Note : See the preview of the next chapter at the very end of this chapter. Enjoyyy.

"I am sorry, baby, I was busy with my Mom. She was sick yesterday" Lucas said, looking guilty.

I smiled softly holding his hands in mine and rubbed his knuckles with my thumb.

"It's ok" I assured him.

"B-But look at your hands, they are burnt-"

"It's Ok, Lucas, nothing I can't handle, you know" I told him, staring in his eyes.

He sighed and pulled me towards him. He kissed my forehead and hugged me tightly.

I leaned in his touch finding comfort in his warmth.

"I love you" I mumbled.

"I love you too" He whispered, burying his face in my hair.

I smiled. I just tightened my hug.

"Awww love is in the air~" Lucas's arms loosened from around me as I turned around.

I sighed, annoyedly.

Control Olivia.

"What do you want Martin ?" Lucas groaned.

He immediately raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Nothing just wanna chat with you and pretty Hernandez here" He said giving me his sickly sweet smile. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Listen Martin, We are not in a mood" Lucas warned him, coming infront of me.

Rocky looked at me from top to bottom, leering with dirty eyes, and said, "Someone who has such a hot chic with them would never have a mood to talk to anyone else."

I clenched my fist.

Control Olivia. Control yourself.

"MARTIN, STAY IN YOUR LIMITS" Lucas yelled, pushing him away from us.

Rocky just chuckled.

"Well well well calm down, man" He said keeping his hand on Lucas's shoulder.

"I have to admit, Johnson, your choice is fantastic. Your girl is absolutely top-notch. She's really attractive," Rocky said, looking at me while wetting his lips.

I gritted my teeth.

He's deliberately provoking you, Olivia. Control yourself.

I took a deep breath trying to control my anger. I clenched my fist. 

"If I had a girl like that, I wouldn't even dare to look at another girl" He said slowly and seriously, staring in Lucas's eyes.

I frowned.

"SHUT UP, ROCKY" I yelled at him, going beside Lucas.

"I am warning you to stop with your bullshit, Rocky" I warned him, trying to control. Immediately, his face changed from seriousness to smirking one. 

"Oh No, Sorry sorry pretty Hernandez" He said smirking, raising his hand again.

"By the way, speaking of Hernandez, all the Hernandez's look good. Brothers have a reputation everywhere, and their sister is also very sexy, while daughter-in-laws of Hernandez family are no less than anyone." He said smirking.

I gave him my coldest glare.

Get a fucking grip on yourself, Olivia. Control you-

"What is the name- oh yeah Hazel Smith, Sophia Diaz, Jane Allen- the sex-"

Fuck Control.

Without thinking twice, my fist shot out like a lightning bolt, and I felt the satisfying impact of my knuckles connecting with his cheek. Time seemed to slow as he staggered back, surprise and pain etched across his face. The room fell silent, and all eyes were on me. I couldn't care less about the attention. 

He looked at me in shock holding his cheek. But, I don't fucking care.

My heart was racing, but there was a fierce determination burning within me. The room fell into a stunned silence, but I paid no heed to the hushed whispers and gasps around me.

My fingers clenched his collar and I swung my fist again, landing another punch with all the pent-up anger I had. His retaliation came swiftly, his fist meeting my jaw with a sharp blow. The pain seared through me, but I refused to back down. We were locked in a furious exchange, fists flying in a chaotic dance of rage and defiance.

Amidst the chaos, I could hear my boyfriend's voice, his arms reaching out to pull me back from the brawl that had erupted. At the same time, some of the onlookers rushed to restrain the boy I was fighting with, attempting to put an end to the escalating violence.

After some terrible seconds, Lucas managed to pull me back to my back touching his chest and his arms wrapped around my stomach holding me in place.

"LEAVE ME, I WILL KILL THIS BITCH" He shouted on everyone who is holding him. I struggled in Lucas's arms too.

"ROCKY MARTIN, MIND IT ! NEVER, AND I REPEAT, NEVER SAY ANYTHING AGAINST MY FAMILY" I yelled at him, attempting to free myself from my boyfriend's grip. I wanted to punch that guy again, but Lucas's arms only tightened around me.

"Calm down, Olivia. He is just provoking you, please calm down, babes" Lucas whispered in my ear.

Eventually, I calmed down. 

"Leave me, leave, leave me you idiots" He jerked his hands, pushing everyone slightly.

"YOU DESERVE EACH AND EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH YOU, BITCH" I felt Lucas's arms stiffened from behind me. He screamed and left from there.

I scoffed. Bastard.

"Calm down, calm down, Olivia, He is just being a jerk" Lucas said turning me towards him. He pulled me in a comforting hug and rubbed my back.

