OLIVIA"Ma'am, you need to see this right now. It will surely blow your mind away," Kate said, bringing my attention to something on her phone.I hadn’t even checked Kate's phone yet, but I already had a bad feeling that something terrible was about to happen."Oh, my days. People can be so cruel. Damn! Are they this jobless to be worried about irrelevant things?" Kate lamented, raising my blood pressure.Out of curiosity, I snatched the phone from Kate to see for myself. What I saw nearly sucked the life out of me.Media trolls were flooding my timeline with derogatory comments on my previous posts.While some accused me of being a whore, others called me a coward for not making a post to address the scandal."So what are we gonna do about this now? The trolls are causing a lot of damage lately. They're surely gonna ruin a lot for us if we don't act fast," Kate suggested.Deep down, I was tempted to track some of these trolls and have them arrested for cyberbullying. However, I quick
OLIVIAAs Kate drove us to Cyril's grandmother's house, I started to panic. I was about to embark on the most dangerous mission of my life.Coming toe to toe with a powerful figure like Mrs. Penhurst was like stepping on the toes of a tiger. I was pretty sure she had taught Cyril how to be ruthless.“We are here now. Let's get the show started already. Are you sure you really want to do this? You can decide to leave if you feel any pressure whatsoever,” Kate asked after she pulled up at the Penhurst residence.The Penhurst residence was one of the largest homes in the city. If I hadn't been there before, I would have believed it was a resort center.“Honestly, I am scared right now. I just don't know what to think anymore. Should I go back home and forget about the divorce? You think that will be a great idea? I am having a negative feeling about this,” I lamented.I depended on Kate again for a way out. I could barely take drastic decisions without her. Like the blank pages of a note
CYRIL“Where am I?” I asked rhetorically, rubbing my blurry eyes.I caressed my head in pain and glanced around to confirm my surroundings. Still, I couldn't recall how I had ended up in a hotel room.The last thing I remembered was being bundled out of Adrian's party like an intruder.My back still ached from the beating I had received at the hands of Adrian's guards.“What was I thinking? When did I suddenly become a chronic drunk?” I questioned my decision to attack Olivia. That was when I realized I was the biggest fool on earth.It wasn't my intention to appear drunk at that party. It was all Rene's idea.After she narrated how Olivia and Kate had inflicted so much pain on her, I decided to fight for her.I never realized I was making the biggest mistake of my life.In the process of trying to unravel the truth, I got a sudden call from my grandma.It came as a shock because I couldn't recall the last time she had reached out to me.I wasn’t her favorite grandson. She had always
RENE.Olivia had no idea what she did. She made me the happiest woman on Earth after filing for a divorce.I waited so long for this day to come, and it finally did at the moment I least expected.After the fight that ensued between Cyril and his lawyer, I was scared that I had lost all hope.Now, I don't have any reason to think that the divorce procedures might take too long for Cyril to get it done.The only person proving to be a stumbling block is Cyril's grandmother.Adding five years to a marriage that was on the verge of crashing was something I couldn't fathom.It all depends on Cyril to make the final decision. His verdict on the issue will prove whether he ever loved me or was just using me for his selfish gain."Yes, five years. Exactly what I said, Rene. I can't understand why my grandma is prying into my affairs. Why can't she just let me be? Shouldn't I be old enough to decide what's best for me?" Cyril lamented.I loved the seriousness displayed by Cyril. It was precis
OLIVIA“Book an appointment with Adrian. Tell him to meet me in my office in the next hour. I want to have a meeting with him,” I instructed Kate as she drove me back home.She stopped the car immediately and turned to me. “Did you just say I should book an appointment with Adrian in your office? Perhaps I've started hearing things that aren't real.”“This is no joke. Yes, you heard me right. Or do you have a problem with what I said?” I affirmed.“And why did you stop the car in the middle of the road like that? Do you want to get us killed? Don't you know how dangerous that is?” I snapped at Kate, pouring my frustration on her after my nasty encounter with Cyril's grandmother.“I am still shocked to hear you say that, ma'am. I mean, we are heading home and not to the company, yet you still want to have a meeting with Adrian in your office? You clarified that you had no intention of stopping by the company today. So what changed? Please make it make sense to me,” Kate lamented.After
OLIVIA"You're finally getting a divorce?" Adrian asked, his voice laced with disbelief."Yes, I am. Why do you sound so surprised? I thought this was what you always wanted?" I questioned him, not expecting such a reaction."It's not that, Olivia," Adrian said, standing up and coming over to me.He sat on the desk and fondled my hair. "Of course, you know I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’m just surprised you finally took the bold step. I've waited all my life for this moment."I got up from my chair, crossing my arms. "Why do I have a feeling you’re lying to me? Your facial expressions don’t match your words. Adrian, am I making the biggest mistake choosing you over Cyril?"I wasn’t impressed with Adrian. His reaction made me wonder if I should reconsider spending another five years with Cyril, just as the Penshurst matriarch suggested.“Olivia, please don't say that. You know I love you, right?” Adrian spoke in a soft tone. He vacated the Desk to come flirt with me.
