50. THE LAST STRAW

On the way home, Olimpia couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. She asked to be dropped off at the corner because she didn’t want her dad to see that she’d come back without Diego and Elena. Everything was hopeless. She was hopeless. She always had to ruin everything. 

And then it started raining.

And Elena started texting her.

"Where did you disappear, girl??"

"What’s going on? Why are we going back without you???"

"HELLLOOO!!! Answer me!!"

Then it got even worse... Elena already knew what had happened.

"WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU DOING, GIRL???"

"Why did you break up with him AT PROM???!!!"

And then there were Diego’s Social Bunny posts:

"This tag is poking me... the music is loud... these shoes are pinching my feet. I regret coming to Prom..."

"A pillow smack to my soul! It will take days to crawl out of this hole of sadness."

It was all too much for Ollie.

But eventually she had to pull herself together. And somehow get into the house. Maybe she could slip in without anyone noticing. Just head upstairs and never leave her room again.

So much for staying unnoticed...

Bas: Oh, sweetheart, thank goodness you're home. I have bad news...

Olimpia: What happened, Dad?

Bas: Great Grandpa Filip passed away.

Bas: The funeral is in two days...

Olimpia: Oh no... Wait, but... but the concert is in two days.

Bas: I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you can't go to the concert under these circumstances.

Olimpia: But you promised. You said yes! Couldn't I go after the funeral?

Bas: Ollie, the funeral is in San Sequoia, and as a new dynasty head, I have responsibilities. The ceremony and family gathering will probably take half the day, then all the formalities, reading of the will... I'm sorry, but I won't be able to take you to the concert, and you're not going without me.

Olimpia: AAAAAA!!!! You're ruining my life!!!! I can never do anything! All my friends are already going to concerts on their own! I'm old enough to go wherever I want and do whatever I want! Can you please start treating me like an adult??

Bas: As long as you're underage and living under my roof, or your mother's, you'll do what we think is right! Damn, Ollie! I've got tone of new responsibilities right now, and I don't have the patience for your drama! Grandpa's death has caused a crisis in the community, and I need to deal with it!

 

Bas: What are you even thinking? Do you think I scheduled Grandpa's death just to ruin your plans? Why can't you be a little more like your younger sister and, for once in your life, not cause problems???

Olimpia: ...

Olimpia: I HATE YOU!

Of course, Olimpia knew her dad was right, which only made her angrier. The funeral mattered to her too. She loved Grandpa Filip and wanted to say goodbye. She’d never forget how his inspiring stories about working as a diver encouraged her to find her passion and work with horses.

She'd just been waiting for this concert for so long, and it wasn't fair.

Then again, did she even have anyone left to go with?

After a few more unpleasant messages, Elena stopped writing to her completely.

Not that Ollie had written back, either...

What was she even supposed to reply? Besides, she could’ve handled things with Diego differently. Ended it sooner. Or after Prom. Maybe been subtler. And Diego? Every other minute he posted bitter updates on Social Bunny or workout photos on Simstagram. Apparently, nothing stings like a bruised ego.

In the end, it came down to one thing: her friends weren’t really her friends at the moment, so she wouldn’t have gone to concert anyway. She always ruined everything, and this was no different. Maybe her parents not being together was her fault too, like so many other things.

To make matters worse, it turned out that the drink Ollie had tampered with at prom had caused serious consequences for several Sims. It hadn't stopped at stomach aches...

So Carmen finally decided to clear her own name and gather evidence against Ollie.

And helping her was that little rat, her sister.

She had to be involved, because how else would Carmen have gotten access to Ollie's private messages? (why did she even write about it to Wren??? they'd never have any proof if not for that!) Ollie knew someone had broken into her computer. It had to be them. 

They must have planned and coordinated the whole thing perfectly, because she never even noticed them plotting behind her back. Carmen handed all the incriminating evidence to Nessy-Messy so she could show it to Dad.

Then Carmen shared the scandalous secret online, and the outrage exploded. 

Ollie saw the comments: "She never learns." "No excuse to be a d*ck." "I'd have sent her off to permanent boarding school ages ago." For Carmen, it was pure satisfaction. She finally humiliated her rival.

Of course, her meany weany sister personally made sure Dad heard all about it. As always, the perfect daddy's girl. Not like her. And so she was punished again. And now that she'd lost her phone privileges, she couldn't even vent to Wren. She had nothing left.

Nettie had her revenge. First she took her room, then her Dad, and now it seemed she wanted to cut her out of the family entirely. Ollie felt every bit of that public humiliation. And although no one said it out loud, she was already starting to feel like an outcast in her own family.

Eventually there were so many negative emotions... That she simply went emotionally numb.

As if something had drained every feeling from her, leaving behind nothing but a cold, empty void.

The funeral was small, just close family. Saying goodbye to Filip was heartbreaking, full of touching stories and memories. Every Sim there shed a tear. 

Well… except Ollie, still trapped in the emotional void. But even she lit a memorial candle. When nobody was looking.

Her phone restriction had finally ended, and she couldn't resist checking Elena's Simstagram story.

Apparently Elena and Diego were having an amazing time at the Hazel & the Nuts concert in Oasis Springs, by @loonaserena.bsky.social.

When the will was read, Ollie wasn't expecting anything at all. So it came as a shock, to her and everyone else, that Grandpa Filip left his most important keepsakes to her: his commemorative life ring, a treasure chest, and the family keepsake box. Bas received the Book of Life, while Jace got a special bracelet used to control his inner wolf. The rest of the family simply received money.

Nobody could understand it. Least of all Nettie, who didn't inherit a single thing. And don't ask me why that child was filthy dirty again, because I have absolutely no idea. What I do know is that she suddenly got a want to annoy Ollie so much that Ollie would end up hating her forever.

Grandpa's keepsakes softened Ollie's heart, and the emotional void faded.

Back at the ranch, she carefully examined everything. She suspected Grandpa left her his treasures to show his support for her search for passion and adventure.

But what the box mean? Old photographs, keys, and a notebook...

This wasn't Grandpa Filip's notebook... It was the diary of her great-great-grandmother Penny! Ollie began to read...

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