Five
1324 Words
"Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom," I said, storming out of the room and heading straight for the restroom. The nausea hit me, and I couldn't tell if it was because of my pregnancy or the sight of Jessica and Theo holding hands like that.
Once inside, I leaned over the sink, barely making it to the toilet before emptying my stomach. My breath came in short l as I tried to steady myself. Was this why I had been invited to this dinner? To watch them confess their love in front of Grandpa and get his blessing?
I splashed cold water on my face, taking deep, shaky breaths as I fought to calm my racing heart. My chest hurt, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the sadness that held me.
"I know it hurts, seeing my brother with Jessica," a familiar voice said suddenly.
I turned toward the door and saw Mara standing there, her arms crossed over her chest. Her smirk told me she had come to taunt me, like always.
I grabbed some tissues, wiping my hands and dabbing at my tears. Sniffing, I said, "Not today, Mara."
Maybe it was the seriousness in my voice, or maybe she wasn’t in the mood to push me, but she didn’t say another word.
I walked back toward the dining area, practicing my fake smile over and over, but for some reason, it felt harder to wear this time. By the time I entered the room, the first person I saw was Grandpa. He gave me a warm smile, one so genuine that I couldn’t help but return it. For the first time tonight, my smile wasn’t forced.
"Olivia, come sit next to Grandpa. It’s been so long since we have shared a meal together," Grandpa said, his voice warm but authoritative.
I walked over, flashing him another smile as I sat down. He patted my hand and grinned. "Olivia, you are the only granddaughter-in-law I approve of!" His tone grew serious as he glanced at Theo and Jessica, who sat stiffly across the table. "If someone has to leave the Wellington family, it should be the shameless mistress and that irresponsible jerk!"
Jessica’s face crumpled as if on cue, tears welling up in her eyes. "Grandpa, we truly love each other," she said, her voice shaking. "Theo and I were together before he got married. If you hadn’t broken us up…."
I almost rolled my eyes. Where were these sudden tears coming from? She was faker than I thought. Or maybe I was the fake one, the bad one, for getting in the way of such a pure and loving union.
"There’s no need to make this worse, Father," my mother-in-law began, but Grandpa cut her off with a slap of his hand on the table.
"You!" he spat, his voice rising. "You came uninvited to ruin this reunion dinner, and now you dare to disrespect the elders like this!"
Jessica flinched, and Theo quickly jumped to her defense. "Grandpa, I will make things right with Olivia. But matters of the heart can’t be forced. Why should I keep her trapped in a marriage when my heart belongs to someone else?"
The awkwardness in the room was suffocating, and I could feel all eyes on me.
"What do you mean, ‘can’t be forced’?" Grandpa shouted, his face red with fury. "You must be blind if you think this woman is worth anything!"
"Grandpa..." Mara called out softly, trying to ease the atmosphere.
Seeing Grandpa’s heaving with anger, I quickly scooped some soup into his bowl, gently patting his back. "Grandpa, if you are upset, the meal won’t taste good," I said with a small smile. "Didn’t we agree to have a nice dinner together?"
He looked at me, his expression still tense, but his features slowly softened. I held his hand gently and added, "Let’s just have a peaceful dinner. We can figure all this out later, okay?"
Grandpa stared at me for a moment, his anger visibly calming down. Finally, he grumbled, "Fine." He shot a warning glance around the table. "Let’s keep things civil. We will deal with this later."
The looks everyone gave me, except for Theo, who wouldn’t even glance in my direction, as if looking at me might kill him—were enough to kill what little appetite I had left.
Thankfully, the dinner ended faster than I thought it would, and when it was finally over, I felt a huge sense of relief.
"Come with me," Grandpa said, pushing back his chair as he stood.
I took a deep breath, following him closely, my steps slow as I caught a glimpse of the angry stares aimed at my back
I quickly looked away and followed Grandpa closely. When we reached his study, he gestured for me to sit. I smiled weakly, settling into the chair while he sat in the one across from me.
“Are you sure?” he asked with concern. He paused before adding, “Are you sure this is a good idea? If you don’t want to leave, no one will force you. Think wisely.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I met Grandpa’s gaze. The sight of my pain seemed to break his heart, and he reached out, holding my hand gently.
I swallowed hard before replying, “I have to.” My voice cracked as I added, “There’s no place for me here anymore. And as much as I care about Theo, I can’t stay and force myself on someone who doesn’t feel the same way.”
Grandpa sighed, his grip tightening slightly on my hand. “But, Olivia, this doesn’t have to be the end.”
“It isn’t,” I said, managing a small smile. “At least not for us. You are still my grandpa, and i will always care about you. I will always be here for you, even if I am not in the Wellington family.”
He looked at me with such sympathy, as if searching for one last argument to change my mind. But he knew it was made up. There was nothing left to say.
I rose to my feet, giving him a reassuring smile. “Please, make sure you are taking your meds. If anything happens, call me, and I will come back. Take care of yourself, Grandpa.”
He nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. I could see the sadness in his expression, but he didn’t push further.
As I walked toward the door, I glanced back. Grandpa had already looked away, his face turned to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. He had always been too stern, too stubborn to show vulnerability.
I bit my lip, smiled softly to myself, and stepped out, closing the door behind me.
Back in the dining room, everyone was still seated. The moment I entered, their eyes turned to me, cold and demeaning.
My eyes landed on Theo. As always, he avoided looking at me, his expression blank.
I turned to my mother, forcing one last smile. “Goodbye, Mother.”
She rolled her eyes and said, “Good riddance.”
Her words hurt , but I refused to let her see the pain. Instead, I smiled again, nodded, and walked away. Each step I took felt harder than the last as I made my way to the exit, determined to leave this house—and this life—forever.
Outside, I stopped to look at the mansion one final time. Memories, both good and bad, swirled in my mind. I took a deep breath and turned away. One step. Two steps. And then more.
“Olivia…”
The voice froze me in place. I wasn’t expecting it. Slowly, I turned my head, hoping, yet fearing—who it might be.
Of course ,
it was Jessica.
- Writer
