Chapter 7
I was a bit puzzled. I wondered who could be visiting at this hour.
Kara had already stopped by this morning, so it shouldn't be her.
I peeked through the peephole.
When I saw who was standing outside, my blood ran cold.
It was Ollie.
I wondered how Ollie managed to find this place.
He was dressed in a sharp dark gray suit, his hair immaculately styled.
His face showed no emotion, but those deep eyes were locked onto my apartment door, with an intensity that felt like a storm was about to break.
There was a woman at his side.
It was Unity.
She nestled against Ollie's arm, wearing a white dress just like the one in my memory. A gentle, triumphant smile lingered on her lips, the unmistakable look of someone who thought they had already won.
I instinctively took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.
I wondered what they were doing there.
I didn't know if they were there to flaunt their relationship or to humiliate me.
The doorbell kept ringing insistently.
I forced myself to stay calm.
I was no longer the timid Violet I used to be in my past life.
I took a deep breath and opened the door.
"What do you want?" I asked.
I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, my tone icy, my gaze flat and giving nothing away.
When Ollie saw me, his eyes widened in shock.
He clearly hadn't expected that after just half a month, I'd become so thin and frail.
My cheeks were slightly sunken, my chin so sharp it could poke someone, and I was drowning in oversized loungewear, making me look even more delicate, like a gust of wind could knock me over.
A flicker of complex emotion flashed in his eyes, there was surprise, and a pang of concern he didn't seem to notice.
"Violet, you..." Ollie began.
But before he could finish, Unity stepped in and cut him off.
Unity moved closer, hooked her arm through Ollie's, and gave me an impeccable smile, one that left no room for doubt.
"Violet, long time no see! Why did you end up moving to a place like this? Ollie and I have been searching everywhere for you. We were just so worried," Unity said.
Her voice was sweet and gentle, yet it was poison, all wrapped up in honey.
"Ollie told me you two got divorced? Oh, please don't blame him. It's all my fault. If I hadn't come back..." Unity sighed, acting as if she was the one to blame.
As Unity spoke, she put on a show, her eyes turned red, as if she was about to burst into tears.
"But don't worry, even though Ollie and you are divorced, we won't just abandon you. Whatever compensation you want, just ask. There's 3 million on this card. Take it. The password is your birthday," Unity said.
She took a black bank card from her purse and offered it to me.
Watching her play the victim, my stomach twisted in disgust.
I found her to be quite a bitch.
Back in my previous life, I was totally taken in by her fake innocence, convinced she was a sweet, naive girl. I even thought Ollie's coldness was my fault.
Now, I found her ridiculous.
I left the card untouched, just stared at Ollie, stone-faced.
"Shut her up," I said.
My voice was quiet, but icy enough to cut through the room.
Unity's smile froze on her face.
Ollie's brows furrowed, and he glared at me, clearly annoyed.
"Violet, what's with the attitude? Unity's just trying to be nice," Ollie snapped, his voice tight with irritation.
I scoffed, like it was the funniest thing I'd heard all day, "Nice? Is she here to see how miserable I am after you tossed me aside?
"Or maybe to check out my cramped little apartment and get her fix of feeling better about herself?
"Ollie, control your woman. You're not welcome here.
"Take your money and your little trophy, and get out of my sight now."
With that, I started to close the door.
"Violet!" Ollie snapped, his voice sharp.
He suddenly reached out, pressing his hand firmly against the door, blocking me from closing it.
His strength was overwhelming. I was no match for him.
He locked his gaze on me, his eyes so dark and intense it was almost suffocating.
"So you're really that broke? Look at you, skin and bones, like a ghost. Can you even afford a decent meal?" Ollie sneered, his voice laced with contempt.
His tone oozed superiority and disdain, like he was tossing me charity from his throne.
"Let me tell you, if you just beg me, I could..." Ollie started, his voice dripping with arrogance.
But before he could finish, a sudden, overwhelming wave of nausea crashed over me.
Maybe it was the emotional rollercoaster I'd just been through, or maybe Unity's cloyingly sweet perfume was the final straw that set me off.
I couldn't hold it in anymore.
I shoved Ollie out of the way, dashed to the bathroom, and hunched over the toilet, retching so hard it felt like my insides were tearing apart.
Behind me, Ollie and Unity let out shocked gasps.
I was retching so hard my vision blurred, and even bile was coming up.
A shaky hand rested on my back, gently patting me.
I thought it was Kara, so I weakly lifted my head, only to meet a pair of eyes wide with shock and confusion.
It was Ollie.
Ollie had somehow followed me in without me realizing, now half-squatting next to me.
For the first time, his usually cold, handsome face was twisted with shock and panic. I'd never seen him look so rattled.