Shaking my head, I tried to snap myself out of what I assumed was a dream. However, between the serious look Ms. Priya was giving me and the article on her phone right in my face, there was no denying it anymore. It was indeed my reality and I officially had my picture on an article with such a bold headline. “So, is this you?” Ms. Priya asked me again when I remained silent. “May I have a closer look?” I requested as I extended my hand toward her phone. Ms. Priya nodded and handed me her phone. Once her expensive phone reached my hand, I slumped down on the chair opposite her as my eyes scanned the screen and read the article as fast as I could. Long story short, a columnist for a local e-magazine was at the club last Friday night and happened to watch the whole thing unfold. Instead of stepping forward to help me, she recorded it and took pictures, but thankfully my face was not that visible thanks to the nightclub’s poor lighting. The article continued to mention how ladies shou
My eyes sparkled at the dazzling pieces of jewelry being displayed in glass boxes as we walked down the main floor of Preciozo Jewelers’ headquarters located in the center of New York City. Nadia was right, they were not some small company and it was not going to be easy to convince them to take on our start-up marketing company to cater to their marketing needs.A tall blond lady escorted the three of us, Ms. Priya, Nadia, and me, to the elevator at the end of the floor. There a security guard checked out credentials and called Ms. Preciozo’s secretary to confirm our presence before opening the elevator for us.“Head right in. I’ve already set it for the 12th floor,” the security guard informed us as he waved his access card on the sensor and pressed some buttons.As soon as the elevator closed, Ms. Priya turned to face the both of us. “This is it, ladies. Put on your best show and prepare to adjust your ideas to what she needs.”Nadia and I nodded just in time for the elevator doors
My surroundings turned blurry and the chitter-chatter of the photographers became muddled as my eyes fixated on the ghost before me. Okay, he wasn’t dead or a ghost, but he was a crucial part of my past life that I had buried 6 feet under. So, in a way, he was a ghost of my past and he was haunting me.My eyelids fluttered as my eyes slowly started imagining the younger Joshua and there was no doubt that it was him. He had grown taller, stopped coloring his hair, gotten a few tattoos, had a large scar on his left eyebrow, and had surprisingly yet annoyingly gotten hotter for a man. Still, that wasn’t an excuse for me to just pretend like nothing had happened. In fact, it was the opposite as all the feelings I had buried came flooding to me all at once. Exhaling frequently, I grabbed onto a nearby table as I tried to calm myself down from the panic attack I was having.Unfortunately, this caught the attention of Joshua and he approached me with concern. “Hey, are you okay?”“I’m fine!”
My mind turned blank as I stared at my phone screen. It was an unknown number, even though the caller was someone I very much knew. Technically, I wasn’t one who usually answered calls from an unknown number but between all the things running in my head and Sam, I had failed to notice who was calling me.Shit! Sam! He was about to reach my house soon which meant I had to get rid of Joshua before he could. I was not ready to tell him or anyone about my past which meant I had to handle my ex-bully tactfully in front of them. Not to mention how Joshua was working on a project that was based on my idea which could headline my whole career.“Hello? Are you there?” his voice echoed through my phone.Releasing a long calming exhale, I placed the phone to my ear. “Yes.”“Oh, hey! Olivia, right?” he asked, as he sighed, probably with relief that I decided to finally speak to him.“What do you want?” I demanded as I got up and started pacing around my shared living room.“Um…I just wanted to ap
The whole meeting room turned eerily silent as they all turned to look at me in shock. My breath hitched and my heart literally stopped for a second when what I had just done dawned on me. Ms. Priya’s eyebrows furrowed at me. “Ms. Olivia, explain your brazen reaction. Now!”“Ms. Priya, I’m s…sorry. I didn’t mean to s…shout like that. It’s just that I don’t agree with the choice of model,” I replied softly, keeping my head down.Gasps and murmurings echoed through the room as my statement puzzled everyone. Obviously, that was because, to a stranger, he looked perfect with his 6-pack abs and chiseled jawline, but that was only on the outside. His soul and personality were polar opposites to how he looked, much like heaven and hell. However, in the world of marketing, Joshua was an ideal model and was the best candidate to capture interest, making people take a second glance at whatever poster or billboard he was on. So, my declaration went against the thoughts of all the marketing per
