Oxford, England
"So how are the wedding preparations going, dear?" Auntie Martha asked as soon as she entered Olivia's flat, welcoming herself as if she owned the place. Olivia frowned upon hearing her auntie's welcoming question but immediately gave her a bright smile and a warm hug. Growing up, her Auntie Martha would pay her frequent visits in a year more than her brother ever did.
"Uh we haven't talked about that yet," Olivia said in a flat voice. She thought about planning her wedding with Lance a few times but their schedules never coincide. Over a year, Lance's company doubled in size, and so his schedule was busier than before.
"But it's been a year. How long are you going to hold off the planning?" Auntie Martha asked in a soft voice, almost a hum yet a hint of worry could still be detected. She carefully placed her Hermes bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen to boil water for tea. Olivia was about to reply when an assistant came in with a pile of clothes wrapped in a garment bag. "Oh, that's from Eli. His new collection for you to wear tonight."
"Oh, I can bring that to my room. Thanks." Olivia took the clothes from the assistant, hiding it inside her bedroom. She didn't like strangers entering her bedroom. It was her sacred space that belonged only to her… and Lance if he's around. Once she got out, she replied to her auntie with a question, "Can't I focus on my career first, Auntie? Is there a race to get married that I'm not aware of?"
That's the one excuse that Olivia could think of. How could she say to her auntie that it had been months since Lance visited her, or their phone calls are now shorter and fewer? How could she tell her auntie that she could feel Lance was slowly drifting away from her?
"Ok. Let's change the topic. That's your wedding, that's your problem. But don't forget to sign a prenuptial agreement with him." By this time, Auntie Martha elegantly sat on the dining table, gauging her niece as she contemplated on what she was about to say. She flew to London for one purpose and that was to bring her niece back to Nisia.
"Your grandma is sick and she wanted to see you before… you know. We don't want that to happen but," Auntie Martha brought her hands together as if in prayer and looked at the ceiling before continuing, "...she wanted to see your beautiful face. That's her request."
Olivia pursed her lips, she looked like a child bullied in the playground. Her lips trembled when she remembered her grandma's last visit two years ago before the old woman got bedridden.
"Why don't you come back with grandma to Nisia, Livi?" Grandma's soothing voice made Olivia smile even though the topic of coming home was something she was strongly against with.
"It's not all bad in here, Grandma. And I have to finish my dissertation first too," Olivia replied. Her head lay on her grandma's thigh as she basked on the frail hands that gently combed her hair.
"You can't hide here forever. Nisia is your home. Don't let me die without seeing your beautiful face."
Olivia abruptly stood and stomped her feet, "Grandma! Stop saying nonsense. I will go home after graduation. I promise."
A year after graduation, Olivia stayed in London and never kept her word. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, having second thoughts about going home. She opened her eyes when she realized something and looked at her Auntie Martha with a scrunch on her thick brows, "Where's your luggage, auntie?"
Aunt Martha shrugged her shoulders before she cheekily replied, "I don't need that because you're going home with me right now."
British Airways
First Class lounge
Olivia found a seat near the floor to ceiling window of the lounge. She dialed Lance's number but her call was sent to voicemail. She tried one more time and the same thing happened. Not wanting to surprise him, she left a voicemail letting him know of her arrival.
Behind her table was a group of ladies enjoying their tea. Their gossiping about the latest happening in Nisia made Olivia's ears perk. Olivia listened as the ladies talked softly yet it was enough for her to hear every word that they spoke.
"How's operation Lance?" a lady dressed to the nines asked.
"Nothing," a girl with a big doe eye shyly replied. Her eyes smiled along with her lips, revealing her precious pearly whites, infecting Olivia. Olivia smiled at the lady when their eyes met and moved her gaze back to the paper that she was reading. The sheepish girl sighed then continued, "But he said he likes me too. But he's still engaged to a schoolmate from Oxford though."
Olivia's heart started to pound. She prayed to the gods that those ladies must be talking about a different Lance. What are the chances of having two Lances from Nisia that were engaged to a schoolmate from Oxford, right?
"Oh, that's messy. Does Lance Go have plans of breaking the engagement off?"
The girl with the big doe eyes, whose smile infected Olivia earlier nodded her head. "Yes, he said he does." Unfortunately, she was facing Olivia that Olivia could see how she blushed with the mere mention of the name Lance alone.
Olivia's hand trembled at the revelation. She reached for the teacup on the table and thought about smashing it on that angelic face. However, she was too stunned to even react that she abruptly stood up and knocked over the teacup.
The gossiping ladies turned their heads toward Olivia's way when they heard a cup crash and break on the floor.
"Selena, what a surprise?" Auntie Martha said upon seeing a familiar back.
Before Auntie Martha could reach Olivia's table, her niece took long, hurried strides to the loo. Once Olivia got inside, she splashed her face with water. She looked at the mirror and saw her reflection - her breath, labored. Her ears, read. She looked like a fuming dragon.
She should be sad. She should be crying. Yet no tear fell from her exotic hazel brown eyes.
Olivia's shoulders slowly shook followed by a maniac laugh. She didn't waste time and picked up her phone on the marble vanity, dialing a number after.
"Yes, President?" a lady's voice answered on the first ring.
"Secretary Gail, draft a prenuptial agreement for me. Include 1 billion dollars as a breach of contract."
Soft footsteps brushed on the carpet, a far contrast to the heavy ones when Olivia ran off. Auntie Martha motioned for Olivia to come closer. She wanted her niece to meet girls from the same circle so she could adjust easily in Nisia. After all, Olivia never set foot in the country after her dad left the newborn Olivia under a nanny's care in England.
"Ladies, meet my beautiful niece, Olivia."
One by one, the ladies shook hands with each other and exchanged superficial smiles. When it was Selena's turn to shake hands with Olivia, a sinister smile escaped the latter's lips. Selena got scared for a second before shaking the weird vibe off her mind.
"So, how long are you staying in Nisia, Olivia?" Selena asked, her sweet voice tickling Olivia's ears.
"For good. I'm staying there for good."
Auntie Martha shifted in her seat as she assessed her niece's words. What happened to her Olivia? Who is this imposter? Her brows slowly formed into a worried frown, her face screamed of disagreement with her niece's words. Although she wanted Olivia to stay for good, that decision was premature. She cleared her throat and moved on to a different matter, asking Selena a question.
"I heard about a boy. Now, why don't you spill a little for auntie."
Selena blushed one more time like a high-schooler who experienced love for the first time. She smiled at the prodding harmless auntie and answered, "We're not dating yet, auntie. Just sending each other signals. Oh, and he owns GL.com… One of the youngest billionaires in Nisia." She intentionally left out the part that Lance was engaged to another girl, saving her face from humiliation.
GL.com…
Auntie Martha squinted, her lips in a pout as she thought where she heard or read about that company and she gasped when everything fell into place. She glanced at her niece's way and saw the vengeful fire on Olivia's eyes. Auntie Martha let out soft mocking laugh, covering her mouth to keep herself from laughing louder than she should.
"Well, I wish you eternal happiness with that man," Auntie Martha said as she patted Selena's hand. She leaned on the tufted lounge chair and glanced at her niece with a knowing smile.
GL.com...
Go-Lin.com…
Auntie Martha internally scoffed at Selena's words. What was this silly girl spouting that Lance Go owns that company when technically it belonged to her niece after all the money Olivia pumped to keep it afloat?