LOGINMelanieAfter a month since the confrontation with the wife, I was convinced that everyone — the house included — hated me.The romance between Leo and me had also cooled down. The passion was no longer what it used to be; those burning flames that once threatened to consume us were dying out.Everything felt... domesticatedThere was something else as well. It was one morning that I first noticed Leo had a dog, and it had taken some sort of liking — or disliking — to me.His dog spent more time in the east wing than it did outside.This was no ordinary dog. Gosh, it was dirty and looked dusty as hell. It looked like a wolf that had given up on civilisation.The most striking thing about it was that it looked homeless. Not some cute kind of homeless or “rescued from the streets but secretly adorable” homeless.No.This creature looked like he actively fought raccoons behind restaurants for entertainment.His fur was uneven in places, thick and wild in others, with one ear slightly ben
OliviaMelanie had left ten minutes ago but the tension she dragged into the room with her still lingered faintly in the air, clinging to the walls like cheap perfume after a party that no one enjoyed.CeCe had excused himself almost immediately after, suddenly very interested in a phone call that I knew didn’t exist.Coward.Now it was just me and Leonardo. Exactly how I preferred it.He sat at the head of the table with his coffee untouched, watching me carefully in that way men do when they realize too late that they have miscalculated a woman.I continued eating calmly.“You enjoyed that,” Leonardo said eventually.I cut into my fruit without looking up. “Not really.” “The girl is still young.” I smiled faintly. “And already exhausted. You should return her and ask for a refund.”His jaw tightened.Good.For the first time all morning, I finally looked at him properly. Really looked at him.There was something almost fascinating about Leonardo lately. The arrogance was still the
Olivia Breakfast was one of my favourite times of the day, not particularly because of the company, but because of the food. Rosa's cooking was still, by far, one of my favourites and, of course, there was the peace at the table when he was not around. That was exactly what I wished for after what happened this morning. Sometimes Leonardo joined me; sometimes he didn't, which was fine with me either way. And when he did, he had taken to reading the paper. This morning, however, he showed up with CeCe following close behind. They were having an animated conversation, CeCe relaying something funny about his adventures. Everyone knew there was nothing funny about what CeCe did for the family, but somehow, he always found the fun side of things. CeCe looked sheepish when he saw me at the breakfast table. “It's good to see you, Olivia,” he said, taking his seat. Leonardo said nothing, only giving me a smile that could melt ice, as though nothing had happened this morning, like he h
Melanie The east wing was old. Not old like my apartment before renovations, but like rich history kind of old. After the morning drama with Leonardo and his wife, I decided to explore the entire wing, just to see what my options were. So I walked. From one floor to another, maybe there might be a service door somewhere that was unmonitored.On the stairway, I trailed my fingers along the bannister; it was mahogany and cold, with carved lions at the base with their mouths open. They looked as if they were judging my presence then. I entered the rooms, no longer in a frenzy like before but this time deliberate and intentional about each room, and that's when I noticed minor features about the rooms; every room had a clock. But none of them matched. So every room had a ticking sound, one that I had never noticed before. Like the house couldn’t agree what time it was. The rugs. Persian. Threadbare paths where feet had walked before still looked good. The air smelled of lem
Leonardo After playing games with Olivia, I went straight to the dog kennel to see O. Stanley was in the kennel as usual at this time of the morning. O sat. Heel. Perfect. I hadn't seen him in a while and I had a job for him. “Stanley.” I called out. Stanley stood and rubbed his hands on a piece of clothe. “Boss.” “O needs retraining, I have a job that I want him to do for me.” I said looking at the dog. He looked better than he did before. His unkept look that he was rocking before was less visible. Stanley stood and waited. “I need him to do some tricks.” I said. “Make it stupid. Make it cute.” Stanley’s face was blank. “You want him to follow new commands?” he asked. "O, charm." I said but the words didn't register on O, his head tilted but he made no visible movements as yet." “Exactly." I said in answer to Stanley's question about O following new commands. "I want us to also change his name to Mel, if you can make him respond to that, that woul
Leonardo She left. Melanie, not Olivia. Olivia had left first. Quieter. Melanie left with book throwing and stomping of feet, and I could hear her door slam all the way from the old library. I deserved that, but that was the whole point of her. To serve a purpose and she had served it well. The walk to Olivia’s room had been long, and although no one saw what happened, I felt that the walls of the mansion had eyes that followed me everywhere simply to judge me. In a perfect world there was no point in running after either of them, but Olivia had earned her time in the sun, and that explained why I was standing outside her door like a lost puppy. Melanie was probably in her room with the door locked and, well...throwing things around. The entire house had known about Melanie. Everyone but Olivia. Until now. I stood outside her door and waited for her to open it. Then after a few words, the lock clicked. It was not a turn but a decision. And she made a good one.
Olivia After entertaining Leonardo, I was worried about the consequences that would follow as I sat on a set dining table with no one in sight. I heard Anna’s shoes before I could see her. I hadn’t seen her the whole day I’d been back. The minute she saw me, she came to give me a hug and kisses
OliviaI woke up feeling hungry and exhausted from the tossing and turning I did last night.The white light that flooded the room didn't help matters, but the smell of fresh coffee and toast had me smiling to myself.Rosa. Rosa.I put my feet on the floor to slip into my slippers, stretched and my
Olivia My time was up and I needed to go back to my gilded cage. This time I was ready as Cici took my small bag and put it in the car's trunk. I had packed a few items that I hoped would make my stay more tolerable at the mansion. “Ready to go?” Cici asked. It was a lot of improvement from th
Olivia The sound of birds chirping woke me up, and I stirred. I’d been sleeping against a tree and my body felt it, but that was the least of my troubles. I felt the damp earth from underneath me and sighed. I looked at the golden sky. The sun would be out soon. Standing on my feet, I picked up







