Chapter5
1273 Words
THIRD PERSON’S POV
Olivia dragged him toward the corner shaded by the extended roof, her grip firm despite her petite figure. The rain had soaked her dress slightly during the struggle, cold droplets clinging to her skin as the wind brushed past. She folded her small umbrella carefully and lifted her gaze to Russell.
She stared at him hard.
Not the kind of stare that judged or pried, but the kind that said she had stood where he stood before. The kind that carried quiet understanding, the kind that recognized pain without asking for explanations.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Russell stood there like a statue, his broad shoulders tense as the rain continued to pound relentlessly against the ground. He looked as though he existed somewhere far away, trapped in a place where words could not reach him. Olivia stepped beside him, close enough to feel the cold radiating from his drenched clothes, and together they watched the rain pour with unrestrained strength.
As she stared ahead, her thoughts drifted.
Her mind, heavy with worries, clouded easily. Her life felt too much like the rain falling endlessly, sometimes violent, sometimes gentle, but always relentless. She had children to raise, mouths to feed, and dreams to bury and resurrect at the same time. She needed to put her boys through school. She needed to be strong for them. And somewhere along the way, she needed to build a life that was more than just survival.
She remembered Ma’s words, her constant advice about returning to school, about doing something for herself. Olivia believed in education; she truly did. But when she thought of her twins, sleeping peacefully at home, their innocent faces free of the burdens she carried, she always felt they deserved that chance more than she did.
Still, she held onto hope.
With the careful strength she had drawn from Ma over the years, Olivia quietly believed that someday, somehow, the rain would stop. And when it did, the sun would rise again.
She turned to look at Russell.
He hadn’t moved.
His eyes were still fixed on nothing, his mind locked away in a place she could not reach. Something about his stillness tugged at her chest. She pitied his state, not out of superiority, but through familiarity. She knew what it felt like to be hollowed out by life.
“All will be okay,” Olivia muttered softly, more to herself than to him. Then, firmer, she added, “But what if you’re no longer okay when everything finally becomes okay? You have to take care of yourself while you’re waiting for the sun to rise again.”
Her eyes searched his face, hoping, just hoping, to catch even the slightest reaction.
But Russell remained stone.
He had heard her. He knew that much. Deep down, he appreciated the effort, the kindness of a stranger who had pulled him out of the rain when she didn’t have to. Yet the weight of his burdens pressed too heavily on his chest to allow him to meet her gaze. His thoughts spiraled endlessly around one thing: his company, his life’s work, slipping from his hands.
He wondered briefly who she was and why she was even at the company so late at night. But the questions dissolved quickly. Compared to what he was about to lose, nothing else seemed to matter.
“Can you at least tell me who you are,” Olivia asked again gently, “so I’ll know how to help you?”
Yet no response.
She exhaled slowly.
“You know… I have burdens too,” Olivia continued, her voice quieter now. “Not just one. Three heavy ones. Heavy enough to drown me if I let them.”
She paused, her throat tightening.
“I’ve hurt myself before,” she admitted, her voice steady despite the weight of the words. “Out of pain, out of frustration. If not for my friends, I wouldn’t be here today.” She swallowed. “Life hasn’t been fair to many of us, me, you… but those who choose not to surrender to the pressure somehow survive it.”
She turned slightly toward him.
“You should go home,” she added softly. “Bathe in hot water. You don’t want to catch a cold.”
Something shifted inside Russell, and he finally stirred.
Her words cracked something inside him, something fragile and long-buried. He slowly turned his face toward her, really looking at her for the first time. She was broken too. He could see it clearly now. And yet, here she was, standing in the rain, giving the comfort she probably needed.
Memories flashed through his mind.
His mother’s laughter.
The warmth of a simpler life.
A little girl he once played with under the rain, carefree and happy.
The same rain he once loved now failed to wash away his pain.
He wanted to speak. He wanted to say something, but his throat refused to cooperate. Instead, his eyes did the talking. They carried the story of his suffering, reflecting the chaos he couldn’t put into words.
Olivia watched him closely.
She saw the anguish, the exhaustion, and the silent scream behind his stare. And in that moment, she understood why he had stood in the rain without moving.
“You don’t have to say a word,” she said softly. “Your eyes already tell it all. I understand how you feel. I’ve been there.”
She smiled faintly.
“You want to scream, but you know no one will listen. It’s okay. Take your time. The rain will pass soon.”
Russell nodded almost imperceptibly before turning his attention back to the rain.
Silence settled between them, thick and heavy. He hoped desperately that the rain would end soon so he could leave before anyone else saw him like this.
The wind picked up, splashing rainwater beneath the roof and onto them. Olivia straightened her posture, quietly promising herself she would never let depression swallow her again, not when her children needed her to stand tall.
The rain finally began to slow.
She glanced at the sky and then at Russell. It was late. Her boys would be waiting.
“Where did you come from?” she asked softly. “The rain is almost over, and I need to get going.”
Russell didn’t answer, and Oliver, understanding his situation, didn’t want to press him.
She dipped her hand into her bag and brought out a neatly wrapped sandwich. Holding it out to him, she offered a small smile. When he refused, she gently took his hand and pressed the sandwich into his palm.
“Please eat,” she said earnestly. “You look pale and exhausted. And remember, just as this rain has stopped, our pain will stop too someday.”
She stepped out from under the shade.
After a few steps, she paused and turned back.
“Please take care of yourself,” she said, her voice heavy with concern.
Then she walked away.
Russell stood there, stunned, watching her disappear into the quiet night.
Disgust rose briefly at the thought of food, but before he could fully process it, realization struck him hard.
This was the first time in weeks he had seen food and hadn’t felt the urge to throw up.
Slowly, he raised the sandwich to his face, staring at it as though it weren’t real.
Yet his stomach remained calm.
He looked in the direction Olivia had gone, confusion and curiosity swirling inside him.
Who was she?
And why didn’t he feel sick when she handed him the food?
- Writer