OLIVIA“I am going to ask you for the last time, Rene. What in heaven's name are you doing in my office? And how did you get here? I guess I need to replace the security for letting you in without my permission,” I roared like a wounded tiger that had lost a battle.“Put your shirt down. You're not going to do anything to the security. This has nothing to do with them. Hold on a second. Is this how you welcome a friend? That's quite rude of you, if you ask me,” Rene said.“I am not your friend and never will be. We have nothing in common. The earlier you realize that, the better for us,” I fired back at Rene to set the record straight.I couldn't imagine myself being friends with someone like her.“Don't get your hopes too high, my friend. I am not here to sing your praises. This is just a harmless visit. I am not here to waste your time either. Trust me, it will be worth it. Just hear me out.”Rene stood up from the chair and paced around my office as though she were searching for a
OLIVIAAdrian walked into my office and saw me lying on the couch. He wasn't alone; he carried a bouquet of flowers.Noticing the worrisome look on my face, he rushed to me."Are you okay? You don't seem too well," Adrian asked, pressing the back of his palm to my neck to check my temperature."I'm fine. It's just fatigue," I lied.It was the same thing I had told Kate. Adrian was the last person I wanted to burden with my problems."Damn it! How can you be fine when your neck is this hot? We need to get you to the hospital," he insisted."Trust me, that's the last place I want to be right now. I'm done with hospitals," I declined without sounding ungrateful."You know I can't leave you in this condition. We need to get you back on your feet again," Adrian bemoaned.I sat up from the couch. "I just want to go home. I’m sure I’ll be fine there."I tried to walk around, but I staggered like a chronic drunk.Thankfully, Adrian was there to catch me, holding me up before I could fall."Le
OLIVIAAfter my discussion with Adrian at his house, I was already having second thoughts about his opinion. I hadn’t stopped imagining new possibilities either.Why do I need to come back to New York when I can actually start a life in Paris? New York had done nothing but bring me harm lately. I definitely needed a change of environment to accelerate my healing process.Since my exit from both my marriage and the company, I saw no reason to show my face in New York again.I was eager to leave everything behind, and having Adrian as my only partner was a good start—better than I had ever imagined.I had only spent a few weeks in Paris, yet I had fallen in love with the city immediately. It was the perfect place for me to start a new life.“How long will you be staying in Paris? You never mentioned that. Five days, a few weeks, or a month?” Kate asked me.“Forever, Kate. I’m finally leaving New York for good, and I ain’t coming back,” I replied with a smile on my face.She closed the l
OLIVIAI woke up in the morning with Adrian sleeping next to me in bed. It had always been my dream to see that happen.Unfortunately, my marriage with Cyril had limited me from many things I would have accomplished.It was my first day as a divorcee. It also turned out to be one of the most important days of my life.I was relieved knowing that I wasn’t married to Cyril anymore.I was also thrilled that Cyril wouldn’t be coming after me anymore, thanks to the restraining order from the judge.I wrapped my arm across Adrian’s body and kissed his forehead. “Good morning, honey. I hope you had a beautiful night?”“Of course, I did. But not as beautiful as you. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” Adrian yawned and lifted his head, showering me with praises.He had already prepared himself for a moment like this.He hadn’t asked me to marry him yet, but I was already imagining us as a couple.He treated me like a queen. He treated me in a way I had never felt before.“You kno
OLIVIA“Kate, can you be kind enough to prepare a meeting for me in the conference room, scheduled for the next 30 minutes? I want to meet with the company's investors one last time,” I informed Kate as we drove back to my apartment after celebrating my victory in court.“Okay, ma'am. I will reach out to all the investors immediately,” Kate heeded my command.“Sorry, ma'am, I just thought about this now. Will Adrian be a part of the meeting? You know he just left not quite long ago. You never mentioned if he should be part of the meeting,” Kate asked me a few minutes after my previous instruction.“This shouldn't be a question, Kate. I intentionally decided not to mention Adrian's name, and you should know the reason. Well, we are all aware of how important Adrian is to me at this point. I will need him more often,” I responded as I took a U-turn back to the company.My initial plan was to go back home and rest after a terrible day in court. But at the same time, I was desperate to ge
