FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Episode 2: BACKGROUND CHECK

Ivy's POV

I could remember him vividly. Alex was my first boyfriend and he remained the only boyfriend I had all my life. We met a year ago in Spain and instantly, we connected. I loved him so much then that I would give my life in exchange for his. It was that deep. It lasted three weeks and it ended drastically. After spending a night together, he took my virginity. After that night of passion, we promised to meet for a date at a cafe in Madrid, Spain. I arrived there and waited several hours but he never came.

He left me there heartbroken. I took it as his way of breaking up with me. He had explored my body which was all he wanted. He ran away afterwards, like a coward that he is.

“I don’t know you!” I told him firmly on the stairs. I pushed him a little and eventually got to hold my stance. “I won’t be able to take you around the mansion. I will introduce you to our butler and she can do that.”

“Oh, really?” Alex muttered.

I didn’t reply. I walked as fast as I could to the kitchen. Surprisingly, Alex kept up with my pace. There, I met our butler, Hannah. She was quite an elderly woman in her sixties and she had been working as the mansion’s butler for over a decade. I knew her to be skilled at many things and hospitality was her watchword.

“Let me introduce myself to you…” I was going to say.

“You don’t need to, miss,” Hannah replied. “What do you want me to do? I know the young master Alex already.”

“Young master, huh!” I scoffed.

“You don’t want me to be treated the same way as you?” Alex asked me on the spot. It caught me off guard.

“I have no business with that!” I replied confidently. “Please Hannah, dad wants me to take him around but I have a headache. I really need some rest right now. Could you do it for me?”

“I could just assign a maid,” Hannah replied.

“The maids are young and beautiful, aren’t they?” I asked.

“Of course, they are,” Hannah smiled.

“Do it yourself, please,” I told her. “No matter what, he is still a young blooded man, you know. What if he has something to do with a maid. It will be chaos.”

“Something like what?” Alex asked.

“I’ll leave you with it!” I told Hannah quickly. Instantly, I escaped. I literally ran into my room and after I closed my door, I jumped on my bed and buried my face in my pillow. I was actually breathing hard like I just finished running ten kilometers.

It was during this period that I gathered my thoughts. I knew I still had feelings for Alex despite the way he hurt me. I had to bring myself to forget about him in reality. He had to be nothing but a forgotten past for me.

Exhausted by what had happened that day, I slept off. I was later awoken by Olivia for dinner. I was already realizing that she had been everywhere to make dinner a success. It was my favorite dish, macaroni and cheese.

Olivia led the way to the dining hall and on getting there, I could see my dad and Alex having a conversation. My dad looked really happy and it warmed my heart. I made sure to avert Alex’s eyes when I sat down. The meal had been served already and with everyone now on their seats, it was time to dig in.

The meal was definitely delicious. Olivia made it herself and it added a unique taste to it.

I thought everyone was eating happily until I noticed Alex picking at his food. He looked uncomfortable. I didn’t know why but I felt worried instantly. I looked around and I could see my dad and Olivia, acting all lovey-dovey. It struck me at that point that Alex didn’t like his mother’s relationship with my dad. I didn’t want to think about it.

“What do you think about the meal?” Olivia asked me curiously.

“It’s delicious,” I smiled. “It tastes better than most restaurants I have visited. Home cooked meals are just the best!”

“Thank you, sweetie,” Olivia replied. “I am not the best cook in the world but I can cook some more delicious stuff. Just tell me when you’re craving anything. I will make it for you.”

“You won’t need to disturb yourself, darling,” my dad held her back. “We have plenty of chefs here. I won’t have you stress yourself cooking.”

“But I love it!” Olivia told him reassuringly. My dad nodded afterwards.

“I guess Alex doesn't talk much,” my dad muttered.

“Yeah, he is quite a shy person,” Olivia replied.

“Not that shy, momma,” Alex replied. “You didn’t ask me how the meal tasted, you know. It made me feel like I’m not here.”

“Oh, I am sorry,” Olivia turned towards him immediately.

“Jealous scum…” I muttered under my breath. No one would have heard that.

“It’s fine!” Alex replied. “The dish is a ten out of ten. It bangs as usual. I love it.”

Alex held Olivia’s hand and kissed it. She blushed after and tapped his shoulder affectionately. I realized it was something I had never done in my life.

“Lest I forget…” my dad brought something else up to the mix. “I, together with your mom, have decided to enroll both of you into a college. Both of you know Empire Business School, don’t you?”

“I do,” I replied. “You were sponsoring…”

“Yes,” my dad interrupted. “I am a big sponsor of theirs so I have slots for both of you. Introductory classes start tomorrow.”

“But I wasn’t informed…” Alex muttered.

“You always wanted to be an entrepreneur, dear,” Olivia told him. “It's the Empire. You always wanted to attend there, didn’t you?”

“I still don’t understand…” I turned towards my dad. “I am not attending, am I?”

“Come on, you are attending with Alex,” my dad replied, throwing caution to the wind.

I stood up and looked at him sharply.

“That won’t happen, dad!” I stood against him.