Dreaded conversation.
Olivia.
It was past eight at night, I had finally finished getting everything back in the office in order as per Jake's instructions. I had expected working for a billionaire to be hard, but I had not mentally prepared for how exhausting it would be.
My whole body was weak, I didn't even have the time to take a lunch break, I was starving. I slowly made my way home, with the thought of seeing my son giving me strength.
The familiar sight of my small cozy house just right down the street brought a sense of relief but also a little bit of anxiety as I remembered the conversation I had managed to avoid this morning.
I had been so busy that I didn't have the time to process how I was going to answer Kyle's questions.
I had known at some point he was going to ask this question, but I always thought I still had some time left.
I opened my front door and was greeted by the warm, inviting scent of dinner cooking. My best friend Jada, who lived with us, was in the kitchen cooking while my son, Kyle, was watching cartoons on the TV.
The moment he saw me, his face lit up as he got up and ran towards me.
"Mommy." he called out before jumping into my open arms.
"How was your day my love?" I asked, kissing him on the forehead as I hugged onto him so tight like I was trying to shield him from the cruel world we lived in.
"It was good, aunt jade and I baked some cookies and drew something for you." he said excitedly as I placed him down and he ran to his room.
I looked over at Jade who gave me a worried look and I immediately knew what that painting was going to be about.
Kyle came back and handed me the painting.
" This is me, you, aunt jade and this is my daddy." he said proudly.
"It's a beautiful painting baby' I love it." I said genuinely as I hugged him again. But something was wrong, he was not as cheerful as he usually is.
"Dinner is ready." Jade said saving me.
"I haven't eaten anything all day, I am starving." I said as I headed over to our dining table.
"Don't tell me that man is already overworking you on your first day." Jade said irritated.
She never liked Jake and she never got what was so hot about him. She hated how arrogant he was and how he could never commit to a woman.
The only reason she had not given me grief for working for him was because she knew I needed the money. And the percs of working for him is that the job came with a medical cover, which I really needed.
"I can handle Jake, let's just eat." I said as I served a plate for Kyle.
"I am not really hungry."he said in his little sweet voice.
" Baby, you need to eat, even if it's just a little bit."
I knew what was bothering him, I had tried to hold off and let it ride but it seems like he was determined to know the truth.
I really could not blame him, he was in school now and seeing other kids with their dad's he was curious about his.
" Mommy, can I ask you something?" His voice was soft, but hesitant.
Jada immediately got up and gave an excuse about needing a glass of water and left the dining table.
"Ofcourse baby, you can ask me anything."
Kyle looked down at his plate, tracing the rim with his finger.
"My friend Troy at school… He was talking about his dad, and um..he asked me where my dad is. I didn't know what to say."
I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. This moment I had been dreading since the night I found out I was pregnant. I took a deep breath trying to steady myself.
I slowly reached out for his hand.
" Kyle,"I began gently, "Your father loved you so much before you were even born, but he was sick," I lied. " He got sick and he died but yii were the most important thing in his life." I said , trying to hold back the tears.
"But why did he leave us, why did he leave me?" Kyle asked in tears.
"No no baby, no don't cry." I said as I got up and went over to the other side of the table and knelt in front of him, "He did not leave you, he still looks and watches over you. He loves you very very much." I said in tears as I hugged him. "He wanted to stay with you, he wanted to but the doctors could not make him better, he didn't have a choice."
"When I grow up, I am going to be a doctor so that I can make all the daddies better so they don't have to leave." Kyle said hugging me back.
I hated that I had lied to him. I wish I could tell him the truth, but what truth. I didn’t even know the truth.
How do you tell a five year old that you had a drunken one night stand with a stranger and ended up pregnant.
This was much better than the truth.
"I wish he was here to help you." Kyle finally said letting go of my embrace. I wish you did not have to work so much."
" I know baby and I wish he was here too, but I have to work hard so that I can take care of us now that he is gone."
"I know mommy." he said, hugging me back as tears filled up my eyes.
