CHAPTER 3

Olivia's POV:

I swear I saw the look of desire cross in Mark's eyes. His lips parted to say something, but the door swung open and my adopted mother, Nancy, walked in with her daughter, Emily.

Their eyes locked on Mark and me, who were together on my bed.

*Oh no! Not again,* I wondered, fearing Nancy would attack me. I felt my heart pounding faster in my chest like a trapped bird.

To my shock, Nancy didn't yell at me like I had expected her to do. Then I remember Dr. Sam's warning to Mark that he would have his mother arrested for my sake. But that didn't stop her from glaring at me contemptuously.

"What's going on here, Mark? Why are you here with Olivia? Shouldn't you be in the basketball court, preparing for your match for today?" Nancy demanded. Her tone was furious as she glared at her son.

Mark sighed and replied, "Good morning, Mom. I already called my coach, and he said the match won't start until 12 pm today." His voice was calm, but his mother frowned.

"Hmph. So why are you here to check on Olivia? You should stay away from her. You can have any girl in this pack that you want. Why are you hovering around this wolfless girl?" Nancy shouted. "Do you want to bring shame to our family!"

My head was aching, and I held it as I remembered each word that Nancy used to hurl insults at me every day of my life.

I wasn't the only child born on a moonless night, but I was the only one whose parents rejected me, and I ended up getting adopted by a family that would not fail to taunt me with it.

"Mom, you have no right to tell me how I should treat Olivia," Mark interjected. "She is my adopted sister because I have grown up having her around. If you don't have anything good to say, then leave!" He pointed at the door, and my jaw dropped at the force of his command.

"What? Mark, are you sending me away because of this slut? You will surely bring her home, and I will deal with her by myself. Let's go, Emily! We shouldn't have come here to check on this slut!" Nancy shouted. Her hand reached to drag her daughter away.

Emily wore a short black dress and a pair of brown shoes. She glared at me as our gaze met, but seeing her older brother in the room, she was afraid of Mark, so she held her lips and ran out after her mother.

"You don't have to be scared of them," Mark said, his deep voice breaking my chain of thought, but it was not enough to calm my rapid heartbeat.

"They're your family, and right! If you keep causing problems for me and your parents, how do you expect me to cope? Just stay away from me!" I cried and yelled at Mark, sending him away too. He can't be acting as if he cared for me when he was obviously making his mother hate me more.

"Hey, relax. I am still here. I haven't gone." Mark refused to leave, but I ended up shedding tears and screaming at him, "Get out! Leave me alone!"

Doctor Sam and another female nurse came rushing into the room. The door burst open as they entered into the room that I was admitted to.

"Mark, what's going on here?" Dr. Sam demanded. "You have to take your leave. You're not helping your adopted sister to recover by staying here? Do you want her to suffer more strain on her head? Leave."

Dr. Sam's voice was harsh as he pointed at the door for Mark to leave.

Mark looked at me, then at Dr. Sam. "Fine, I will leave," he replied, his voice calm as he walked ahead to the door.

Once he reached the door, he pulled it open and exited the room, and I burst out crying on the bed.

"It's okay, everything will be fine," Dr. Sam said with a soothing voice, but I didn't want to hear him out.

"Everything cannot be fine, Doctor. What do I do if my family sends me away? I have no other family or friends to accommodate me?" I sobbed on the bed. Likewise, I could feel Mark's presence behind the door.

Dr. Sam heaved a sigh and asked, "Can you come and stay with me? I can offer you an accommodation at my house."

"What? No, I…" Before I could finish my response, Mark stormed back into the room and grasped Dr. Sam by his shirt. He lifted him off the ground with the level of strength that I did not know he had.

"You fụcking ásshole. Why are you trying to snatch my adopted sister to come and live with you?" Mark growled.

"Mark, let go of Dr. Sam." I yelled at him, shocked by his entrance.

Mark glared at Dr. Sam and let go of him. He looked at my face and said, "You shouldn't listen to him. I am sure he has ulterior motives for asking you to come to his house. Don't worry. I will speak to my parents when I get home, and they will not hurt you again. Please..."

Mark begged. His yellow eyes locked with my blue eyes, and something in the way he stared at me made me want to believe that he will be able to speak to his family.

But wouldn't that worsen the whole situation?

As I looked between Mark and Dr. Mark, who adjusted his shirt after Mark had grabbed him.

Dr. Sam spoke with a furious voice. "Mark, I do not understand why you are not allowing Olivia to move out of your parents' home." She is almost 18 years old. Or already 18, because we are not so sure of her real date of birth. So, you cannot be a controlling freak of a brother. I am only trying to help her, and your threat won't prevent me from offering help to Olivia. As a doctor, my duty is to save lives. So my offer is still on."

" Olivia…" Dr. Sam turned to face me and said, "Whenever you're ready to move out of your adopted parents' home, you can come to my place." My younger sister spoke so much about you and your academic performance. And I will not want your intelligence to go to waste. Therefore, when you feel a need to move out, you can reach out to me."

"Hmph…" Mark glared at Dr. Sam, who stood unfazed as he spoke to me softly.

"Okay, Doctor... I will consider your offer later. Thank you very much," I replied, feeling relief.

Dr. Sam smiled, glared at Mark, and walked out of the hospital room with the female nurse.

As the door shut, Mark glanced at me and asked, "You are not serious about moving to his house, right? He's a man. What makes you think that he doesn't have any ulterior motives against you?"

I pouted my pink lips, unable to reply, and Mark drew near me on the bed. He suffocated me with his forest grass scent as he said, "Trust me, Olivia. I will speak to my parents, and they will change."

"Fine, but if they don't change. I will move out," I replied, shifting my gaze to look at his face. It was so close that I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest.