OLIVIA As Adrian drove us with his car, I kept reminiscing about the unfortunate incident that occurred in my office. I knew for sure that Cyril was a jerk. I mean, he never loved me from the beginning. What I don't understand is how he suddenly developed such hatred for me despite how I strived to ensure that he regains his memory again. To believe that he chose to dump my sorry ass shortly after regaining his memory. To worsen it all, he went back to Rene just when I had successfully secured my marriage. I had a feeling that it was going to turn out this way the moment I decided to seek help from Rene about Cyril's loss of memory. It was synonymous to entrust a bone in the hands of a dog. Surely, it's going to chew it to powder form. Now I am regretting my actions. I was engrossed in my thoughts and wasn't aware that Adrian was speaking to me. I did hear him call my name, but I ignored him. At that point, Cyril had taken over my thoughts and there was nothing I could do.
OLIVIADespite being caught in the act, I wasn’t ashamed of my actions. It was precisely what I needed at that point.My life was going astray. I was losing my mind. Just a few minutes of romance, and my worries were gone.I enjoyed every bit of the scene. I wished we hadn’t stopped.Twice, I’ve gotten myself involved in a hot romance with Adrian, and it feels like we’ve been married for decades.It was strange how I didn’t feel that toward Cyril during lovemaking.“I am sorry for what happened. I didn’t mean to take advantage of your situation. I should have controlled my urge,” Adrian apologized.The apology ruined the beautiful moment I thought we had. I thought he felt something during the lovemaking.It dawned on me that I was throwing myself at him. The apology made me feel so cheap.“Are you okay? Did I say something to upset you?” Adrian asked me when he noticed the sad look on my face. He knew for sure that his utterances were the reason for my sudden change of mood.“It’s fi
OLIVIAI couldn't bring myself to tell Kate what had transpired between Adrian and me. I wouldn’t know how she would react to Adrian not wanting to spend the rest of his life with me.“And where’s Adrian? He ought to be here. Why hasn’t he shown up yet? Are you sure he still wants to take us shopping?” Kate asked after her close observation.I thought about what Kate said and realized she might be right. It was strange that the thought hadn’t crossed my mind earlier.“I guess he’s still stuck in the car. He’s probably too tense to show up after what happened between us,” I replied, trying to keep her in suspense.My plan to frustrate Kate into giving up on her questioning wasn’t working. She was determined, almost like a detective investigating a case.“With all due respect, if you don’t speak up now, I might be forced to go speak with Adrian. Who knows? I might get lucky and get the information I need from him,” Kate dared, already moving to execute her threat.“Wait! I’ll speak now,
Adrian“We should call the cops immediately,” Olivia suggested. She brought out her phone, but I was quick to stop her immediately.Without being told, I knew she wanted to call the cops.“What do you think you’re trying to do?” I asked her and held on to her phone.I adjusted a bit to stop her from snatching it from me. I already saw the drastic move she was making.“What does it look like I am doing? Of course, I am calling. Rene needs to be stopped before she harms us,” Olivia freaked out like a toddler.I haven’t seen her panicking like that before.I giggled because her actions were beginning to amuse me.“What makes you think that Rene would want to hurt you? She has nothing on you. I propose you forget her and let me take you home,” I insisted.As much as Rene is desperate to have Cyril to herself, I still didn’t think she would want to get rid of Olivia to achieve that.“Can you just listen to yourself right now? Isn’t it obvious that Rene wants my man? The only person standin
ADRIAN“Do we have a problem here, Adrian? You’ve been quiet lately, and it’s beginning to bother me a lot,” Olivia asked after noticing how restless I had been lately.I tried to pull myself together and pretend that everything was fine, but I just couldn’t. I still found myself trembling as I gripped the steering wheel.“Nothing for you to worry about, Olivia. It’s not something that I can’t handle. Trust me when I say I got this,” I assured Olivia, forcing a smile that reeked of confidence.The plan was to allay Olivia’s fears, but so far, it wasn’t working. Olivia wouldn’t stop asking me questions.“Like seriously, Adrian? You want me to believe the things you say when your heart is beating faster? Come on, who does that? What the fuck do you take me for? A dummy or what?” Olivia lamented bitterly.At that point, I knew I needed to tell her the truth to allow me to focus on getting away from the car that was trailing us from behind.On second thought, I doubted if Olivia would be
ADRIANI returned to the car with divided attention. I needed to be sure if I was making the right decision or if I was just fooling around.“Are you convinced that Rene is trying to kill me?” Olivia asked while folding her arms.I was upset at her question. She wasn’t helping matters.I wanted to concentrate on my driving, and she wasn’t making it possible for that to happen. Her constant complaints had succeeded in disorganizing my system.I didn’t know what to say to Olivia. I might escalate the situation. I couldn’t even put myself in order, let alone control a troubled mind like Olivia’s.Just by looking at her, I could see the fire coming out of her forehead.I shunned Olivia’s question and started the car to continue the trip when she stopped me. She forcefully pulled the keys away and hid them in her pocket.“What do you think you’re doing? Please—give me back the bunch of keys. We’ve got a place to be, and you know that,” I demanded.“Not until you answer my question. I am no
ADRIAN“Adrian, please. Don’t do this. You can’t just abandon us when we need you the most. I thoroughly understand that Olivia might have upset you. But please, can you not take it out on her now?” Kate bemoaned. She was taking the situation more seriously than Olivia.It was Olivia I expected to speak up and not Kate. Olivia wasn’t even making an effort to convince me. She was seated comfortably, believing that Kate would do the dirty work for her.I ignored Kate’s pleas like a plague.I didn’t do that on purpose. I wanted to trigger Olivia’s anger and force her to speak, and it worked the moment Olivia whispered in my ear, “Please, Adrian.”Her voice wasn’t audible enough because she was very ashamed of her act.I looked away, pretending not to hear her speak, even though she was seated next to me.I wanted her to speak to me with all sincerity, like she meant it.“Didn’t you hear my Boss? She just took the bold step and pleaded with you. Please forgive her and let this slide. We s
ADRIAN “Yes, I do love you, Olivia, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I will cross the seven seas for your sake. I am not a fighter, but I am ready to fight for your love regardless of the consequences that await,” I affirmed as though I was reading a poem. It took me a while to make the bold statement, but I was glad I did. After the proclamation, I was relieved. A massive stone rolled away from my heart. It was the best five minutes of my life. “If you love me this much, then let’s get married immediately. What are we waiting for? I don’t mind filing for a divorce from Cyril. I need to be free again. I surely deserve a better life,” Olivia said to me. She said it like she meant it. She held me closer and kissed my hand and forehead in a romantic gesture. Instantly, a sparkle formed in my head. It’s safe to say that Olivia has the sweetest touch ever. I looked at her and said, “I will be glad to spend the rest of your life with you. But for now, let’s find out who’s trying to me
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