OLIVIAA worrisome call jolted me from my slumber in the early hours of the day.It was disheartening—just when I thought I’d be able to stay home all day.The call was from my lawyer. The moment her name popped up on my screen, I bolted out of bed as if I were being chased by a beast in my sleep.Clearing my throat, I took a deep breath, summoning all the courage I needed to speak. The call was unexpected.“Hello, Olivia. Good morning. Are you there?” My lawyer’s voice called me back to reality.It had been over five minutes since I picked up, yet I still hadn’t spoken a word.“So sorry for the inconvenience, attorney. I just got out of bed, and I still feel dizzy. What's good?” I lied.I yawned and spoke softly, hoping to make my excuse more believable."That's fine. Sorry for waking you up. I just had to," she apologized."Anyways, the court hearing is this morning, and I need you to be there in an hour. I'll send you the court address immediately. We're done talking now," my lawye
OLIVIA“I get the point now. You’re surprised by my sudden visit, aren’t you? I was heading to your apartment when I saw Cyril being dragged into a police vehicle like a criminal. I had a feeling he might have come here to do something stupid. I was also surprised that he knew your new address,” Adrian explained, satisfying my curiosity.I was relieved. Initially, I had been scared that I was imagining things that weren’t real.Adrian’s presence was undoubtedly what I needed most, especially when it felt like I was going astray.He was surely going to serve as my support system. Banking on Kate would have been the wrong choice, considering how shocked she had been when Cyril became unconscious.“Thank you for coming, Adrian. I must confess, you came at the right time. That son of a bitch almost had me. Thankfully, Kate came to my rescue. She hit his head with a vase,” I told Adrian.There was no way I could explain the whole scenario without mentioning Kate’s heroics.In all uncertain
OLIVIA“The cops are here now. It has got to be them. You reached out to them, didn’t you?” Kate freaked out as she heard the siren of a car from a distance.She had every reason to believe they were driving toward my apartment.She wasn’t next to me, yet I could hear her heart pounding faster. Fear had taken the best part of her. What was left inside of her was emptiness.“Calm down, Kate. You don’t have to freak out like a suspect. The cops ain’t getting you arrested. The last time I checked, you murdered no one,” I assured Kate.It was precisely what she needed at that point."I'm scared! What if they start asking questions? I don't want to spend the rest of my life in jail," Kate cried as though she had just committed murder.To completely allay her fears, I got closer to Kate and held her head. “Listen to me, Kate. You don’t have to say a word. I will do the talking once they show up.”“I am calm now. I won’t freak out no more,” Kate assured me after making a cross sign.I placed
OLIVIA“I will go through this in my spare time and get back to you. Presently, I just want to rest my head. I just got back not quite long ago,” I told the lawyer.On her way out of the house, I apologized for how I welcomed her into my home.I also explained how Cyril and Rene had been making my life miserable over the past few days.“I don't have much to say to you. Just endure. It's going to be over soon.” That was the advice I received from the lawyer before her final exit.After Selena’s exit, I went to my newly furnished apartment and started reading through the documents carefully.I had a feeling that Cyril was gonna show up, and he was the last person I expected to see.As I read through, I heard a knock on the door.I frowned because I thought it was Kate. I never wanted anyone to interrupt my leisure time.“I am coming, Kate. A moment, please. You don't have to keep banging the door like a thief,” I shouted.I dropped the documents on the sofa and went to open the door for
OLIVIAI knew this was going to be a bad idea from the start. I shouldn't have told you about it. Now, look at what just happened," I lamented bitterly.A while ago, Adrian had given me the best sex of my life, and the next minute, I was already regretting my existence. My problems kept haunting me like prey."Hey, moon pie," Adrian murmured, pulling me closer.He had the sweetest touch—one I felt deep in my bones. And I wanted more. Just one more round before he finally departed for New York City."You know I love you, right? And I would sacrifice anything for your happiness," he whispered, kissing my forehead.I had no idea what Adrian was talking about, but I nodded anyway, keeping my fingers crossed in anticipation."Don't worry about the extra sum you'll have to pay once you leave the marriage. I've got everything planned out," Adrian assured me.“Is this a joke? Please don't pull my legs. I don't think I can endure this,”I doubted Adrian almost immediately.I thought it was one
OLIVIA “Hi, Sugar.I just arrived in Paris. Can you please send me the address of your apartment or hotel? I would greatly appreciate that.”That was the first thing I saw on my phone when I woke up in the morning—a text from Adrian.The message caught me off guard. I never thought he was actually going to show up.It was too late to ignore him now that he was already in Paris. It would have been easier if he had called before visiting.A few minutes after I texted Adrian my hotel address, my phone rang.I didn't rush to answer because I assumed he was already close by.And when I finally summoned the courage to speak with him, the first thing he said was, “I am outside the hotel now. What’s your room number?”I panicked and became dumbfounded.If I hadn't known Adrian for too long, I would have believed that he finally possessed some supernatural powers that were making him appear at the destination of his choice."Are you there?I just asked you a question, Olivia," Adrian called m