Joshua’s sudden unexpected declaration caused the ground beneath my feet to tremble. Wires in my brain tried to connect and process what he said, but ultimately, the conclusion it came to was evident. Joshua Taylor had truly become a great liar and had taken the level of his lies to extraordinary levels.When I remained silent, he pointed at the scar on his left eyebrow. “Why do you think I have this scar here?”“There are a hundred and one reasons you could have that scar,” I blurted out before rolling my eyes at him.“Are you serious? You think I’m making this up?” he demanded with a scoff.I scoffed back in response. “It wouldn’t be the first time for people like you.”“You. Don’t. Know. Me.” Joshua’s eyebrows furrowed as he glared at me, his chopped sentence channeling his displeasure.Rolling my eyes at him, I looked towards the door with desperation just in time as I heard the bell over the main door ring. A new voice echoed through the half-empty studio along with the question
Joshua’s POVMy motorcycle sped through the rush hour traffic, careful to avoid busy pedestrians who were not in their senses, cab drivers who thought the roads belonged to them, and other drivers who just wanted to get home.“F*ck! You would think that driving a motorcycle would help get through rush hour, but this is insane!” I said out loud as my voice echoed in my helmet.Several minutes later, the open road was gifted to me as I exited the ramp leading out of the city. Twisting the handle, I accelerated my bike and sped forward as the wind slammed against my body. Here was just something about it that made me feel light and at ease. What others felt was dangerous and too nerve-wracking was relaxing to me. After parking my baby in the covered basement, I headed up to my apartment with a skip in my step.“You look like you had a good day,” Mrs. Baxter said as she entered the building with a few grocery bags in her hands.Walking down the staircase, I approached her and shifted two
Joshua’s POVMy ears couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The woman who somehow hated me, constantly insulted me, and refused to look me in the eye, was now calling me and asking me out for coffee. It was as if I had entered some alternate universe or I was probably sleeping and dreaming all it up. Either way, she had put me in a tough spot, and my tongue, which was just enjoying the delicious fried rice, knotted and made me lost for words.“Hello? Are you there?” her voice bounced off the walls of my one-bedroom apartment, startling me.Letting out a long exhale, I ran my hand through my hair in exasperation. “Yes, I’m here.”“Oh, good. I thought I was talking to the wall,” she replied snappily, testing my patience.Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tried my best to remain c
Olivia’s POV About five years had passed, yet Westminster High School was still standing strong but the only difference was that it was now an elementary school. The place I used to call my own personal living hell was now about to have a new student, Nia Marie Jamerson-Taylor. “Mommy, will it be scary?” my Nia asked as her little hand held onto my hand as we got out of our car. Letting out an exhale, I knelt down and adjusted her brunette hair. “Yes, at first. But then you’ll start to enjoy it so much.” Despite having my own unpleasant experience, the last thing I wanted was to unload that burden on my daughter. So, the day I said ‘I do’ to Joshua Taylor, I buried all my bitter memories away and vowed to look forward. To be honest, it felt like just yesterday I agreed to marry him and then, six months later, I walked down the aisle with Nia to Joshua as our friends and family witnessed us. Adrina took some time to warm up to Joshua but she eventually did and stood as my maid of h
Olivia’s POV “You’re doing great, Olivia. Keep pushing for five seconds,” Dr. Kingsley instructed as Joshua held onto my hand tightly in the delivery room. Shaking my head, I leaned back against the head with a grunt. “No, I can’t. I can’t push anymore, I can’t.” “You’re going to have to if you want to see your baby girl. So, push for me, Olivia!” Dr. Kingsley ordered, patting my thighs. Joshua kissed my forehead and gripped my hand. “You are doing great, baby. Just a little while longer, okay?” “Okay, Olivia. I see her head. Now, you’re going to have to push even harder. Go! Push!” the doctor yelled, but I couldn’t take it anymore. Tears streamed down my face and sobs escaped my mouth at how guilty I was feeling that I was unable to push my own baby out easily. I felt useless and unfit to be a mother before my child even came out of me. “Via, no. I know that look. Listen to me, I know you can do this. You endured my bullying, you gave me the middle finger proudly, you moved t
Olivia’s POV I slowly opened my eyes to a blue hospital room and a pounding headache that echoed in my ears. I fluttered my eyelids as I desperately tried to remember what happened but I was so confused and I couldn’t remember how I got there. The last thing I remembered was being in the cab and the light changing green, and then, there I was, in horrifying pain as I lay motionless on the hospital bed. Then, I recalled why I was in the taxi in the first place and my hand immediately reached out to my belly as an indescribable feeling of fear paralyzed me. But, as soon as my palm touched my swollen belly and felt the faint movement inside, relief washed over me, making me finally release the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. Gently moving my neck to look around the room, I caught sight of a few flower bouquets, balloons, greeting cards, and finally, a head resting by my hand. At once I knew who the head belonged to, but just as I was about to lift my arm and touch the head, I f