I basked in his warmth, closing my eyes.

"Olivia"

"Hmm ?"

"Why did you react like that when he mentioned your family's name ? I mean you hate them, right ?" He asked me, slowly.

I heard his question. 

Right. He is right. I don't know why I behaved that way. I don't care about them. I really don't. I hate them. Then why ? I knew, deep down, that I despised my family. The hurt, the disappointment, and the scars from years of turmoil had left an indelible mark on my soul. Yet, in that very moment, when he was taking their names like that, something fierce and protective awakened within me.

I couldn't understand it myself. Why did my heart ache when anyone dared to speak ill of them ? Why did their honor matter to me when I had convinced myself I no longer cared ? 

This is all so frustrating.

I sighed.

"I don't know" A whisper left my mouth. I just tightened my hold.

<<°>>~<<°>>

The living room was cast in a soft, amber glow, courtesy of the muted television in the corner. A crime drama unfolded on the screen, but I sat on the couch, a mere spectator to this orchestrated performance, my attention lost to a torrent of thoughts that swirled like a tempest within.

The characters on the TV engaged in dramatic confrontations, their voices rising and falling, but it was the storm in my mind that held my focus. In my peripheral vision, shadows danced across the room as the scenes changed, yet the real drama was the one playing out in my head.

Why had I ever taken their side ?

Why had I defended my family when the core of my being resented them ?

These questions weighed like an anchor, pulling me deeper into introspection.

The past played out in fragments - the arguments, the hurtful words, the betrayals. And still, I had stood up for them, fought for their honor ?

Why ?

Why had I willingly taken the blows, absorbed the punches, and endured the emotional onslaught for a family that harbored such resentment for me, and for whom my own hatred had taken root ?

Each memory was a sword thrust, each past argument a renewed assault, and my heart was the battlefield, a scarred landscape strewn with the wreckage of shattered bonds.

The echoes of their harsh words, like arrows, pierced my soul, and yet, I had willingly defended them. Why ?

My mind was a labyrinth of contradictions, a tapestry of love, anger, and a gnawing sense of duty.

I recalled the moments of tenderness, the fleeting laughter, and the warmth of family gatherings.

Were these the threads that bound me, the ties I couldn't sever ?

Or was it the fear of the unknown, the prospect of facing life without them, that kept me ensnared in this complex web of emotions ?

Is what Hazel said, 'time will fix everything,' true ?

Can time really make everything the way it used to be ?

Can everything really turn out well ?

Can time truly do all this ?

"Looks like someone gaves you the punishment you deserved, huh ?"

My head snapped towards the source of the voice.

Mason.

My twin.

I again focused on the scene playing infront of me, ignoring him.

I know he is talking about the bruises on my face because of that Bastard.

"Do you really enjoy getting on people's nerves, huh ?" He sighed.

This is so boring. Why I am even watching this shit ?

I extended my hand towards the table infront of me and took a remote and started changing channel.

"How many people consider you their enemy ?" He chuckled.

Umm, no, I am not in a mood to watch Gilmore girls, no Pretty little liers, already watched Wednesday, No American Vandal.

How about FRIENDS ?

"Many people hate you, right ?"

No, Not Friends. Not in a mood to laugh at all.

Then, Just add Magic ? No.

Never have I ever ?

"Why do you do such things that everyone hates you ? Maybe someone punished you today because you must have harmed someone again."

"Can you please fucking shut your mouth ?" I snapped, rudely.

He laughed.

"Oh, did that hurt ?" He mocked.

I shut my eyes in frustration.

Can't he just leave me alone ? Is it that hard ?

I sighed and stood up from there.

"Yeah, Run away. This is all what you know. This is all what you are doing. And this is what you always did. Run away. You don't care whether people live or die. You only know how to run away from every situation. Selfish coward bitch"

I stopped in my tracks. My heart clenched. His words cut like shards of glass, his relentless cruelty peeling away the layers of my seemingly emotionless facade. I clenched my fist.

"You're very self-centered; you don't care about anyone. You only think about yourself; you have nothing to do with other people. You don't care whether people live or die. You don't deserve kindness. You don't deserve love. You don't deserve selfless people. You don't deserve her-"

"MASON. ENOUGH" I turned around and glare at him.

His eyes are bloodshot red. But like he said, I don't care. I don't fucking care.

"Stop. Bringing. Her" I gritted my teeth so hard that it hurts but like he said, I don't care.

