for good. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined herself returning to this house. Not anytime soon, but it is the only place she can truly call her own. It was only a ten-minute walk from Knight's house. Olivia had kept the key with her all along. She entered her house after unlocking the door. Yes, indeed! After three long years, she finally entered her home. Tears welled up in her eyes almost immediately. Every mo
“What exactly did you do?” Caleb's mother inquired. She was enraged that her son had done something to cause the poor girl to flee. “I um... I,” Caleb sighed after taking a deep breath. He couldn't bring himself to respond to the question. Olivia has been missing because of him for God knows how long. He didn't have any choice but to tell them the truth. So he told them everything. “Caleb, for the love of God, stop assuming things. I am highly disappointed with you. I never imagined a day when you, of all people, would let me down.” With that, his mother stormed out of the room. But his father sat beside him. “Caleb, not everyone on this planet is like your brother. Yes, indeed! He did unacceptable things. But in the end, he is not a bad person. I'd just say he chose the wrong path. And somewhere along the way, our upbringing was flawed.” With that, his dad, too, left. Caleb went downstairs after a few moments to find his mother pacing in the living room and his father on the phon
Everything was blurry when Olivia opened her eyes. Her head was a little dizzy, and she was suffering from a severe headache. However, when her vision cleared after about five minutes, she saw that she was surrounded by Eliana, William, and, surprisingly, Caleb. “How are you doing, my dear?” Eliana asked her. “Fine, I guess.” She shrugged as if it was nothing. She had previously fainted but had no one to care for her. So she had always woken up alone, having to take care of herself and tend to herself. After William checked her, Eliana went downstairs to cook something for her. “How did I get here?” She wondered to herself. Caleb’s voice startled her. “We got you here. You were unconscious back at that old house.” Oh my goodness!! Eliana and William would have undoubtedly discovered her there. How could she have been so oblivious? So much for her escape plan. “I should have looked for a better place.” She thought to herself. “And get me in more trouble?” Caleb listened, even t
Olivia was looking in the mirror when she noticed a girl with green eyes staring back at her. She was fair-skinned. Things have changed dramatically in the last four years. Livy used to be a happy-go-lucky girl before the whole thing went downhill. Her eyes used to be bright green and twinkled, and her skin used to glow but no longer does. Those happy times in her life had passed her by. She sighed deeply. She misses her old life and wishes she could relive all of the happiness and good times. She wishes to reclaim her happy family. However, not all dreams come true. “May I come in, Honey?” Eliana spoke as she stood at the door to her room. “Of course,” Olivia says. She smiled at her with a tight grin. “How do you feel right now?” “All right, thank you.” “Good. I was thinking, do you want to go shopping before your school starts tomorrow?” “No, thank you, Eliana. I have all the clothes I require. I bought it with my mom about a month ago.” She lowered her gaze. Despit
Olivia got up early to get ready for school. She was surprisingly calm about returning to school here. She wore skinny black jeans and a red full-sleeve check-shirt today. She donned her hair in a ponytail with two strands of hair dangling from it and a bang that covered a portion of her eyes. She applied black eyeliner and a baby pink lip gloss. She paired her outfit with white sneakers. She took her bag and went downstairs once she was satisfied with her appearance. Eliana and William complimented her as she entered the kitchen, and Caleb was enthralled. She can't blame him because she didn't make a good first impression and knew she wasn't a bad-looking person. Caleb was taken aback when he first saw Olivia. He had no idea she'd look this good. Yes, he thought she was cute, but she looked nothing like she did when she came into his life. Caleb had noticed Olivia always wore baggy clothes for the past week. But, this was the first time he saw her dressed normally. Caleb and Olivi
The first two lectures went in a blur for Olivia. Sure, there was lots of whispering during the class, making her squirm as no one expected her to be back. But, since morning, Sia and Mason have been with her. Even Caleb had to be with her because of his best friends, as Sia and Mason were Olivia's long-lost pals as well. The third lecture was about to begin, and Olivia was very excited about it. She was sitting next to Caleb, with Sia and Mason in front of her. “Prof. Drake is one of the best teachers here. And he is a real eye-catcher. You are going to love him.” Sia squealed as she told her. “Trust me, Livy. He is nothing special.” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “Shut up, Mason. Livy, you are going to love him, believe me.” Sia glared at Mason. “If you say so,” Olivia said, a mischievous glint in her eyes that Caleb didn't miss. He'd never seen Olivia like this before. Soon their banter was interrupted by the entrance of Prof. Drake, who would be their Literature teacher. He wa
Olivia went to her locker to keep her books after receiving little comfort from Drake. She was about to leave for the library when Sia grabbed her arm and dragged her to the cafeteria. “I still can't believe you know Prof. Drake.” Sia gushed to her long-lost best friend. All four of them were sitting at the table in the canteen. “It's not that big of a deal. He used to be a substitute teacher at my old school, as he mentioned in class.” She shook her head casually. “Whatever it is. But the look on Jenna's face was hilarious when you and Prof. Drake were flirting. Jenna always tried to do that, but he never retaliated back.” Mason told her. Olivia was about to reply to Mason when she noticed two familiar faces who had been close to her as best friends and with whom she had a special bond. “It's great to see you back, Livy.” Stella and Zack exchanged a sad smile. “It's great to see you all again.” She replied to them. Stella and Zack went in separate directions to sit with their fr