Rockaway Tower
Up inside the penthouse of the most exclusive condominium in the metro, a freshly showered Olivia wrapped in a fluffy white bathrobe stood in front of the mirror.
She stood motionless for a good minute until she wiped the fog that covered the mirror, turning the white mask into droplets of water at her warm hand's touch. And when she had a good view of herself, her eyes zeroed in on her collarbone that turned purple from a bite mark.
She scrubbed the purple mark hard with a white washcloth, trying to erase the sickening mark from her body. She winced when it started to hurt and the memory of last night swallowed her mind like a storm surge. Her stomach started to turn upside down, sick to the core when she started to feel every little touch that Lance made on her body.
Last night, Olivia heard the doorbell ring while she was busily reviewing a pile of documents in her bedroom. It had been a week since her arrival yet Lance never showed his face and she was certain that it was him behind the main door so she gathered the documents on her bed and hid everything inside a drawer.
She composed herself and forced a sweet smile that masked the bitterness in her heart as she welcomed Lance who entered her place without a word. No hugs. No kisses. No how are yous. He went straight to the living room and slumped on the couch as he talked about his work before asking for her help.
Back in the present, Olivia's long slender fingers brushed on the bite mark on her collarbone. She clearly remembered how she received this 'gift'. In the middle of their lovemaking on the sofa, because she didn't want him in her room, she asked him if he loves her. Lance replied with a deep stinging bite on her collarbone and an angry hot tear fell from her eyes when she knew what he's about to say would be a damn lie.
"Of course."
That's what he said. But the three words that she was dying to hear never left his mouth. Lance even looked at her straight into the eye that she almost believed him.
The clock struck twelve, waking up Lance from his nap. He quickly gathered his clothing and dressed up, ready to leave and return to the one whom he truly loves. Olivia closed her eyes and took a soft and shallow breath. She could feel her head spinning from all the emotional restraint that she had to endure.
"Prenuptial agreement. Just in case," she slid the folder on the glass accent table in the living room.
It took Lance awhile before he decided to sign the documents. He never read the contents because he knew that he would not marry her anyway. He was just waiting for the perfect moment to break-up with her and now was not the perfect time to do that, not when he still needed her.
After signing the documents, Lance gave her a pat on the head and left. The door of Olivia's penthouse softly shut behind him. Olivia bit her lower lip and turned on her heel, walking towards the floor to ceiling windows. Her gaze landed on the park from afar, the only patch of green amongst the towering buildings in the metro. She's on top of the world and the clouds were at her reach yet she could feel the walls of the high-ceiling penthouse closing in on her, trapping her inside.
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into a month. Finally, Lance Go broke up with Olivia Lin over the phone.
"Let's call off the engagement, Liv."
"What's her name?"
"What name? No. There's no other girl. I just felt like we got too comfortable with each other that it's better to be friends..." Lance continued to ramble empty words in the background.
'You want out? I'll give you a way out.' Olivia didn't say a word and dropped the call. She turned her swivel chair around and squinted her left eye. Her pointy fingertip locked and steady at a newly built blue tower in the distance from her penthouse and smiled.
"Let's see how long you'll last."
One day, Lance Go showed up at her doorstep looking tired and worn out. There was no look of surprise on Olivia's face for she knew he was coming to her when she heard the news about the troubles in his company.
Lance knew Olivia won't say no and would lend him a hand. He was, after all, her first love. And when she's done helping him, he grabbed her waist and started trailing kisses on her neck. Lance knew Olivia never dated anyone ever since they broke up and thought she was still hung up on him. What's a little tryst to repay her kindness?
"Lance, stop. You're getting married. Remember that," Olivia said, pushing Lance off her as if she really cared that he's cheating on his new fiancee.
"Olivia, now don't be jealous. You know how only you can excite me on bed…"
A lustful grin escaped her lips as she pushed Lance towards the couch. And while he ravaged her body through the night, Olivia's eyes never left the blinking pen on the floor.
Olivia woke up the next day alone and naked. She stood up and walked up to the kitchen in her birthday suit and made a cup of coffee for herself. She laughed at her naive younger self for letting Lance into her life. She knew Lance loved her at some point, but he loved himself more. And she definitely knew he was using her to achieve his goals too but that didn't matter because she longed for his presence. She longed for a companion. She needed him too.
She took another sip of coffee and continued to mock herself for giving a trash like him a piece of her heart. It was a good thing that she saved some for herself, right?
However, Olivia frowned upon her sorry realization: how can she give everything when she never felt true and selfless love in the first place?
Olivia Lin. Exiled heiress of Lin Prime Holdings, the biggest corporation in Nisia. Nobody knew of her name. Heck, nobody knew of her existence. Henry Lin, her father, decided to leave her in the farthest place from Nisia as possible the moment she was born.
Growing up, she was alone.
Growing up, she learned to be independent.
Growing up, she learned to steel her heart and never let anyone in – not even herself.