AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I couldn’t shake them off. I kept thinking about what I could do, but no viable solution came to mind. And there was nothing I could come up with. Pretending as if nothing major had happened was something I couldn’t bring myself to do and neither would my brain.
I was still faced with the task of finding a solution. To think logically, I had to free my mind from Olivia’s influence and approach the situation with clarity. This would allow me to focus on what was necessary. As much as I tried to convince myself, it didn’t feel right or make sense. The only thing I was certain of was that I needed to make a life-altering decision, and I needed to do it sooner rather than later before I regret it.
15
Olivia
It’s been more than three days since I last saw Ethan, and I’ve been worried. He has been distant when we spoke on the telephone, consistently canceling plans and telling me he’s busy. We haven’t spoken since yesterday morning and the silence concerned me. I could have accepted his busyness as a reason, but I knew there was something else to it. It all boiled down to the reappearance of his ex-fiancée.
I struggled to comprehend how to handle this unexpected development in our previously strong relationship. However, I wasn’t going to sit idly by and let circumstances unfold on their own. If Ethan was grappling to piece together what to do, I was determined to help him. I refused to ignore him in his time of need and let him slip away. Thus, I figured I would drop in and visit him after work.
After updating Mr. Thompson on my progress with the article I was working on, I went to Naomi’s cubicle to tell her of my plan.
She wasn’t surprised to see me and looked like she had been expecting me. “Are you going to check on him?” she asked immediately.
I nodded, feeling suddenly dejected once again. For the past three days, it felt as though our relationship was slipping out of my fingers, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. Naomi understood how I felt. She had been there for me, offering a different perspective.
“Remember, you’re not going there to get angry at him, play it cool and stay calm,” Naomi advised in a composed tone. “You love this man, and you want to work things out. Just go and talk with him.”
“What if it turns out I’m right and he wants to be with the other woman? She’s the mother of his child and I’m just Olivia,” I confessed, my fear resurfacing with full force. “What if he breaks up with me?”
“No, he won’t,” Naomi said in a reassuring tone. “I’ve told you before those things are in your head. It’s just your fear bringing it up to the surface.”
Taking a deep, calming breath, I reminded myself that my fears were all in my head. I stood up. “Thank you, Naomi.”
“Call me if anything comes up,” she said with a small smile on her face.
“I will,” I promised, before leaving her cubicle.
Filled with anticipation, I left work and called Gloria to ask if Ethan was available, only to receive the greatest shock of my life.
“Mr. Beckett didn’t come to work today,” Gloria informed me with genuine concern in her voice.
“Really? Are you sure?” I questioned, struggling to believe what I was hearing.
“Yes,” Gloria confirmed. “I don’t think he’s doing well. He left work early yesterday too.”
“He did?” My eyes widened as I stumbled, feeling a knot forming in my stomach. “Okay, thank you, Gloria.”
Ethan Beckett didn’t go to work. That meant the world was about to come to an end, or at least it felt like that. He was either seriously ill and no one knew about it, or something else had happened.
My steps were hurried as I quickly hailed a taxi and headed for Ethan’s penthouse. My heart pounded in my chest and it felt like my stomach was in knots. I didn’t bother to knock but I opened the door with my spare key, too anxious to wait. I placed my bag on the entryway table and scanned the living room for any sign of him. When I didn’t see him, I proceeded to the kitchen to check to see if he was there, then I ran to his room.
Just as I reached his bedroom door, it swung open and I stumbled, falling right into Ethan’s outstretched hand. My gaze met his bare torso, and for a moment, I forgot the purpose of my visit as every nerve in my body rejoiced at the sight of this man.
“Olivia?” he called out sounding perplexed.
I steadied myself, lifting my head to find him looking down and dejected. His eyes were sunken and weary as if he hadn’t slept much. I extended my hand, caressing his cheek.
“What happened to you?” I whispered.
“What are you doing here?” Ethan asked, stepping into his room.
The question stung, but I decided to ignore it. I followed him, noticing discarded wine bottles strewn across the floor. How long had he been like this?
“I was worried about you, Ethan. Gloria said you didn’t come to work,” I stated, picking up the bottles and arranging them in a corner to prevent anyone from tripping. I looked up at him. “How are you feeling?”
Ethan sat on the edge of his bed, offering me a vacant stare. “Fine.”
