CHAPTER FIVE

"Olive's mom seems to be a nice person, better than my good-for-nothing dad," I thought to myself. I tried my best not to hate my dad, but he made it hard.

"Thanks so much, Mrs. Jones, for your kindness," I sincerely thanked her. "No, you can just call me Tracy, don't be too formal."

"Olivia will show you where to sleep," Tracy said during dinner. "Right, dear?" Olivia glanced at me, looking annoyed. After we finished dinner, Olivia led me up the elegant blue spiral staircase. We passed several rooms before reaching the guest rooms.

"Here we are," she opened the door, revealing a room with cream-painted walls and a large, well-made bed at the center. The blue duvet cover matched the room perfectly. "Your mom is so nice," I said, looking at Olivia. "I know, although she's trying to hide her pain," she looked down at the floor. "Why?" I asked curiously. "Ever since my dad went missing, she has been mostly sad."

"Your dad went missing?" I acted surprised. "Yeah," she blinked, probably holding back tears. "Do you have any leads as to what could have happened to him?" I had to know why he suddenly disappeared.

"No, the only thing they told us was that he was last seen leaving the office in a hurry. I think he would have at least told us where he was going. Why did he have to leave without saying anything to us... I mean, does he know that... that we'll be worried? What if he is already..." She blinked rapidly, trying to avoid crying. "Already... gone..." She couldn't control her tears.

I moved closer to her and hugged her to comfort her. "Don't worry, he'll be found," I said as I gently caressed her hair. Feeling comfortable with me, she cried freely. It hurt me to see her in such a state, even though I wasn't supposed to pity her. As if coming to her senses, she broke the hug. I still held her in my arms. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..." She quickly left the room, forgetting to lock the door.

My mind battled with itself on whether to follow her or not. In the end, I decided to go after her. I followed her footsteps as she descended the stairs and entered a corridor that led to what seemed like the backyard garden. The place was well-lit, and everything was clear. I found her sitting on a swing. I moved closer and sat next to her.

"You need to have hope. He'll come back," I said, looking into her eyes. "Do you really know how it feels to lose someone important to you?" She made eye contact with me. "Actually, yes. I lost my mom in a road accident when I was twelve. My dad told me the sad news of my mom's death one day when I got home from school."

"I'm so sorry. I always thought you were one of those people who had wonderful lives," she said sincerely. "Don't be. I'm used to such opinions. Your dad is only missing, not dead. You will find him. Have faith," I replied, though I couldn't understand why I felt sorry for her, even though my situation seemed worse.

"Thanks for helping me out today," she swung back and forth on the swing. "Don't mention it," I said, appreciating the moment.