32 The Cat is Out of the Bag.

I barely make it to my room, once I get there I slide down against my door. I’m shaking, it’s not just the possibility of my dad being a criminal, but Stefan too... I just can’t take it. My uncle Gus said my brother was murdered so my dad would hand over his business, florists don’t murder their son’s competitors for gain, mobsters do. I cover my ears as if that could prevent me from thinking. I hear a loud noise on the other side of the wall, my mom must have dropped something in her room. Suddenly, I know what I have to do. I stumble up and walk to my mom’s bedroom. I don’t even knock, I just let myself in. She’s sitting on her favorite armchair knitting. She looks at me annoyed as if my presence bothered her.

“What do you need?” She asks rudely as if I had just interrupted her from saving malnourished children. 

“Who murdered Alex?” I ask directly, there’s no reason to beat around the bush.

My mom lowers her knitting to her lap and looks at me shocked.

“Olivia, what kind of question is that?” She exclaims outraged.

“Who murdered Alex?” I repeat firmly. The rage is palpable in my voice.

“Olivia, stop this nonsense!” She demands.

“Who murdered Alex?!” I shout furious.

My mom’s expression changes, her eyes fill with poison. 

“Why don’t you ask Stefan?! I’m sure he knows it better than I do... at least his father does.” 

I stumble back and hit my behind against her dresser. I grab on to the edge so I don’t fall down. I shake my head, this can’t be happening.

“So, it’s true... they killed Alex...” I mumble out of breath.

“The Corvino family? Our longtime enemies? Yes,” she says with a wicked smile.

“What does my dad really do for a living?” I’m barely capable of stating my question, the words drown in my mouth.

“That is irrelevant right now. Olivia, grow up and think very carefully about how you are going to act next. Your life and ours are on the line, we depend on you,” she explains bitterly.

“What does that even mean?! Can’t you be straight with me for once?!” I shout exasperated. Our lives are on the line? 

My dad storms into the bedroom. 

“What is with all the yelling? Stefan is downstairs, he came to see you and you’re here acting deranged. Can someone explain to me what is going on?” He looks at us with a menacing look.

“The cat is out of the bag. She knows. I told you your little girl would eventually grow up and realize who you really are,” my mom states bitterly. 

My dad looks at me concerned as if I was a storm to be contained.

“What do you do for a living? Because it’s obvious you are not a florist, dad... You are mobster, aren’t you? And so is Stefan,” I exclaim with a trembling voice. 

“Olivia, calm down,” he says. “Take a deep breath.” 

“You’re monsters!” I shout at them. “You knew who Stefan was and you didn’t warn me!”

“No one coerced you to do anything, you threw yourself into that man’s arms and now it’s your responsibility to keep this family safe,” my mom says.

I shake my head, I’m flooded by emotion... rage, disappointment, fear...

“Olivia, I need you to calm down and keep a level head. Let’s talk about this, I’ll answer all of your questions, but first I need you to go downstairs and send Stefan home, tell him you are tired and need a nap,” my dad talks to me as if I was a wild beast he needed to soothe. “Don’t do anything brash. Just tell him nicely you need to rest and then we’ll talk. The last thing we need is for him to get mad.”

I take a deep breath, I walk into my mom’s bathroom and splash my face with cold water. My parents watch me in absolute silence. I get out of the room and walk down the stairs. Stefan is waiting for me sitting on a couch in the living room, he’s looking at his phone so he doesn’t immediately see me as I walk past the living room towards the main door. I feel like smashing his head with a vase, but instead, I get out of the house. I barely make it to the front porch when I hear Stefan’s voice.

“Hey! Doll, wait!” Stefan shouts behind me. 

He catches up with me and reaches for my hand, but I violently push him away.

“Don’t touch me! Don’t you ever touch me again!” I shout at him.

“What is going on?” He asks shocked.

I’m so furious, how could I be so blind? I feel so stupid.

“You killed Alex. That’s why you don’t like to talk about him... you feel guilty,” I blurt out.

Stefan turns pale. It’s obvious I caught him off guard.

“Olivia, I don’t know what they told you, but that is a lie.” 

“Just get out of my life... I don’t want to see you ever again!” I shout before turning my back on him. 

