CHAPTER THREE

OLIVIA

I don’t stop running until I’m outside the cafe that Jess is at. I stop briefly to catch my breath before pushing the door open.

I’ve never been happier receiving a text from Jess and it was at the perfect moment, just as I was about to seal a deal with the dickhead.

I scoff, good luck was certainly on my side this time. I can’t even begin to imagine what becoming his wife would entail even if it was fake and just for a short period of time. With that attitude of his it is no doubt that no one wants to settle down with him.

When I step into the cafe there’s no one except Jess that is huddled in a corner. I can’t help the wide smile that makes its way onto my face, of cause I had someone I could always count on.

“Jess” I slide into the seat opposite hers. She raises her head but instead of the normal bright smile that is on her face there’s a certain sadness darkness.

“Are you okay? You don’t look so good and I’ve been trying to reach you since forever” I say all at once, taking her hand in mine but she gently pulls it away which makes me even more worried. She isn’t her normal self.

“Liv… I can’t…” she trails off, tears gathering in her eyes.

“Come on tell me what is wrong with you, we’ll fix it together like always” My voice cracks at the end, this was so not what I expected.

Jess breaks into a sob and I go over to her seat and throw my arms around her “Oh honey” I whisper as I rub her arm. She puts her head on my shoulder and clings onto me like her life depended on it.

I can feel my tears drop on my shoulders which makes me shed a few of my own. I never was able to control my tears especially when I saw other people cry, it was a weakness of mine.

We stay like that, hand in hand and cry. I cry because of Jess, I cry because of the pathetic contract that I almost signed and lastly I cry because of this sticky situation I have found myself in.

Maybe if my parents had not abandoned me then I wouldn’t be here struggling to take care of myself. It’s been ten years but it still hurt, that I had parents somewhere in this world that didn’t want me and left me for the worse.

Someone’s doorstep.

I feel Jess shove me gently as she wipes her cheeks furiously “Why are you crying? You don’t even know what happened” her voice is light now so I laugh and clean my own cheeks.

“What can I say? My bestfriend is crying and I have no idea how to make it better” I hold her hand again and this time she doesn’t pull away.

“I’m getting married” she blurts out after a few seconds of silence.

I drop her hand “What do you mean getting married?”

She sniffs “My father set me up with someone, he said it’ll be good for business” she says, avoiding my eyes “I’ve tried to get mum to talk him out of it but he’s not listening, you know how he is”

She’s playing with her fingers while a million thoughts are running through my mind. “But you don’t want to get married, everyone knows that”

Jess rolls her eyes “Everyone but my father. We’ve been arguing all morning that’s why I couldn’t pick your calls”

I but my lip “We have to do something about it…”

Her hand drops to my thigh “There’s nothing that can be done, we’re having dinner together during the weekend” she says, her voice so low I barely hear her.

“You rich people are scary”

She nods “What were you calling for? I never got to read your texts”

I scratch my cheek “Well…Uh…” How do I tell her this same thing for the thousandth time. At this point she must actually be sick of me.

“Are you late on your rent again?”

I sigh “Yes… and I missed my interview at the cafe” I let my head hang low, “I promise this will be the last time, I just need to take care of the rent then get a job”

“Let me get you one at my father’s company” she insists like she did everything my rent came up.

I look away from her “I don’t have all those fancy qualifications Jess, it’ll never work”

“I can talk to my father…”

“He hates me” I remind her “And it wouldn’t be fair to those that actually qualify for the job, you know how I feel about it”

She doesn’t answer “I can’t help you this time Liv” she fumbles with the hem of her gown “Dad blocked all my credit cards and I can’t go to the bank”

My heart drops to my stomach and the relief I felt when I saw her message turns into dread. “What do you mean he blocked your cards?”

“He’s just trying to teach me a lesson because I won’t agree to the marriage, and I don’t know what else to do Liv. I’m really sorry that I can’t help you now, I don’t even know when he’s going to unblock them”

I can tell from her watering eyes that she’s just as frustrated as me so I don’t say what is really on my mind “Don’t worry I’ll figure something out. I’ll talk to my landlady and tell her to extend the deadline”

She squeezes my hand “I’m really sorry Liv, I didn’t know this would happen”

I just nod as she fades into the background and the desperation starts to set in “Ms. Wang would definitely hear me out, I’ll get a job” I mutter to myself, trying to find a solid ground in all these, to find hope.

“What did you say?”. I barely here her question, all I want to do right now is go home and try to get some sleep. I’ll find a way tomorrow, and to think I almost got that twenty thousand dollars now.

I groan and put my head on the table, I should have at least taken the job then discarded it after I confirmed everything with Jess. Why did she even text me at that moment? I want to shake her shoulders and yell at her until all the anger in my system is out but I do none of those things.

I just rub her hand “We’ll be okay”

“I’m really sorry Liv” she apologizes again.

I frown “Stop apologizing Jess, its hurting my feelings and its not like I’m entitled to your money”

“But still…” the door to the cafe opens with a loud thud and men on suits come in. Its clear that they’re here for Jess, her father loved to be dramatic.

“We’re here to take you home ma’am” the one in front says and Jess nods.

“Everything will be alright” She whispers before squeezing my hand one last time and leaving.

I let my head fall back on the table with a thud.

I’m not sure everything was going to be alright anymore.

By the time I drag my feet out of the cafe and into the street my tummy is rumbling heavily, I haven’t even had anything to eat all day. I walk all the way home because I spent my last money going for an interview to be someone’s wife.

And when I almost get the job I run out because I thought Jess was texting to give me the money for my rent. How pathetic of me.

My feet an entire body is hurting when I round the corner to my apartment, the weather is already freezing cold and my tank top is doing nothing to protect me from it.

It’s not until my apartment door comes into view that my world shatters. Everything I own is strewn on the dim lit corridor and although its not much I know what it means.

I’ve been thrown out.

I’m about to call when Ms. Wang when she suddenly comes out of her room.

“Why are my properties outside? I told you I’m going to pay!”

She scoffs, her wrinkled eyes glaring at me “You can barely call these properties…” she looks me up and down “And I’m guessing you still don’t have your rent” she leans on her door.

“I don’t have it now but I’ll have it by next week, I’m going to get a job…”

“You’ve been saying that since you moved here, I can’t take your word for it anymore” her words pierce me heart.

“Well you can’t kick me out now, its late and I have nowhere to go. I’ll leave tomorrow, just let me spend the night here at least” I beg but her stance does not even change.

“I really can’t help you…”

With tears now streaming down my face I slowly put my knees on the floor “Please…I really have nowhere to go”

She looks like she’s about to cave in for a second but shakes her head “I really can’t help you Olivia, you have to find somewhere else” she goes inside and bangs her door.

My entire body slowly falls to the ground, I curl into myself to keep off the cold but I stand no chance. Calling Jess was not an option and her father would never let me step inside his home.

I did the only thing I could.

I cried until I couldn’t anymore. This was really the end for me.

I pack up my bags that barely contained anything and left. As I walked down the street with no destination whatsoever my body became heavier. I was in dire need of food and warmth and especially a place to sleep.

I don’t hear the yelling until hard metal makes contact with my body and I find myself flying across the street before landing on the cold hard ground. I hear nothing but someone running towards me.

What just happened? I needed answers but the dark was calling onto me. There’s a face hovering over me and I recognize it right away before I let the darkness claim me with its cold fingers.

Dickhead.