Dude is up to something. But what? He is going to go all in though. But for what? And at what cost? Let's see where this goes. Thank you so much for reading. Let me know what you think of this chapter. And if you are feeling up to it, maybe leave a review on the main page. <3 <3 <3
___________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.The next morning, I woke up to a complete ruckus in the kitchen.Kelsey's laughter filled the room and the smell of burnt toast filled my nostrils."Mommy, look!" She was standing on a kitchen stool, her small hands holding up a piece of toast that was black on one side. "I made this toast! For the first time ever, I made breakfast!""Meant to poison sewer rats, I suppose?" I muttered to myself, the face of a sewer rat in need of immediate extermination coming to my mind as I grinned at my daughter, my eye twitching as I strained to keep the grimace away. "Well done, monkey! I am so so very proud of you, darling!" "Maybe you should feed the first breakfast you ever made to your Mommy, Kelse," Sarah smirked as she encouraged my daughter to poison me instead of the piece of shit that I had in mind. I glared at my best friend when Kelsey nodded with all the joy in the world. "Yes, yes! Mommy, you get to eat the food I made! Let me pret
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."You can place him right on the center of the bed!" Kelsey clapped excitedly as she directed Jackson to her bed."Alright!" He had his ever-present pleasing smile on his dumb ugly - okay, maybe not so ugly - face as he settled the giant toy on top of her purple fluffy pillows and straightened up, scanning the toy treasure cove that my daughter's bedroom was.His eyes took in the many drawings that my monkey had made and then his eyes lingered on one of the drawings in particular.It was her representation of me as a superwoman with hEro written on the top in her clumsy scrawl.Jackson's eyes softened as he took in the sight. "She is quite the artist, isn't she?"It took me a moment to snap out of my dreadful train of thought and actually realize that he was talking to me. I was in a daze as I nodded. "Yeah... She is really good. At everything she does." "Gets it from her mother, I guess." He replied without missing a beat. I almost s
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.After breakfast, which consisted of many more of my monkey's burnt poison toasts and all three of us collectively stopping her from actually trying out her disastrous culinary creation, Sarah, Kelsey, Jackson, and I filed into his car, with me in the passenger's seat and my girls in the back.It brought back memories.It had been five years, but he was still using the same car—the black SUV that I had brought him on one of his birthdays, the only one which I had celebrated with him.Why was he still using it though? Shouldn't he have thrown this vehicle out just like he had thrown me out of his life?And he already had a child seat installed. Was he actually expecting to take Kelsey out today or did he have a child? I did not have the courage to ask. Kelsey was busy yapping with Sarah. They were always doing that. Sarah's childish side came out whenever her Kelse was around.Jackson seemed to be uncomfortable. He kept on squirming in his s
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Why did I care?No, I didn't care.These two phrases kept on repeating in my head at least a hundred times before Mr. Jackson Reign finally managed to get out of the toilet bowl.I bet he was never going anywhere near Kelsey's toasts ever again."God!" He jumped back, clutching his chest when he took the turn and found me leaning against the wall."I am not a ghost, Mr. Reign." I rolled my eyes as I pushed myself off the wall and turned back to where the ice cream shop was. "Just the ghost of your past." Why the hell do I have to say things like that?Jackson followed me with a sigh. "Olivia, you know that's not true."I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, crossing my arms across my chest, not missing the way his eyes immediately went down to my breasts the moment I did that. "What is not true, Jackson? Also, my eyes are up here." I pointed at them. Jackson looked away for a moment but he had less embarrassment at being caught sta
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."She dropped her phone?" It very well could have been just that but all of a sudden dread filled the pit of my stomach.Jackson looked at the phone in his hand, his eyes widening as he seemed to realize something. "Or she didn't want to be found." He said, his voice low.I smacked him on his arm. "Shut up and stop spewing shit about my best friend."He looked at me with those puppy eyes that I used to melt in. "Olivia, I'm just saying-""There is more chance of them getting kidnapped than my best friend taking off intentionally with my daughter," I told him, my words faltering at the end of the sentence when I understood the fear in the pit of my stomach - were they kidnapped?"Who would kidnap them?" Jackson asked. "It's not like anyone knows that Kelsey is my daughter." I wanted to smack him again but had to rein in my temper. "One, she is not your daughter. And two, the colossal ego on you! She is Daniel Smith's only granddaughter. And
