He was behind the kidnapping? And what revenge? Why revenge? And apparently, he was in love with her? What's going on? Read on to find out. Comment or review while you are at it. <3 <3 <3
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."How about this?" Kelsey stepped out of her closet wearing a tie dye t-shirt and a purple tutu."Seven out of ten." Sarah said after pretending to inspect the outfit for a moment.I couldn't help but laugh at the expression on my daughter's face. She looked absolutely confused and adorable. "Why not ten?" She asked pouting."Because, my little fashionista, we need something that will make you shine brighter than a star in the sky!" She exclaimed, kneeling down to her level. "Let's keep looking, okay?"Kelsey nodded and disappeared back into the closet, her giggles echoing around the room.Sarah turned to me with a knowing look, her smile disappearing as soon as Kelsey was out of sight. "You okay?""I will be." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "It's just...I can't believe he's back in our lives like this."Sarah nodded solemnly. "I know it's a lot to take in, but we're in this together, Liv. Whatever happens, I'm here for you and Ke
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~.William smirked, looking over at a confused Jackson - or pretending to be confused Jackson - and back at me. "Your husband has been keeping detailed tabs on you since the day you left."I turned to Jackson with a glare on my face."Husband?" Kelsey grabbed my attention with her big confused eyes. "Mommy, you are married? To who?"I looked at her, my heart racing. This was definitely not the time or the place to have this conversation. "We're not married, Kelsey. Not anymore.""But who is your husband?" Kelsey asked. She looked around at Jackson. "Is Daddy your husband?"Jackson cleared his throat, looking at me with a mix of hope and hesitation. "Well, technically, we're still married, Kelsey," he began."But that's not what we are here to talk about, sweetheart," I interjected quickly, cutting him off. "We're here to have a nice dinner and enjoy each other's company, remember?"Kelsey looked back and forth between us, clearly confused by t
_____________...~ ~ ~ O L I V I A ~ ~ ~."She is out like a light," Jackson said as he closed Kelsey's bedroom door behind him."Thanks for carrying her," I murmured, trying to keep my voice steady.Jackson nodded and followed me into the living room."What is it that you want to talk about?" I asked, my arms folded tightly across my chest.Jackson took a deep breath, his eyes on the floor before he looked back up at me. "I know I have a lot to make up for, Olivia. I've been thinking about everything since I saw Mom's letter. And now, with Kelsey... I just want to be in her life. To be there for her in a way I never was for you.""Jackson, this isn't just about you and me anymore," I said firmly. "It's about Kelsey and what's best for her. I need you to understand that."He nodded slowly, taking a step closer. "I do understand. And I'm willing to do whatever it takes to earn your trust back. Both of your trusts."I shook my head. "Nothing is ever going to happen between the two of
_____________...~ ~ ~ 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
____________ ...~ ~ ~ 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 ~ ~ ~.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
________________...~ ~ ~ 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 ~ ~ ~."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 ~ ~ ~."You still do this?" Jackson laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist from the back, making me jump.I still was not comfortable with this but Jackson seemed oblivious to the tension as he fell right back into his old ways. The man's love language was physical touch and words of affirmation.In the last three days, I had caught him almost blurt out 'I love you' several times.Did he love me?Like he said he did when he first showed up.I sighed.I still doubted him, and I felt like all of this affection was a ticking time bomb that was going to go off at any point and ruin everything for everybody."I like traditions," I murmured, focusing on washing the grapes. "And the Spanish one. Not the TikTok one which is all about finding your partner. I don't think my four-year-old is ready for that yet."Jackson chuckled, his breath warm on my neck. "So what are you wishing for this year? Twelve wishes right? For twelve months?"I shrugged,
___________ . . .~ ~ ~ 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
___________________...~ ~ ~ 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