Drinking the sorrow

Arvin was sleeping peacefully at his home. He didn't like anyone to disturb his sleep, especially his fiancée so he had a habit of keeping his phone switched off when he slept.

Oliver drove to O'Neill's Mansion and in front of Arvin's house, he started to honk loudly. Arvin didn't come out so Oliver tried his cell phone and found it was off left with no choice he called on his landline.

Arvin had just fallen asleep, the land phone woke him up and he was very confused at first then he got very angry. Who wanted to die by calling him at this hour and waking him from his peaceful sleep?

He picked up the receiver with bleary eyes and asked angrily, "Who is this?"

"It's me." Oliver's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Oliver? What do you want in the middle of the night?" Although Arvin was confused why Oliver called but hearing him his anger dissipated.

"I'm downstairs. Open the door." Oliver said coldly.

"What's wrong with you man, didn't you just come back from Vegas? Shouldn't you be sleeping with your girlfriend recovering from jet lag right now? Why are you here disturbing my sleep?" Arvin was talking on the phone while he came downstairs to open the door. He was a bit annoyed.

Arvin opened the door, looked at Oliver and he immediately knew seeing his calm face that something terrible has happened. Did he have a fight with Ava or something?

"What happened?" Arvin asked seriously. This was Arvin's character he would always joke around but he knew when to get serious.

"Have a drink with me." Oliver didn't answer him.

Arvin was a little stunned but he immediately nodded: "OK, come in."

Arvin went to the underground cellar and took out two bottles of red wine he had bought from an auction a few years ago. He saved it for some special occasion but seeing Oliver's bad mood he decided to open them tonight.

Oliver looked at the wine bottle and saw it was Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole 1985. He smiled and said, "Good wine."

"So why are we getting drunk tonight?" Arvin asked taking a sip from his wine.

Arvin knew his friend too well, Oliver wouldn't have come in the middle of the night to drink if something was not troubling him. He also knew Oliver will eventually open his heart to him and tell him everything so he took the initiative to asked him.

Oliver's face suddenly shrouded with a thick sadness, he lowered his eyes and looked at the wine then he drank it in one gulp and poured another glass.

"Oliver, man slow down that's not how you drink red wine." Arvin stopped Oliver.

Oliver had a stomach disease and he could not drink too much alcohol. Three years ago, Oliver was hospitalized for gastrointestinal bleeding and suffered severely. Ella almost fell sick seeing his condition and made him promise to look after his health. Since then he started to take a proper diet and less alcohol so in past two years his condition got better.

"Why can't I drink? I am sad so I am allowed to drink as much as I wanted." Oliver seemed like lost his soul suddenly.

"Fine! You want to drink, go ahead and drink as much as you want and as your brother, I will accompany you but I think we should first call the emergency." Although Arvin said it jokingly but his intention was to remind Oliver that he could not drink too much.

However Oliver didn't listen to him, he kept drinking one glass after another as if what he was drinking was not wine but water. Looking at Oliver so distressed Arvin got very worried about him but he didn't stop him.

In the last five years, it was only Arvin and Erica who truly knew what Oliver had been through after his ex-girlfriend passed away. Oliver was a quiet person, he never told anyone about his pain instead he would bear it silently. Only when the pain was too much, he would open his heart to either Arvin or Rika. Some people say that Oliver was a cruel person, if anyone could see him at this moment they would probably know there was no one in this world who could love someone to this extent. So how was he cruel?

"Arvin today I saw her picture." Oliver lowered his eyes to hide all the emotion.

Arvin tilted his head slightly and asked surprised, "Who?"

In fact, Arvin didn't have to ask who Oliver was talking about, in this whole world it was only her that would make Oliver lose his mind like this.

Oliver took out his phone, opened the gallery, and showed the picture to Arvin that he saved before he left the house. In the picture, a woman was smiling like a flower. Her eyes were like a deep sea, which makes people want to dive into it.

Arvin looked at the photo and frowned, "Oliver, where did you get this picture from?" Arvin asked in a low voice with an unknown premonition.

"My circle of friends. Liam posted it." When Oliver mentioned Liam his eye become fierce. He could not figure out how did Liam have a picture that Oliver didn't have?

"Oliver You need to calm down first. Something is not right here, it doesn't make any sense. Maybe Liam did it on purpose to make you upset, which did work though. Look at you, you are drinking and dwelling on the past again. So I would say he has succeeded. But how did he know about her?" Obviously, Arvin's mind was more rational than Oliver's.

Whenever it was about her Oliver seems to have stepped into a swamp and slowly kept sinking deeper. However, Arvin was an outsider so he could see things clearly.

"They must have investigated everything." Oliver smiled faintly.

Michael and Liam were so despicable, to get to him they even investigated a person who has already died. However, if their plan was to threaten him with her picture then they were really naïve. Oliver had nothing to lose he has become invincible to all kinds of poisons after losing his only weakness.

"So now you need to be more rational." Arvin reached out and patted Oliver on the shoulder.

"Arvin, I think the car accident that year had something to do with Michael," Oliver said seriously looking at Arvin.

In fact, it was since the accident, Oliver was reluctant to recognize Michael as his uncle. He had investigated the accident many times and every time he reached a dead end. The whole case was full of flaws and the only person who could reveal the truth, the driver just disappeared. Oliver didn't know why but he had a feeling the driver did it on purpose and his uncle was behind the disaster.

Hearing that Arvin was shocked, "Oliver, if what you said is really true then I am sorry man, that you have such a vicious person in your family."

Oliver just smiled but didn't say anything. He stared at the wine bottle and thought if Michael was not his uncle then he would have killed him by now.

"Come on, let's drink." Oliver finished the wine that was left in his glass and the scarlet liquid slid down his throat leaving the sweet taste on his mouth and a faint smell in the air.

"You came here to drink with me so late, what about Ava?" Arvin asked with a smile.

Upon hearing Ava's name, Oliver's body became stiff for a moment. He closed his eyes and Ava's reluctant face came into his mind. Oliver knew that Ava didn't want him to leave tonight, but she didn't stop him. She's a smart woman. Oliver suddenly felt very compassionate for her because of her patience tonight. He shouldn't have left her like that.