Olivia North

Nick showed me around his hometown, his school, his favorite diner where he used to be a part time waiter, the playground where he had his first kiss and the lake where he used to spend a whole lot of his teenage time whenever he wanted to be alone. We made out a lot there until Esme called telling us that we need to be in their house in 30 minutes because dinner will be ready.

Good thing I brought my handy-dandy cute little travel makeup so I can touch up and conceal all the naughtiness we did by the lake. Today, I had a glimpse of Niccolo's childhood, from his family to his friends and to the places he used to hangout whether by himself or with his friends. It's refreshing to know that side of him because I was first introduced to the matured, responsible, and single dad. From what I grasped from the stories that his friends told me, he really was a kind and responsible man but according to them, he used to start brawls when he was in highschool. That I cannot imagine because I always see and perceive him as a patient man because of how he handles Dylan's tantrums and my attitude especially when we first met. Oh, I was such a bitch that time. I always belittle him and slap to his face that he only wants money from us and he's such a kiss ass. I snorted when I remembered his angry face when I finally pushed his buttons while having lunch at Erin's hotel.

"Someone's in a good mood, huh. Was it my doing?" Nick rested his hand on my knee as he's driving to his house.

"No. Get off your high horse, grumpy. I just remembered something." I told him and unclasped my hand to his.

"Oh really, what is it? And stop calling me grumpy or else I will kiss you whenever, wherever and whoever is around." He threatened playfully and I punched his arm.

"If you do that, I will kick you where the sun doesn't shine and I don't care whenever, wherever, and whoever sees us." I looked at him smugly and smirked.

"You know, you really are good at using my words to me and hitting me. Should I tell my family that I am a battered boyfriend?" I smiled at him and slapped his hand that's currently resting on my knee but he quickly removed it and I hit my knee instead. It hurts, both of my palm and knee, I rubbed my knee as I felt the sting from my slap and I heard Nick's laugh. This time I hit his arm again and he shut up.

"What the hell, woman. That hurts."

"Now we're even." And I laughed. He laughed too and stopped his car in front of a house.

"We're here." He stated and unbuckled his seatbelt. Uneasiness spread all over me again so before Nick can open his door, I held his arm to halt him. He looked at me smiling but then it vanished in a second when he saw my face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asked concerned and held my arm.

"Nick, I'm kinda nervous again. I don't know why. I'm sorry, I'm such a wuss today." I leaned on his chest and put my arms around his neck.

"No you're not. And don't be nervous, you've met all of them a while ago and just be yourself but if you really don't want to go in, we can ditch tonight's dinner and dine in to some restaurants around here." I looked at him quickly and shook my head side to side.

"Niccolo, no. We're not doing that, I just need some courage again to meet them besides I'm already here it's rude to ditch this dinner when I said yes to your mom. Also, why do I have to delay meeting everyone when we knew that meeting them inevitable, right? So no. Let me just take a deep breathe and find some courage within me." I looked at his eyes and saw admiration in them, I opened my mouth to ask him but he beat me by kissing me gently, as if I'm a fragile human being, this is the kind of kiss where you feel loved, and I like it.

"Let's go, Mr. Knights, we don't want your family waiting." I whispered in his ear in a flirt tone and kissed him on his cheek.

"How do I look, Niccolo?" I asked him before he opened their front door.

"Beautiful as always." I rolled my eyes at him and sighed, I looked at him flatly.

"I'm saying the truth babe." He said as he kissed my temple.

"Nick we made out a lot today, does my lips look so swollen? Or was there a lipstick smudge?" I asked and saw a lipstick smudge on his lips. Thank God I saw it right away, I wiped it using my finger but due to the dim lighting on their porch, I couldn't see clearly if I have completely wiped it.

"Unfortunately it's not swollen. Damn I should up my game so everyone knows that you're mine." He said and embraced me, I automatically aced my arms around his neck.

"What do you mean unfortunately? And everyone knows that I am your girlfriend. It's the women whom should know that you and Dylan are mine. Should I mark you here?" I said sweetly and pecked his adams apple, "or here?" I pecked the side of his neck, "or here?" I pecked the other side but then the door opened widely by Rebecca and Nick and I froze.

"Oh my God. I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt." She apologized but when I looked behind her, I saw everyone looking at us. I immediately removed my hands from Nick and he intertwined our hands.

"It's okay, Rebecca. Good evening." Nick said as he entered their foyer and I followed him. I didn't bother to smile at this ugly-looking parrot because she irritates me and I had a feeling that she knew that we have arrived already.

We walked inside and saw familiar faces that I have met a while ago, and then, I saw her. The most intimidating woman I saw in my life, who apparently sat on the couch that's adjacent to the front door. She's looking at me, no that's not the right word, she assessing me until we stood in front of her. She's staring at me as if she's reading a book.

