Page 113 of My Damaged Protector

“There's no side, Olivia. There's only us. All of us, a family. Why would you think I don't want you?”

“Because you never have any time? If you're not busy writing, you're thinking of what to write!”

She does have a point.

I sigh in regret and move close to her with my hands stretched, urging her with my eyes to take them. She doesn't. I let them fall and step back.

“Believe it or not, I'm doing this for you. Everything I have done from the time I found out I was pregnant with you to this point has been done to protect you, and if you'll just let me, I can show you how much I care about you. You just have to trust me.”

“I am not agreeing to stay in this big house with you if you're going to be spending all your time writing and ignoring me.”

“That's not going to happen.”

“Yeah well, I don't believe you. You've told me you'll take me to my father many times in the past, and you've never come through on your word, and we both know you never will. That, I can live with. But I cannot live with you. I will not.”

She walks away, and I watch her until she enters the room I told her is hers during the tour.

How am I supposed to change her mind after that kind of declaration?

Looking at my aunt, I find her with a solemn look on her face.

“What am I going to do Auntie?” I ask her, my eyes filled with tears now that Olivia is no longer in the room. I'd been doing my best to hold the tears in since she first said she wouldn't stay with me.

“Come, let's take a seat,” she says gently, putting her palm on my back and guiding me to the sofa.

I follow her direction and let her help me sit. When we're both seated, I turn to face her, and she sighs.

“Just give her time, she'll come around,” she whispers, but I know she doesn't believe it even as she says it.

That girl doesn't sound like she's going to be coming around anytime soon. What am I going to do?

Send her away with Sheila and risk someone finding out about her, and Kyle too, eventually?

No.

I'd rather die than have that monster know about my daughter.

In the past, I lied to her that I would take her to him. But that was only because she was constantly asking about him, and I needed to make her stop asking.

Am I proud that I lied to her? No. But it was what had to be done. If I'd told her she'd never get to meet her father, it would shatter her. But she came around to the truth on that, and if she can forgive that, can forgive me too?

Her words come back to me.

“That, I can live with. But I cannot live with you. I will not.”

Fresh tears starts to spill from my eyes.

“Sarah, come on. Stop crying, I told you she'll come around. It's normal for her to react the way she did. Any child would be devastated to find out they have to give up the life they know for another one. But like you said, you're doing this for her, and she'll come around to that eventually.”

Any child would be devastated alright. But she isn't devastated that she has to move. She's devastated because she doesn't want to stay with me.

How am I going to share the news of my pregnancy with her at this point?

I guess I'll just have to prove to her that she's important to me and that I love her. It will take time, but I will do it.

Cleaning my face, I force a smile. “I'm thinking of turning in early. Can you help me make sure she eats?”

“Certainly.”

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