Olivia's POV
I felt like teleporting away like I always did when anger consumed me, but this time, my feet refused to move. It was as if the floor itself held me in place. My chest rose and fell heavily, my glare locked on Lennox. Not because I hated him. No, never that. But because, as always, he refused to let me have my way. He never did. And suddenly, a memory struck me like lightning.
We were younger. I was no more than ten, sitting on the edge of the riverbank with my bare feet dipped in the water. I had wanted to cross, to prove I was brave enough. But Lennox had stood there, arms crossed, his face stubborn even then.
"No, Olivia. It's too deep."
I had pouted, snapping back, "You're not my father, Lennox!" Then I had jumped in anyway, thinking I could swim across. But the current was stronger than I imagined. It had pulled me down, choking me, swallowing me.
I would have drowned.
