LOVE'S OVERRATED: Mr. Sterling, We're Over!

Olivia Barnett POVI stared at my boss’ receding figure. My eyes shut heavily while my body jumped in anxiousness after he banged his door shut, leaving a tangible echo around the room.Josh Morgan Sterling, CEO of Sterling Enterprises and the sole heir to the vast Sterling wealth, fired me.I bent my head. This is not the first time Josh has angrily confronted me in front of everyone over a mistake since I worked for him six months ago.Josh is a good boss - fair and decent to everyone but me. Every time he catches sight of me, all fairness and decency leaves him. His demeanor would instantly change. It was like transforming into a milder version of Hulk. My coworkers sometimes teased me. I bring out the worst in our boss. I have to agree with them.Josh does not like me, and he lets me know about it at every turn.But why do I stay? Why torment myself all the time?It was simple, really. I have liked Josh Morgan Sterling since his grandfather took me in at thirteen. After my par

Olivia Barnett POV“You’re back!” Lucy cried when I walked back to the office the next day. She ran to me and hugged me tightly as if it was the first time we met again in a long while, and not just last night.“I knew it! The boss did not mean to fire you! Yey!” Her hands grasped my upper arms and shook me, my head and body bouncing at the impact, and it made the dull ache in my temple intensify. I winced.“I need to know the deets!” She told me in a voice filled with excitement.I shook my head to ward her off. Her enthusiasm this early is killing me. “There are no deets!”Her enthusiasm crashed, and her voice dropped low.“At least tell me, did you have a hot, wild night with Todd?” I hate to tell her that though my night was wild, Todd was never a part of it. Todd right now was safe on his bed when I called to check on him this morning.But Lucy was on a roll. She waited for my response, so I stabbed her with a disgruntled look that failed to stop the wide grin appearing on her fa

Olivia Barnett POV“No.” The denial came off my lips so quickly, but because I lied, I could not look at Josh’s face without feeling guilty, so I avoided looking.When I dared sneak a peek, I noticed he was not convinced. He stared at me, debating in his head whether to believe me or not.“Well, there’s only one way to prove your honesty.” He told me.It took me a while to digest what he said. I was a second too late.Josh grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the pharmacy. In his left hand, he was gripping the pregnancy test kit tightly.“Where are you taking me?” I asked, scared, until we stopped outside Josh’s gleaming navy blue Rolls-Royce and he ordered me to get in.“I can manage. I can ride a cab.” I don’t want my co-workers to see me coming out of the boss’s car.“Get in,” Josh ordered.There was a moment of tension when I didn't get in.Josh opens the door and pushes me in, making sure that I won’t get my head hurt.Despite the urgency in his movements, he was still careful, a

Olivia Barnett POVEverything was done in haste.When Josh said that we would marry right away, I did not expect it to be today.He called several people, pulled some strings to get our license, and the next thing I knew, we were already standing in front of a judge who would marry us.No other witnesses. Just us.Both of us were wearing the same clothes we wore at the office. I did not even have time to brush my hair because in the last few hours, I was busy hugging the toilet bowl.It must be from stress.The hem of my skirt still showed the stain from my puke. Josh tried to clean it with his handkerchief, causing my eyes to bulge when he knelt down in front of me.“By the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The judge ended. “You may now kiss the bride.” He added.Nervously, I faced Josh. My hands twisted in knots.Josh turned to face me. He held my arms and pulled me closer.He leaned in, and his lips touched my lips. It was a chaste kiss, not li

Olivia POVI turned around to leave. I can’t have Josh realize that I already discovered his wicked, dark secret. My gut twisted painfully. My stomach churned at what I had just witnessed. I ran back to the restroom, straight to the sink. I vomited what I had for dinner. All of it. While my stomach hurts from puking, my heart hurts, too. While my mind was in shambles. I do understand how much Josh loved Daisy. That is why I am settling for what he can offer. His family name and a family for my child.To think that I was grateful for Josh for thinking about our child, but no! He married me to become a tool, a surrogate for his true love, and then, when I gave birth to his child, he would eliminate me entirely from the picture to complete the family that he promised Daisy Cobbs.I thought he was honest. I thought he was really thinking about the baby and me. I thought he had changed.A guttural laugh escaped from my lips. It sounded hollow, lifeless. Like me.And then, tears began to