Snooping Around

Every year on her birthday, Olivia would undergo an annual physical exam and every year, her doctor would swab the inside of her cheek. On her 8th birthday, she found out what that procedure was for and was confused until she put the puzzle pieces together.

"You had my DNA checked when I was still inside my mother's womb and that was also the first thing that you checked when I was prematurely born. 100% match. And yet for the next 25 years, you had my DNA checked every single time on my birthday like it was some sick gift to yourself. How many more results would satisfy you, Father? Why don't you just disown me? After all, you already made the first step by sending me away."

Olivia didn't wait for her father's reply. She sashayed out of the office before she could hear another pathetic excuse from the man. The corner of her naturally red lips lifted into a disdainful smile as she walked farther away. How naive was she to even yearn for Henry Lin's attention that she even thought about entering show business at one point… during childhood, okay?

Just before Olivia could reach the double sliding doors that led to the backyard, she saw the last person she wanted to see next to her father: Ava Lee, the eldest miss of the Lee Family. Her angular face and beady round eyes made her look like the snake that she was.

Tch! Her brother must have brought his nation to ruins in his past life to be cursed in this lifetime and be married to a woman like Ava.

"You know, sister should focus on raising Finn instead of snooping around in someone's backyard. You're too busy minding other people's business, you rarely have time for your son. Want to make a bet who he would pick between us?" Olivia could not help but challenge Ava. She let out a mocking smile when she saw Ava hiss at her. She had too much fun pushing her sister-in-law's buttons that she exaggeratedly flew her hand to her agape mouth when she saw Ava's fangs come to life.

"Of course he would pick me. I'm his mother." Ava rolled her eyes, her voice was full of confidence as she bent her knee and stretched her arms, calling out to Finn who beamed at their direction. Ava then lifted her head and sent a smirk to Olivia's way. However, her cocky smile turned into a frown when Finn ran straight into Olivia, hugging his auntie's big thighs. "Auntie!"

Finn wiggled out his arms, wanting to be carried by his favorite human. Olivia obliged and picked up the little dumpling. Feeling victorious, she glanced at Ava's way, pawing Finn's chubby hand in the air. "Of course he would pick me," Olivia said, mimicking Ava's voice a moment earlier.

Out in the backyard, Oliver witnessed the standoff unfold between his wife and sister and could only shake his head when his sister won. He looked at his pitiful wife and his heart shredded into pieces. Oliver knew how Ava tried to be the best mother to Finn but unfortunately, motherhood didn't come to her so naturally.

"Let's go to grandma, Finn!" Oliver said to break the brewing tension in the air. They all followed a cobblestone path towards a small glass cabin at the back of the Lin's property.

"Gwamma!" Finn exclaimed after seeing a sleeping lady on the bed who looked like an older version of Olivia. Getting closer, one would see all the tubes attached to her nose and mouth that was extending her life. Olivia took the small basin and washcloth from the nurse and started giving her mother a towel bath and smiled faintly upon seeing how frail her mother was.

Brother and sister was quiet the whole time that they were inside their mother's room. Ava did her part as a filial daughter-in-law and took charge in checking all the necessary arrangements in the room – talking with the nurse and checking all the supplies.

Olivia closed her eyes and went down memory lane when she saw her mother in the flesh for the first time. Oliver said, one night, a heavily pregnant Amelia Lin ran away from their jealous father and got into an accident, hence, Olivia's premature birth. Their mother was lucky enough to have survived the accident yet for 25 years, she never once woke up.

Why did her father get jealous anyway? She asked her grandma, Auntie Martha, and Oliver, yet nobody could answer her question. Maybe she needed to ask her father then? But everytime she asked for her father's audience, his assistant would cook up excuses just to keep father and daughter from meeting. So she pushed her curiosity to the back of her mind and focused on her revenge plot on Lance and Selena instead which inadvertently forced her father to finally face her.

Back to the present, Olivia could see the stress on her brother's face as three lines formed on his forehead. She didn't want to probe more and just stood there silently with Finn in her arms.

Once they got out of their mother's cabin, Oliver called her over to the side. They waited for Finn and Ava to be out of sight before lighting up a cigarette - inhaling the cancer stick and puffing out the smoke in unison.

"Stay away from the Lees for the meantime, Olivia," Oliver warned. He didn't want to keep his sister from exacting her revenge plot but the Lees are a formidable clan. If not for her being a Lin, Olivia would have been gone and dead months ago.

"I'm not done with Lance and Selena yet," Olivia said with her gaze far beyond the horizon.

"Whhhy? Can't you just let it go? You already ruined their engagement party. Don't wait for the day when your name could no longer protect you."

"Brother!"

"What brother brother? Here, listen to me. I have a friend. He's a nice guy. I could set up a date for you to meet and get to know each other. How about that?"

Olivia took one last puff of her cigarette before dropping it to the earthen soil, stomping on the half-used stick and burying it using her shoe.

"I don't like nice guys. The badder, the better. Fitting for a villainess like me."