OLIVIAAfter I got off the phone with Cyril, I lost what little happiness I had left. He always had a way of ruining my day at the slightest opportunity. It was as though he was being paid to do it.Telling him I was at the office was the biggest mistake I had ever made. I wished I had never answered the phone or uttered a word to him.“Do you really need to be here? I mean, you should be home by now. You’ve done a lot for me today. Besides, Cyril will be coming soon. I don’t want him to meet you here,” I told Adrian. Ever since I was nearly killed, he hadn’t left my side.He kept protecting me as though he were a special bodyguard assigned by the president of the United States.“Do you really expect me to leave just like that and let Cyril devour you? Come on, I can’t do something like that. I need to be sure that you’re safe before leaving. I won’t forgive myself if anything bad happens to you. I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but I don’t trust you alone with Cyril. Yes, he m
OLIVIA“Why does it have to be today of all days? What the heck is going on in my life?” I bemoaned and kept Kate in suspense.She couldn't help but rack her head to find out why I was unsettled. All her efforts to get the truth from me proved abortive.And me? I was too shocked to move my lips, let alone explain to Kate the reason for my unstableness…“So, I just got a text from Adrian,” I managed to say a few words and then fell into silence again.“And? Please don't stop talking,” Kate begged.She paid attention to what I wanted to say and forgot why she had even stopped by my office.Just as I was about to conclude, Cyril angrily walked inside my office. He nearly destroyed the door with the way he slammed it.“Kate, I guess your answer is here,” I told Kate, referring to Cyril.“I want to have a word with you, and I need Kate to leave now,” Cyril slammed the desk in full rage.“I guess I have to return,” Kate mumbled and stormed out of the office. She had already witnessed everyt
OLIVIA"Ma'am, what happened between you both? I heard Cyril yell at you from my office. His voice was so loud, it got the attention of other staff. Did he do anything to hurt you?" Kate asked me after she returned to my office.I wasn’t even aware that Cyril’s voice was so loud. I got concerned about how I was going to defend myself.I sat down and rested my head on the desk. I looked pale and helpless. How do I go about telling Kate that Cyril already found out about my affair with Adrian? She won’t even believe me, even if I explain a thousand times.Ma'am, you're not saying anything, and you still haven’t answered my question. Do you need me to get you a glass of coffee? I’d gladly do that for you," Kate offered, noticing my speechlessness."Yes, please. I will need something like that," I quickly obliged. It was precisely what I required. I was just too weak to admit it.While I waited for Kate’s return, I planned on how to get out of the trauma. Unfortunately, I wasn’t thinking
OLIVIAWe finally arrived at Adrian's mansion after a twenty-minute ride. The distance between my office and his house was pretty far, but I wasn’t bothered a bit. That was the least of my worries.My greatest relief would be seeing Adrian alive and unhurt. I would forever cherish that moment for as long as I live.“We have arrived at our final destination. Let's go quickly and find out if Adrian is inside,” Kate urged me.She was about to leave the car when she noticed I wasn’t making any move to step outside. Instead, I was focused on my phone as though my life depended on it.I was still making an effort to reach out to Adrian. I was optimistic that he was going to answer the phone."I do hope you are not about to call Adrian right now? Because I won’t condone such an act from you. For crying out loud, can’t you see that he is not going to answer the phone even if you call a thousand times? Come on, Ma’am. Let it go. I hate to say this, but you are slowing us down,” Kate questioned
OLIVIARight before our eyes, Kate and I saw Adrian step out of the car parked in his garage. The excitement inside me wouldn't let me rush to embrace him.I stood there, looking at Adrian like a dummy. I kept wondering if I was seeing a ghost or a real human.What baffles me most was the fact that Adrian wasn’t hurt. Neither was there any sign that he got involved in some sort of fight with someone. He looked healthier than before.“Olivia, you are here at my house? What a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you at this hour,” Adrian smiled and embraced me.I was too dumbfounded to reciprocate the warm embrace, let alone respond to his greeting. I wasn’t alone—Kate was also astonished. Neither of us was able to break the silence between us.“Can we please go inside? I don’t understand why you aren’t speaking. I’m pretty sure you’ve got a lot to say about Cyril’s visit to the company. I want to believe you received the text I sent about his visit, didn’t you?” Adrian asked in
“Where are your domestic staff? I can't find them around.” I started the conversation with a joke to lighten the mood after seeing how angry Adrian had become.“I laid them off for a reason,” he responded harshly. I could tell he wasn't comfortable with the question.“I see. Must be weird living alone in this big mansion, isn’t it? Don’t tell me, I can relate,” I cracked another joke that didn’t even sound funny to me.“Enough with your dry jokes. Is that what you came here to do? Because I don't seem to understand you anymore,” Adrian groaned.“Kate's gone now, so you better start talking and quit your silly jokes. That’s not funny. I’m done tolerating your silent treatment. I need nothing but the truth from you. And please, no more jokes,” Adrian demanded, shutting the door to prevent Kate from distracting us.“Kate is right about what she said earlier.” I made the bold step to confess.“It’s too early to get mad at me because I’m not done talking,” I added quickly, calming Adrian’s
