Chapter 5

### Chapter 5

Felix faltered, his mouth opening as if to say something, but I was past caring what it was.

The second I dragged my luggage out through the front door, a soft, tearful cry rose up behind me.

And the moment I turned, Olive collapsed to the ground, barely inches from me.

Her shriek pulled a ring of curious strangers around us in an instant.

Before I could get a word out, Olive was already crying, eyes red, voice pitched sweet and small:

"I'm so sorry, sis... That day at the house I was undressing and I accidentally caught my hair in the zipper... I honestly didn't know what to do, so I called Felix. I really didn't know it was the day you two were getting your marriage license... If I'd known, I never would have made that call!"

The onlookers took in the scene and murmured among themselves:

"She only asked for a little help. A zipper caught in your hair really hurts, and it's not like the girl did it on purpose. This one doesn't have an ounce of grace in her."

"They look so alike, probably real sisters. Humiliating your own flesh and blood in public like this, that's just shameful!"

Between sobs, Olive twisted the knife: "Don't worry, sis, Felix will always be yours, I truly wish you both well... Please, don't be angry with him, okay..."

I let her finish slinging her mud in silence. Then I reached into my bag, pulled out a set of lace lingerie along with the photos I'd printed in advance, and threw the whole thing in her face.

The breeze caught the photos and scattered them into the hands of the crowd gathered to watch.

They showed Olive in the lingerie Felix had bought her, posing in front of a hotel mirror. She'd posted them herself.

"Truly wish us well? Your idea of wishing us well is having my fiancé buy you underwear, having my fiancé throw out my things and replace them with what you like?"

"Olive, I signed for your delivery, and the spot as Mrs. Barnes is yours too. I don't want it."

The color drained from her face and her crying cut off cold.

Just when I thought she was about to pull some new stunt, she suddenly spun around, covered her face, and ran.

A furious roar came from behind me.

"Leila, what do you think you're doing?!"

Then Felix slammed his shoulder into mine, hard, without sparing me so much as a glance, and took off after her.

By the time I reached the little creek in the back garden, Olive was crouched at the edge of the wooden bridge, shaking with sobs.

The instant she saw me, she got even more worked up: "I'm sorry, sis, those deliveries were things I asked Felix to help me buy. There's truly nothing between us..."

Even Felix chimed in for her, though his eyes stayed locked on Olive, the worry in them all but spilling over.

"Leila, Olive has already apologized. Just forgive her, right now. She can't take any more of this!"

I looked at the water, not even knee-deep, then at the man whose eyes had gone red with panic.

The whole thing struck me as absurd.

"There's soft sand under there, and the water doesn't even reach the knee. Is your precious little sister's body so fragile she must be pregnant?"

The words landed, and not just on Felix. Even Olive's tear-streaked face froze for a few seconds.

The next second, her body tilted, and she flung herself straight into the freezing creek.

Felix's face changed in an instant. Without a moment's thought he plunged in after her, hauling her up onto the bank with everything he had.

Watching it all, I felt nothing but cold spread through my chest.

Once the two of them were back on the bank, Felix held the near-unconscious Olive and turned to glare at me, the hatred in his eyes impossible to shake.

"Leila! You keep dragging this out. Are you going to hound everyone to death before you're satisfied?! I'm telling you, if anything happens to Olive, I won't let you off."

He hurled that last warning at me, then bellowed for the family doctor to hurry over and carried Olive into the house, calling her name over and over, as if terrified she might slip away the next moment.

The vast back garden was left with nothing but the cold wind.

I watched the back of him, so anxious as he soothed my sister, and felt only a barren emptiness.

In his heart, Olive would always come first, and I would always be the unreasonable villain.

I gave myself three days. Hand off every last piece of work in my hands, and then disappear from Felix's world for good.