Chapter 9
“No talking during meals,” Liam said sharply.
Olivia bit her lip and focused on her spaghetti.
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But Liam just sat there, unmoving, and Olivia felt increasingly uncomfortable. She forced a smile, “You must be tired from the flight. Why not go upstairs and get some rest?”
Her words hit the mark. Liam rose to his feet. Without a word, he turned and began to walk away.
But Olivia’s voice stopped him. “Liam…”
She had meant to ask if he still carried the weight of what happened five years ago. Since then, it had become a forbidden topic in their home, a subject everyone tiptoed around.
Liam paused, his gaze piercing hers.
Olivia met his eyes and thought, ‘After five years abroad, Liam has finally come back. Why stir up trouble now? Even if the peace is just skin–deep, it’s better than nothing.’
So she simply said, “Goodnight, Liam.”
As expected, he didn’t respond, just kept walking. Olivia didn’t mind and turned back to her spaghetti.
Later, she climbed into bed, but sleep wouldn’t come easily. She tossed and turned, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. She didn’t even notice when she finally drifted off.
A shrill ringtone pierced through her drowsy haze. Olivia fumbled for her phone,-still half–asleep. “Hello?” she mumbled groggily.
“Hey, what happened? You said you were going to sweep Neil off his feet last night. So why is he tweeting about being best friend Grace Galloway’s voice was a mix of curiosity and concern.
again this morning?” Her
Olivia just replied, her voice flat, “We broke up.”
There was a long silence on the other end. Grace finally spoke, her tone gentle but firm, “Olivia, how many times have you said this? Seriously, how long is this breakup going to last this time?”
Olivia gave a humorless laugh. She had to admit, she’d made this declaration too many times before. She said, “This time… it’s for real.”
Grace seemed to sense the gravity in Olivia’s voice. “What really happened yesterday? Neil’s hosting some flashy auction for the house you shared. The caption says ‘Trash belongs in the dumpster‘!”
“I need to find a new place soon. Let’s meet up after I get everything sorted,” Olivia said, her voice calm and resigned.
Grace didn’t push further. “Alright.”
“Okay,” Olivia replied and was about to hang up.
But Grace’s voice cut through. “Olivia!”
“Hmm?”
“Don’t even think about going back to him. Neil… He’s just not worth it.”
Olivia had heard it a million times. Everyone saw it more clearly than she did. And it took her seven years to finally get it.
But she’d always known, deep down. She’d just been pretending, hoping that if she ignored the truth, it would just disappear. But when the truth stared
10:40 Sun, 22 Jun OG.
Chapter 9
her right in the face, she couldn’t hide anymore.
She took a deep breath and said, “Okay. I get it. I’m done with that.”
