Chapter 3

Olivia

When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. Sunlight streamed in from the window, and my vision was blurry at first, and then slowly it became clear.

I looked around the room. I was the only one there. The other side of the bed was cold, and for more than five minutes, I just stayed there without moving. Everything from last night came back, and reminiscing about it made me want it even more. I rubbed my hand on my face.

The stranger from last night was gone, and instead of being grateful that he didn't ask any questions and just left, I felt oddly sad. I wanted to see his face again, his smile. I wanted to hear his voice again. I shook my head quickly. Snap out of it.

My entire body felt so sore, but it was in the sweetest way possible. I pressed both my legs together as the thought of last night kept coming back over and over again.

I looked around the room. The sheets were all messed up.

I pulled the blanket over my chest, sitting up. Last night was a whole lot, and with everything that happened with Hudson and my mom not even wanting to listen to me, it brought back the pain I thought I could run from.

I got dressed and made my way straight to my room. I quickly got into the shower, took my bath, and began packing for my flight, which was in less than two hours.

I sighed. My phone was on the nightstand. The moment I turned it on, there were hundreds of messages and missed calls from both my parents. I didn't bother returning any of them. I just turned off the phone, got my things, and headed for the airport.

Throughout the plane ride, I've been having a bunch of mixed feelings. I thought giving my first time to a stranger would make me feel better, and it did for a while, but... this heaviness in my chest, why isn't it going away? It felt like there was a boulder pressing down on me. I could barely breathe.

Usually, I pride myself on being able to handle the hard truth. Whatever came my way, I told myself I could handle it, but it was a bloody lie.

What did I ever do to deserve such cruelty? It took me six months to even pay any attention to him. I never wanted this, but he made me fall in love with him just because he wanted to sleep with me.

I felt a painful pang in my chest, and I felt like screaming, but then again, I wasn't the only person on this flight.

I looked around. Everyone was minding their business. Most of them had headphones on, and I just kept staring out the window.

Last night was amazing, but right now, all I wanted was for this pain to go away.

When we landed, there was already a car waiting for me.

"You're welcome back, Miss Olivia," my butler said as he opened the door to the back seat for me.

I gave him a small smile, got in, and within seconds, the car was moving.

My heart was racing extremely fast because I knew I would still have to face my parents, and running a hand through my already messed-up hair, the streets of London were quiet and beautiful, but I was too lost in my own thoughts to even appreciate the view.

When we got to the estate gate, my palms were so sweaty I had to rub them on my coat several times. My anxiety was through the roof.

The car stopped. I didn't wait for the door to be opened for me again. I just got down and went straight into the house, ready for whatever my parents were about to dish out at me.

"Olivia," my mommy said as I took my first step through the door.

She stood beside my father. I froze in place.

She quickly walked to where I was standing. "Olivia, are you alright? You have not been answering your phone. When we call, it keeps going to voicemail, and we were so worried."

I didn't care about the words coming out of her mouth. My eyes moved to the pearl necklace sitting pretty on my mother's neck.

"Who gave you that?" I pointed at it, cutting her off from whatever she was saying.

I knew my mother had a lot of jewelry, but I had never seen that necklace on her neck before.

"Oh," she said, taking a step back from me. "Hudson landed in London a couple of hours ago, and he brought this to me. It was a gift."

I could hear the excitement in her voice. He was written all over her, and it disgusted me.

"He's having a party, and he wants you to be in attendance."

"Mom..."

"What, Olivia?" she said, annoyed.

"I called you." My voice shook as I spoke. "I told you everything, and you still took a gift from him. Why are you so cruel?"

"You will not speak to your mother like that," my father, who had been standing there saying nothing, finally spoke. "It was a gift, and we do not reject gifts, especially those of our in-laws."

"I am not marrying Hudson. I'd rather die than get married to that pig."

My mother stepped in front of me, her face inches away from mine. "Oh yes, you will, you little brat. You are going to marry Hudson, and you are going to become his Luna. No one cares what you overheard him say. Forget it."

"Mom..."

"We are done with this conversation, Oliver."

I ran upstairs to my room. Every bit of strength I had left me. I just fell onto my bed and cried my eyes out.

I stayed like that for so long that I had lost track of time.

When it was time for the party, I got off the bed and got dressed in whatever I could lay my hands on because, frankly, I wasn't going there to impress anybody.

When I arrived, Hudson's house was already packed with so many different people dancing and drinking. It was just a whole lot, and I didn't want to be here. I sincerely did not want to be here.

I found Hudson in the pool, surrounded by his friends and other girls in bikinis.

"Look who decided to show up," one of the girls said. "And she looks like a Catholic nun."

Everyone burst out laughing, including Hudson.

"You know, you've got a good figure. You should show it off some more," the guy who was beside Hudson in the pool spoke, and they all laughed again.

Hudson didn't say anything or even defend me. He just left me standing there looking stupid.

"So you are just going to watch them disrespect me? Really?"

"Don't be uptight," he said casually. "They were just making a harmless joke."

But before I could say another word, my eyes landed on a man who walked in. For a moment, it felt like the world stopped.

Hudson got out of the pool and walked in his direction.

He called the man, "Father."

But he was the same man from last night.