Flashback (1): The Diary
With a heavy heart, Olivia left the house, walking on foot. She remembered an incident a month ago when she accidentally entered her sister's room. The beginning of the disaster of her life.
***
*ONE MONTH AGO, IN AMELIA'S ROOM*
Olivia's hands trembled as she stared at Amelia's diary that had fallen on the floor.
"So, my little sister has been harboring feelings of love for my boyfriend?" Olivia murmured in disbelief as she accidentally saw what she wasn't supposed to. Her hands trembled as she dropped the diary, filled with candid photos of her boyfriend.
But that wasn't all, Amelia had even cut out the photos of the three of them, leaving only herself and Nicholas. The caption there was very clear.
"I will love you silently, my Prince!"
On another page, it was written:
"Even though I'm not smart, I will take the entrance exam for Physics college so that we can connect when we talk about his work as my future brother-in-law."
There was a page where her younger sister expressed sadness, regretting being the second child. If only she were the eldest, she would have been the one arranged to marry Nicholas.
"My older sister is so lucky because she can marry the man she loves and who loves her back. Who would believe that an arranged marriage could bring such deep love as theirs? It pains my heart. But it's okay. I will bear this pain for Olivia. I love her so much because she loves me so much too."
She only wanted to borrow a pen from Amelia, her beloved younger sister. But Amelia was in the bathroom at the time. So, she took the pen herself since Amelia's room wasn't locked.
Creak!
Olivia was startled by the sound of the bathroom door opening. She quickly put her sister's diary back on the table, closed it, and pretended that nothing had happened.
She brushed back her slightly messy black hair, preparing to greet her sister with her forced cheerful brown eyes.
"Olive?" Amelia asked, her face contorted with fear as she saw her older sister standing in her room. Panic surged through her, realizing that Olivia might catch her writing in her diary. "What are you doing in my room? I told you not to come in without permission!" Amelia frantically scrambled to tidy up her book, desperately trying to hide her private thoughts.
"What's the big deal? Are you writing some porn novels?" Olivia teased awkwardly, attempting to brush off the tension in the room.
"What did you just say?" Amelia grabbed a nearby towel and threw it at her sister, her frustration boiling over. Olivia forced a laugh, masking the fact that she was actually hurting inside. No one knew that her laughter often concealed her true emotions, including her own pain.
"I-I'll tell Mom and Dad you're writing some porn stories!" Olivia continued teasing relentlessly, aware of Amelia's writing endeavors on a free online platform. Stories that were passionate, romantic, and maybe a little risqué.
"Damn it! I'm just writing romance stories! Erotic romance or sexy romance. What's the problem in spicing them up with steamy scenes?" Amelia retorted, her voice filled with frustration. "Besides, I'm already eighteen. It's not like it's anything weird."
"It's weird because you're still a virgin. So did you base those scenes on your fantasies after spying on your friends?" Olivia teased once again, crossing the line with her remark.
Amelia's anger flared up to its peak. She forcefully kicked her sister out of her room, using all her strength to push Olivia's taller frame away. "Get out of here!"
"Fine, I'm leaving!" Olivia shouted in surrender, her teasing tone fading. "But first, lend me a pen!"
Olivia was promptly pushed out of the room as Amelia forcefully closed the door. However, moments later, Amelia reopened the door and threw a pen at her sister.
"Here! Take your stupid pen!" Amelia yelled her usually cheerful blue eyes on the verge of tears. It wasn't because of Olivia's teasing, but because she was terrified that her sister might have caught a glimpse of her diary.
"Oh, why am I so careless! I should have locked the door!" Amelia exclaimed, letting go of the towel, causing her still-damp brunette hair to fall messily around her shoulders. "She couldn't have seen, right? She must not have seen anything because she acted normal."
Amelia paced anxiously, promising herself to be more cautious with her diary from now on.
Meanwhile, Olivia trudged dejectedly to her own room, muttering to herself, "You deserve an Oscar, Olive!" She forced a bitter smile, tears streaming down her beautiful white cheeks. "Maybe I should try my hand at acting in the future!" She commented in jest, using humor to comfort herself while wiping away her tears.