…Theo's POV Gradually, I found myself pulled into a bottomless abyss of endless nightmares.One moment, she was here, and the next, she was gone, taken away by one dangerous thing after the other.First, it was the storm,And then came the heavy traffic that blocked my path until her figure faded in the distance.She called out my name, and my eyes darted anxiously around the crowded party, but then nobody in that room looked like her.I sat up on the bed, reaching out to turn on the bedside lamp.Inside the cool room, rapid sweat poured down from my forehead, dampening my pajama shirt. That was a strange nightmare. Olivia…Did she turn into a ghost and has started hunting me in my dreams? Am I losing my mind?Why can't I stop thinking about her? Was this turning into an obsession?I should probably let go already. Eventually, Grandpa would forgive me. The old man couldn't stay mad at me forever, would he? The fact that I'd started seeing her in my dreams meant she might alread
After Dave left, I reached out for the bottle of whiskey anyway. Discussing the matter with him didn't help. I'd look forward to the boy offering me words of comfort, but then he blatantly expressed his disappointment.Well, who wouldn't be disappointed in me in such a situation?I divorced young. I didn't consider anyone’s feelings. But Grandpa's control over me was suffocating at that time. I needed to stand on my own feet. I needed to make my own choices. A while later as the dark sky outside began clearing up, I headed back to my bedroom upstairs. Finding my phone's screen on, I wondered what notification just came in.I grabbed the phone from the bedside table and stared at the several missed calls from one person. Mr. Kensington. Why did he call many times? Seemed like it had been over an hour now since he started calling me.Strange.Although Mr. Kensington and I are now solid business partners and have built a good relationship over the past few years, we barely commun
I arrived at the City's First Hospital. The same VIP Ward Mike had been admitted into five years ago. A nostalgic feeling hit me, bringing back a lot of memories.These hospital walls echoed with so many memories. Jessica's accident. Mike's accident. Those memories were all tied to one person… Olivia.Will I never escape from constantly thinking about her? When will I stop getting exposed to situations that always lead me to think about her? “Ahhhh! Let go of me! Don't touch me!”The commotion inside the ward brought me back to the present.Mike was surrounded by several nurses who tried to pin him down,But the guy overpowered all of them, pushing anyone that tried to touch him away.“If you don't leave me alone, I'll make sure this hospital goes down!” He yelled. “Just bring me my precious angel.”“Mr. Kensington, please calm down.”“You're bleeding too much.”“We need to clean your wounds before they get infected.”The nurses looked exhausted and some of them had even collap
…Olivia's POV Hopefully, this is not a trap. We've already concluded the topic with Dr. Davison and I know he would respect my wish,However,People can be unpredictable, right?What if he's actually summoning me to continue that topic?What if he already has a way he could use to get me to agree?I should stop being paranoid.I have to focus. “You sure you can handle it alone?” Ethan asked as he dropped me off at the hospital.I nodded, forcing a smile.Honestly, I would have loved for him to accompany me. I have a feeling that I won't be able to handle Dr. Davison alone,But Ethan has a family emergency and has to fly to Delawares immediately.I waved him goodbye as he drove off, hoping none of his parents had fallen sick.Then I turned and stared at the huge building standing in front of me.Returning to this place is risky.I might bump into Theo again like last time. But Dr. Davison made it sound so urgent that I couldn't turn him down… Hopefully, I'm not gonna regret this!
“Now now, Cora. We wouldn't want you to accompany the old man and constantly get distracted by Theo’s presence, right? Thank you for not hiding your real intentions. You're disqualified.”“But, Uncle Davison-”“Call me Dr. Davison when we're at work!”Moments later, a young lady stormed out of the office, looking frustrated and sad.She almost bumped into me, making my mask slip off momentarily.Thankfully, she didn't recognize me. She appeared to be new and wasn't present while I was still working here five years ago.I couldn't help but shake my head in pity, seeing how all the ladies were gushing over Theo. A rose looks beautiful and inviting on the outside, but it's filled with thorns. I put my face mask back in place and entered Dr. Davison’s office.The middle-aged man was sitting across his desk, ticking off some names on a list. When he saw me, he stood up. “Oh, Dr. Olivia, you're here.”“Yeah,” I replied cautiously. “Why do you wanna see me, Dr. Davison?”“It's for a very
…Theo's POV Finally!I could breathe normally and get those murderous thoughts out of my head.Mike's father, Mr. Kensington, arrived much sooner than I'd expected.Knowing that spending a few more hours there would mean losing my patience and dealing with that blabbermouth, Mike, I'm happy to leave. Honestly, I dislike hearing him constantly call out Olivia's name.I shouldn't be jealous.I didn't care about Olivia even when we were still married.I shouldn't be so provoked by seeing another man obsessed with her!I slammed the steering wheel, honking the car loud as it suddenly got stuck in the traffic.Apart from my mounting frustration, I also felt kind of annoyed this morning.Olivia…I didn't only just dream about her, but also had to hear another man mention her name again and again. Sometimes, I get worried that she might be dead.I get mad sometimes that she left without telling me of her illness,While sometimes, I just feel hopeless.The traffic didn't disperse until th
