"Hey, Liv" my brother calls after me.
But I don't stop, I don't want to see him.
Tears spring to my eyes, blurring my vision.
"Liv, I'm sorry" but I'm already out the door, slamming the door pretty loudly in my wake.
My brother apologized, that's a first. It would be amusing if this situation wasn't so serious.
He practically ruined my life. I know he didn't mean to but he did.
I wipe my nose furiously. I'm so mad.
I get in my car and drive off to the one place I know can give me the calm I need.
~∆~
As I walk down to the beach and climb up the rocks, I jump from rock to rock until I reach the biggest rock, the rock I've sat on so many fucked up times, just like now.
I sit and enjoy the view of the bright orange sun just about to meet the water on the horizon. Enjoying the solitude I have, I close my eyes and start to hear the soothing sound of the waves brushing against the rocks.
And just like that I feel myself start to relax.
I feel the sunlight start to warm up my face and arms. Light breeze start to blow my hair to all the wrong places but I don't mind, the breeze feels so cooling on my warmed up skin.
Along with the breeze comes tiny bits of salty sand flying all over, trying to move the hair off my face I get some sand in my mouth and taste the mixture of sand grains and salt but it doesn't bother me.
In the distance I can hear people talking and laughing. Everything seems so serene.
That's why it's my favorite place to be. Just sitting here and watching nature takes it's course. It's so beautiful, mesmerizing. The view just inspires me, there's something..I don't know...spiritual about it.
"Thought I'll find you here" I hear a familiar voice say softly behind me.
I stay quiet, not wanting to ruin the calm. Without even turning I know who it is.
After a few minutes of silence, when I'm completely relaxed, I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off even before I start.
"I'm really sorry, Liv"
"I know" I mutter, without turning to look my brother in the eyes.
"I just wanted to play one last stupid prank. It was stupid of me" he mutters guitily
"Yes it was" I agree but even I know it wasn't totally his fault.
My brother and I have been playing extreme pranks like this on each other for years. He didn't expect this one to end like this, I can't pin all the blame on him.
"Hey, Liv, you know I didn't mean for this to happen right?"
"I know" I assure him softly
"And I'm sorry it did"
"Enough. I've had it with the I'm sorry's. William Hart doesn't apologize. You have a reputation to protect" I scold, turning to glare at him
He laughs a small, bitter laugh.
"You know I love you, right?" He whispers
"What's not to love" I joke
"A lot" he snorts and I know my brother is back.
"Well, at least I'm not a douche with a pretty face" I counter
"Oh, so you agree I've got a pretty face" he smirks
"What is beauty without brains¿" I retort
"Everything, all you need is a smile that can light up a disco ball" he grins, his all-american boyish grin.
"Yeah, whatever" I scoff and face the waves again
"What are you gonna do, Liv?" He asks, all serious
"Ugh, I hate serious Liam" I whine
"Sometimes a big brother has to take charge and protect his baby sister" I hear rather than see his wide grin
"You wish" I scoff "you're only older by a minute"
"Still older, now tell me" he prompts
"Honestly" I breathe "I don't know. One things for sure though, I'm keeping it"
"Good. Didn't think I was gonna let you get rid of my first nephew, did you?"
"Or niece" I supply with a smile
"And his father¿" he furrows his eyebrows
"He's a jerk" I frown
"Oh?"
"He's married" I supply "And he doesn't want the baby"
"Asshole" Liam curses under his breath.
"Yeah, total ass" I voice it out for him with a small smile "but it doesn't matter anyway, I'm keeping my baby. We don't need anything from him"
"No, you don't" he acquiesces then comes over to give me a hug, one arm around my shoulders.
"What about dad?" I voice out what's been tugging at my heart ever since
"He knows" my eyes widen, my brows shoot to the sky as I turn to face him.
He shrugs apologetically.
"And?" I demand
"He just wants you to be fine"
"He's not mad?"
He shakes his head 'no'
"Wow" I shake my head in surprise
"I know. I was shocked too"
"Well, I guess that's one good thing that's happened since dad moved to England" I muse
"Yeah, seems to me like he's over mom" he announces
"Good"
"We'll better get going, it's getting dark" he stands and holds out his hand to help me up.
I swat it away "I'm pregnant not disabled, douche bag"
"You need to learn how to be loved and cherished, you know" he glares at me
"Yeah, whatever" I stand and make my way down the rocks.
