Chapter 002

~Olivia~

I didn’t know what to think. Didn’t know what exactly to say.

It must be the rough patch. I muttered countless times to myself as I took myself to work.

No plan or money for rent.

I’ll even be lucky to survive food bills for another week if I give him my salary.

I was under a monthly salary payment with my workplace and my rent is only a dire issue right now because I signed a six months lease agreement.

I could have easily sorted it out with this month's pay if my rent was a monthly payment plan but no everything just had to backfire at once.

“The supervisor is calling you in.” Jane walked to my cubicle and forced me out of my thoughts.

She was gone in the next second, hurrying like she had something to do.

Sighs confusingly.

Literally everyone had something to do, I just happened to be a little lost today. Okay maybe a lot lost but it was only expected after all that happened this morning with Ryan and something tells me that our supervisor had caught on already.

I didn’t know which hurt more, the heels i was wearing that was so uncomfortable or my head that wouldn’t just stop thinking.

“You called for me.” I walked in, a little absentminded.

“I was patiently waiting, hoping to hear good news from you today but an hour had passed and there was still no sign of you and here I am reading a bloody letter asking if you can get your salary ahead?” She almost screamed down her office at her last statement.

Her eyes looked straight at me like she was expecting an explanation. She was literally shooting daggers at me with those eyes, saying she deserved one.

I slumped into the sofa at the corner of her office. “Please just do this for me Emily, he needs to reall..”

“He what?” She cuts me off immediately, her eyes lit up with anger.

Yes, Emily , my best friend, was my supervisor. While she worked her way up to where she is today, we were long friends before now.

And now I just needed her to help me out.

“This would be the last time, he needs help Emily.” My head was spinning, the words I was saying were foreign to me but this was for Ryan.

I had to help him, I’m sure he’ll do the same for me.

“And you don’t need help?” She stands up, standing in front of me with her hands sitting angrily on her waist.

Her laughter suddenly filled the air around us. “Olivia, do you even look at yourself? You’re throwing everything away for a man that does not care about you, because somehow it’s fine and it’s no big news that your rent is three days overdue.” She was mad angry that she didn’t even notice that she was shouting.

I looked outside her transparent door to be sure no one was close by or walking past it right now.

I didn’t want the news of likely being homeless a top news in the office by tomorrow.

She followed my eye movement, turned back to look at me and took a slow deep breath.

But that doesn’t help anything as she’s still fuming with anger.

“How do I say this to you Olly.” She managed to say softly. “He doesn’t love or care about you, why can’t you see it?” She tightened her fists as she said it.

I wasn’t accepting that, I nodded a no to that.

“He loves me, he stayed with me after I lost my parents. He cared and stayed when no one else did.” I muttered the words as pictures started to flood my memory.

He loved me, he still loves me. Ryan was my first boyfriend and literally the first boy I gave attention to immediately I got to college.

He was sweet and always present and when I lost everything and felt like giving up.. he stayed.

He always left his rich circle then to keep me company and now that he was going through his own rough patch and starting up something on his own, I had to stand and stay with him.

She palmed her face, looking like she had seen it all and she was literally tired of me.

“Whatever happened in the past is the past Olly. He clearly doesn’t feel anything anymore and you shouldn’t let him deceive you.” She crouched down beside me this time around. Her hands on my shoulders as she squeezed them gently.

“I wish I was there for you so this prick wouldn’t have you in a corner. He did what any sane human should do for anyone grieving.”

Yes I met Emily in my second year, many months after I had learnt to move on. And her words weren’t going to change anything right now.

Ryan’s actions weren’t aligning right now but he loves me. I know he does. He agreed to wait for me till we got married, something not everyone would do.

“Would you please help me approve it?” I said the word again, bringing her back to why we were here in the first place.

She looked at me shocked like I was a different person. Her eyes were on me the entire time until she stood and walked back to her seat.

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that and I hope that it’s not too late when you realize and see with your eyes that this isn’t love at all because love isn’t selfish” She uttered, refusing to look at me as she said the words.

I stood up ready to go back to my cubicle .

I couldn’t go around Emily if I needed an advance.. well except I’ll be going straight to Nathan and that was a no no.

Nathan Harold owned this company and almost every other building in New York but Ryan and Nathan had that fake relationship where they acted like friends but they actually hated each other.

I always wondered why he allowed me work here after the countless things he had told me about Alex.

“Stop Olly.” She called after me, clearly pissed with the way she sounded but she still called me by my Nick name softly.

I retracted my steps, giving her my attention again. “The boss actually called for you this morning.” She breathed.

“Me?” It must be wrong. I haven’t had any reason to meet him in person and sincerely after all that I have heard from Ryan, I didn't want to meet him at all.

“I know. I tried to find out why too but I got no information. You need to see him now and maybe we can continue this discussion later.” She added, and looked away. Pretending to be busy when we both know she wasn’t.

She was pissed but she needed to trust me. Ryan is good and she just doesn’t see it right now.

But why the hell am I seeing Nathan?

I’ve never had to meet him and had only had to say hello to him and that was when he was at the general meeting.

He was never even in the country most times.