Jessica froze. She stood up straight and dropped the cupcake. Turning around, she plastered on a sweet smile. “Oh, Theo… you came back early. Dave and I wanted to surprise you-”“What the hell were you doing?” I interrupted her, wondering if something was wrong with her head.If I hadn't come in and witnessed it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it. “Uhmm, w-what?” Jessica stammered, putting on a confused look. “What do you mean, Honey?”“Witch! Didn't you try to poison me just now!?” Dave grabbed a tissue and wiped off the smudges of cupcake on his lips. He jumped down from the dining chair and ran to my side. “This wicked witch has been harassing me since morning. What took you so long, Theo?”I wanted to reassure him that I was here and would end Jessica's craziness.First, it was posting the boy's photos on the internet, and now this!But Jessica's stance wavered. She staggered and grabbed the chair's handle, staring at us in disbelief. “What's this, Theo? Dave is just bein
Ridiculous!Is Jessica desperate for us to have a child that she'd even harass this kid? What's wrong with her? Strolling upstairs, I wiped my face, hoping my frustration would go away.I've had enough drama for the day, and all I wanted was a long rest-No, I still have some documents to sign. I have to attend a video meeting later, and then, I'd have to look over the new company's infrastructure my assistant emailed me since last week.I never get rest even during weekends. Damn, if only I could take a long vacation. But the company is unstable now. The higher-ups are constantly butting heads. Just like finding Olivia, a vacation is a far-fetched dream. I paused in the middle of the stairs and brought out my phone which just rang.Seeing the hospital director’s name flashing on the screen, I answered the call and resumed walking.Hopefully, I'll hear good news this time. At least, one load should be lifted off my shoulders already. “Mr. Wellington, I have good news and bad ne
The earlier I get Jessica treated, the better.I can't put up with this.I can't tolerate her drama.If I knew that I'd come back and meet her like this, I wouldn't have left Geneva. I'd very much prefer suffering in Olivia's hands than this!While I got ready, I could hear her breaking things in the bathroom.Knowing I wasn't following Dr. Raynold's orders, I felt a little guilty.Maybe I should be a bit lenient with her. But pretending to be her husband is something I cannot do. I was taking breakfast downstairs when she joined me, looking more haggard than I'd expected.She looked depressed as she silently ate her food.Even when her phone rang, she didn't answer it.Worried, I reached out and patted her hand gently. “Lighten up. I have a surprise for you later.”Jessica's expression became bright and she jumped to her feet.“Really? What's the surprise, Honey? When can I see it?”Actually, it's just a decision I made now. Not really that much of a surprise.“I have purchased a n
Smiling brightly, she lifted her head from my chest and sat up. “Sorry, I slept off in the living room. I couldn't join you last night.”She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and blushed. “The party took over me, I guess.”Not really.Doesn't she recall a thing?I sat up, frowning in confusion as her innocent eyes wandered across the room. They widened in shock, and she gasped, covering her mouth. “Who did this, Honey? Why's the room a mess? Did you get drunk last night?”I followed her gaze to the broken lamps and torn curtains.A conflicted feeling hit me instantly, leaving me in utter disbelief.I sighed, shoved away the bedsheet, and entered the bathroom.I took a long time under the shower, trying to collect my thoughts.My confusion is no more, and my mind is now troubled.How long will it take for her to recover?Is there really no other way as the Doctor had said?No!I can't just believe him.There are great neurologists out there that I can reach out to. They'll defini
Traumatized?How?That sounds ridiculous. And why wasn't I informed about it until now?Jessica sounded alright on the phone. In fact, she looked alright to me.“The rejection had a great impact on her mental health…” Dr. Raynold added. “That's why she's like this. Once in a similar situation, her trauma will be triggered. Did you perhaps do anything that made her feel unwanted, Mr. Wellington?”Does telling her to leave my bed count? I also told her that we're not married. I ordered her to come to her senses.What now?I thought she only fainted at the wedding venue due to the shock.So Jessica is crazy now.“Who else knows about this?” I asked. “And can she be cured?”Dr. Raynold looked around before answering my question as if he was being secretive.“You know Jessica has a sensitive identity; that's why I hid her situation from everyone, including your family…” The Doctor explained. “As a celebrity, words can leak out, and people will label her as a crazy person, which can affec