"Um, hello" I say into the speaker of my phone as I answer a call from an unsaved number"Good Afternoon, Ms. Hart" a female voice greetsI clear my throat quietly"Good Afternoon" I try to be equally formal in toneI want to ask who am speaking to but decide against it. Whoever it is.. he'll probably tell me anyway."I'm Andrea, secretary to Mr. Trevalyan" she says curtly. Trevalyan? Where have I heard that name before. Before I have a chance to give it more thought though, she continues "Mr. Trevalyan would like to set an appointment to meet with you, when will you be available?"Who the heck is Mr. Trevalyan.I've heard that name before somewhere..I just can't remember where.Think, Liv, Think.And then it dawns on me. It's Anthony Trevalyan. It's the douche who knocked me up.Rage flows through me like lava."Ms. Hart?" The lady spoke again."Listen lady tell your boss that I don't ever want to see him, h
"Do you guys think I should really make an appointment?" I ask my brother and his best friend warily."Yeah, you should, see what he wants and get this over with" Chris says dryly."What do you think he want though?" Liam asks and both Chris and I shrug in response."He did say you were going to talk about whether Tony wants his child or not" Chris chips in with a wary shrug."Um..correction, MY child" I scold, putting emphasis on the MYHe raises his hand in mock surrender "yeah, yours"Make the call, Liv" Liam urges and Chris nods.And that's my cue"Chris, by the way, whose number did you call me with?" I wonder aloud, idly"Ms. Hart?" She picks up, her tone one of surprise"Yes, Andrea, I'd like to make an appointment with your boss now" I say dryly"Oh alright, what time would you prefer?" she asks, trying and failing to hide her shaky voice from her last callShe's obviously still smarting from our l
It's 9:56am when I finally find the Trevalyan Enterprise . At this point, I can't be more grateful for the existence of G****e Map. I hand my car keys to the parking valet, a fine young man with a pretty attractive smile. Walking in to the building, I'm met with rude blonde at the receptionist who calls up Andrea. Andrea is a red-haired super-professional, polite young lady. She leads me up to the very last floor. My nerves suddenly kick in. "Mr. Trevalyan. Ms. Hart has arrived" Andrea says professionally as she pokes her head through a stylish wooden brown door with a tag 'J. Trevalyan' Few seconds later, she's ushering me through the door "Ms. Hart" Mr. Trevalyan beams at me with a subtle smile from behind his work desk. His office is very well decorated. There are only a few details but that's what makes it so nice. The walls are painted white with a few paintings I recognize to be Picasso's. "H
"Liam, I'm getting married" I call casually from the kitchen."Alright, baby sis. To who¿" he calls back, blankly. He probably thinks this is a joke.Who wouldn't? 'I'm getting married' isn't something people just throw around."Anthony Trevalyan"Just that name and the TV turns blank as he strides into the kitchen with a 'stop joking with the devil, Missy' look."Say that again" he murmurs"Anthony" I shrug and look away"What the f**k are you saying, Liv?" he says with gritted teeth.My brother loathes the man.And so do I. But now I have to get married to him."That I'm getting married to Anthony Trevalyan" I say slowly"Where the f**k did this come from?" he breathes out in exasperation. His hands running through his hair. "What did the old man tell you?""That I'm getting married to Anthony Trevalyan" I murmur quietly"Why would you do that?" his voice is a lot more quiet and I know he's trying to
I'm dressed in a long, grey halter neck dress. My housemate, Stella, slept over at some Frat house so I have the apartment all to myself. Stella styled my hair yesterday before she left so I just have to make sure it stays that way. Against my better judgement, I decide on some make up. I stroll into Stella's room and right to her dressing table. I really should get make up of my own but I almost never use it, mostly because it makes my face itch but also because I'm too lazy most of the time. I dab on some foundation- much too little, in hopes to reduce the itching. Powder up my face with Stella's fluffy powder brush, then I opt for a nude, almost unnoticeable eye shadow. Then, with the eye liner, I gradually stroke a line from one corner of my eye to the other and repeat the process for the other side. I groom my brows and fill them with an eyebrow pencil then apply a coat of mascara on my lashes.
