Only if you know (Book 1)

Chapter 7

Olivia quietly packed all her belongings. It had only been fifteen minutes since Caleb said those cruel words to her. She gathered her thoughts and began stuffing clothes into her two bags. It didn’t take long. Maybe fifteen minutes, maybe less, but it felt like an eternity.
      It was one in the morning, and the perfect time for her to leave this house. She would be eternally grateful to the Knights for allowing her to stay under their roof this long. She greatly admires them for it.
      Silently, Olivia descended the stairs. Her movements were careful. She took one last glance at the living room, then closed the door shut and exited their home for good.
      Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined returning to this house. Not anytime soon, but it is the only place she can truly call her own. Fortunately, it was only a ten-minute walk from Knight's house.
      Olivia had kept the key with her all along, together with her memories. She entered her house after unlocking the door. 
      After three long years, she was finally home. The moment she stepped inside, tears filled her eyes. Every moment played in front of her eyes like a movie. It was as if she were watching a re-enactment of her family's interactions with her.
      The place was exactly the same as when they had left. Except for the dust that had accumulated on the white cloth that had been draped over the furniture, floors, walls, and ceiling, nothing had changed.
      This house had been a wedding gift from her paternal grandparents to her parents. It was the symbol of love and family. Her parents never had the heart to sell it. This house was all she had left of them.
      Olivia proceeded to turn on the light. Then she removed all the white clothes from the hall furniture. There were layers of dust on it, which made her cough. She took the napkin from her pocket and draped it over her mouth, and then went to her house's storeroom to take every appliance required to clean this place. Everything was still there, fresh enough to use. Maybe the old housekeeper had checked in occasionally, hoping they’d come back someday.
      She carried everything into the living room and began cleaning it. She started it at three o'clock in the morning. She wasn't tired at all, and since she wouldn't be able to sleep without nightmares, she chose to start with the living room.
      Olivia began with the flooring and then moved on to the walls. Her house was not small. In fact, for a middle-class family, it was quite large. But her grandparents were quite wealthy, so one could say that was why she had such a large house, though it wasn't as large as a Knight's mansion. Nevertheless, her home was large enough for a family of average size.
      By six in the morning, the floor and most of the furniture gleamed again. She hadn’t rested. She hadn’t eaten. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she kept moving.
      This was nothing out of the ordinary for her. She used to work for six to seven hours a day, sometimes more, at the old house where they moved three years ago.
      Her parents were strict there. So as a punishment, she was made to clean the entire storage room, which took her an entire day to complete. Not to mention that the storage room eventually became her room.
      After a short break, she grabbed a stool and climbed up to clean the upper walls and ceiling. She preferred to clean the floor first. It made her feel grounded, but she’d have to redo it later anyway. That was fine. She had learned not to be afraid of hard work over the course of four years.
      As she reached up, the faded mint-green paint stared back at her, its dullness mirroring her own fatigue. Then her eyes began to sting from the dust. She coughed, blinking hard, but ignored it until the blackness engulfed her.
      Her vision blurred, her grip faltered, and before she knew it, she was falling, her back hitting the floor hard before everything went dark.

Caleb woke around eleven that morning. The whole night, Olivia was there in his mind, and the words that he had told wouldn’t leave him alone. He knew he’d gone too far. He should not have been so harsh with her.
      After a shower, he decided to go for a walk. The air helped him think. As he walked by Rosewood, his gaze caught a house he’d often passed. It was only ten minutes away, but he’d never seen anyone there. The place always looked closed, lonely. He wondered idly who owned it.
      Back home, he made himself lunch. He knew how to cook, unlike most guys he knew. Still, the silence in the house felt heavier than usual. Strangely, he found himself expecting to hear Olivia’s footsteps, but there was nothing. Maybe she was still upset with him and went outside, or maybe she’d gone out to get high again.
      Yeah! It might be the latter.
      He decided not to pay any attention and engrossed himself in the noise of video games. Both his best friends were busy, so he was all alone in the house unless Olivia was in her room.
      By nine that night, she still hadn’t come downstairs. Strange.
      With a sigh, Caleb ordered pizza. He even went out of his way to get some for her. He wasn’t heartless, after all. He placed the box near her door and knocked twice. “I got pizza,” he said softly. “I am keeping it outside your room.”
      For once, his tone wasn’t sharp. Then he turned and walked away.     
      That night, he couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, uneasy, haunted by a feeling that prompted him to check on Livy. He had the impression that something was wrong. But, once again, he ignored it and tried to sleep.     

He went downstairs at seven o’clock in the morning. The house felt deserted. He was missing Olivia’s presence, which he didn’t find comforting. When he went downstairs, he noticed his mother and father sipping their coffee in the living room.
      Caleb was surprised to see them because they weren’t supposed to be here for another day, but he soon discovered that both of their journeys had been cut short. He was relieved that they had returned early. His mother smiled and asked him to wake Olivia up. She was eager to see her.
      He trudged upstairs, half-annoyed, half-nervous. But when he reached her door, he froze.
      The pizza box was still there. Untouched.
      The first thing that came to mind was that she wasn’t even grateful for him bringing her dinner. But based on his observations of her, even if she didn’t want to eat it, she would have kept it in the fridge. Instead, the box was still lying in the exact spot he had left.
      Caleb carefully pushed the door open and entered her room, but it was empty. Her drawers, her closet were empty. Her bags were also gone. Panic surged through him as he scanned every corner. Then his eyes fell on the table.
      Two notes.
      One addressed to him, the other to his parents. He picked up his letter first.
Caleb,
I know you have despised me from the moment I walked into your house, or perhaps even before that, when you were informed of my arrival. My intentions were never bad. I never intended to intrude and disrupt your life. I apologize for everything. You were right about me. Anyway, thank you for putting up with my presence for so long.
From Olivia

Caleb was unable to believe that Olivia was gone for real. She took his words to heart and left. He immediately took the other letter she had written to his mother and father.

Eliana and William,
I don’t know where to start. So, first and foremost, thank you for everything you have done for me. I owe you both a lot. I am not sure when and how I will ever be able to repay you. I am aware that I haven't been on my best behaviour, and none of my excuses are acceptable. But thank you so much for always being there for me and taking me under your wing when I needed it the most.
I know you would be worried about my sudden disappearance. But don't be, because I am fine. I didn't want to bother you both with myself, so it's best for everyone if I leave.
Thank you so much for everything.
From Olivia.

Caleb was enraged and cursing himself. He sat on the bed's edge, his head in both of his hands. How did he not notice?
      He had noticed her silence, her absence, but he’d ignored it. Because that was easier than caring. He’d wanted her gone. So why did it hurt this much?
      His parents had been worried about his disappearance for a long time, so they went upstairs and found him in this position. He was terrified and had a blank expression on his face when he handed them the letter, which they carefully read.
      Olivia had been missing from this place since yesterday. Perhaps she left the same night.            
      Caleb finally looked up and found that his mom and dad were glaring at him. They were pissed and had every right to be so. He guessed they figured out that her escape had everything to do with him. At that very moment, he knew that he was in deep shit. And he had no one to blame but himself.
      He definitely had some explaining to do.