Novel Square
Let the Dogs Drag You Home
The liquid gold of champagne kissed Olivia’s lips with deceptive sweetness, the bubbles popping like tiny explosions of anticipation. Her eyes flickered past the flute’s rim, scanning for Cathleen’s familiar silhouette. She wasn’t back yet. Olivia slid off the high chair at the bar with a practiced and effortless grace, her heels clicking a steady rhythm on the marble floor as she made her way to the restroom.
“Evening,” Olivia murmured, her head bowing just enough to feign respect without submission as she passed a pair of exiting women. The smirk that followed clung to her face like a shadow of darker thoughts.
Inside, the restroom carried echoes of hushed voices and running water, now fading away. Olivia’s gaze swept across the vacant space, settling on the one stall that dared to be occupied. A witch’s cackle bubbled up from her throat, unbidden but not unwelcome.
“You stole what was meant to be mine.” She hissed at her reflection, watching the crimson curve of fresh lipstick glide over her lips. “But you see, Cathleen, you’ve played the game all wrong.”
Her laugh danced around the tiles, eerie in its glee. “If my little gifts don’t find you on time…” She straightened, fixing the perfect image in the mirror. “Then Xavier will have quite the show, won’t he?” The words were like a snake coiling tight, with its venom dipped in honey.
“Imagine Finn taking you, right here.” She pointed a manicured nail at the locked stall, picturing the ruinous scene. “Xavier’s eyes, cold as steel, finally saw the true harlot he married.”
Olivia’s laughter rang out again, the sound of shattered love and twisted loyalty, as she relished the thought of vengeance-sweet and merciless.
Olivia’s stiletto heels echoed sharply against the tiled floor of the ladies’ room, each kick against a stall door punctuated by a grim satisfaction. “You see,” she sneered, her voice low and venomous, “that old man that loves you so much won’t even have a say.” Her words were meant for Cathleen, but they bounced off the empty walls, finding no target. “Because no one will dare to defend a woman who was found fucking her husband’s nephew in the restroom.”
She thrust another door open with violence that left her knuckles white. The stall, like the others before it, yawned empty and mocking. Olivia’s heart thudded, an erratic drumbeat of malice and fear. “I know the drug I gave you will last for 2 days in your system if you don’t fuck.” Her voice was a poisoned whisper now, the words barely escaping her lips. “You will never have kids again in your life.” She paused, letting the silence swell before adding, “A good thing for me because Xavier doesn’t like kids anyway.”
The next stall door flew open under the force of her 5-inch heels. Nothing. No Cathleen cowering; no scandal unfolding. A flicker of worry sparked in Olivia’s chest, a foreign invader in her landscape of confidence.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
Silent, she moved faster, desperation fueling her actions as she flung open the final door. Out stepped a woman, oblivious to the storm raging around her, calmly washing her hands before exiting without a glance. It wasn’t Cathleen.
Horror sliced through Olivia then, curdling into dread. She burst out of the restroom and into the Glow Girl hall, eyes scanning, searching for the woman who could unravel her plans. But then a cold thought slithered into her mind. “She’s probably looking for the next available dick.” As she turned away, a twisted smile curled her lips, the idea calming her nerves.
Back at the bar, Olivia perched herself on the high chair like a queen, awaiting the fall of her kingdom’s enemies. The icy glass in her hand seemed to tremble with anticipation. She waited for the drama to unfold and for the chaos she had created to erupt. And somewhere, beneath the layers of hate and calculation, Olivia savored the tension-the slow burn of impending betrayal that seemed to seep into the very air of the room.
“You look good.” Finn says this to Olivia as he orders whiskey on the rocks.
“You look great yourself, Mr. Knight,” Olivia says with a smile. “Coe to think of it, I have been searching everywhere for you. I saw you following Cathleen; did you fuck her?” As Olivia sipped her champagne, she asked Finn.
Finn looked at her confusedly and didn’t dare ask Olivia what she was talking about; instead, he sipped his own whiskey and thought about what happened earlier in the ladies’ room. The thought of Xavier taking Cathleen away didn’t sit well with him. Why did she choose my uncle instead of me? Finn thought to himself, and she gulped down the remaining whiskey.
“Whoa!” Olivia says, “Take it easy because you might get tired before fucking her. It’s a pity the guys are not her, but I’m sure someone is already fucking her as we speak.” Suddenly Finn glanced Olivia’s way and asked.
Finn furrowed his brow, a small wrinkle forming between his eyebrows as he asked, “What are you talking about?” He turned to the bartender, motioning for another round of drinks. The clink of glasses and chatter filled the air as they waited for their order. Olivia leaned in closer to Finn, her words barely audible over the noise of the bar. Suddenly, Finn’s eyes widened, and he jumped up from his stool, losing his balance and tumbling to the floor with a thud. Luckily, the thick carpet cushioned his fall.
“I know right, it’s exciting,” Olivia said as she sipped her champagne.
“No, you idiot! How can you fucking do something this stupid?” Finn yelled, tears ready to spill. He wasn’t sure Cathleen and Xavier were already having sex. But he was sure there was no way Xavier would resist today after what he said in the ladies’ room. Finn felt like slapping Olivia for doing something so stupid. “I have always doubted that Cathleen would sleep with my uncle, but you see, today you fucker just pushed them to fuck.” Finn says.
“How can they fuck when Xavier is…” Olivia’s gaze drifts to where Xavier is seated, a look of concern on her face. When he is not there, she turns to Finn and asks, “Where did Xavier go?”
“Xavier left with Cathleen because Cathleen wasn’t herself.
“What?” Olivia gasps as she watches the champagne glass slip from her hand and smashes onto the tiled floor. “What are you saying?” she demands, her voice trembling with shock. “He can’t be with her; she’s…” Olivia can’t even bring herself to finish the sentence. Instead, she pretends to faint, hoping Finn will go away. But he just stares at her lying on the ground before walking away. “Let the dogs drag you home, you idiot!” he yells over his shoulder.