It's Saturday. 3 days after my graduation and it's my wedding.Well, fake wedding.I stare at the big, white box delivered this morning that holds my 'wedding dress'.I tear my gaze away from the box and make my way into the bathroom.Taking my time in the bathroom, it's 9:20 by the time I return.The sound of my hair drier soon fills the room.Soon enough, my hair is dry and I gently massage my scalp with my hair cream.Then I head for the white box, excitement bubbling in me.I'm irritated by how excited I am for this dress.Opening it up, I find a really beautiful, silk dress that probably costs a fortune but one glance and I know I'm not wearing that.It's pretty and all but, it's too revealing and I'm pregnant. I can't wear that.'Trust the Trevalyan's to totally f**k this up' I snort"Now I'm talking to myself" I raise my hands in exasperationGoing through every potential wedding dress replacement i
"How was that?" I ask, turning to face Anthony with a shit-eating grin plastered on my lips.Why the heck am I joyed so over-joyed?Surprisingly though, he grins right back "Not bad for a girl"Maybe it won't be total hell living with this guy for a few months after all"A girl? What's that supposed to mean?" I try to frown but fail miserably"Oh nothing" he raises his hand in a 'surrender' gesture"Good. Thought I'd be having your head for my first meal"He chuckles, a light, quiet one laced with amusement "I see I've married a feisty soul""Oh, trust me you don't know yet"He makes no move to leave so I hop out first and turn in the direction of the house but I freeze on the spot as the house comes into full view.It's not a house. Mansion hardly describes it. Palace comes close. It is a series of rectangles constructed of steel and glass. It's unapologetically modern.The sides are polished
"Dad says to give you this" Anthony says in his usual impassive tone as he stretches a brand new IPhone 12 towards me.The phone pack glitters in my eyes and the imaginary sound of a magic wand in a fairy tale movie fills my ears.Tempting as it is though, I have to decline. I will not allow myself to be indebted to these people in any way."No" I say simply and go back to scrolling through my Instagram feed on my iPhone 8.I glance up just in time to see his impassive look morph into one of confusion."What do you mean 'no'?" He mutters, his look and tone impassive once again."Mr. Trevelyan, I'm sure you're not dumb. The word 'no' can be defined as an act or instance of denying or refusing. It is a negative vote or decision. What don't you understand, Sir?" I blink up at him with an innocent smile playing on my lips.He's not the playful guy I met the day I married him. As the days went by he's morphed into something humourless, with
"Rise and shine, you big baby"I'm awoken by Anthony trailing soft kisses all over my face."What a pleasant way to be woken up" I grin "You have my approval to wake me up like this every morning, dear husband"Or is it husband to be now?"I'll be sure to remember that, beautiful wife but right now, you need to take a shower" He pulls me to a sitting position."Need to?" I say, putting a hand to chest in mock horror "so you're saying I stink""I'm just saying" he shrugs, smirking "I know someone who would gladly give you good bath""Oh, really? Just make sure it's a hot guy then we're good" I smile and give him a quick peck on the lips."I think you'll like him very much" he says, pulling me back and deepening the kiss."Will I?" I murmur against his lips."I think you will"Without taking his lips off mine, he lifts me and with me in his arms, he climbs off the bed.Putting me down, he pulls away.
After two more days at the hospital, I'm allowed to go home.Anthony and I stopped by at Liam's apartment first to grab a few things I need.As we approach the mansion gate, it's getting dark outside, memories start to flood my mind and tears spring to my eyes."What's wrong, baby?" He asks, quietly, noticing my change in mood."Nothing" I shake my head, trying and failing to stop my tears from rushing down."Tell me" he orders."It's... Just that the...um, the last time I was here...oh, Anthony, I'm so sorry" I unfasten my seatbelt and turn to face him "...It was so stupid of me to leave you for so long just because... I'm sorry for my childish attitude""Hey, hey" he pauses to give a nod of acknowledgement to the staffs that bow their head in gesture of a greeting "your childish attitude is exactly what got me so into you"A huge grin takes over my tear-stained face "Mr. Trev, are you saying you're into me?" I muse.