CYRILIt hurts to find out that Olivia is cheating on me with Adrian. After everything I've done for her, the bitch still had the nerve to sleep with another man while we were still married. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't be running the company, let alone know how it feels to be a CEO.As I drove back to Rene’s apartment, I started imagining all the insane things I could do to hurt Olivia.I don’t see myself letting her go scot-free—especially Adrian. He has to pay for betraying the bro code. He knew Olivia was still married to me, yet he went ahead and had sex with her.Different thoughts plagued my head. I wasn't even certain of where I was heading anymore. Parts of me wanted to go see Rene and wrap myself in her arms for solace, while the rest of me wanted to visit my lawyer, Andrew, to finalize the divorce process between myself and Olivia.He was taking too long to get the necessary documents ready, and I wasn't pleased with it. I was desperate to get rid of Olivia and spend t
CYRILI stood up immediately as we exchanged pleasantries. "It's so good to see you again, sir. I must confess, your staff has been good to me so far. They made me feel so comfortable."“Of course, they will. I mean, that's why they're being paid, right?” Uncle Dante teased, and we laughed at each other's jokes.I ensured that we laughed hard because I knew the next few minutes might be hell for both of us, considering what I intended to speak about.“Now, let's get straight to business. Did you say you needed to see me urgently? What's the situation about? I ought to have a busy schedule today. Because of you, I had to make plans for another day,” Dante revealed.I cleared my throat and took another shot of liquor to keep me hyped. I figured what I wanted to say might require some sort of courage and confidence to pull through.“Before you proceed, where's your wife, and why didn't she come with you? I do hope she's doing great? She didn't quite sound too well when she called. I trie
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
OLIVIAIt’s been over a week since Kate and I arrived in Paris, and it feels like my life has been restored to normal again.Never once did I imagine that I would be away for days, let alone weeks.It’s good to know I could finally function without showing up at work for a day.The thought of being away from Cyril and Rene motivated me to stay longer than I expected.If it wasn’t for Adrian, who keeps calling to remind me how much he misses me, I wouldn’t mind staying for a few more weeks.“So, when do you intend to go back to New York, ma’am?” Kate asked as we sat in the lounge of the hotel we’d checked into.“Go back home? I've never really thought of that. Do you still want to go home?” I responded to Kate's question with another question while I devoured my chicken wings to my satisfaction.If I was given the chance to decide, I would have a lot to start a new life in Paris. So far, the city has been conducive for myself and Kate.Imagine residing where nobody knows you. The liber
RENEOver a week had passed since I confronted Olivia about her decision to divorce Cyril, yet no progress had been made.Cyril, for his part, had shown no real effort in finalizing it either. More often than not, he spent his time lamenting over Olivia rather than focusing on our future together.My mother, of course, was no exception.She continued to pressure me, relentless in her insistence that I compel Cyril into marriage.“Are you still here?”She barged into the living room, disrupting my television program without a second thought.I ignored her.I already knew what she was about to say.Not content with merely interrupting my show, she went a step further—snatching my phone right from my grasp.I attempted to take it back, but she held firm.I had no choice but to yield, fearing she might damage it in the process.“Mom, really?You had to seize my phone just to get my attention? Come on, you can do better,” I snapped.“If this is what it takes, then so be it. Tell me, why is
OLIVIA“You don’t intend to ignore her forever, do you? We both know that women are stubborn. She won’t stop calling until you answer the phone,” Kate asked me.“I can’t answer that. You already know the answer to my question, Kate,” I responded.I took my phone and declined the call. “I guess you’re happy now?”Not long after I declined the call, Cyril’s grandmother called again.I was confused. I felt immense pressure not to answer, but I had no choice. It was the powerful Miss Penhurst—she always got what she wanted, no matter how difficult it seemed.“Maybe you’re right. I should shun my fears and answer the phone. This might just be the perfect time for me to end this drama,” I told Kate.She didn’t respond. She wasn’t convinced I had the courage to do it.“Why weren’t you picking up my calls? Don’t you dare lie to me—I have my ears on the ground. I know your every step,” Miss Penhurst spoke in a placating tone, as if she had spies watching me.“I am deeply sorry for not taking y