28. A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR.
"How are you feeling?"
Olivia kept the phone in front of her, where she could see her aunt with her legs crossed on top of each other and her usual signature smile across her face. "You know if you don't call me, i will" Agatha whispered and guilt seethed her veins.
"I've just been busy, ma. I'm sorry" Her throat was dry which made her voice a little husky. And Agatha noticed her slightly puffed eyes. "Have you been crying, Olivia?" She asked and it was like one of those moments when you're on the verge of tears and someone tries to comfort you, and it just falls. Everything just falls and your wall shatters. Olivia's walls shattered, and the only other time she'd cried like this was summer camp.
And he was the very reason.
He was the only one that could make her feel this way, that could hurt her so much and she'd still want him. "What is it my baby?" Agatha softly asked like a concerned mother, it was what she was and she knew just about enough to know the tears from love. Her heart sank seeing Olivia this way, especially as she was miles from her. She nodded, placing her hands against her quivering lips.
"It's okay" Agatha leaned forward and Liv turned away. "Have you ever been in love?" There was a crack in her voice as she dropped the L bomb and Agatha was taken aback. "I'm sorry, i know you have but like Uncle Larry, how did you know?" She said.
"How did you know he was the one?"
Her aunt heaved in the deepest breath as she sighed. "You just know, Olivia. I just knew" It didn't take long for water to fill her eyes as well. "It was college and we were young, i was just like you and your mum would joke about how we were so much similar" She chuckled lightly. "And Larry was— Larry was Larry"
"I met him at a dance and he walked up to him. I was shy as hell but he took my hands. And i was wondering what i could possibly say to this stranger. My mind went instantly to talk about dogs because of how much i loved them then and i did. Turned out he had three" They both chuckled as Liv sniffled through her nose.
"I met all of them but that was later. But dancing in his hands, i knew he was the one. No one dared to be as smooth as he was" Liv locked eyes with her. "And he was your first love?" She asked. "I think so, yes. I was one of the privileged ones to get married to their first love but you know it didn't last long" She whispered and Liv nodded softly. "Cancer" Came a subtle whisper.
"Seven years before Larry was diagnosed Leukemia"
"I'm so sorry for bringing this up" Liv sat forward and Agatha waved her hands in the air. "Oh please, i remember him everyday" She whispered. "I think it's what happens with your first love. You don't forget them, and some might say you never get over them, no matter how bad or toxic they might be for you. It's just hard letting them go but you have to" Agatha said.
"You have to, Liv. I did, and Larry was the best person i could've been with. He was the perfect person to spend the rest of my life with but fate had other plans. I had to let go of him" She added.
"I had to stop waiting for him to come home" There was a vicious crack in her voice as a tear slipped down her cheeks. "How did you let go?" She whispered. "You just do, with time" Her voice was subtle enough to penetrate her skull and the inner most chambers of her heart that still wanted him.
It was work.
Because it's harder letting go of someone that was never yours.
-
The sound of her footsteps echoed through the long aisle.
Damien was accompanied by Davis and two other suited men from the parking lot. They made their way through the single metal door in front of them, coming into a dimly lighted room. And for a moment, Amanda locked eyes with her son in the silence.
It was a long walk from the lot into the building and he didn't even know what to expect, all he did was follow the men that already waited for them by the door. "Amanda" He was used to calling her first name and when she looked back at him, Damien pushed a lump down his throat, Luke's words echoing through his ears incessantly since he'd left.
"You waited" He whispered and an arch invaded her brows. Her heels met the ground in elegant fashion and she didn't halt for one second. "What?" Her voice was a mix of delicate and fierce.
"You waited for me?"
"Can we not talk about this right now?" She immediately shunned him, recovering from her breakdown earlier. "This way" One of the other men held upon the door to what seemed to be an even darker chamber and just behind it was a plump fair man, with a protruding stomach and a stick between him and the grounds.
And by Damien's guess, that was—"Mr Raznak" Amanda called out, with wide eyes and he stretched out his hands, as if they hadn't just seen the previous day. And after exchanging pleasantries, he turned to him. "And you must be" He added.
"Damien Archer"
Raznak ignored his outstretched palms and rather, pulled him in for a hug. "The infamous heir to the Archer Empire" He patted his back. "I read all about you. I read all about the both of you" He pulled away, scanning with his eyes, whether there was another guest. "Where is the woman?" His voice filled the room.
"She—" Amanda and Damien's voice collided before she allowed him to speak. "She wasn't prepared when it was time to leave" Damien lied, as if she had an idea of the arrangement. "But i assure you you will be seeing the both of us tomorrow at your charity ball" He stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. Raznak walked all the way round the time, tying his lips in a pout. "Is that so?" He turned to Amanda who shrugged.
"I'm afraid it is" She threw a stern look at Damien who'd almost sabotaged this plan because of whatever had offset his mood. "I don't have the intention to take too much of your time" He sat into his thrown-like chair and picked up the documents in his hand. "As requested, i have gone through your several proposals and prepositions and my final decision is in review" He added.
"However i would like to meet with the heiress, don't you think, Mrs Archer" He let out a incessant laughter which Amanda joined in. "And you will, tomorrow" Her hands met his shoulders and Damien was quick enough to notice the sly gaze that they shared.
Clearing his throat, she backed away, retracting her hands. "You will, Mr Raznak" He added. "I must say—" He paused, pulling out a newspaper. "I had my doubts with the several rumors that took the town of the heiress having another romantic affiliation. But i was never totally swayed" He tossed the paper to him. "And after seeing that, i can't express how glad i am that i wasn't" He picked it up, narrowing his eyes at the headlines before him.
And Damien cleared his throat.
WAY TO PUT AN END TO A SCANDAL.
Amanda peered from above, reading the little wordings that floated beneath. She could see her son was slightly tensed; and her hands immediately met his shoulders, there was a picture of the both of them—photographed in the rain as though they were sharing a kiss and he looked to his mother.
"Archer's son was seen to have rekindled his romance with his stellar beau, amidst vicious rumors of a scandalous affair. We wish them nothing but the very best in the months to come but beware, we have our eyes on yet this absurd, seemingly perfect fair—" He scrunched the edge of the paper, shifting his gaze back to Raznak's half grin. "Looking forward to tomorrow" Came his croaked voice, subtly dipped in a threatening tone.
-
The camera flashed in her swollen eyes, and Olivia hit send to her bestfriend, allowing Alli to see how not-so-smoothly things had been for her the past few days. She walked towards the door, her stomach groaning in hunger.
But the moment she held open her doors, like earlier, she was met with an unfamiliar face. Halting right opposite her was someone she'd never seen in the mansion. With a towel across his bare shoulders and a pacs, and loose pink shorts hanging from his waist. His eyes went down on her before he spoke. "You must be my brother's fiancé" She stretched his palms and Liv looked in quagmire, awkwardly taking his hands.
"Luke?" Came a doubtful whisper once the resemblance clicked and before she knew her, he'd taken a firm grasp of her little hands with a smirk across his face. Slowly, he placed his lips on her moist skin before pulling away. "Luke Archer" He confirmed as Olivia hung her palms between the both of them.
"Olivia Sanders"
His minty scent went up her nose but slowly it dissipated right behind him. And he took off, leaving only her eyes trailing behind him. "Nice to meet you, Olivia" His voice echoed back at her.
And she caught herself in a sly smirk. "You too."
To be continued...