More Than A Dream

Chapter 7

Olivia stood hesitantly outside Jeremy's study at Sneaky Manor, building up her courage to enter the room.
She could hear him tear a hole in the carpet as he paced up and down the room furiously.

"What do you want Olivia? Why are you lingering at my door?" barked Jeremy angrily, making Olivia's heart drop with surprise.

"How did he know I was here" she wondered as she slowly made her way into the room.

Jeremy stopped his pacing and stood still, fixing his angry glare on Olivia as she entered the room.

"Well?" he asked when Olivia stayed mute, looking nervously at him.
"I....I think you shouldn't have been so harsh on Jack and sent her away Jeremy. You know very well that the child worships the ground you walk on. Sending her away from you will hurt her more than any other punishment you could give her." answered Olivia, hoping to change Jeremy's mind.

"And I think you should keep your nose out of the matters that don't concern you. Also let me remind you Olivia, you wished to stay here that is your choice but don't you dare cross your boundaries and try to manage me like a wife. Understand?" said Jeremy in a controlled voice, fixing Olivia with a dismissing look.

"Yes I understand." whispered Olivia as she walked calmly out of the room, her ears buzzing with embarrassment.

She continued to walk down the hallway, straight towards her bedroom in silence.

On entering her bedroom, she closed the door softly behind her and stood motionless on the ground with her back to the door. Her body began to tremble violently as all her carefully suppressed emotions began to flow out.

She sank onto the floor miserably, her eyes burning with unshed tears as she recalled the utter humiliation she had suffered in Jeremy's study.

"Why!! Why do I let myself be treated like this? Whyyy!!!! I gave away eight years of my life for you Jeremy! Eight years! My youth was spent staying selflessly next to you taking care of your family. Yet how easily you dismissed me in an instant without a second thought." whispered Olivia, her throat clogged with pain.

"You'll say this was my choice, that you never gave me any hope from the beginning. What else did I expect? Afterall you are the great stone hearted Jeremy Franklin, how could my eight years of love, sacrifice and dedication ever melt your ice cold heart?" said Olivia, laughing and crying maniacally at the same time.

She slowly lifted herself from the ground and made her way to the dressing table at the corner of the room. She looked at her tear stained face in the mirror, cringing internally as she once again recalled Jeremy's humiliating words.

"Don't blame me for being cold hearted too darling. Don't blame me for helping your enemy. You brought this on yourself by humiliating me." she said with a watery smile as she silently called the man who had waited patiently for eight years to take his revenge.

Jack barged into Snoopy Manor without a word and flung herself angrily on the couch in the living room.
"Don't tell me you fought with that idiot again. You are welcome to stay here as long as you want. I can guarantee he'll come begging for forgiveness by morning." said Sinclair without batting an eyelash at Jack's sudden appearance in his house.

"Dad!!" hissed Oliver with annoyance. "Don't make matters worse for God's sake. We should try to sort the problem not encourage them to be stubborn."

"What did I do son? Your uncle Jeremy is crazy, moody and stubborn. He needs someone in his life who can stand up to him. This is going to be fun." said Sinclair happily as he propped his legs on the table opposite him.

"What happened Jackie? Are you okay?" asked Oliver pretending not to hear Sinclair's words.

"He doesn't want to see my face. I'm never going back to him." said Jack storming out of the house in anger.