Chapter Forty-eightThe QuestionOlivia“This is the perfect dress for you.” The attendant said to me with a big smile on her face.I looked at the dress in the mirror again, it fit perfectly and it was just as if the dress was made just for me. I had been trying out different dresses and clothes for some minutes now, but this one fit just perfectly.I turned back to the attendant with a big smile on my face, “I’ll like to show this to him.” I stated.She nodded, “of course ma’am, as you wish.”With that, I headed out of the dressing room to go show Sebastian how I looked like. I could still remember what he said to me and how he had made me understand that I could never take the place of his late wife in his life, and I wasn’t even ready to do that, but I just wanted to make my own place.I wanted him to see me for who I was, to see my intentions and not just see the one who wants to take his wife’s place.I got to the waiting room to meet no one, Sebastian was nowhere to be found.
Chapter Forty-eightThe ConnectionOliviaI stared at him, waiting for an answer with my racing heart, what would he say? Would he deny me just like he did then? Would he deny the relationship between us?Even though he didn’t mean all that was happening between us, I was still legally married to him, I was his wife, he shouldn’t be denying me in the presence of outsiders.He cleared his throat and shook his head, “I do not have an answer for your question,” he stated and walked away, leaving the lady and I all alone.The lady moved closer to me and laughed, “can you see? I’m sure you can see for yourself that you mean nothing to that man, why did he have to leave without saying a word? You should know he is not proud of the situation-ship he is in with you.” She said and turned away.She had already gotten to the door before she stopped snd turned back to me, “for your information, that man is mine, and there is no way to take him from me. Have a nice day.” She added and left.A nice
Chapter FiftyA Brief Moment Olivia“W..what do you mean?” I stuttered.I understood what he meant, and what he wanted, but I wasn’t sure of the reason I wanted him to say it, to be straight with his words.“You know what I mean, Olivia.” He murmured, his hand grabbing mine as he pulled the sash of the robe from my hands. “You know what I want.” He continued.I shook my head, still wanting him to come straight and tell me the exact thing he wanted. Even though he tells me what he want, would I allow him? Would I give him the chance to? Even after what I saw earlier that day? Was I supposed to let him have his way with me?But do I really have a choice? Even if I wanted to turn him down, do I have the courage to do that? His touch, his smell, his presence, everything clouded my mind that I was unable to move or say any more word.I could only watch as he pulled the sash down my shoulders, a seductive grin on his face as he completely pulled it down my body, making me step out of it.I
Chapter FiftyThe Morning SexOliviaI woke up the next morning, turning to the other side of the bed to find no one. The kids didn’t come home last night, and Sebastian’s parents sent one of the palace guards to tell us that they agreed to spend the night with them. Sebastian took over again, claiming my body as his and moving inside of me like he belonged there.I remembered how he came into me, filling me completely, how his thrusts threw away all contrary thoughts in my head and made me focus fully on the moment. I remembered how my legs shook, how I held onto him like the only object in a swaying world.Those moments were the best, those moments gave me another idea. Maybe this man really wanted me and was just scared to accept it. Perhaps he felt the same way I was feeling but couldn’t admit it. Just maybe. I wasn’t sure, but I wanted to hope that was it.I stood up from the bed, my legs still shaking from the aftermath of our hot lovemaking. Each step I took made me remember th
Chapter Fifty-threeThe First Day At WorkOliviaI dragged my legs towards the big mirror in the closet, checking out the beautiful dress I wore.It was one of the dresses I picked out the day before and it looked so beautiful and perfect for my body, it seemed as though the dress was made just for me.I smiled as I styled my hair in a back bun, adding a band that completed the color of my dress.I wore a short heels and picked a bag that matched with the dress before heading out of the room, it was my first day at work and I had to look nice. I headed down the stairs and a big smile fell on my face when I saw the kids in the main room, smiles and excitement on their faces as they saw me.They didn’t wait for me to take the last step before rushing to me and wrapping their hands around me.“Olivia!” They chorused.I pulled back, bending to their eyes level, they were already dressed and ready for school. “How are you princesses?” I asked.“We are fine, we missed you and dad.” One of
Chapter Fifty-fourAn Old FriendOliviaI watched as she ran to Sebastian, wrapping her hand around his neck and leaving a kiss all over his face.“I missed you, honey.” She murmured.I shook my head, this was my reality and there was no way out of it, this woman will keep pushing me away and taking the place which was supposed to be mine.The same way she barged into me and pushed me away from the way, that would be the same way she would throw me out of the place I belong to, Sebastian’s home.Sebastian stood up and smiled, but I could see the emotions behind that smile, I could tell that it was faked, but I wondered why it was like that.He seemed to enjoy being with this woman, he seemed to enjoy her company as she gives him everything he wanted, why does he have this expression on his face? Could it be that he was only faking it? I wondered what was going on. Ever since I had been walking in on Sebastian and this woman, I had never taken my time to look at his face and study his