My heart ached for him, and I wish there was something I could do to help him. But there was nothing I could do.
"Okay, time for bed now. Mommy needs to get some rest." jade said from the door and Kyle ran up to her and I watched them disappear into Kyle's room in tears.
The Unexpected CallOlivia. It had been a few weeks of smooth running at my new work of place. I had not seen my boss in a few days he was always in meetings out of the office which made my work easier. Today was a big day for both my boss and the company. He was supposed to close a really big client he had been working on for the last two weeks.I wanted everything to work perfectly. The office buzzed around me, phones ringing, colleagues murmuring in hushed tones and the occasional hums and laughter all around me. It was an hands-on kind of Tuesday for everyone, we all knew how important this client was for Jake. I had finally finished compiling the agreement and was about to go to Jake's office and hand him the files when my office phone rang. Over the past one hour I had gotten some few calls from an unknown number that I had just ignored. If Jake spotted me on the phone while handling the agreement documents he would have been furious. I glanced at the screen and the regist
Flashback to when Olivia's mom died. Olivia. I slowly stroked Kyle's hair until he felt asleep. I Walked slowly back to the waiting room and sat there texting Jade. As I sat there, the antiseptic smell of the place clinging to my place was starting to get to me. I was starting to feel a little dizzy. I hated hospitals. The cold metal chairs, the sterile environment, the way it seemed to stretch and warp, becoming an interminable void.. As I tried to look at the floor counting the tiles trying to lose myself in it, a sudden flash of memory gripped me, pulling me back to the last time I had been in a hospital room, under very different circumstances. It was almost fifteen years ago now. But the memories came back so vividly. I could almost feel myself back in that moment. I was sitting in another waiting room, another hospital but in the same uncomfortable chair, but back then the walls seemed to close in on me even more. My mother had been the one admitted in the intensive care
Flashback to the day she left homeOliviaMy eyes fluttered open as I slowly tried to take in the surrounding. This was definitely not my room or any room I was familiar with. My head was pounding hard as I tried to look around. That's when I saw him. A large body sprawled on bed right next to me. He seemed to be still fast asleep. I was about to take a closer look, when the noise of my vibrating phone startled me. I quickly got out of bed, still looking around as I tiptoed to the other side of the room careful not to wake the strange man. "Hello." I whispered into the phone, as I tried to collect my clothes that were scattered all over the floor."Where the fuck are you Olivia?" an angry voice was on the other side of the line. A voice I was too familiar with. A voice I was supposed to be marrying, Eric.That's when it dawned on me. Today was supposed to be my wedding day. "I am so sorry, I'm on my way." I lied.He didn't say another word, he hang up instead but I could feel
Olivia. "Hey... Olivia?" I opened my eyes to Jade shaking my shoulders. "I came as soon as I could, what's wrong?" she asked sitting down next to me."It's Kyle." i said unable to hold in the tears anymore. "He is sick Jade, they said he has a hole in his heart." i said shaking uncontrollably."Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. Jade said hugging me as she patted me on my shoulder," It's going to be okay I promise.""How?how is it going to be okay Jade? I don't have any money.""Remember you just started a new job and they have medical insurance." Jade said excitedly."It won't be enough, it won't cover the surgery it can only cover some of his medication." i said as the tears came back again.For the past five years, we had gotten by just enough, and after getting my new job I had finally thought things were going to be okay. But now I needed to come up with three hundred thousand for the surgery and aftercare. "I have an idea of where you can get the money from." Jade started and I
Rejection. Olivia. I watched as the trees passed by, the environment changing as we approached my father's house. Nerves getting the best part of me. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I should have probably atleast called to confirm that my father really wanted me here. I looked over at my son was peacefully sleeping next to me. He had no idea how much this place he was so excited to go, the people he was so excited to meet. How much they had hurt me. I was also still very skeptical to the fact that my father might still not accept him at all. "You can do this Olivia." i whispered to myself as the cab pulled up to the big black gates.For some reason the house looked even bigger than I had remembered it to be. "Wooow, you used to live here." my son's voice brought me back to reality as I saw his small face beaming with excitement as he looked around us."Yes, I grew up here." i said calmly as I opened the car door for him.I needed a few more minutes before I faced this peopl
