The Wrong Bride Returns

Olivia's pov“You are marrying Nathan Hayes and that is final.”My father's voice didn't have anything in it. It came out flat like my destiny had been decided already. Like he was reading me the weather forecast or something. I couldn't believe what I just heard. The words rang a loud bell in my ear. I felt dizzy for a second.I looked up to him from where I was standing like a soldier in uniform and on duty."I'm sorry, what?" I said."Don't play dumb with me. I am not going to repeat myself, miss Olivia." He wasn't even looking at me. He was standing by his window with the Seattle skyline behind him. His office. His view with glass walls. The leather chairs cost more than my entire life spending put together. I had only ever crossed this office only when I was bringing in coffee or coming to clean it. Part of my job was cleaning his office daily. He made sure of that. "Jessica's too young. The Hayeses won't wait.” He looked to his side and said calmly, “You'll take her place.""NO

Nathan's PovThe light was too bright.I shut my eyes again. The room kept tilting a little even with them closed. I remember going to the bar last night to ease my frustration. My mother Patricia, had made an alliance with Morgan's tech through marriage. That meant I had to marry one of his daughters, Jessica. I wasn't happy but I couldn't refuse either.I forced my eyes open and turned my head, which made everything tilt worse. She was still there. I thought I was hallucinating from the effect of the alcohol. But apparently, I wasn't.My brain was working in slow motion."What the hell." My voice came out wrecked. I sat up too fast and the room spun. I pressed my palm against my forehead. "I said, who are you and how did you get in here?"She turned her head and looked at me. She had green eyes. Sad in a way that told me she already knew what was about to happen."Olivia," she said softly.I stared at her, trying to drag something out of last night. The courthouse. The judge. Papers

Olivia's POVHe pressed his lips against mine and held my waist. I stood there frozen. “Say my name,” he said. I murmured, “Nathan.”“Say it again.”I moaned his name, “Nathan.”I opened my eyes and it was morning. I was breathing hard. I was sweating profusely. “My goodness. It's a dream.” I whispered. I took a deep breath and touched my lips. It felt so real. “But wait a damn minute. Why am I even dreaming about Nathan? I blinked severally searching for an answer. One month. Thirty days. I counted every one. That's how long I have been here. To be honest, he hasn't been so cruel to me. Not to the level that I was expecting. I shook the feeling off. It's just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything.I still wasn't used to the quiet. The type was the depressing type. It makes it hard to get a full breath in. Barely no footsteps. No voices. No TV somewhere down the hall. Nothing. Some days I thought maybe I'd gone deaf. Other days I thought maybe I was dead and this was what came next.I sat

Olivia’s PovThe hunger that night was something else.I'd been in this house for one month and I had never felt this hungry. Maybe the happenings of today woke it up or I have been suppressing it all this while.Tonight I couldn't pretend anymore.I sat up. The springs creaked under me. The room was dark. The wall outside my window was darker. No moon. No streetlights. Just black.I swung my legs off the bed. My feet hit the floor. I stood up too fast. My body swayed, weak, and shaky. I had to grab the wall to keep from going down.I opened the door. The hallway was empty. It was quiet in that heavy way that presses on your ears.I walked barefoot to the kitchen. I didn't turn on the light — didn't want anyone to notice. I used my hands to find the refrigerator in the dark.I found it and opened it. Light spilled out onto the floor. I blinked, waiting for my eyes to catch up with the sudden light There were containers of food I'd never even seen in this house. Steak. Chicken. Pasta.

Olivia's PovI rounded the corner and walked straight into him.His hands shot out and caught my arms therefore steadied me. The warmth of his hands went through the thin fabric of my dress."Ooops. Sorry." I stepped back. "Wasn't looking. I mean, I wasn't focused on where I was going.” I raised my palms facing him. “So sorry.""No biggy.” He raised his shoulders and his lips pressed against his nostrils. “I wasn't either." He let out a smile.We just stood there a second. The garden was quiet. It was evening already so the sun was low. Gold light was coming through the leaves in patches.“Good.” I nodded."You okay Olivia?" he asked with a deep voice."Yea. I'm fine." For some reason, my voice trembled.He shook his head slightly. "You don't look fine."I looked up at him. His blue eyes gazed on me, careful, eyebrows pulled together the way they did when he was trying to work something out."I'm fine," I said again hastily. I quickly looked away.He tilted his head. His jaw was tight