"Hello, Nana, good evening." Nick assisted her to stand up and hugged and kissed her cheek.

"There's nothing good in the evening when you two are late." She replied but was looking at me, voice void of emotions. Nick just laugh it off and hugged her again.

"Oh Nana, I'm sorry okay, I showed Olivia around. Oh yeah, by the way, this is my girlfriend Olivia North. Livy, this is my Nana Adelle Knights." He introduced me and pushed me a little in front of him because apparently I was frozen still in my place.

"Hello, Nana, I am Olivia North, it's nice to meet you." I smiled and was about to hug her when she sat down on the couch again.

"Mrs. Knights. Call me Mrs. Knights, you're not one of my grandchildren for you to call me Nana." This was what I was talking about today was too good to be true, they were all good to me but the bomb was at the finale.

"Apologies, Mrs. Knights. I assure you that I won't call you Nana." I said apologetically and smiled at Nick to assure him that I am fine.

"Nana, what..." Nick started but Adelle spoke.

"You clearly knew that there's a barbecue tonight and yet you agreed to my grandson to tour you around? What, did you purposely agree so that you can evade to help in the preparation for tonight's food? Not only that, you let yourself be late at tonight's dinner if not from Esme calling you two that dinner is ready. As if that's not yet enough, you took your time to flirt with Niccolo at the porch as if no one's waiting for you two? What do you think you are? An important person for us to wait for? If you're used to that at your house then don't bring that attitude of yours here." She said angrily, geez I don't know what to feel, good thing Nick's holding me or else I would've fallen to the floor. What's happening?

"Nana, enough. It wasn't her idea to stroll around town, it was mine. Also, we were already on our way here when mom called. If there's anyone to blame here it's me." Nick said calmly but I can hear anger in it.

"If she's a responsible woman then she would've said no and offers to help here but no. Your son, she let your mom take him here so she can have you all by yourself. Right, Olivia North?" I don't know what to say. Speak, Olivia, come on, speak. Tell her that you didn't think that, come on for your own sake speak you bitch.

"Nana, it's not like that, I was the one who asked mom to take Dylan here. What is going on?" Nick said in frustration, I held his arm to shush him.

"Once again, I'm sorry Mrs. Knights for my negligence, rest assured that it won't happen again." I apologized again sincerely.

"What? You don't have to say apologize, it's not your fault." Nick said as he ran a hand on his face.

"Enough of this. Steak will be ready in 5 minutes." Tom butted in and Nick pulled me to the staircase to go up.

Once upstairs, we went inside a room and he hugged me tightly. I did not move because I was still in shock because of the turn of events. The whole day I was having fun and the next I was in an opposite moment.

"I'm sorry Olivia. If I only knew that this would happen we should've went home after the bake sale. Babe, I'm sorry. I really do. Hit me if you must, I'm sorry." Nick apologized and tried to hit himself using my hands. I removed my hands from him and went towards the floor to ceiling window. Oh how I miss my spot in my apartment right now, especially the view. It gives me calm and peace whenever I sit there.

"Olivia." I heard Niccolo's voice behind me and saw his silhouette reflection on the glass window.

I smiled and took a deep breathe before I turned around at him.

"Nick, I'm fine, I actually kinda expected that since last week. Don't worry about me I have readied and conditioned myself already when this kind of situation arises so no need to worry. And why did you think that it's your fault? It wasn't okay, and you didn't even know that this would happen, and if you did, you know that it's bound to happen considering that meeting them is necessary especially that I am to marry you. So one way or another whether we like it or not, we cannot avoid this kind of situation." I explained to him and cupped his face with my palms.

"So don't worry about me. I'm fine Nick, I swear." I added and hugged him.

The truth was I was far from fine not because Adelle humiliated me in front of so may people but because her words have meaning and she was mad not because we were late but because she now confirmed that what she heard or read from the mews about me was true. How did I know, you ask? Because I felt it, the way she looked at me and spoke those words at me, it came from somewhere, and that somewhere was the news. That the infamous Olivia North is the arrogant bitch heiress of the North Group of Companies.

"Olivia, you're far from okay. We have to go now, I don't think that I can hold myself if they humiliate you again." Nick said angrily and pushed me gently from him to look me in the eyes. His eyes went from playful to angry, and it's terrifying.

"Shhh. You won't do anything, you will not talk back to your grandmother because of me. Don't disrespect her or any from your family just for me. I won't permit you to do that. Have you forgotten what you said a while ago? That I just need to show them who I really am? That's what's I'm going to do besides it's too boring if all of them liked me immediately, there's no challenge. Ppfft." I joked to lighten up our mood but what I said was right. This is the time to show them who Olivia North really is.

