Poor Princess

Olivia was clueless about what to say. Everything that went down tonight was heavy as hell for her. Breaking up with Nick, cutting ties with her family, and deciding to raise her baby solo without any financial aid from her folks was the biggest move she pulled, ditching her old gig that barely kept her afloat financially. Her old man turned pro once Olivia started working. Besides having a roof over her head and grub on the table, Olivia had to foot all her personal bills with her office paycheck.

But when she ditched all that luxury with a fierce determination to live on her own terms and work on her own hustle, why the hell did she have to deal with her baby daddy now?

She was dead set on not involving Aaron in this mess because if she let Aaron in on the truth, it'd be like telling Nick straight up. And that wouldn't end well since Aaron and Nick were tight as hell. The dumb mistake she made with Aaron couldn't mess up the long-standing friendship they had.

"You still ain't gonna talk?" Aaron shot at her again. They were both standing by the door, slightly off to the side to not bother other customers.

Olivia stared at Aaron, feeling empty. Her lips barely twitched with heavy doubt.

Aaron smirked. Olivia tried to hold her ground. "It's not—"

"Not my kid 'cause you ain't just fooling around with me." Aaron cut her off quickly, making Olivia feel stupid, and she could only swallow hard to wet her suddenly dry throat. Her gaze towards the dangerously handsome creature in front of her now turned into a defeated look. She turned her face away, looking at anything but Aaron.

"Who's gonna believe your BS?" Aaron added. "Everyone who knows you knows exactly who you are."

"You don't know what I'm hiding behind my attitude," Olivia retorted.

Aaron snorted, shaking his head roughly. "Whatever. Let's just get over this stupid argument. Let's go home."

The guy pulled Olivia without giving a damn about her consent. Olivia herself knew that any protest she made would only make Aaron believe in whatever lie she'd come up with next.

On the way home, Olivia was jittery and restless as hell. She wasn't ready for all this to go down now. Why did Aaron have to find out now? She was pretty damn sure Nick wouldn't spill something like this to anyone. Nick wasn't the type to easily admit defeat. Hell, Olivia was damn sure Nick probably spun some tale about his marriage to Amelia. Or worse, Nick kept his marriage to Amelia under wraps because he couldn't handle the embarrassment since everyone already thought Nick and Olivia were the perfect match who couldn't be torn apart. Loyal as hell even before wedding vows were spoken.

"How did you know about my pregnancy?" Olivia asked, breaking the silence.

"Is that important?" Aaron asked, glancing briefly at the woman beside him before focusing back on the road.

"I just want to know," Olivia replied shortly.

Aaron grunted, then recounted what happened, starting from his encounter with Nick, which then led him to accidentally meet Amelia.

"So, he did keep his marriage to Amelia a secret," Olivia muttered again.

"Your naive little sister became a victim of the family business marriage. I still can't understand the mindset of parents who marry off their kids solely for wealth. Can't they prioritize their children's happiness?" Aaron grumbled, feeling sorry for Nick and Amelia's current situation. It was clear there was no love in that cross-generational marriage.

Olivia glanced briefly. "Don't say anything if you're not in their shoes."

"Bullshit," Aaron cursed, annoyed that Olivia reminded him of his past position. He was one of the lucky ones due to his stepfather's wealth.

Aaron's car stopped in front of Olivia's place. His eyes couldn't believe what he saw.

"You live here?" Aaron asked with a pitying look.

"What do you expect from someone who can only afford potatoes for dinner?" Olivia retorted sharply.

However, the dismal conditions Aaron witnessed didn't stop there. When the door to the small apartment opened, he was even more shocked to see how simple the room was.

Despite her poverty, Olivia's surroundings exuded an unexpected cleanliness. A small bed, neatly made with crisp linens, occupied one corner, offering a modest but comfortable place to rest. Adjacent to the bed stood a versatile small table, its surface adorned with a few essential items—a lamp, a notebook, and a vase of wildflowers, infusing the space with a delicate touch of beauty. Flanking the table were two charming little chairs, their quaint appearance adding a hint of whimsy to the room.

Aaron's heart ached as he gazed at Olivia wordlessly.

"Don't look at me like that," Olivia said again. "I don't have much money, I won't buy unnecessary stuff. I'd rather use the money for urgent needs."

Aaron swallowed hard. The cramped room even reflected that Olivia's current situation was much poorer than Aaron's childhood. With mixed emotions, he grabbed the groceries on the table and started preparing meat and veggies without saying anything more. His heart felt stung and torn.

This was all because of the one night mistake they made that night.

"This isn't fair."