There's pain everywhere. Everywhere and everything hurts.I try to move my hands, then my legs but nothing moves. I can't open my eyes either. I hear hushed whispers. I try to make out what they're saying."Her ribs are bruised and she has a hairline fracture to her skull but her vital signs are stable""Why is she unconscious?" Anthony says, his voice filled with agony that makes me want to jump up and give him a hug."Mrs Trevalyan has suffered a major contusion to her head but her brain activity is normal. Just give it some time. She'll wake up soon"Where's Emerald? What happened to my baby?I helplessly try to say something, open my eyes but it's hopeless.A few seconds filled with pain later, unconsciousness starts to claim me again, stealing me away from the pain.I wake again. I'm blind, mute and aching absolutely everywhere. My ey
Violet ventures into the room with a wicked smile on her face."Where's my daughter?" I spit "It's been hours""Relax" she smirks "you'll get to hold your daughter for the last few minutes of your miserable life"I want nothing more than to slap the stupid smirk off her face as she moves closer to me."Violet" I groan."Shut up, b***h" her hand makes contact with my cheek, hard.I wince a little but cover it up and say, dryly "Wow, Violet, you been practicing that, haven't you? I must admit, you've gotten a bit better""I've gotten a lot better, you a*****e" she raises her hand again and this time strikes hard on my other cheek."Just a reminder, I can beat you to a pulp easily" I smirk back."Do that" she pauses, narrowing her eyes at me "and you'll never see your beloved Emerald again"Touché. She has me cornered.Soon, she starts throwing punches and flinging slaps so hard, I actually start to bel
As we exit the bank, we spot the van almost immediately with a lady whose hair is pulled up in a tight ponytail just like mine standing next to it typing away on her phone.As we approach, she raises her head and smiles smugly at the sight of us."I'll take those" she says to the clerks as she opens up the trunk.She stretches out her hand and the clerks look to me for permission.I nod and they hand her the bags one after the other."Great, let's go" she says, icily and I take a deep breath."Thanks a lot" I say to the clerks "I appreciate your help and promise to make it up to you soon"They both nod and scurry off into the bank."Get in" The lady spits, harshly.I rush quickly into the vehicle and slide the door shut."Phone" she groans like I'm stupid.I hand her a phone and she tosses
It's almost eleven a.m as I drive over to Anthony's house to get the chequebook.A few of the staffs who look very surprised to see receive me rather warmly and offer to call Anthony to let him know I'm here.I dismiss them as quick as I could without being rude then quickly make my way to Anthony's home office.It's only when I'm trying to open the drawers, do I realize that I'm shaking with panic.Okay, deep breaths. Relax. You're going to save Emerald.I wrench open one drawer after the other in search of the chequebook.I soon find the right drawer. There are about five chequebooks. Looking through each one, I find the one which has Mr A. Trevalyan and Mrs J. Trevalyan.Now, to go save my baby.Wait, how the hell am I going to carry the money. It must a lot of cash. I'm gonna need a bag or two? How big is five million dollars anyway?I take a deep breath and in a more composed manner, I stride to the bedroom I shared
"You're not going, of course you're not so...we...we should call the boss...tell..." Amanda starts as soon as I end the call with Violet."I'm going" I say simply and she turns red."What...what did you just say? 'Cause I heard something like...""That's what I said, Amanda. I'm going to meet up with Violet" I say again, with confidence.I'm getting my baby back."You can't do that. She won't give her back to you. We have to call the boss, he'll know what to do" she frowns."Anthony?" I spit the name, bitterly "Didn't you hear him? He hates me. He won't care""He doesn't hate you" she argues "...and obviously, he'll care very much"I don't see just how that is obvious but I say nothing.The notification sound goes off on my phone. With my heart racing, I unlock it to read the message.It's the address and
It's only 6 in the morning and I've given Emerald a bath, clothed her and I've had my bath and packed my bags, ready to be picked up by Anthony.I decided to feed Emerald the formula I used to feed her through the feeding tube back at the hospital instead of breast milk so I'm in the kitchen preparing that.I'm done. I rinse my hand and after putting the lid on tight, I rinse the feeding bottle too then using a napkin, I wipe it dry.Then I skip happily to my room where Emerald lies awaiting her food.I walk through the door and take a sit on the bed next to her cradle.Putting the feeder on the bed, I reach out to grab Emerald but she's not there.My baby's not in her cradle, I can't find her. Panicked tears start to rush down my cheeks.Where's my baby?I look up and there's a broken window. How did I not hear that break? Someone kidnapped my child.Oh, no. Emerald. I don't know what to do. Phone. Yes, phon
It's been almost 5 months since I gave birth and we're taking my baby out the incubator today.I'm so excited...to hold her, touch her, breastfeed her directly."Liammmm" I scream."Could you chill out?" He yells back "I'll be out in five.When we're finally in the car, Liam speaks "it's been five months since you left Anthony""Way to ruin my mood, dumbass" I roll my eyes."You left your husband for five months because he was worried about his ex who clearly had injuries and you didn't" he exclaims "do you know how foolish that sounds?""Liam, stop this" I frown."No, because you need to understand just how dumb that is""It wasn't just the fact that he chose to care for her... It was... He never even asked what happened... He concluded that I had caused it... And" my voice drops "...and that hurt my feelings""I know. You were hurt which is why you have to talk to him. Let him know you were hurt and stop this fo