Chapter 23

Olivia got up in the morning, dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. Ella was preparing a morning snack while David sat at the dining table reading the newspaper.

“Morning, Ella and David.” She smiled as she greeted them.

“Good morning, sweetie.” They both returned her greeting.

“How was yesterday's party? You two returned pretty early.” She asked her.

“It was good,” Olivia said softly while setting plates on the table. Meanwhile, Caleb came towards them, sitting on a chair.

“It was better than good. Olivia finally made Jenna take a step back and showed her the right place. You know, Jenna challenged her to sing in front of everyone, and Olivia and her band made her mouth shut. Look at the video.” Olivia became tense when the video was mentioned.

“Video?” She asked.

“Yes, a few of the students shot your video, and it’s gone viral.” He informed her. Caleb was ecstatic for an unknown reason.

He was overjoyed.

“This is fantastic, Olivia.” Ella praised her.

“Ella is correct. You guys are great. You should enter your band in the competition this year, you know.” David told her after watching the video.

“They might,” Caleb said.

“What do you mean?” Olivia was in a state of panic when she asked him that question.

“Word is that Principle Rodricks wants you to perform instead of Jenna’s band ‘The Devil and the Angel.” He alerted her.

“That’s fantastic news,” Ella exclaimed joyfully.

“I don’t think so. Principal Rodricks did share his thoughts yesterday, but we don’t think we will be able to do it.” Olivia told them.

A new voice greeted them before any of them could respond to her.

“Good morning.

Caleb was taken aback by the person standing in front of him while David and Ella exchanged nervous glances.

“What is he doing here, Mom and Dad?” Caleb questioned them angrily.

“Son, Carson came last night when you were at the party.” His dad tried to explain it to him.

“So you simply let him in. How could you let him in after what he had done to us?” Caleb became enraged and yelled at his parents. He was flushed with rage.

“Caleb, this is not the way to talk to your brother,” Ella stated emphatically.

Olivia was surprised to learn that Caleb had a brother. She’d never seen a photograph of him in the house.

“It’s okay, Mom and Dad. His outburst of emotion is understandable. Caleb...” Carson reached out to touch his younger brother’s shoulder, causing Caleb to flinch.

“Don’t even think about touching me. Just leave. You are dead to me.” Caleb then went to his room.

Olivia was sitting awkwardly on the chair. David and Ella were tense and left the room, giving a disappointed look at Carson. Unshaded tears moistened Carson’s eyes, and she could see it. He exited the dining room and went to his room.

Olivia was sitting on the stairwell steps after two hours. None of the Knight’s members emerged from their quarters. She was lost in her own thoughts when Ella came and sat beside her.

“I am sorry, Livy. You had to be part of the morning scene.” She told her.

“No problem.” Olivia was hesitant to ask her any questions.

“You know Caleb and Carson had an unbreakable bond. But during his teens, he made some mistakes that caused this family to fall apart. Caleb has despised Carson ever since. We attempted to reclaim our elder son, but things got out of hand.” Ella elaborated.

Olivia noticed Ella’s eyes welling up with tears. Her hand remained on her godmother’s shoulder. Ella gave her a small smile and walked away.

Olivia entered her room slowly, passing through Caleb’s. She noticed him crying quietly. She'd never seen him cry before. Carson may have done something significant that caused him to cry.

She's not sure why, but she felt compelled to help this family, perhaps because she couldn't help her own. She went downstairs to clear her mind. She was about to leave when she noticed Caleb's older brother, Carson, sitting on the porch.

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself back there. I am Carson.” He stated that once he saw Olivia.

“Olivia.” 

“I know. You have matured into a lovely young lady. I remember you when you were a kid.” He told her.

“Do you?” With wide eyes, she asked.

Carson patted the seat beside him, signalling Olivia to take a seat, which she gladly did.

“How did you know me back then? I don't remember you.” She told him.

“You were a child at the time—no older than five years old. You, Caleb, and James were chasing each other around your backyard. Mom, dad, and your parents put me in charge of babysitting you three.” He told her this while reminiscing about those times.

