Chapter 1 A New Life?

• Olivia's POV
• I sat in my living room, rocking back and forth on my father's old chair. I could still smell his scent on the old leather, bringing tears to my eyes.
• In my arms, I cradled the porcelain jar that held my dad’s ashes.
• It still felt like a dream. I pinched myself multiple times to wake myself up from this nightmare, but I only ended up with bruises on my arms each time my fingernails sank into my skin, drawing blood.
• This was no dream. Dad was dead.
• It was almost unbelievable, but it was true.
• I glanced over at the table, and on it was the letter the Luna of my pack had delivered to me during Dad's funeral. I picked it up and read through it for the tenth time.
• Regardless of how many times I read it, I still couldn't believe she was coming here after everything that she did, after all this time.
• That was impossible.
• Yet, my suitcase was packed beside me because Luna Mia had also been quite clear on her stance. Since Dad was gone, I had to leave. I was leaving my pack, the only home I had known all my life, to stay with…
• Knock! Knock! Knock!
• I was jerked from my brooding. I carefully placed the jar on the table and walked to the door.
• The impatient knocking came again, and the air was suddenly filled with the scent of expensive, intrusive perfume, which almost blurred Dad's scent, that was still lingering in the room.
• I walked to the door, flung it open, and saw her.
• My mother.
• She was nothing like I remembered from her lips, which were a bright red, and the flashy large hoop earrings that were dangling on both ears.
• She cleared her throat, interrupting my assessment, "God! You look like a mess, Olivia.” Her eyes swept over me in one fair swoop of disgust.
• "You should brush your hair. It looks like a bird's nest."
• Her voice was high and full of mockery. This was exactly like I remembered. Only that, Dad used to be at the receiving end of that mockery.
• Now, it was me.
• "What are you doing here, Nicole?”
• She gasped and looked at me angrily, and I took joy in seeing the displeasure on her face as her lips turned down angrily at the sides.
• "Where are your manners, young lady? Need I remind you that I am still your mother.”
• I scoffed. A person like her could call herself a mother?
• Without waiting for my reply, Nicole pushed past me and entered the house. I closed the door and watched her in anger as she looked around.
• "Still looks the same. Your father never changed those filthy sofas after all."
• She turned to me again.
• "You got my letter, didn't you?"
• I folded my arms and stared angrily at her.
• "Yeah, I did. Tell me this is some joke."
• My mother laughed sarcastically and suddenly glared at me angrily, “Look, Liv..."
• "Don't call me Liv.” That was something that only my loved ones could call me.
• She was not on that list. Although there was no list anymore as there had been only one person—Dad. And he was not even here anymore.
• Another wave of heartache hit me while Nicole rolled her eyes and ignored my comment.
• "Look, I don't have much time. Get your stuff and get into the car, and if I feel like it, I can explain things to you."
• She gave the house one last disgusted look over and walked out. I sighed angrily and sat in my dad's chair. What was all this? Why did she have to come?
• When I had gotten the letter from the pack’s Luna, a part of me had desperately hoped that it was some prank and that she wouldn’t make it. After all, I had spent thirteen years waiting for her to walk through these same doors.
• Yet, she had ended up coming.
• I heard a low rumbling sound, and I looked out of the window; I saw a black BMW. I raised my eyebrow in surprise. That was my mother's ride? Where on earth did she...
• The car outside honked its horn, and I knew my time here was up.
• Still holding the jar with my dad's ashes, I dragged my suitcase out of the door.
• My mum finally stopped honking as I walked up to the car with my suitcase.
• "I don't even know why you even bother carrying those ashes. Your hands are all dirty. Could you not get them on my seats? They're Italian leather."
• I scoffed angrily. How dare she?
• "You're unbelievable! How could you say that about Dad?!"
• She rolled her eyes and gave me a pointed stare. "Do you even know how much Italian leather costs?"
• I was dumbfounded, but she couldn't care less.
• "For the record," I said in a grim tone. "I am only tagging along because Dad would have wanted me to. I'd rather be dead with him than go anywhere with you."
• “That would have been better, Liv,” she mumbled and turned away.
• If I had expected that anything would be different after thirteen years and a new ride, I was awfully wrong, and Nicole was in a hurry to let me know.
• “Driver, step on it. I have things to do."
• The driver started the car, and then we sped away, leaving my old life, house and everything I have ever known behind.