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40: I’m just pretending
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2020-12-02 08:36:00Back at the apartment, I feel restless, I walk from the living room to the dining room and back, over and over again. I’m biting my nails, I can’t help it. I hid the bottle of pills inside my makeup bag, I’m still not sure what I want to do with it. That’s the reason I feel so nervous, the presence of the bottle in the apartment has me on the edge. I was going to toss the pills down the toilet, but my mom’s words kept ringing in my mind, ‘do it for your brother’, she really hit a tender spot with that sentence and now I feel torn apart, unsure of what to do. I don’t want to become a criminal just like the rest of them, but I a
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Flowers for Olivia 41: The Airport
Our flight to Rio de Janeiro leaves in an hour. Since we are taking a private jet, I was foolish enough to think we wouldn’t go through airport security, but, apparently, there was an incident last week in one of the private flights and they now are scanning everyone’s belongings so, here we are waiting in line to have our luggage checked. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to control myself, my palms are so sweaty my handbag keeps slipping from my hands. I put the pills inside an empty Ibuprofen bottle and the idea of getting caught makes me sick to my stomach. I’m so frightened I’m almost shakin
Last Updated : 2020-12-05Flowers for Olivia 42 Aunt Agatha
Stefan keeps on driving until we leave Rio de Janeiro behind us, the sun is setting as we exit, the night falls while we drive through a two-way road surrounded by what appears to be the rainforest. The trees on the side of the road are the tallest I’ve ever seen and the vegetation is so thick it’s hard to see inside the rainforest, even with the streetlights. There are few cars circulating on this road and they become fewer as we drive further. At one point, we exit the paved road and enter an almost hidden dirt track. The jeep jumps up and down due to the numerous potholes along the way, there’s no street lighting here, only more and more trees and plants.
Last Updated : 2020-12-07Flowers for Olivia 43 A heartless man
Our bags are already in our room at the foot of the king-size bed.“I’m jumping in the shower; do you want to join me?” Stefan asks as he takes off his shirt.“No, thanks,” I reply as I take off my shoes.
Last Updated : 2020-12-09Flowers for Olivia 44: The good girl is gone
“Doll, I’m so sorry about that,” Stefan exclaims the minute we reach our bedroom. “Don’t mind him, my father was way out of line.”“Whatever... don’t worry, you put up with a lot of crap from my mom, I guess it’s my turn to deal with your hostile parent,” I reply feeling dispirited.“Oh, no, doll. You don’t have to put up with anything, I’ll talk to him, don’t worry, I won’t allow this to happen again,”
Last Updated : 2020-12-11Flowers for Olivia 45: Not as bad as thought
I barely contain a scream when someone pulls me by the arm back to the dining room. It’s Agatha who is pulling me as hard as she can with an unfriendly expression on her face, then she gestures me to keep quiet. I feel a chill in my body. She just saw me spying on his brother and nephew. Is she going to rat me out? I’m supposed to be pretending to be innocent and naive, if they realize I’m spying on them I won’t seem so innocent. I may have put the whole plan in danger.“You know how much trouble you can get into for doing that? If Romano realizes you are eavesdropping he is going to lose it! My brother is an angry man with very little patience and he already has a poor
Last Updated : 2020-12-13Flowers for Olivia 46 Getting ready for revenge
I sleep like a baby and when I wake up I feel rested and in a good mood. This mansion is beautiful, it’s almost hard to remember that it is the hiding place of my worst enemy. I most keep that in mind, this is not a vacation resort and I am not on a Holiday break, I’m on a mission. Stefan seems in a better mood too. I’m glad he is already over his father’s harsh words.
