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“Congratulations on writing your first major article, Miss. McKenna,” Naomi exclaimed. I turned toward her with misty eyes, my gaze roaming across her smiling face, suspecting she must have played a role in this turn of events. She gave me a quick once-over. “You’re not exactly dressed or look celebratory for someone who just dodged a bullet.”
“D-did you do this?” I asked, stretching the magazine toward her. “Did you change the article for me?”
“Oh come here!” She stretched out her arms to me and I walked into them. She wrapped her arms around me and said, “I knew you would regret it, so I sent the original article to Mr. Thompson before you sent yours, thankfully intercepting the one you were going to send by getting him out of his office.”
“Thank you, Naomi. You can’t even imagine how much you’ve saved me,” I said, fresh tears spilling out of my eyes. But this time around they were tears of joy and relief.
All Naomi did was gently pat my back and whisper soothing words. When I finally calmed down, she pulled away and stared at me with a mischievous look. “Now can I say I told you so?”
I chuckled. “I won’t deny you the pleasure of doing that.”
Naomi perked up excitedly. “See! I told you to never make a decision on the whim because of anger. It’s never a good idea.”
“I know,” I said, sniffing.
“So what about Ethan? Has anything new happened?” She asked, holding my hand. I was about to answer when she said, “Let’s get out of here before anyone we know sees you in those ugly sweats.”
“They are not ugly!” I defended my favorite pink sweats, but all Naomi did was laugh and lead me to the rooftop garden on our company’s building.
When we reached the garden, I explained everything and her reaction mirrored mine.
“How can a woman be so wicked?” She yelled, her face scrunching up in disgust. “I can’t believe she managed to deceive him twice!” She blurted out a few curse words and ranted for a few seconds before she turned back to face me with a dead serious face. “So, what are you going to do now? He’s no longer tied down by a child or ex-fiancée.”
“My first reaction was to go to him. “But what if after everything that has happened, he no longer wants to be with me? Being in a relationship may no longer be worth it to him.What do I do now?” I asked anxiously, the burden of everything weighing heavily on me.
Naomi wore a serious expression. “Oh no, not the ‘what ifs’ again! Listen, Olivia, this is your love life and I’m not going to tell you what to do. But you know Ethan the best. Do you think he loves you?”
“I honestly don’t know,” I whispered, fear gripping me. Ethan’s actions before Jessica appeared that he cared for me, but his subsequent behavior didn’t match his words. “Maybe he doesn’t.”
“What do you want to do?” Naomi asked in a gentle voice.
I shrugged. “I’ll leave things as they are and wait. If he truly loves me, he’ll come for me, right?” Naomi nodded with a bright smile on her face. “And if he doesn’t, then I’ll know.”
“You’ll be fine, Olivia, and I’m going to be here for you,” Naomi reassured me, squeezing my hand.
“Thank you,” I said, mustering a smile.
“Now go home. You look like a mess,” she teased, pushing up from her seat and chuckling. “Go home and don’t you worry. I believe your prince charming will find his way to you.”
I chuckled, laughing the pain away. Although her words sounded light-hearted, I secretly hoped they would come true. But when it came to Ethan, nothing was predictable. I knew that much.
So, I went home, relieved I hadn’t caused Ethan more hurt with my impulsive actions, and worried for the man who had been once again deceived by a woman he had trusted. All I could do was hope and wish I could somehow help him heal.
20
Ethan
I rammed my hand into the hood of my car once more, unable to find a better outlet for the overwhelming anger and humiliation coursing through me. There had to be a reason, a reason why I repeatedly fell into Jessica’s trap without giving it much thought. How could I have been so stupid and allowed myself to get woven into her web of lies? How did I let her lies drive a wedge between me and Olivia? How did I fall for her deception once again?
“Ethan, you need to calm down. You’re making a scene,” James cautioned, his voice laced with concern. I didn’t respond until I felt his comforting hand on my shoulder. “Ethan.”
I turned to him, feeling slightly more composed. “Why am I so gullible?”
“You’re not,” James answered.
“But I am,” I argued. “Despite my efforts to be cautious and stick to my principles, I still fell for it. How could I have been so blind to her tricks?”
“Anyone would have,” James reassured me. “She’s extremely cunning.”