______________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."We are still very much married."My jaw dropped.The world around me seemed to spin, and for a moment, I felt like I might pass out.And I almost did.Jackson's hands shot out to steady me, but I stepped away from him, my body trembling with rage. "How could you?" I whispered."I wanted to tell you," he began, but I didn't let him finish."You had five years, Jackson!" I yelled, my voice causing a few of the mall-goers to turn their attention to us, but I did not care. I couldn't care less about their reaction when I had been hit with two of the biggest horrors of my life at once. "Five years to tell me that we were never really divorced!"Jackson looked at me with pleading eyes, but I was not in the mood to hear his bullshit. "You knew!" I accused him. "You knew and you did not say anything!""Liv-""Don't you dare!" I cut him off, my voice echoing through the mall. "You don't get to call me that. Not after what you've done. And
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Something was amiss.Jackson had been too calm. Too... rehearsed.The Jackson I once thought I knew was anything but calm when it came to his family. Maybe it was because we were not his family, but the way he acted with Kelsey was sending mixed signals. The thought niggled at the back of my mind as I watched him from the car. He walked out of the bank with a duffel bag that was probably stuffed with money. The transaction was simple, but the situation was anything but."Ready?" He asked as he got in and tossed the bad into the backseat.I squared my shoulders and nodded. "As I will ever be."Jackson's eyes stayed on my face for a whole minute even though I refused to look at him before he started the car.The drive to the park was silent, tension crackling in the closed atmosphere of the vehicle. The GPS giving the directions did not help at all.My forehead wrinkled.Of course, he didn't know around the place. He was on the other si
_________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.I did not say a word on the way back home.Should I have told Jackson that Kelsey knew?My mind was racing with a hundred thoughts as we drove back home. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity.But when we reached the parking lot, I felt as if we had reached too fast - that I did not get the time to prepare myself for what was to come.Jackson parked the car and turned to look at me with wariness in his eyes. "Why are you not happy?" He asked.I ignored him and stepped out of the car, my legs feeling like jelly. "We need to talk." I said, walking towards the elevator."What is it?" He asked as he followed me. "I know you are mad. I know you blame me for what happened. But I swear, if I knew something like this was going to happen, then I would have been much more careful than this." I jabbed on the call button of the elevator and then turned to face him with a glare on my face. "Oh, so you do admit that you could have more car
___________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~ ."That's not it."It took everything in me not to throw the foam packing on my monkey and her Daddy."We are trying!" Kelsey whined as she pretended to read the instruction manual for assembling the indoor kennel.Jackson had the tip of his tongue poking out from the side of his lips as he screwed two segments together completely wrong.I sighed frustratedly, Pickles looking up from my lap and then back at the mess that the two were creating."Why don't you both take a break?" I asked. "Have some of the caramel toffee muffins that Ms. Jenkins dropped off and some orange juice from the fridge. Meanwhile, I will just take a look at your handiwork-""No!" Jackson and Kelsey yelled at the same time, each holding a hand up."Why not?" I asked."Everyone knows you are good at this thing, Liv." I still had to get used to him casually calling him Liv again. I wanted to tell him that we had not reached that stage yet but since I had agreed to give th
___________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.I walked into the greenness of the place, the serene sound of the fountain in the corner reaching my years.It was as beautiful as I remembered it.I turned to face Jackson. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"He took a deep breath, his gaze roaming over my face. "I know it's a lot to ask, Olivia, but I am asking to give me another chance."I opened my mouth to disagree immediately but he cut me off with his hand up in the air. "I am not asking you to forgive me. I know that it is not possible for anyone to forgive so easily after what I have done, especially when all I have done is say I am sorry verbally and never did anything to prove that I am sorry through my actions."He took another step closer, his eyes boring into mine. "But I want to be that person now. I want to be the person who shows you, every single day that I am sorry. That I regret everything that happened between us.""Jackson, I-"He cut me off again. "And I
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."Mommy!" The sound of Kelsey's excited voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She was standing in the doorway of my room, her eyes wide with excitement. "Daddy's here!"Jackson?I looked at the huge clock on the wall.It was seven in the morning. What was he doing here this early?I quickly straightened my pajamas and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "What do you mean, Daddy's here?""He's downstairs with Uncle Will!" Kelsey exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. "They brought presents. Santa messed up the orders and dropped some of my presents there!"I blinked, trying to make sense of her words through the fog of sleep. "What are you talking about?""Daddy's downstairs," she repeated, her tone impatient."Why?""It's Christmas, Mommy!"I couldn't believe I had forgotten. It had been so chaotic with the funeral and the aftermath that the holiday had slipped my mind entirely.But as I saw the excitement in Kelsey's eyes, I knew I had to play along."O