“Wow.” Olivia was clearly surprised by the new information.

“Yes. Here, look at the picture.” Carson displayed the photo on his phone to her.

Olivia was tackling both boys on the ground in the photo while Carson was attempting to detach her. When she saw the picture, she burst out laughing.

“I have this image. Mom gave me this a few years ago and told me she sneakily clicked it.” Olivia gave a bright smile.

“I am not sure why, but I couldn't bring myself to delete this image. Caleb looked so carefree.

“Olivia, don't give me this look. This is something I brought on myself.” He informed her.

“You should speak with him. I am sure he will forgive you.” She tried to explain it to him.

“Olivia, it’s pointless. That is the main reason I came here. But he clearly doesn’t want to look at me. Even my parents are disappointed in me. After what I did, I can’t blame them.” He informed her. Olivia was tempted to ask him, but she restrained herself.

“Olivia, you can ask me anything.” He laughed at her.

“Only if you want to.” She said.

“It was back when I was a teenager. I was a rebel. I got mixed up in the wrong crowd and became involved in drugs and other illegal activities. My sane self would never have meddled in this, but drugs do that to you. I gradually changed, becoming more aggressive and violent. Both my mother and father attempted to help me, but things were spiralling out of control. Things got so bad that I once hit Caleb. And boy, was it painful. It was actually worse. I was so angry at myself that I left the house. I enrolled in a community college outside of this state. Instead of seeking help, I became more immersed in it. It was the only way out of the agony. I was running out of money. My accounts had been closed by my parents, so I couldn’t use them to buy anything. It was becoming difficult to function without it, and after three days of not taking those doses, I was admitted to the hospital. I was sent into counselling, which did not help me because I still craved it. But when I met her, everything changed. You know she was the only hope. I knew for a fact that I had let my parents down. So, my only way out was to kill myself from a drug overdose. But God had other plans for me.

Claudia worked as an intern at the hospital. She was so agitated with me that she slapped me right across the face and told me to shut up. That’s when I decided to check myself into a rehab facility. I stayed for almost a year. I wanted to surprise everyone here and apologize for my actions, but I needed to be something first. I started from scratch by enrolling in various medical courses. After what I have been through, I decided to pursue a career as a psychologist. I am still working on my master’s degree. It’s almost been five years since I came here.” He told her his story. It felt good to tell his part to someone else than Claudia finally.

“You did, after all, change for the better. That counts. You should tell Ella, David, and Caleb about it.” Olivia advised him.

She listened to his part and was stunned to learn about Carson and how much this family had been through. They always appeared to be in positive spirits. She isn’t the only one wearing a phony face mask.

“It's pointless, Olivia, and I believe it's for the best. I am leaving this place. I might not return at all.” He told her.

“What... Why? Where are you going to go?” She asked him.

“Well, I still have Claudia with me. She is now my fiancée. Because of my history, I was hesitant to ask her out. But that girl is a fire. She hits well for a girl. Let's just say Claudia restored my confidence, and I finally found the courage to propose to her. In any case, I am almost done with my studies and will soon have a proper job. So there's no need to be concerned.

“Carson, I still think you should tell them. They will be pleased with you.” Olivia wished to add value to the happiness of this family. They had gone above and beyond for her.

“That is not going to happen. Just look after Caleb, mom, and dad for me. You know, Olivia, it's not a bad thing to be yourself and ask for help.” Carson informed her.

“I... um...” She sighed.

“I don't know what you have been through. But I have been vulnerable before, and I can spot one when I see one. Here's my phone number; call me if you need to talk to someone.” Carson then walked away.

Olivia was furious at Caleb. How could he possibly let go of his brother? That young man had shut himself away in his room. It was 4 p.m., and she was pacing around the room. Carson left the house without saying anything to anyone. Olivia went downstairs to talk to Ella and David, hoping that they would eventually leave their room. When she went downstairs, she saw Caleb sitting on the sofa, emotionless. Ella buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly while David tried to comfort her.

Olivia couldn't stand what was going on in front of her. So she finally says the words to Caleb in the most horrible way possible.

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