I open it with a heavy heart, finding pictures of what looks like a beautiful woman once, lying cold on the floor. Her lips purple blue, her skin ashen grey. My stomach heaves at each angle of pictures taken and wonders how this woman connects to Luke or me for that matter.
At last, I come across a newspaper where the woman fits into the picture along with Luke.
Each word is like a knife being stab on me.
Unable to hold it anymore, I throw the empty content of my stomach until I can't anymore.
Chapter Twelve
Olivia
A year later…
My stupidity got me knock-up and heart broken, but it only lasts too long for me to bounce back on my feet. But my bundle of joy pulls me back to life. I realize when I nearly lose my daughter that I have to wake up from my delusion. My daughter needs me, and that's when I finally realize that there's use of crying my heart out for nonsense.
Luke makes it obvious that he has nothing to do with me or our daughter. Swallowing my pride, for the sake of my daughter, I contact him. He's apparently drunk, telling me he has no connection with me or my baby. Just when thought that my wound cannot be anymore beat a new, he goes ahead and beat at it far worse.
Austin helps me move forward. He finds us a secure place to settle and keeps us fed. He drops by now and then to inquire if we're holding up or if there's anything else he can do which is a sweetheart of him. He'll have nothing of my reassurance, and so I just let him do what he always does. My daughter's very fond of him in fact.
After a year that goes by, the last person I expect to see is him. I mean, I do see him in entertainment news now and then as well as in magazines but never again in person. I just finish buying milk formula and diaper when a hand grabs me by the elbow. My immediate reaction is to call for help, but one word from him and the fight drains out of me.
He spins me around, making me glimpse for the first time in forever those swirling mists of in between grey and icy blue orbs.
"I need to talk to you."
A dry, humorless laugh escapes my lips. "Now you want to talk?"
He regards me with a long hard look before deciding to throw me over his shoulder like he uses to do in the past, not caring of the little audience that he draws.
I gain a lot of weights after Ophelia, but he carries me as if I weigh the same as before. He deposits me on his black sports car and quickly got around the other side to lock us in. I'm too shocked to come up with an idea to escape. As he drives away, all I can think of is my daughter.
*
Luke turns off my phone, leaving me with no means of communicating from the outside world but his fortress. His opens the door with me beating his back and him spamming me on the buttocks. She jumps in surprise but asks nothing but offer her assistance in any way.
"Have a long vacation, Ms. Delhia until I summon you."
I scowl at his choice of word, glaring at him. Delhia silently slips upstairs and comes back a moment later with a few of her things with that she's out of the door.
He locks the door, making my heart drums like crazy.
I keep looking at my phone in his pocket thinking of a way to get it from him and yet at the same time not wanting to put the spotlight on my daughter. He makes it clear that he's nothing to do with my daughter. Why he's bugging me now, I don't know.
Running his hand through his hair, a habit he never really takes off.
"How do I begin, Olivia?"
Even after all this time, I can't help but shiver at the mention of my name in those sinful lips that whispers dirty promises on my ears after a satiating love making.
I purse my lips tight, refusing to talk.
He sighs, loosening his neck tie and unbuttoning the first three buttons of his dark polo. He rolls the sleeves up as if getting ready for a fight.
"I have a lot to set right, but that won't begin until I have you compliant and all ears."
I should have known that he'll use everything in his power to get what he wants...
*