Chapter 6: The Secret Olivia Carried
The paper trembled in my hands.
I read the first line again.
Then the second.
Then the third.
My brain refused to process it.
Not because it was impossible.
Because it was something I had never considered.
Olivia remembered everything.
The accident.
The hospital.
The people around her.
Including my family.
I looked at Silas.
“What does this mean?””
He looked at me sadly.
“She wanted you to know.””
“Know what?””
Nobody answered.
I looked back at the letter.
The words blurred through my tears.
Jenna, you told me I wasn’t alone. But I need you to know that you weren’t alone either.
My breathing stopped.
I kept reading.
That night, I heard your family arguing outside my room.
My stomach tightened.
My family?
No.
I continued.
I heard your father telling someone that you were wasting your future.
My hand froze.
The reception hall disappeared.
Suddenly, I was fifteen again.
A scared teenager sitting beside a dying mother.
A girl who believed her family would always protect her.
But maybe they never did.
I looked at my father.
His face changed.
He knew.
“You knew,” I whispered.
Richard looked down.
Silence was his answer.
My voice shook.
“You knew about this?””
“Jenna…”
“You knew?””
He looked devastated.
“I didn’t want you to remember that night.””
A cold feeling spread through me.
“What happened?””
Silas stepped closer.
“Let her hear it.””
My father closed his eyes.
“I was angry.””
I almost laughed.
Angry?
That was his explanation?
“I was scared,” he continued.
“Your mother was gone. You were spending every second at the hospital. I thought you were throwing away your own life.””
I stared at him.
“I was sixteen.””
“I know.””
“No.””
My voice grew stronger.
“You don’t know.””
Everyone watched.
“You saw a teenager trying to help someone. And instead of being proud, you told me I was wasting my life.””
My father looked away.
Because it was true.
Olivia’s letter continued.
Your father said nurses were people who helped doctors. He said you were too smart to settle.
My heart broke.
Because I remembered those words.
I remembered pretending they didn’t hurt.
I remembered deciding that maybe I had to prove myself.
Not because I loved nursing less.
Because I wanted my family to finally see me.
Silas spoke quietly.
“Olivia heard him.””
I looked at him.
“She remembered.””
He nodded.
“She told me years later that she never forgot how you looked after hearing those words.””
I swallowed.
“How?””
Silas smiled sadly.
“She said you walked back into her room, smiled, and acted like nothing happened.””
My eyes filled.
Because that was exactly what I did.
I was always good at pretending.
Pretending I wasn’t hurt.
Pretending I didn’t care.
Pretending being ignored didn’t matter.
Felicity suddenly spoke.
“This is ridiculous.””
Everyone turned.
She looked angry now.
Not embarrassed.
Angry.
“You’re all acting like Jenna is some kind of hero.””
Nobody responded.
She pointed at me.
“She chose that life.””
I looked at her.
“Yes.””
My voice was calm.
“I did.””
That surprised her.
“I chose it because I wanted to help people.””
I held the letter tighter.
“And I would choose it again.””
For the first time all night, I wasn’t defending myself.
I wasn’t asking permission to be proud.
Felicity looked around.
She realized something.
She had lost control of the story.
The guests weren’t seeing the woman she created.
They were seeing the truth.
Then Ethan’s phone rang.
Everyone looked at him.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
“What?””
Silas looked concerned.
“Who is it?””
Ethan stared at the number.
“It’s Olivia.””
My heart jumped.
“She’s calling?””
He nodded.
“She says she’s outside.””
Outside?
Why?
Ethan answered.
“Olivia?””
The room held its breath.
Then his face changed.
Confusion.
Shock.
Fear.
“Wait… what do you mean you came here?””
A pause.
Then Ethan looked directly at me.
And whispered:
“She says she didn’t come for the wedding.””
My stomach dropped.
“Then why did she come?””
Ethan lowered the phone slowly.
“She came because she saw what Felicity posted online tonight.””
Everyone went still.
“What post?””
Ethan looked at Felicity.
“She says she needs to tell Jenna the truth before Felicity does.””
The doors at the back of the reception hall opened.
And a woman stood there.
Older than I remembered.
But with the same eyes.
Olivia.
She looked at me.
And the first words out of her mouth made the entire room fall silent.
“Jenna… I’m sorry.””
She took a step forward.
“Your sister was never the person who saved my life.””
May you like
She looked at Felicity.
“She was the reason I almost lost you forever.””
