Chapter 2

Olivia

"The flowers are really beautiful, aren't they? Especially when taken care of!" he said while looking at a bunch of roses planted in their backyard.

I smiled at his words and also looked at the beautiful flowers. They were so red. It's a good thing they have these here at their house. I can entertain myself with this while I'm here.

"But no matter how beautiful those roses are, they can still hurt you." I looked at him when he said that, raising my eyebrows.

"Huh?" I asked, looking at him

"Nothing," he replied with a grin.

This is the first time I've talked to Uncle Richard alone. I'm used to just greeting him whenever I see him with daddy. They're friends and business partners. It's just sad that our company failed.

I sighed and caught uncle's attention. He looked at me for a moment before speaking, staring straight at me.

"You know, Olivia? I'm really ashamed of myself." His voice was calm and gentle as he said that.

I sighed again, raising my eyebrows as I looked at him.

"Why?" I asked in confusion.

"Because of this,"

I just quietly looked at him, waiting for him to say what it was. The surroundings weren't too warm, but I could see sweat forming near his temples.

"I'm really ashamed of myself because of the behavior my eldest son is showing. I don't know if my decision of making my son married you was really right. You're so kind! I just hope it doesn't come to a point where I regret all of this!"

I just took a deep breath in response to him and then just looked at the roses around us.

It was quiet. The only things I could feel in was the wind and the tense atmosphere. I could also hear the clinking of the cup as uncle sipped his barako coffee, his favorite just like Daddy's.

I bent down for a moment to fix the strap of my sandals when I suddenly heard a familiar voice. I didn't pay attention to it at first. I continued fixing my sandals.

"Hi, Papa!" a familiar voice said.

After I finished fixing my sandals, I immediately looked up. My eyes widened at what I saw.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?" Matthew asked in surprise, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I was about to ask him what he was doing here too, but then what I heard earlier while fixing my sandals suddenly sank in. Before we could speak, Uncle looked at both of us before asking.

"Do you know each other?" he asked, pointing at us with his finger.

"Yes, Papa! She's my best friend," Matthew quickly answered, looking at his father. Then he turned to me. "What are you doing here, Olivia?"

Instead of me answering, uncle answered for me. I suddenly felt embarrassed because of that.

"Don't you know? She's already your brother's wife! So, you should respect her, huh?!"

"Wife?" Matthew's eyes widened as he shouted, looking at me with raised eyebrows. I could see the surprise on his face.

"Yes, Son! That's right. I tried calling you yesterday but I couldn't reach you. You were unattended. They got married yesterday. But she only moved in now. We were still settling everything."

While Uncle Richard calmly talked to Matthew, I felt embarrassed for myself. I felt like my dignity was being trampled on because of what I discovered. I chose to keep my marriage a secret from him because I knew he wouldn't be happy about it.

But it seems like there's nothing I can do now since his own father revealed the news that should have been kept as a secret. What an opportunity, right? Even if you try to hide something that will ruin your reputation, he will find a way to expose it.

I'm completely ruined in the eyes of my best friend. In the eyes of the only person who has been my friend since I opened my eyes to reality. All I could do was sigh deeply. I just wanted to sink into my seat.

"My phone was shut down and I haven't touched it again. I was only gone for two days but why so much has happened already?" Matthew said seriously while just looking at me. I couldn't look at him. I was so embarrassed.

"We were so busy that I couldn't even message you. But I have sent you the invitation two days ago. Have you checked your email?"

"No,"

"That's why! Right after we planned for their wedding, we immediately sent out invitations through email. I was wondering why you didn't even come home for a while. But forget it, what matters is that you're here now."

Matthew just sighed in response to his father's words. It seems he also admitted his mistake. But I can't change what's happening now. It's embarrassing.

After a few moments, Uncle Richard stood up, holding the cup he drank his coffee from. Before he left, he bid us farewell.

"You take care of Olivia for now, okay? I forgot something to attend to in the office. Take her to your brother's room. I'll go ahead." He said before finally leaving.

As uncle left, I took a deep breath and covered my face with my palms. But that didn't last long as he immediately removed the cover from my face. I gulped as I looked at him.

My heart was beating so fast. I don't know if it's palpitation or if I'm just nervous about what Matthew is going to say to me.

He stood up and excused himself for a moment to bring in his things. He told me to wait outside because we needed to talk.

Nervous as I was, all I could do was sigh and accept whatever Matthew was going to say about the secret he found out about me.