2. Confused
1243 Words
The night air felt cold, but that wasn’t what made Olivia shiver. It was Michael’s flat voice—
“Welcome to the Holland family, Olivia Sterling,”
The words still echoed in her ears like a death sentence. She went home with a pounding head, breathing as if it were suddenly too hard to do, and an engagement ring on her finger that felt like a golden shackle. Beautiful, but terrifying.
She didn’t sleep well that night. Every time she closed her eyes, Michael’s arrogant face appeared, followed by the hopeful glow in her mother’s and father’s eyes. A combination of nightmare and unbearable pressure.
The next morning, Sterling Group felt like the only place where she could breathe freely. The scent of new fabric and the hum of sewing machines were the best distractions from the bitter reality waiting for her. Olivia tried to focus on cutting patterns for the upcoming resort collection, but her hands were trembling.
“Liv, are you okay?”
The voice belonged to Clara, her senior designer and right-hand woman. Clara studied her closely.
“You look… like you just saw a ghost. Or like you just got engaged?”
Her eyes flicked briefly to the ring on Olivia’s finger—beautiful, but to Olivia it still felt strange and out of place.
Olivia took a deep breath. “Both. We need to talk later. But not here.”
The office felt too crowded, with too many eyes and ears. Olivia knew the news of her engagement would spread like wildfire, but she wasn’t ready to face the storm of questions and congratulations that would feel like knife stabs.
After finishing a marketing meeting with a splitting headache, Olivia immediately went looking for an escape.
That afternoon, at a small café hidden on a corner of the city, Olivia was already waiting for her two best friends, Tessa and Chloe. The tiny table had been their secret spot since college, where every life problem could be shared without judgment.
Tessa, an investigative journalist with slightly messy tied-up hair and sharp eyes, immediately sensed something was wrong.
“Oh my God, Olivia. What happened to you? Your eyes are puffy, and you’re already on your second espresso.”
“I just… got engaged,” Olivia said, her voice barely above a whisper. She held up the diamond ring on her finger.
Chloe, an influencer who was always cheerful and full of energy, squealed in excitement.
“What?! Engaged?! Why didn’t I know?! Okay, maybe it was sudden, but congratulations, Liv!”
She immediately hugged Olivia tightly, but Olivia could feel how hollow the embrace was, because this engagement wasn’t what she wanted.
“This isn’t a congratulations moment, Chloe,” Olivia said, gently pulling away.
“It’s more like… a peace treaty.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes. “A peace treaty? With whom? Wait… that ring… the Holland emblem?”
She grabbed Olivia’s hand and examined the ring carefully.
“Liv, you can’t possibly—”
Olivia nodded helplessly. “I’m going to marry Michael Holland.”
In an instant, Chloe’s sweet smile vanished. Her face went pale.
Tessa, who was about to taste her snack, dropped her spoon onto her plate with a loud clatter.
“Michael Holland?” Tessa repeated, her voice low and full of disbelief.
“Your sworn enemy? The guy who made you so angry you cried and then got a fever the next day? Back in fifth grade he used to tear up your designs all the time too? That crazy man?”
Olivia told them everything.
About Sterling facing collapse if it didn’t expand at all. About her father’s suggestion. About the dinner meeting that turned into an arranged marriage and an engagement. About how casually Michael spoke. About his sharp stare followed by a smile Olivia found deeply unsettling. About her mother being far too enthusiastic. About both families wanting to rush the wedding. About how all of it made Olivia feel like she had no other choice.
“This is all for Sterling,” Olivia tried to convince herself, but her voice wavered.
“It’s for my company’s future. I have to push Sterling toward success. I have to protect it.”
Chloe looked at her with sympathy.
“But, Liv… marrying a man you hate? How can you live with that? You two can’t even be in the same room without fighting.”
“We agreed to live like strangers. One roof, one name, but separate lives, no interfering with each other,” Olivia explained, even though she knew how sad that agreement really was.
Tessa, as always, stared at her like she was interrogating a suspect.
“And what does Michael want out of this? Besides good public image? Michael Holland never does anything without a double profit. There has to be something else.”
Olivia gazed out the café window, watching the busy city that suddenly felt so distant.
She didn’t have an answer. Her feelings weren’t calm at all. Since that dinner, a bad feeling had been haunting her.
Michael was hiding something.
Michael always hid something.
And this time, that secret might be far darker than their childhood pranks and jokes.
Her uneasy feelings began to fade after meeting and sharing stories with her friends. Even the smile on her face slowly returned.
Bugh!
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see where I was going because I was in a hurry.”
The soft voice sounded sincere—strangely familiar, too.
Too curious about that voice, Olivia immediately looked up at the face of the girl she had bumped into.
“Aurellie?” Olivia’s voice trembled slightly.
“Yes? I’m sorry, who are you?”
The girl looked confused that Olivia somehow knew her name.
Olivia’s face instantly lit up, and a joyful smile clearly bloomed across her face, making her look even more beautiful.
“At first I wasn’t sure, but after looking at your face—and even just hearing your voice—I recognized you right away. Aurellie, don’t you remember me?! Olivia Sterling. You must still remember—”
Before she could finish explaining who she was, the sweet-looking girl suddenly hurried away, almost as if she were frightened the moment Olivia said her name.
“I’m sorry, you’ve got the wrong person.”
Olivia was certain—she had never mistaken someone’s face before.
Confused, of course. So confused by what had just happened that she stood there daydreaming for several minutes, even wanting to chase after the girl.
But when she finally tried to follow her, the girl named Aurelie was already gone. There wasn’t even the slightest trace left behind—she had vanished just like that.
“Damn it! I was careless!”
She cursed herself and lightly tapped her forehead.
“Olivia, what’s wrong with you?! I thought you had already gone home like Chloe.”
It was Tessa, who hadn’t left yet because she wanted to order some of her favorite snacks from the café to take home.
Olivia only gave her a small smile without answering, then walked straight toward her car.
“I’m sorry, Tessa. I can’t tell you yet because nothing is clear,” Olivia finally said from inside the car, looking at Tessa, who stood in front of the café with a confused expression.
Beep… beep…
The sound of the car horn marked the end of their meeting for that day.
- Writer