Joshua’s POVEverything happened so fast that I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. A couple of hours ago I was introducing Olivia as my girlfriend and the mother of my child, and everything felt fine, perfect even. Then, one minute I was looking around for Olivia who had suspiciously disappeared then, and the next minute the hospital was calling me.Am I dreaming?The minute the nurse’s words reached my ears about an accident, I felt a thundering echo within me. Part of me felt a gut-wrenching pain knowing exactly who she was calling me about, but another part of me refused to believe it.Terrified to hear her answer to my question, I stuttered out my question, “W…who is it?”“According to her ID in her purse, it’s Olivia Jamerson,” she answered.&nb
Joshua’s POVAdjusting my suit, I strolled into the hall majestically as the sound of my shoes tapping against the marble floor echoed through the noisy hall. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Olivia following me secretly, but I didn’t get a chance to call out to her when people started huddling around me.“Joshua Taylor, as I live and breathe! F*ck! Look at you, you beautiful b*stard! You cleaned up nicely, a*shole!” Will, one of my football team members exclaimed as he patted my back strongly.Were these really the kind of people I was friends with?Almost everyone in attendance approached me to hug me and shake my hand, which was expected given how popular I was back when we were in high school. But, as much as it was interesting to see how they had grown up in a matter of a few years, I quickly dismissed them and headed further into the h
Olivia’s POVMy hand glided across my lips as I appeared a layer of red lipstick on it before my lips chapped together. Letting out a long exhale, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smiled. Joshua had bought me an off-shoulder red dress that curved around my pregnant bump perfectly and that had a mid-thigh slit, making me feel both comfortable and sexy at the same time.“Are you sure about this, Oli?” Luke asked as he leaned against my door frame.Turning to look at him, I nodded as my eyes scanned him dressed sharply in a blue suit. “Yes, Lukey. It’s going to be super awkward for sure, but I promised Joshua and myself that I would do this since I missed prom.”“Alright then. I and Raina will swing by after her friend’s engagement party. Will you be okay till then?” he questioned, adjusting my twisted earring.
Olivia’s POV A smile curved my lips as I watched the big and proud businessman, Mr. Joshua Taylor, pick up a pink strawberry onesie and place it in front of his chest as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. “So, what do you think? I can totally pull this look off, right?” he asked, turning towards me as he danced his eyebrows playfully. Narrowing my eyes at him as I scanned him from top to bottom, I nodded my head. “One size bigger and it would be perfect for you. Though you may have to fight with our daughter over it.” “That’s the plan,” he replied with a wink before turning towards the store employee. Folding the onesie carefully with his big brawny hands, he passed it to her. “Here, pack a set of this onesie in every single color available and send it to the car.” “Yes, Mr. Taylor,” she responded and disappeared to the back. After pushing me towards the exit of the store, Joshua walked beside me as I waddled slowly like a penguin. “You practically bought the whole stor
Olivia’s POV The air in my hospital room turned tense and Luke glared daggers at Joshua. His jaw locked and his palms balled into fists at the mere sight of my ex-bully in my hospital room, about to kiss me. All the sugar-coated story I had created about my pregnancy had been shattered in just a second and now I owed Luke an explanation. “What the f*ck, Olivia? Are you insane?” Luke shouted as he stormed towards me, reacting the same way Adrina did when she found out I was dating Joshua. Pulling myself up to sit upright, I reached out to Luke to calm him down. “Lukey, I can explain. Just calm down and listen, okay?” “What possible explanation can you possibly have, Oli? He’s the father, right? And don’t you dare lie to me again?” Luke snapped at me, gritting his teeth. But, instead of de-escalating the situation, his response made Joshua furious. “Hey! Don’t shout at her, Luke!” “You! Don’t you dare poke your nose in this. Haven’t you done enough to her already? Yet, you impregn
Olivia’s POV Two weeks had passed since I found out that my little bean was a girl, well technically ‘we’ found out, since Joshua had barged into my consultation room. To be honest, seeing him so upset and angry that I hid his child from him twisted my insides with guilt, making me realize that it was wrong on my part to do that to him after I realized that he didn’t leave me on purpose. Things between us were just borderline normal but, I was warming up to him. Annoyingly, I didn’t know if it was the after-effects of falling in love with another version of him, or if Joshua was indeed turning into the version of him that I loved, but there was something about him that I couldn’t hate. Although, I detested every time my office phone rang with instructions for me to see him in his office. “What now?” I blurted out as soon as I walked into his penthouse office. Joshua arched his eyebrow at me from behind his huge table. “Do I need a reason to see my two favorite girls?” “Yes, Joshu