Opening my eyes, her deep fragrance alone was enough for me to know that it was her.“What are you doing here?” Frustrated, I tried to keep my voice low.What's she doing in my bed?Is she out of her mind?What's she doing in my house in the first place?“Honey, I don't understand…” Jessica sat up beside me, looking very confused.I wonder what I'd said wrong or which word I'd mispronounced.“Where else am I supposed to sleep if not here?” She continued. “Come on, stop scaring me, Honey. I thought-”“Stop calling me that.” I also sat up, annoyed by the fact that she was acting oblivious.Her puzzled look confused me. Does she think this is okay?“I- I should stop calling you that?” Jessica stammered, staring at me in disbelief. “Why? Aren't we married? Aren't we a couple?”Does she even listen to herself?I was right in thinking something was wrong with her by the way she acted carefreely.When did we get married?“Come on, stop scaring me.” Jessica clasped my arm, her eyes welling up
My mind traveled back to some weeks ago.As usual, Dave had followed me to the office. Although he was always blunt and cold towards me, he never disturbed me while I worked.While I was busy testing out the new camera the company was about to invest in, he was engrossed in staring outside the large floor-to-ceiling window as he sat beside it.That was when I took this photo.Seeing the deep frown on his face as he stared at that particular spot, I'd thought he was sad because he missed his mother,Yet, reading his expression clearly now, something tells me it was just a look of disappointment.He'd known all along that I was his father, yet he chose to stay with me.Dave was very smart and he could easily find Olivia, but he didn't.Maybe he'd genuinely wanted to spend some time with me, and…Where did I go wrong?Was it when I shouted at him because of Jessica?Was it because of the wedding?But I'd apologized and the wedding was also canceled. I stood and paced the space of my of
…Theo's POV What a wasted effort.Another failed mission.I slammed the steering wheel several times, the loud honking of my car echoing on the long highway.Stuck in a tight traffic, my frustration increased drastically.Why's she giving me a hard time?Why's everyone against me?I can't believe Dave would reject me too. He never really liked me, but I'd looked forward to a different reaction from him. I was so close.Very close. I could get a strand of his hair, carry out the DNA test, and get my own physical evidence-If only Dave hadn't raised an alarm.Of course, I didn't mean to take him away. I'd planned to return him once we were done shopping and I also got what I wanted. But my little trick didn't work. What now?Do I have to return to that place?What if I don't find her there, what if she runs to another place? My phone rang but I ignored it.Currently in a bad mood, I don't want to speak with anyone.However, the phone call persisted. Seeing Jessica's name on the
I turned around, nodding to his question.Reading the seriousness on his face, I could guess he wanted to discuss an important topic.“I'm all ears,” I said and sat on the bed. Ethan sat beside me. “Are you sure about this, Olivia? Me acting with you as a couple…”I looked down. Well, I hadn't thought much into it.That day, at the hospital, I jumped into the act when Dave addressed Ethan that way. I didn't think whether Ethan was comfortable with it or not, and I continued with the act whenever Theo was present at the scene. “Sorry for dragging you into this…” I looked up, reading his expression for any signs of discomfort.But Ethan smiled at me. “Why do you apologize? I'm not complaining. I just thought maybe that-”“Theo will see through our lies?” I completed his words, convinced that's what he wanted to say. Well, that's something else. I don't want Theo to know that I'm putting on this act all because of him. I have no problem with spiting him by acting like a couple wit
Was she cursed to spill every secret?I never knew the Nanny could be such a blabbermouth.I'd tried to hide this from Prof. Joanne as best as I could while upstairs in order not to increase her stress levels.The old woman had gone through enough shock for today, right?That's it.“You can leave now, Maya. Please don't find us until I call you.”“Ah, why not, Ms. Lawson?” Maya let go of the old woman and rushed to me. “I thought you had forgiven me already. Isn't that why you asked me to stay?”I only sent her inside, detecting that she could spill the truth in Theo’s presence after seeing her reaction when Dave called Ethan his Dad.Walking to the couch, I picked up my bag and brought out some cash. “Here's money for a taxi. And if Theo Wellington finds you and asks you anything, please don't spill a word.”Maya lowered her head, a look of realization flashing in her eyes.Nodding obediently, she apologized, “I'm sorry for every inconvenience I've caused you, Ms. Lawson- I truly am.
I cursed inside, tossed my phone aside, and rushed out.Damn! I shouldn't overlook this, knowing that Theo would try to take Dave away, I should have kept him beside me.On leaving the house, I found the man's car parked outside the small fenced gates and he's trying to make Dave sit in it.It wasn't only Theo convincing my son to get inside the car, but also the Nanny who I've just turned away.“Come on, Dave… Nanny will be you with, and Mr. Wellington is your Daddy. Don't be scared, Sweetie… we'll be back in a jiffy.”“Let go of me!” Dave shouted. “He's a bad guy.”“Hehe- I know it's sad that he accidentally made Grandma Joanne faint. Well, if he was a bad guy, you wouldn't have followed him to L.A., right? You knew all this time that he was your Daddy-”“You!” I stopped running, staring at the Nanny speechlessly. Seeing how hard she's trying to convince Dave to enter the car while Theo held the car's door open, the cunning man must have promised her something.“What do you think y