So, Shall We Get Married?
Chapter 48

Olivia couldn’t believe her ears, that woman was so frivolous and heartless as to say such crude and hurtful words to her daughter. Talia loved her mother dearly, and that horrible woman was only breaking her daughter’s heart a second time.

But Olivia wasn’t going to let her do it, she wouldn’t leave just like that… The brunette turned around, reaching Alina, she made her turn around and gave her a slap that made the blonde turn her face away from the impact.

-You’d better not come back to bother me, because it’s going to get worse. You don’t deserve to be the mother of those girls.

-You’re such a f*****g meddler,” Alina made an attempt to attack Olivia, but the bodyguard got in the way. The blonde looked at the huge guy in front of her and stepped back. If you want them so badly, I’ll give them to you.

The woman turned to leave the hotel, but Caleb was right behind her, glaring at her with obvious fury.

-The one who was missing! -She exclaims, walking past him. But Caleb grabs her arm.

-I’m going to put a restraining order on you to stay away from my family and my house.

-As if I’d be interested in coming back,” the blonde refutes, trying to break free.

-Listen to me, Alina. You’re not coming back, no matter what the excuse. I want you away from my daughters and my wife. It’s a threat.

-I told you, I’m not coming back. Stay with your brats,” she lets go, “I don’t care about them,” she finishes to leave.

The CEO watches her walk away and wonders, how did he ever love that woman, how did he ever think of starting a family with her? She was the most horrible person in the world, he hoped and expected never to deal with her again.

Talia watched the whole scene in complete shock, Olivia had hit her mother to defend her and her sister. And that gesture only caused her to shed more tears.

She felt so hurt, so used, so humiliated. Her mother hadn’t come back for them, all she wanted was to get money from her father. It was all fake; that he loved her, that they would be a family again.

So she did want him to hurt Olivia and the baby, she was a bad woman, and she believed her like a fool… at that, the blonde looked up and saw that the brunette was watching her.

-I’m sorry you had to replace out about all that, but I think you’ll be better off without that woman’s influence by your side. I know you don’t like me, and I have no right to tell you any of this. But if you want, we can try to be friends.

Caleb waited for his daughter’s reaction, still shocked by Olivia’s attitude. He didn’t expect her to slap Alina and defend her daughters. When she called to inform him that Talia had left the house without permission, he became concerned.

He knew Alina would never take her away, but he was worried that the woman would tell his daughter things that would end up hurting her. And that’s exactly what happened, so much protection, for nothing.

-Did you know all that?

-Your dad told me… Alma didn’t know anything about it either.

-Why didn’t you tell me, Dad? -Caleb stood next to his wife.

-I was protecting you, my daughter, I didn’t want you to know about the horrible things your mother had done and said.

-Is that why you wanted to take me away from her?

-Yes,” he comes to her, kneeling down in front of his daughter. “I wasn’t doing it to upset you, Alina is not a good person, and I didn’t want you to grow up with such a bad influence.

She looked up at her father and, unable to help herself, began to shed many more tears. In the end, she collapsed into her father’s arms.

Olivia could feel the child’s pain, she just wanted her mother… but not every woman who gives birth to a child can be called a mother.

Suddenly, the brunette feels someone squeezing her hand. She looks up, and sees that it is Alma. The girl was smiling at her, her eyes brimming with happiness. It was true, from now on, things were going to be much better.

The girls came home after a long day at school, Caleb went to pick them up, since Olivia was already 5 months pregnant and the CEO didn’t want her to be going out that much. So the young woman waited at home for her family to arrive.

Ever since the altercation with crazy Alina, Talia made peace with Olivia. And since then; they’ve been getting along better than before. Caleb was relieved that his daughter was treating his wife better, he was looking for a better harmony at home. And with a new addition coming in four months, things had to be just right.

That morning, Olivia had gone to the gynaecologist and the CEO was waiting for his wife to tell him the s*x of their child. He was anxious to get home to ask her, but since she wouldn’t tell him over the phone, he had to wait until the afternoon when she arrived with the girls.

But as soon as he walked through the door, the first one who came out to look for her was Alma.

-Olivia! Olivia! Where are you?

-Alma, please don’t shout,” her father reprimands her.

-I want to know if I’m going to have a sister or brother, Dad,” Talia denies with a smile on her lips.

-She should be in the pool area, let’s go look for her.