"But..." I pecked his lips to shush him because I didn't know if there were any words I can say to comvince him that I was okay.

"You really talk a lot, Mr. Knights." I rolled my eyes at him playfully and gave a peck on his lips again.

"Okay fine, but if they say anything offensive to you don't think that I'll just sit there and let them humiliate you because I won't. I will definitely give a piece of my mind to whoever dared to do that to you." He looked into my eyes and I felt a surge of emotions inside me that made me want to cry. No, I am not going to cry. I'm fine. I am a strong woman.

"Aye aye boss." I saluted at him and smiled, he smiled at me too and was about to kiss me when we heard a weird knock on the door.

"What do you want, Theresa?" Nick asked in a loud voice. Wait, how did he know that it was Tessa?

"Dinner is ready, Niccolo and Olivia." Her voice was kinda muffled because she was on the other side.

"No we're not ea.."

"We're on our way, Tessa." I said and dragged Niccolo towards the door.

Dinner was so uncomfortable and awkward for me. Esme and Tessa tried so hard to engage me in the conversation but Adelle would always indirectly compare me with Rebecca. When I commented that I liked the brisket, Claire, Nick's aunt asked me if I have a specialty dish. I stuttered and said that I actually didn't know how to cook and Nick rescued me saying that I make delicious sandwiches but Adelle made a snide remark.

"Sandwiches? That's pathetic. You can't be full by just eating those, how old are you Olivia?"

"I'm 23, ma'am." I politely answered her even though I wanted to burst because that's an indirect insult to my mother.

"Elly can make delicious sandwiches and she's only 6 years old. How can a grown up woman like you doesn't even know how to cook a single dish?" She scoffed, Nick was about to answer her but I held his lap to stop him. I smiled at her and answered her politely.

"I grew up in a house full of housekeepers and we had a personal chef to fend for our food, ma'am that's why I never learned how to cook." I said carefully making sure that I delivered it politely.

You can do this, Olivia. You're okay. You're tough. You're beautiful. You're kind. You're lovable. You're amazing. You're fantastic.

"And you think that you're fit to be called Dylan's mother." She said and raised her palm to stop Niccolo.

"If you couldn't even cook, I bet you couldn't even slice vegetables or meat, how can you be someone's mother and wife? Rebecca here knows how to cook since she was 13 years old. I remember that she would share to Niccolo the food that she cooked or baked. Do you know how to bake? Or did you also have a personal patisserie in your house?" She asked condescendingly.

"No ma'am I don't know how and yes, we did have a personal patisserie." I smiled sweetly at no one. What's the point in lying if I really didn't know how. What if she challenged me to bake something? That would just add up to my humiliation.

"Nana, stop it. Can we just eat in peace? Nick, can yu pass me that brisket?" Tessa spoke and asked Nick.

"Why would I stop? I am just asking her if she could cook or not? A good wife should know how to cook for her family so her family won't get hungry." She explained sweetly at Tessa but I know that this was direct to me.

"Well, I know how to cook and I love it, mom taught me how so don't worry when Livy and I got married, our family won't get hungry, Nana." Niccolo stated all of a sudden in an eerily calm voice. Half of the people present in the dining room gasped when they heard the 'married' word.

"Don't tell me you're going to marry her?" Adelle asked as she pointed her index finger at me.

"Yup, Nana, I will and I would appreciate it if you stop humiliating my girlfriend because soon she will be your granddaughter-in-law. Now if you may excuse us, Livy and I have a long way to drive to get to our home." Nick stated and stood up, he put his napkin on the table and dragged me to stand up. He went and picked Dylan up who's, thank God already done eating and currently playing with Elly at the veranda outside the dining room.

"Thank you for the dinner. It was nice meeting all of you." I said to nobody before Niccolo dragged me to get out of the house.

"Olivia, get in the car." He said and opened the car door for me then he proceeded to buckle Dylan to his car seat.

All throughout the ride, we were silent, all we can hear was the radio and the occasional sound of Dylan who's currently playing with his toy cars.

When we were near my apartment building, that's when he spoke.

"Don't ever think so lowly of yourself, Olivia. Don't let her words get to you, okay? You're perfect as you are, you don't need to change anything and I'm terribly sorry for what happened a while ago." He said as he stopped the car in front of my building. I looked at him and smiled, I leaned on to him and pecked his lips.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine Niccolo. Now, go it's late now." I said and went out of his car, I opened Dylan's side to give him a kiss while he's sleeping.

"Good night, my love. I love you." I whispered at him and kissed his forehead.

"Good night, Niccolo. Drive safe okay, call me when you get home." I said and closed the car door. I waited for them to go before I went inside the building.

Once I got inside my apartment, I went straight to my spot bursted into tears until darkness took over me.

Hello loves,

Tadaaa, another update.

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