_______________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Elena.Jackson's first love.I felt all the pain that I had tucked away in the corner of my heart rush back in full force at the sight of Jackson's first love."Mind your language or I will forget that this is a funeral."Elena raised an eyebrow at me. "You think you can scare me?"I looked at her with a deadpan expression. "I'm not trying to scare you, Elena. I'm just stating the fact that this is a funeral. A place for mourning, not for drama."Her eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer to me. "Don't you dare act all high and mighty! You're just the desperate bitch he settled for because he couldn't have me."I felt my hands clench into fists at my sides. "This isn't the place for this. If you have anything to say to me, say it later."Elena smirked. "Oh, I'll save it for when he realizes his mistake and comes back to me, with his tail between his legs."I raised a brow.So they were really not together?And Jackson had initiated the
________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."I am making this more difficult for you, aren't I?" Jackson asked after dinner with my parents.Kelsey had fallen asleep in my father's arms and he had insisted that we stay for the night.And Jackson had refused to leave, going as far as to threaten to wake Kelsey up if he didn't get to stay.And then he had the audacity to ask me if he was making the situation harder for me.No shit, Sherlock!"Jackson," I hissed, my eyes flashing as I turned around to face him. "You have no idea."I was in the balcony, drinking a cup of chamomile tea. It helped me sleep. I needed it especially after he appeared back in my life."Olivia, we need to talk." I didn't know why he had followed me outside.All I knew was that I really did not want to talk to him now, or ever. But I needed to say this one thing."You are an absolute piece of shit, you know that?" I asked."I know." He made no attempt to defend himself."Do you even know why I am saying this
________________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Kelsey asked me why we were not riding with her Daddy on the way to my parent's house.My Dad was not at all happy to hear that but he kept quiet for the sake of his granddaughter.Jackson followed us in his car.I wondered why he was doing it.Could he not just go to his place? What was the need for coming to a place where even the lawn weed hated him?"Mommy, why is Grandpa mad?" Kelsey looked at me, her voice filled with innocent curiosity."He's not mad, sweetie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "He just has a lot on his mind.""I am mad." My Dad mumbled.I gave him a flat look.Did I really need to verbally remind him that I already had a four-year-old to deal with?Did he have to be stubborn and make things more difficult for me than it already was?"See!" Kelsey pointed out. "I told you Grandpa was mad.""Grandpa won't be mad anymore after I talk to him, monkey. It's grown-up things. You are just a baby. You won't understa
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.The scent of home was something else.It was true that I had uprooted my life and moved across the country, that this was not home to my daughter.But it was where I had grown up, where I had met Jackson, where I had gotten married, where I had fell in love, and where I had felt the most pain.It was a homecoming I was not sure I was ready for.As the plane touched down, my stomach churned with a mix of anxiety and nostalgia.Home.There were two cars waiting for us on the tarmac."Grandpa!" Kelsey yelled as soon as she sighted my father."Dad?" I was confused.I had told my mother that we would talk about where we were staying. Why was he here when we hadn't had that talk yet?Jackson looked over at me. "You didn't tell me Daniel was coming.""He didn't tell me either." I sighed.Jackson took Kelsey's hand and led her down the steps of the plane while I took a moment to compose myself.My father, Daniel Smith, was a man of few words. But h
____________ ...~ ~ ~ J A C K S O N ~ ~ ~."That's not enough, Mommy. Kiss Daddy better." Kelsey demanded.I raised a brow at my daughter's demand.Kiss Daddy better?I really liked that idea."No need for that, monkey." I pretended to be the good guy. "Daddy is not sad. Mommy is right about Daddy not knowing how to tie your hair anyway."Olivia shot me a look that could have frozen the Sahara desert."Kelsey," she said firmly. "Mommy and Daddy are just friends now. No more of that, okay?"I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smirking - try selling that to our daughter, wifey.Come on Kelse, show her whose daughter you are! Get what you want from her!"Mommy!" The stubborn pout was on. "We are not going anywhere until you kiss Daddy."Olivia's eyes shot to me, a silent plea for help.But I was enjoying this too much."Okay, okay, Kelsey," I said, stepping closer to Olivia, my hand on her shoulder. "I guess I can get a kiss from your Mommy for doing a good job on the bu
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.Jackson had texted me earlier in the morning saying that he would pick up us.I was still doing some last-minute packing.Jackson had said that he would take care of accommodation when we got there. But I could always stay at Sarah's.I did not want to stay with my parents.I had not even told them that we were coming, or that Jackson was back in our lives, or that he had dropped the bomb on the status of our marriage.But I knew that I had to.The last thing I wanted was to cause more drama, especially for Kelsey.So, I took a deep breath and picked up the phone to call my mom.Cassandra Smith had not changed one bit in the last five years - she was still the charming socialite and host and overbearing mother, who was never satisfied with what I did.The phone rang for the longest time before she picked up. Knowing that my mother was attached to her hand device like a second skin, I could imagine she was in the company of someone else. And