When Olivia Was Seven

Olivia looked at her fork again. It still hadn't changed color. "No, It's fine. I was just thinking of something."

"Want to talk about it?" He asked her. She had told him before that sometimes talking things out helped people if they were dwelling on past trauma.

"Maybe later," she told him and continued eating. This was an Olivia Carter issue. She didn't want to talk about it where ears other than his or Fredericka's could hear. "I was wondering if there were other dishes like his in the treasury. Perhaps you could show them to Lady Lowenheim and I after dinner?" Olivia suggested. This meant she wanted to talk to him about something that could potentially take a lot of time.

"Ah, so you were curious about the pattern on the fork," He made the excuse for her. He didn't want the servant to think anything was wrong. They looked like the stress was eating them alive when Olivia double checked her food just now. But then she looked just fine and asked if there were other dishes like that in the treasury. It turned out to be nothing, but her wondering about the pattern on the fork. The servants visibly relaxed.

Olivia hadn't noticed any of this, as her back was facing them at the time. If she remembered that they were in the room too, she might have apologized to them out of embarrassment.

…

…

In the time sealed room…

Olivia Carter told Adarian that she wanted to bring down a set of chairs so they could sit while they spoke. They created an assembly line and brought three chairs down one by one. Olivia chose very light chairs made of wood, and some cushions that looked comfortable to sit on.

The hall to the Book of Love was very wide. They could easily fit more chairs down here if they wanted. He decided it would be a good thing if they kept the chairs down here, just in case there were more things they wanted to share with each other in private.

When Olivia Carter found out that there were mana stones embedded in the silverware that she used that could detect poisons she had become much more lax about watching others make her food. Olivia took a deep breath and began her story.

"I might still double check my food from time to time," Olivia explained. "But It's only because something came to my mind about my past. I'll be fine as long as I can reassure myself..." While Olivia spoke, the scene played out in the heads of her audience of two.

…

…

Olivia Carter had just turned seven years old last week. Her mother was busy working, but she said they could have a birthday party for her to celebrate nine days later. In just two more days they could have her party. Because she was seven, she didn't know anything about her family yet. She didn't know she was an illegitimate child. She didn't know her father, she had never met him. She didn't know he had another family. She didn't know that her older brother would be celebrating his birthday on the same day as her party.

She was ignorant of all of this. But none of it mattered at the time, because she was seven. Her mother, Audrey James, had everything all planned out. Olivia's birthday party was ballerina themed. She would even have a ballerina cake. The ballerina invitations had already been sent out. Including one invitation that Olivia signed to her father.

She didn't know her mother sent the invitation to her fathers workplace. She didn't know that her birthday had been set up to be on the same day as her brothers. Her mother wanted to see if her father would come to them after his son's party was over.

If he came it meant she had another chance with him. They could create a family. Surely he wouldn't ignore his daughter's birthday? Olivia was his second child after all. Her mother had even made sure to give Olivia his family name on her birth certificate. [Olivia Carter. Birth Mother Audrey James. Birth Father Owen Charles Carter.]

Owen Carter never showed up. At this point in time Audrey was already suffering from a mental breakdown. Olivia didn't know to pay attention to the warning signs her mother had been giving off. She was too young to even care about an adults mental health. Her mother was supposed to be there to take care of her at this point in her life. Not the other way around.

But Audrey became obsessed with Owen Carter. She kept a scrapbook about him. She replaced the Photo's of his wife with herself, and put Olivia's face on all three of the children's faces. Olivia found all of this when she went through the storage facility that their things had been placed in. She didn't know that when she turned 18 the bill for all of this would be handed over to her. If that was the case, the state should have thrown it away.

At this point in time, her and her mother watched a movie about an estranged husband and wife who came together because their daughter had gotten sick. Audrey's frail mental state had finally snapped. Olivia was healthy now. But if Olivia got sick…

Surely her father would have sympathy for their sick daughter. She would make Olivia get sick, and then Olivia would be able to gain her father's love. After that, Owen would realize that he loved Audrey and not his wife.

Olivia had to go to elementary school. But her mother made sure that Olivia ate breakfast every morning.

"Mom, it tastes funny," Olivia complained. "I don't like it. I want something else" Her breakfast tasted bad. It made her sick to her stomach, but her mom made her go to school anyway.

"Don't complain about your breakfast. Just finish it. If you complain about the food I give you, the nasty doctors at the hospital will come and get you. They'll stick big needles in your arms and fill you full of poison. Is that what you want?"

Olivia started to cry and shook her head. She didn't want the nancy doctors to come and get her.

Her mother sent Olivia to school, and then she sat and waited by the phone for the school to call her that her daughter was getting sick. When the school called, she picked up Olivia right away and took her back home.

She asked Olivia if she complained to the school nurse or the school doctor that her breakfast tasted bad.

"NO!" Olivia cried out. "I don't like nancy doctors so I didn't tell them."

"Olivia you have to speak properly, or else your daddy wont come and visit us," Audrey put extra pressure on Olivia. "Say nas-tee."

"Nan-stee"

"No Olivia!" Audrey spanked Olivia's hand. "Say it correctly! Nasty!"

Olivia began to hiccup. "Nansty"

Audrey grabbed Olivia by the arms. She gripped her tightly. "Say it right! Don't you want to see your daddy!? The other kids teased you because you didn't have one right!? If he comes they can't tease you anymore!" Now you have one last chance. Say Nasty!"

Olivia's arms hurt. But she knew she couldn't cry about it right now. If she cried her mom would get angry. "Na *hiccup* s-ty"

"Good girl," Audrey said smiling now that her daughter had gotten it correct. She pulled Olivia into her arms hugging her lovingly. The timely hiccup had saved Olivia from being in trouble for the night.

Audrey called Owen's office to let him know Olivia was getting sick and she didn't know what to do. She sent the same message to him in an email.

Owen wasn't in the office. He never knew that Olivia had gotten sick. Even if he had known… He would never call Audrey back.

If it was serious Audrey could send Olivia to the hospital. He would probably pay the bill, but he might not. It was really up to his mood. But at this time, he still didn't even know Olivia was sick. However he did know that Audrey was unstable.

Audrey had been stalking him. He had placed a restraining order on her. Audrey's crazy meddling had almost caused his marriage to fall apart. When his wife found out he had had a mistress she almost divorced him on the spot.

He convinced her to go to couples therapy with him. They could work it out. Their marriage was finally getting back to normal.

Audrey couldn't take it. Owen belonged to her and her daughter. She started stalking him and his family. Someone suggested that they get away. Go someplace Audrey couldn't afford. If they did that, then she would leave them alone for a while.

It had been a long time since they had a family vacation. Now was the perfect time to have a good vacation. His children were all homeschooled, so they could take their lessons when they got back and there would be no issue. He didn't care about anything happening at the office.