ELLA :

Usually, my day starts with a loud tinge of my alarm or with the sweet voice of my mother.

My nostrils will immediately fill with the aroma of a delicious breakfast made by my mother but today it starts with the news that drops a huge thunder on me.

I feel like I get struck by the lighting and my whole world has shattered into pieces.

My eyes are numb and so is my heart.

I don’t know what to say or how to react when the people around me come to give their condolence on my parent’s death.

It came as a complete shock when Oliver gave me the news of the plane crashing at which our parents were traveling.

At first, I couldn’t accept the fact that they are gone from my life but Now as I stand in the cemetery with people crowding over me, I realize that it is the truth my parent is gone.

My lovely parent whom I love with all my heart has gone.

My heart feels sadness as a tear sheds from my eye, I blink and more tears start to fall.

I look at the two graves with a heavy heart just then someone’s hold on my arm brings me back from my daze.

As I turn, I see Oliver standing beside me wearing a black suit, he looks mature in this formal attire. “Come let’s pay our last respect to Mom and Dad.” He says to me and then very gently pulls me to their graves.

I sit beside him on my knees as I touch their name engraved on the stone.

I feel the loss I got after losing them.

Again, I am crying badly as I bid them goodbye in a choked voice, “Goodbye Mom, Goodbye Dad.” Oliver says the same and then he embraces me in his arms as I start to cry more which soon turns into sobs without caring about the surroundings around us.

I feel like someone has ripped my heart out from my chest. Someone has taken away my precious treasure, I feel empty and lonely.

But Thankfully, Oliver didn’t let me feel lonely as he hug me tighter in his arms and rub my back gently to comfort me.

We sit in that position for quite some time and finally when I calm down Oliver takes me back to our home.

***

I am looking around my parent’s happy pictures when the doorbell rings.

It is common now to have visitors but I and Olive are not in the mood to meet anyone, we both are in the grief of our parent's death.

Although my mother was not his biological mother and his father was not my biological father, we still managed to live a happy life as a loving and caring family.

I was 12 when my mother married his father and Oliver was 14.

Oliver always made me feel so comfortable around him that I never felt like he is someone whom I knew for just some time. It always felt like we both had known each other for years.

People even got envied our relationship because no one would literally believe that step-siblings could stay so close and nicely.

Even some tried to spread rumors about his and my inappropriate relationship but all that rumors went to rest when I started dating Ethan when I was 17 and he started dating Sofia 6 months ago.

I won’t lie but I did feel something for him as we both are very close but whenever I look for him to give me any hint, he always disappoints me so whatever feelings I have for him.

I deeply buried them in my heart. I made a boyfriend just to test him if he really gets jealous of it or not.

As I have seen that if someone loves you they would definitely get jealous if you get close to someone else in front of them.

But out of my expectation, Oliver showed me nothing, not a single hint of jealousy even when I pulled Ethan into my bedroom in front of him.

He didn’t stop us nor look at me. He casually walked back to his room like it was nothing to him.

I felt disheartened, I wanted to give him my virginity I even dreamed of getting f**ked by him in different ways but all my fantasies died when he didn’t show any interest in me.

Sadly, I gave my first to Ethan and decided to stop thinking about Oliver.

I am happy with Ethan now, he is the perfect man for me. I smile warmly while thinking about Ethan just then a knock on the door disturbs my thoughts and Oliver walks inside with his face darkened. He has now taken off the coat and looks very much attractive in those black trousers and black shirt, while I have changed my clothes into a simple tee and jeans that black mourning color deeply haunts me.

I look up and walk to him in worry, “What happened? Who was it?” He sits on the bed looking tired as I sit beside him waiting for his answer.

He looks up at the ceiling and then around our parent’s room with a deep sigh. I could sense from his actions that he has some piece of bad news.

Just then he open his mouth looking straight at me, “Ella, we need to vacate this house and shift to our ancestor’s house.”

BOOM

The news dropped like a bomb, I shake my head while he continue, “Ella, we have no choice. Mom Dad has gone bankrupt, the bank has seized the company and now they are coming for this house.” He tells me and I feel like someone has hit me hard.

This house, I look around and tears start to well up in my eyes. How could I leave this house? It is the only place where I had all my good memories with my parent.

I stand up with trembling legs as I cry sadly, “No Oliver, I am not leaving here. No!” I yell feeling a burst of emotions exploding inside me and then I run.

Out of the house, I take my bicycle and start riding it at full speed while Oliver behind me keeps shouting my name. I ignore him and keep riding it as fast as I could.

I feel suffocated only by the thought of leaving my home. I need some fresh air to breathe, I need to be alone.