After the day I had, the last thing I wanted was to go back to work. Kyle was already in bed and I was about to put on my pajamas and call it a night when my phone buzzed on my dressing mirror. It was a message from a new number that I did not recognize. "Meet me at club Ace in twenty minutes." was all it said.I looked at the number, trying to see if I was at all familiar, but I had never seen that number before. I put my phone back on the table and was about to walk away when it buzzed again. This time, someone was calling me, the same phone number. "Stop calling me psycho." i yelled into the phone as soon as I picked up."Now that's no way to greet your boss Olivia, not after you ran out of here without even saying a word.""Oh my.. I am so sorry, I thought it was...never mind. How can I be of service to you sir, it's quite late." i said looking at my bedside clock. Who the the hell calls someone eleven at night."Club Ace in twenty." Jake said into the phone and immediately h
The First Day at work. Olivia. I stood in front of the gleaming glass doors of Kensington towers, a skyscraper that dominated the upper East Side of the New York skyline. I looked up at the big building that I could bet had over Sixty floors with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Today was the first day of my new job as the secretary to Jake Anderson, one of the most influential billionaires in the world. Ofcourse everyone had heard of Jake or seen him in blogs and articles. He was well known for a number of things apart from his billionaire status.i had spent the past week and the whole of last night preparing for those day. I was certain I had read all the articles written about him in every site including gossip columns. He was a tech mogul with a reputation for both being ruthless and a visionary. According to Forbes, whatever Jake touched turned into gold literally. He was also known for his strict work ethic, demanding perfection from everyone that worked for him.
After the day I had, the last thing I wanted was to go back to work. Kyle was already in bed and I was about to put on my pajamas and call it a night when my phone buzzed on my dressing mirror. It was a message from a new number that I did not recognize. "Meet me at club Ace in twenty minutes." was all it said.I looked at the number, trying to see if I was at all familiar, but I had never seen that number before. I put my phone back on the table and was about to walk away when it buzzed again. This time, someone was calling me, the same phone number. "Stop calling me psycho." i yelled into the phone as soon as I picked up."Now that's no way to greet your boss Olivia, not after you ran out of here without even saying a word.""Oh my.. I am so sorry, I thought it was...never mind. How can I be of service to you sir, it's quite late." i said looking at my bedside clock. Who the the hell calls someone eleven at night."Club Ace in twenty." Jake said into the phone and immediately h
Rejection. Olivia. I watched as the trees passed by, the environment changing as we approached my father's house. Nerves getting the best part of me. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I should have probably atleast called to confirm that my father really wanted me here. I looked over at my son was peacefully sleeping next to me. He had no idea how much this place he was so excited to go, the people he was so excited to meet. How much they had hurt me. I was also still very skeptical to the fact that my father might still not accept him at all. "You can do this Olivia." i whispered to myself as the cab pulled up to the big black gates.For some reason the house looked even bigger than I had remembered it to be. "Wooow, you used to live here." my son's voice brought me back to reality as I saw his small face beaming with excitement as he looked around us."Yes, I grew up here." i said calmly as I opened the car door for him.I needed a few more minutes before I faced this peopl
Olivia. "Hey... Olivia?" I opened my eyes to Jade shaking my shoulders. "I came as soon as I could, what's wrong?" she asked sitting down next to me."It's Kyle." i said unable to hold in the tears anymore. "He is sick Jade, they said he has a hole in his heart." i said shaking uncontrollably."Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. Jade said hugging me as she patted me on my shoulder," It's going to be okay I promise.""How?how is it going to be okay Jade? I don't have any money.""Remember you just started a new job and they have medical insurance." Jade said excitedly."It won't be enough, it won't cover the surgery it can only cover some of his medication." i said as the tears came back again.For the past five years, we had gotten by just enough, and after getting my new job I had finally thought things were going to be okay. But now I needed to come up with three hundred thousand for the surgery and aftercare. "I have an idea of where you can get the money from." Jade started and I