I cross the street, I don’t even check for cars, I just hear the horns. Stefan is unable to cross at the same time, so I get a little advantage and I start running as fast as I can. It already started to rain so there are fewer people on the sidewalks. I reach the park; my lungs are burning. I sit on a bench to think about what just happened. I’m shivering, but I’m not sure if it’s because I’m cold or scared. I can’t stay here for long, I’m soaking wet and it’s getting late. I have no money and no cellphone, there’s only one place in this world I can go to, I just hope she’s willing to take me. I stand up and start walking quickly towards Miranda’s apartment. My legs feel exhausted, even walking is hard. I reach Miranda’s building and ring her buzzer frenetically. She lets me in right away. 

“Oli, you’re soaking!” Miranda exclaims as soon as she sees me. “You’re not even wearing a jacket! What happened?”

“You were right... about everything...” I say trembling.

“Let’s get you in some dry clothes and then we can talk as long as you want.”

I follow Mirada to the bathroom where she hands me a towel, she steps out and quickly returns with a dry pajama. I take off the wet clothes and leave them hanging in the shower. The pajama fabric is soft and I instantly feel comforted. Miranda is waiting for me in her bedroom, she gestures me to go and sit next to her on the bed.

“You were right, they are mobsters and Stefan is not just an intruder, he’s the competition,” I explain. 

Miranda frowns confused. “Competition?”

“Stefan killed my brother,” I confess.

“What?! But why is he working for your father then?” 

“He doesn’t... it’s still not clear to me, no one explained me anything, but as far as I can tell, my dad and Stefan’s dad are rivals and he murdered Alex so my dad would agree to yield his mafia to them or something like that. Stefan is here to supervise the takeover.” 

“But why would your dad yield his... group to them after that? Why didn’t he seek revenge?” Miranda asks astounded. 

“I don’t know, maybe they threatened to kill me if he didn’t.” 

That would explain my dad’s insistence on ‘keeping me safe’, he was afraid the Corvino would hurt me next. 

“So, do you think that’s why Stefan is dating you? To keep you close in case he needs to get rid of you if your dad steps out of line?” She asks and the thought of it makes me feel sick. “Or maybe he just wanted to mess with your dad...”

“I don’t know, I didn’t give them much time to explain anything to me, I just ran away.”

“Did you confront your parents?” 

“Yes and Stefan too.”

“Olivia, what are you going to do? You’re in danger, we should go to the police...”

“What’s the point? The police couldn’t help Erick’s family or Martin, they won’t help me either.” Whatever I’m doing next, I will have to do it on my own.

“I know, but I don’t know what else we can do,” Miranda says worried.

“I’m sorry I’m putting you in this position... if you want me to go...” 

“No! Of course not! We are going to come up with a plan together, ok?” Miranda says with a reassuring smile, but I can tell she’s frightened.

I nod energetically. I’m frightened too.

“I have to run away and hide, go somewhere far where they cannot find me,” I state convinced it’s my only option. “But I don’t have any money.”

“Where would you go?” Miranda asks.

“I don’t know, anywhere but here, I’m probably going to need a new name too.”

“What about...?” Miranda points at my belly. 

I hadn’t even thought of that. This is going to be twice as hard with a baby. 

“You are still on time, you could go to a clinic and... you know.” She suggests shyly. 

I shake my head no. 

“I’ll figure it out. At least this way I won’t be alone where ever I go.” I say with a thin smile.

“You are so brave, Oli,” Miranda smiles back at me. “I think I can help you, I have some money saved and I want you to have it. Use it to get as far from here as possible.”

“Oh, Miranda I can’t take your money...”

“Of course, you can and you will! I’m your best friend and I want you to have this money.” 

I feel bad about taking her savings, but I really need that money, I have nothing. I give her a big hug, grateful to have such a great friend. 

“I should get going,” I say. 

“Nonsense! It’s pouring outside and it’s late. Let’s get some sleep and tomorrow I’ll go to the bank, withdraw the money, and then I’ll take you to the airport or the bus station or where ever you want to go. Let’s rest for tonight.” 

She is right so I agree. Miranda starts to make plans for my future, the places I can go to, and the things I can do for a living; just talking about it makes me feel anxious so I just nod with a fake smile. Miranda falls asleep shortly after, but I’m unable to, the future is too uncertain for me to rest properly. After a while, I start crying, my heart is broken, my whole world is shattered. This morning I was in love, planning my wedding... I was so naive. Can someone die of a broken heart?