Last Updated : 2020-12-15Flowers for Olivia 47 A brother just like mine
We go downstairs to the dining room, but dinner is still not ready, for some reason, Agatha wants us to wait until midnight to eat. Instead, she takes us to the library, where the rest of the family is gathered, including Romano who is once again drinking scotch. He makes a grimace when he sees me come in and then looks the other way, ignoring my presence. Nonna Julia waves at me so I get close to her, I walk pass Romano ignoring him just as he is ignoring me.“I know we are supposed to wait until tomorrow to exchange gifts, but I’m old and I don’t like to wait. I knitted this for your baby,”
Last Updated : 2020-12-17Flowers for Olivia 48 The Attack
I still feel full from all the food that we ate last night, but that doesn’t stop nonna from serving me a big portion of scrambled eggs and potatoes. Romano is not having breakfast with us, so at least we get to have a harmonious morning. Unfortunately, my joy doesn’t last long. “Lucas is going to the docks to see the shipment off. I suggest you go with him, you know what to do.” Romano says as he walks in the room followed by a
Last Updated : 2020-12-19
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Flowers for Olivia Epilogue
I light the big Buzz Lightyear shaped candle on top of the carrot cake Agatha made. Alex loves Buzz Lightyear, so our house is full of toys and stuff from that cartoon character. He likes it so much we were afraid his first word would be Buzz, luckily it wasn’t, it was “dad”. He is even wearing a Buzz t-shirt that I bought especially for him to wear today on his 1st birthday. I step out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Alex gasp excited as he sees the candle, he is sitting on his dad’s lap. Agatha starts to sing happy birthday at the top of her lungs. Rebecca and Stefan share a mocking smile discreetly and then start to sing along. It has been hard for Rebecca to reconnect with her brother, but she wanted to be part of ba
Flowers for Olivia 54 The kidnap
At dawn, we hear a loud bang followed by multiple shots and a lot of shouting from Romano’s men. We are being attacked. Rebecca and I immediately get to the floor, I cover my baby with my trembling body. A tall man with dark hair comes into the room agitated.“They found us! We have to get out of here, come with me.” He yells at us. “Hurry!”
Flowers for Olivia 53 No limits
On June 21st, I gave birth to a healthy beautiful boy with big blue eyes. Rebecca helped me delivered it, she is an important Gynecologist with her own private practice and she took great care of us. She also hired me as her receptionist and she helps me take care of little Alex whenever I need it.I have to admit, I get sad sometimes that my baby boy is never going to meet his dad, but Rebecca always makes me look on the bright side: we are safe, safe from Romano, saf
Flowers for Olivia 52 The Escape
Luckily, Romano’s men don’t come with us to Rio, only Diogo, Agatha’s driver, and bodyguard, accompanies us to the city. We go to a big mall, buy an iced coffee and start going through the different shops. I keep on the defense, in case Agatha starts trying to persuade me to give Romano the information he needs, but she doesn’t even mention the subject, instead, she seems nervous. She constantly looks over her shoulder to check if Diogo is near us, I guess she is scared someone might attack us as they did to Stefan.
Flowers for Olivia 51 Whose side are you on?
I stay in bed until morning comes, I’m overwhelmed by emotions: the loss of my parents, the fear of losing Stefan, and the concern for my own safety. Romano’s men are still standing outside the bedroom door, they haven’t moved an inch. I don't feel safe, they can come in any second and shoot me or do whatever Romano tells them to. I’m completely vulnerable. I can’t be alone, I have to be near Agatha or the grandparents so they can intervene if Romano tries to harm me. I ask the guards to let me go see nonna Julia. They seem reluctant, but finally they agree. They walk next to me to nonna’s bedroom and stay outside the door in case I try to go out. I don’t, I stay with her the entire day. We eat
Flowers for Olivia 50 The Proposal
A week goes by and Stefan's condition has not improved one bit. I resent Romano for not letting me go to the hospital, but at least he hasn’t come near me since the day he ordered his men to go through my belongings, he spends most of his days out of the mansion, probably in the hospital or searching for the people who did this to his son.I’m waiting for Agatha to come back from her daily visit to Stefan when I hear a loud bang on my door.
Flowers for Olivia 49 The Main Suspect
The firsts rays of sunshine slip through the beige curtains, I haven’t slept at all, I feel exhausted, but I can’t stay in bed any longer. My head is going to explode with all the fears and thoughts I’m having. I jump in the shower, wishing that refreshing my body will help me clear my head too, but it doesn’t. My whole body is trembling, I can’t control my nerves. I step out of the shower and hear a lot of noise in the bedroom, I wrap my body in a towel and I peek out the bathroom door to see what’s going on.
Flowers for Olivia 48 The Attack
I still feel full from all the food that we ate last night, but that doesn’t stop nonna from serving me a big portion of scrambled eggs and potatoes. Romano is not having breakfast with us, so at least we get to have a harmonious morning. Unfortunately, my joy doesn’t last long. “Lucas is going to the docks to see the shipment off. I suggest you go with him, you know what to do.” Romano says as he walks in the room followed by a
Flowers for Olivia 47 A brother just like mine
We go downstairs to the dining room, but dinner is still not ready, for some reason, Agatha wants us to wait until midnight to eat. Instead, she takes us to the library, where the rest of the family is gathered, including Romano who is once again drinking scotch. He makes a grimace when he sees me come in and then looks the other way, ignoring my presence. Nonna Julia waves at me so I get close to her, I walk pass Romano ignoring him just as he is ignoring me.“I know we are supposed to wait until tomorrow to exchange gifts, but I’m old and I don’t like to wait. I knitted this for your baby,”
