Chapter 5

“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.