Chapter Fifty-fiveCatching UpOliviaEdie pulled back and held my hand, his eyes widened with surprise and excitement, “Olivia! I can’t believe I’m seeing you again!” He smiled and pulled me back into a tight hug.It had been years, it had been so long since I saw him last. We were still kids, so young when we lose contacts and never got to talk again.Sara had stopped them from coming into our house to visit me, but they would still sneak in. It all stopped when they had to move from our area to another place, it got to me years later that they moved abroad.I was hurt because I had no other friend aside from them, I ended up feeling like an outcast, especially at home where no one wants me.He pulled back again and stared into my eyes, a wide grin on his face. I could see the happiness written all over his face, the excitement and joy that he was seeing me again, it felt satisfying and comforting.For years, no one had looked at me the way Edie was looking at me, no one was happy t
Chapter Fifty-sixMore Than I KnowOlivia“Tell me, Olivia. What happened after we left? Are you really married? Or Did Sara lye to us?”I hung my head, still unable to say a word, I didn’t know what to say to him. I had always held the importance of trust and truth in my relationship with Edie and Edna, and we’ve never lied to each other.I wouldn’t want to spoil that with this, but I still wasn’t sure if it would be okay to tell him the truth or just keep it to myself, considering Sebastian’s warning. Edie grabbed my hand, “what has Sara done to you? What did she do to you when we were gone?” He shook his head, “I knew it! I knew after we left, she would take the chance to treat you whatever way she wanted, because there was no one to stop her.” He raised my head up slowly, “just tell me the truth, Olivia, what did she do? Did she really get you married?” I stared into his eyes, he was always quick to read me through my reaction, he would get to know what was wrong with me even wi
Chapter One Hundred And ThirteenThe Perfect Family 2Olivia“I am glad to finally meet you, father-in-law,” Sebastian bowed.I had never seen him bow for anyone except his parents.“By the time your survey is done and you’re back on your feet, you’ll have to share a drink with me for taking good care of your daughter.”Dad smiled again; his struggle to speak continued.“We should leave now; I can see that you’re heading out,” Bert said, and I nodded at him. “I will see you when you get back.”“You should keep this with you till we see again.” I handed the box over to him.“But you…”“No but, Bert. Keep it with you. We will also head out now.” I responded and turned away immediately because I knew he might want to argue.We got into the car with the kids and headed for the beach resort, which was only known to him. The kids and I sang along with the song that was playing on the radio, and Sebastian eventually joined us. It was such a happy journey to the beach. When the kids stopped si
Chapter One Hundred And TwelveThe Perfect Family 1OliviaThe chirping of the morning birds woke me up from my quality sleep. I opened my eyes one after the other and lay there on the bed for minutes, remembering how sweet and loving my life has been since the past few days.It’s been over a week since all that happened, and we have watched Sophia getting the deserved punishment for what she did to us; she was sentenced to years in jail. I was glad that I got what I wanted at the end of everything, the perfect and loving family I prayed for.I thought I had already lost the child I gave birth to years ago; I thought I was never going to see him. Still, I never knew that the heavens were preparing something special for me. It was just as if these kids came into Sebastian’s world to secure a place for me before bringing me in. Now, I was with my kids and my loving husband, one who would do anything for me.After the ordeal at the hospital, we never heard from Sara and Mitchie again, an
Chapter One Hundred And ElevenThe Biological MotherOliviaThe distant echoes and cries seemed to call me back from a long sleep. I gasped and jumped up; my head made a loud noise as my eyes were hit with the sunlight.Slowly, I laid back on the bed, trying to remember and understand what had happened. My ears were still so blurry, and I could still hear my name like it was being called from a distance. I could see people staring right at me in the face, fanning me and calling on me, but I couldn’t tell who they were; the blurriness in my eyes wouldn’t let me.I closed my eyes back, trying to chase away the blurriness, and when a hand grabbed mine, the warm touch made me open my eyes again, and I could see clearly now. Sebastian and the kids, they were the ones there.“Thank goodness, thank goodness,” I heard him murmur.“Olivia!” The kids chorused.I couldn’t say anything; I tried to remember it all, how I got here and what happened to me, but it was hard. I closed my eyes back, try
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
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 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 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 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 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