"STOP WITH YOUR FUCKING BULLSHIT. STOP BRINGING HER IN EVERYTHING. SHE IS NOT HERE-"

"YES, SHE IS NOT HERE BECAUSE OF YOU. BECAUSE OF YOU, SHE CAN NEVER BE HERE. JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR SELFISHNESS, JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR COWARDICE, SHE IS NOT WITH US-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, MASON. YOU DON'T KNOW A THING. STOP ASSUMING THINGS AND STOP FUCKING BLAMING ME-"

"WHY ? I AM NOT WRONG, OLIVIA. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO LEAVES HER ALONE. SO, HAVE COURAGE TO LISTEN-"

"NO, I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO YOU, NEVER LISTEN TO ANYONE. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, YOU DON'T. SO STOP YOUR BULLSHIT" I turned around and leave from there.

My heart clenched when I heard him.

"I will never stop. I will keep reminding you that because of you she is not here with us. AND REMEMBER THIS, OLIVIA FUCKING HERNANDEZ, YOU DESERVE PUNISHMENT. YOU DESERVE EVERY HATE TOWARDS YOU. AND YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU DESERVE"

I slammed my door closed.

The resounding thud echoed through the room.

As I leaned against the door, tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. The world outside faded, leaving me alone in my sanctuary of solitude. I could feel my chest heaving with each breath, the sobs rising from deep within.

The anger that had fueled my actions now gave way to a profound sense of sadness.

His words echoed in my mind like a never-ending chorus.

Just because of your cowardice and selfishness, she's not here with us.

You are self-centred.

You are coward selfish bitch.

Because of you, she is not here.

I closed my ears with my palm. Tears rolling down my cheeks.

'No, N-No, I am not s-selfish, I-I am not s-self-cent-tered, I am not a c-coward n-no NO NO-" I cried and cried.

Each accusation was a dagger in my heart, reopening old wounds of guilt and frustration.

I was not the heartless, selfish person he believed me to be. I had my reasons for the choices I had made, but I couldn't find the words to explain them to him.

You don't deserve kindness.

You don't deserve love.

You don't deserve selfless people.

You don't deserve her.

My sobs could be heard. The sobs wracked my body, each one tearing through me like a jagged shard of glass. It was a desperate, anguished cry, born from the depths of my wounded soul. The pain was both emotional and physical, an ache that seemed to have no end.

My mind replayed his words like a cruel refrain.

You deserve every hate.

You deserve every punishment.

"NO, I DON'T DESERVE HATE. I DON'T DESERVE PUNISHMENT. IT'S NOT MY FAULT. NO. I-I-"

I wanted to scream, to let out the torrent of emotions that had been building for so long, but all that emerged were the heart-wrenching sobs.

As the minutes stretched into hours, I felt a deep sense of isolation. The room, once a sanctuary, felt like a prison now, suffocating me with its silence. The soft glow of the moonlight seeping through the curtains offered no solace, only a reminder of the darkness that had settled within me.

I longed for someone to understand, to share the burden of my pain, but I knew that I was truly alone in this moment.

Exhaustion finally overcame me. Eventually, I closed my eyes. As I closed my eyes, the room was shrouded in darkness, the remnants of moonlight slipping away. The echoes of his harsh words slowly faded, replaced by a deep, enveloping quiet. The world outside had surrendered to the stillness of the night.

I began to drift into sleep's gentle embrace. Each breath became slower, the rise and fall of my chest a rhythmic lullaby. The tears had spent their fury, leaving behind a strange sense of calm.

But one thought lingered in my mind.

That nothing will be fine.

Nothing will be like before.

No time could heal this.

We could never be the same.

Everything is ruined.

To Be Continued...

Is it emotional ? Hope you like this chapter.

Share your thoughts about Rocky, Lucas and Mason. Do you guys like Rocky ? Lucas ? Mason ?

What do you think why Olivia stood up for her family and fought with Rocky ?

What do you think what happened between Mason and Olivia ?

Little Preview :

Xxx : Mom, we need more time to consider this. It's a big decision, and we want to make sure we're fully prepared.
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Yyy : And why not ? You guys are behaving like I asked for your company or wealth. Literally ?
______________

Zzz : If you even have the thought of forcing me into all this, then sorry, I will file a complaint against you, and I will personally ensure that strict action is taken.
_______________

Xyz : I've been noticing you've been talking quite rudely since morning. Just because I've been letting things slide doesn't mean you can take advantage.
________________

Guess who is xxx ? Yyy ? Zzz ? Xyz ?

I hope you like this chapter 🙂.

Don't forget to Vote and Comment.

I will meet you guys soon till then stay safe, take care and Love yourself ❤️.

Byee Byee ... Luv ya 😘.

Published : 3 September 2023.

Total words : 2630 words 😁.