Flashback to the day she left homeOliviaMy eyes fluttered open as I slowly tried to take in the surrounding. This was definitely not my room or any room I was familiar with. My head was pounding hard as I tried to look around. That's when I saw him. A large body sprawled on bed right next to me. He seemed to be still fast asleep. I was about to take a closer look, when the noise of my vibrating phone startled me. I quickly got out of bed, still looking around as I tiptoed to the other side of the room careful not to wake the strange man. "Hello." I whispered into the phone, as I tried to collect my clothes that were scattered all over the floor."Where the fuck are you Olivia?" an angry voice was on the other side of the line. A voice I was too familiar with. A voice I was supposed to be marrying, Eric.That's when it dawned on me. Today was supposed to be my wedding day. "I am so sorry, I'm on my way." I lied.He didn't say another word, he hang up instead but I could feel
Flashback to when Olivia's mom died. Olivia. I slowly stroked Kyle's hair until he felt asleep. I Walked slowly back to the waiting room and sat there texting Jade. As I sat there, the antiseptic smell of the place clinging to my place was starting to get to me. I was starting to feel a little dizzy. I hated hospitals. The cold metal chairs, the sterile environment, the way it seemed to stretch and warp, becoming an interminable void.. As I tried to look at the floor counting the tiles trying to lose myself in it, a sudden flash of memory gripped me, pulling me back to the last time I had been in a hospital room, under very different circumstances. It was almost fifteen years ago now. But the memories came back so vividly. I could almost feel myself back in that moment. I was sitting in another waiting room, another hospital but in the same uncomfortable chair, but back then the walls seemed to close in on me even more. My mother had been the one admitted in the intensive care
The Unexpected CallOlivia. It had been a few weeks of smooth running at my new work of place. I had not seen my boss in a few days he was always in meetings out of the office which made my work easier. Today was a big day for both my boss and the company. He was supposed to close a really big client he had been working on for the last two weeks.I wanted everything to work perfectly. The office buzzed around me, phones ringing, colleagues murmuring in hushed tones and the occasional hums and laughter all around me. It was an hands-on kind of Tuesday for everyone, we all knew how important this client was for Jake. I had finally finished compiling the agreement and was about to go to Jake's office and hand him the files when my office phone rang. Over the past one hour I had gotten some few calls from an unknown number that I had just ignored. If Jake spotted me on the phone while handling the agreement documents he would have been furious. I glanced at the screen and the regist
Dreaded conversation. Olivia. It was past eight at night, I had finally finished getting everything back in the office in order as per Jake's instructions. I had expected working for a billionaire to be hard, but I had not mentally prepared for how exhausting it would be. My whole body was weak, I didn't even have the time to take a lunch break, I was starving. I slowly made my way home, with the thought of seeing my son giving me strength. The familiar sight of my small cozy house just right down the street brought a sense of relief but also a little bit of anxiety as I remembered the conversation I had managed to avoid this morning. I had been so busy that I didn't have the time to process how I was going to answer Kyle's questions. I had known at some point he was going to ask this question, but I always thought I still had some time left. I opened my front door and was greeted by the warm, inviting scent of dinner cooking. My best friend Jada, who lived with us, was in the
The First Day at work. Olivia. I stood in front of the gleaming glass doors of Kensington towers, a skyscraper that dominated the upper East Side of the New York skyline. I looked up at the big building that I could bet had over Sixty floors with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Today was the first day of my new job as the secretary to Jake Anderson, one of the most influential billionaires in the world. Ofcourse everyone had heard of Jake or seen him in blogs and articles. He was well known for a number of things apart from his billionaire status.i had spent the past week and the whole of last night preparing for those day. I was certain I had read all the articles written about him in every site including gossip columns. He was a tech mogul with a reputation for both being ruthless and a visionary. According to Forbes, whatever Jake touched turned into gold literally. He was also known for his strict work ethic, demanding perfection from everyone that worked for him.