But as Caleb makes his way there, he notices that his oldest daughter isn’t. He stops to see what’s going on with Talia.

-Don’t you want to come? Don’t you want to know the s*x of your brother?

He was still worried that his daughter wouldn’t accept that she was going to have another brother with another woman, even though it had been a few months, if he noticed his daughter was a little off. She attributed it to the fact that it wasn’t easy to go through the process she went through. She loved her mother very much, and for years she waited for her mother to come back into her life and leave again.

The difference was that the second time she completely destroyed her little girl. It wasn’t fair what Alina did to her daughter, she had no consideration. Caleb tried to take her to a psychologist, to see if she wanted to discuss her situation with someone outside the family, but she refused.

He didn’t know what to do with Talia anymore, some days she was fine, and some days she wasn’t….

-It’s not that, Dad,” she looks down.

-What’s wrong, daughter? Why don’t you talk to me, tell me what’s wrong with you? I’m your father, you know I’m going to look after you and support you in whatever you need.

-I just can’t tell you, it’s too… -What?

-What? -I was starting to worry you, it was the first time she’d ever said words like that.

-If I tell you this, you’re going to hate me.

That word was so strong, what could her little girl have done to think he would hate her?

-Talia, what are you talking about? Daughter, I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. What have you done?

-I did, Daddy.” She keeps looking down. Caleb walks over to her and makes her look at him.

-What have you done? You can tell me, I promise I’ll take it easy.

-It’s a lie, if I tell you, you’re going to hate me and even send me to boarding school.

-I think it’s clear why I wanted to send you, there’s no reason for that now.

Olivia had interfered so much to stop him from sending her daughter to boarding school that Caleb agreed with her. Her daughter had to grow up at home, with her family. He never thought about sending her anywhere ever again.

-But…

-I want you to tell me what’s going on, you’ve been behaving this way for a long time. Daughter, I want to know what’s going on. What’s troubling you?

-That lady…” Caleb’s eyes widened, when they spoke of that lady or woman, they were referring to Alina, it wasn’t possible that his daughter was keeping in contact with her after everything she told him.

-Talia, are you talking to her? -he asked in a stern tone.

-No, I swear, I’m not, dad….

-Then…

-When I left with her that morning, she said something very bad to me, daddy.

-What did she say to you?

She flattens her lips, she knew that if she told her dad the truth he was going to be mad at her. He loved Olivia very much, and when he found out, he would never want to see her again. But he didn’t want to hide the truth anymore, he wouldn’t leave her alone, and each day was worse than the next.

Since then, he never managed to enter the pool area again, it brought back such bad memories.

-She asked me to keep doing evil things to Olivia so that she would get bored of being in the house and leave you, I told her I didn’t want to do it anymore because she had come back to be with me, but she told me that she wanted to come back home and that I should do it for the good of the family.

Talia looked down, she felt so sorry. When it was too late, she realised what her mother was up to.

-When I pushed her into the pool, I wasn’t even aware that she couldn’t swim, let alone that she was expecting a baby. I swear, if I had known, I wouldn’t have done it, Dad.

-Daughter…” Whispers the father.

-When I found out she was expecting a baby, I felt so bad. Because of me, she lost that baby, my brother. I feel bad for attacking him, you know I’ve never hurt Alma, I wouldn’t do it to that baby.

-God!

-I told that woman that Olivia was pregnant, and that because of my joke she almost lost the baby. For a moment I noticed that lady’s annoyance, as if she didn’t like the fact that she was saved. I suspected she was bad, but she didn’t want to admit it. It was my fault my brother almost wasn’t born, Dad.

Talia began to cry non-stop, breaking the CEO’s heart, Caleb hugged his daughter tightly. He was truly sorry for what had happened. And he felt deeply that his daughter was being sincere.

-I’m so sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to, I didn’t mean to do it, I was going to stop being mean to her, I swear, but she….

-Shh… now, it’s okay, daughter. It’s all right, calm down.

-Please, daddy, forgive me. Don’t send me away, please.

-No, I won’t. -No, I won’t. But you must understand that it’s not me you need to apologise to. It’s better if we clear this up with Olivia, so everything is clear and there are no lies involved.

-But she didn’t lose me….

The blonde is silent as she sees Olivia behind the two of them, holding her sister’s hand. Judging by the expression on the brunette’s face, Talia knew she had heard everything.