Shining Through the Chaos with My Bulldog
Olivia lived on the second floor. She was the only one there. The house was big—each floor was about 4,300 square feet, more than enough for her to live in and store her supplies. The third floor was the top floor, so it stayed hotter. No one lived there. For now, they just piled up some heat-resistant junk. Back when both families lived in Maplecourt, their places were stuffed with supplies. But after moving here, even sharing one house, it still felt empty. Harold joked, "Looks like we'll need a lot more stuff to fill this place up." The next morning, Olivia and the others finally slept in for once. Yesterday's exhaustion vanished once they got up, and the three of them cheerfully started cleaning the new place. Anything the old owners left behind that was still usable, they kept. The rest, they carried into the yard to deal with later. Just as Olivia was carrying a bundle of the old owner's clothes outside, she heard a timid voice call to her. "Hi, ma'am." Olivia looked up and saw a young woman in her 20s standing at the gate with a gift box in her hands. Olivia dropped the bundle and walked a few steps closer. "Can I help you?" As she got nearer, she felt the woman looked familiar. Where have I seen her before? It was Rosalie.Last night's gunshots had been so close that Rosalie hadn't dared to sleep. When she finally dozed off, she dreamed of gunmen storming her bedroom and killing her. This morning, she remembered Lillian had told her to bring a gift to the new neighbors. She wanted to back out. It was way too scary. She had never been near armed criminals before. But her family ignored her protests and shoved her out the door before she even got to eat breakfast. So Rosalie carried the homemade cake, shaking with nerves, and came over. She looked around until she spotted Olivia, a stranger she hadn't seen before. She immediately assumed Olivia was the gun-wielding woman from yesterday. Rosalie's usual spoiled arrogance was gone. She looked nervous as she said, "You must be the new neighbor, right? My mom made this cake to welcome you to Hillside Villas." She stole glances at Olivia's face. Wait ... she looks kind of familiar. By now, Olivia had already recognized Rosalie. Isn't she Nat's bratty stepsister? Olivia's expression turned cold. "I don't eat cake," she said flatly, turning back toward the house. Rosalie panicked. If she went home without finishing the task, she'd get scolded for sure. She quickly blurted out, "You're still mad about Isabelle and Saniya, aren't you? Don't worry, the rest of us neighbors are nice people ... " Olivia instantly understood. Rosalie wasn't here for her. She was here for Natalie. And she didn't even know Natalie's real identity. Olivia turned back with a faint, mocking smile. "You're talking about the girl next door." "Huh?" Rosalie blinked. "Wait, you're not the new tenant? I've never seen you before ... " "I just moved in, too," Olivia said. "But the one the Boltons were bothering is your other neighbor. She lives next door." Rosalie squinted at Olivia, realizing she really might have made a mistake. Just then, Harold stepped out of the house. "Olivia, who are you talking to?" "Oh, just a neighbor," Olivia replied with a meaningful smile. "She came to drop off a gift." "A gift?" Harold echoed, puzzled. He peeked out at the girl, then widened his eyes. "Isn't that ... " Olivia gave him a small nod. The moment Rosalie saw a man step out, she realized this couldn't be the gun-toting girl Isabelle had described. That one was supposed to live alone. Without even taking a good look at Harold, Rosalie spun on her heel to leave. The timid politeness from before was gone. She even rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Why are there so many washed-up nobodies moving in here?" She hated that she'd just spent minutes lowering herself to people she thought were beneath her. And all because that bald woman had looked so fierce—she really thought Olivia was the one with the gun.Olivia chuckled at how fast Rosalie's face changed. She really was the kind of person who bullied the weak but feared the strong. Harold, hearing Rosalie's insult, wanted to shout back. Who are you calling a nobody? But Olivia tugged his arm and shook her head. Then she glanced at the house next door. Someone else was much better suited to put Rosalie in her place. Harold caught on and grinned. "Let's go cheer on our idol." Olivia laughed and nodded. Meanwhile, Rosalie reached the house next door and hovered by the gate. The yard was quiet and empty. She wasn't sure if anyone inside was awake. She didn't dare barge in, so she just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.
Font
Background
Contents
Home