The sun’s rays streamed through Olivia’s large glass windows, illuminating her face and causing her to stir in bed. However, she remained still and made no effort to rise.
Her cell phone continuously buzzed with incoming messages, prompting her to reach out and retrieve it from her bedside table. In doing so, she suddenly felt a jolt and nearly lost her balance while attempting to stand.
Instantly, a peculiar and intense headache overwhelmed her, causing her to clutch her head with her right hand in hopes of alleviating the pain. Unfortunately, her efforts proved futile, as she kept hissing in pain.
Olivia’s steps faltered as she approached her expansive dressing mirror. Her reflection startled her, causing her to pause and her mouth hang open.
It felt as though she was gazing at a completely different person. She appeared disheveled, despite her efforts to muster the little energy she had left to shower the previous night. She suspected she had cried herself to sleep, given her resemblance to a disoriented, homeless woman.
Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from excessive weeping, and her appearance was far from impressive. She didn’t even want to acknowledge her hair, which resembled a bird’s nest.
The incessant stream of messages flooding her phone once again captured her attention, and it was at that moment that the memories of the previous night came crashing down on her with full force.
It was at that moment that she remembered witnessing a large crowd of people capturing the entire incident on their mobile devices.
“I really don’t want to dwell on or recollect the embarrassment and harm Javier inflicted upon me. Now, I can’t even leave with my dignity intact,” she pondered.
She unlocked her phone and Javier’s image appeared on the screen without delay. Every aspect of her phone revolved around him. From her lock screen to her profile picture, it was all about him. She was completely fixated on him. Immediately, a sense of fear overcame her, causing a shiver to run down her spine.
Yes, she had faced numerous instances of public criticism, both on social media, in magazines, and elsewhere. She remained unfazed even when most of the guys she slept with dared to release their sex tapes online, with only her face visible and their face blurred. In fact, that had made her received multiple promotions and gained fame from the companies she worked for through that sex tapes which made her care less about it. Although it wasn’t once or twice.
“But why did I suddenly have a sinking feeling? All the hard work I had put in over the years would be wasted,” she pondered again.
Javier’s face flashed in her mind, and she felt that same sense of unease as his threat from the previous night replayed in her head, more vivid than ever.
It was at that moment that she realized she had truly underestimated the person she had crossed paths with. Yesterday had proven that she had overstepped her boundaries, and it seemed she would have to face the consequences. Messages continued to flood in non-stop
She already knew what was happening and didn’t want to do it, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she found herself clicking on one of the article links.
As expected, her name was prominently displayed on the front page. She first scrolled down to the comments section and came across some negative remarks about herself.
“The powerful Olivia has been defeated.”
“She got what she deserved. I’m proud of Javier.”
“Does she really think a gay man would be interested in women? She needs to wake up.”
The third comment caught her attention, and a sly smile formed on her face. These comments alone fueled her determination to win Javier over, no matter the cost.
“I have to make him fall in love with me,” she thought, scrolling down to find more comments. She read them aloud.
“Oh my god, Mac guy! I love how he handled Olivia so roughly.”
“Wow, she’s wearing red panties.”
That comment caught her attention again, and she angrily scrolled back up to the image, finding her panties on display for everyone to see.
Furious, she grabbed her lamp and threw it at her mirror, watching as it shattered on the ground. She stood up from her bed and began grabbing anything within reach.
Just as she was about to continue her rampage, her phone vibrated, interrupting her. She picked it up and saw the name of the caller, causing her jaw to drop.
Suddenly, the fear of losing everything consumed her once again. She hesitated for a moment before reluctantly answering the call.
“Hello, ma’am Olivia,” he said with a booming Indian accent over the phone.
“Hello,” she replied calmly, feeling a sudden sense of fear about what he was going to say next. Various emotions rushed through her body and she closed her eyes, already anticipating any news. Good or bad.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we can no longer work with you,” he finally dropped the bombshell.
“Why?” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, and she gumed down nothing.
“Ma’am, our company is at risk because of you. Mr. Javier Reyes sent a message and we have no choice but to take immediate action. It would be disastrous to go against him, so please understand,” he explained.
“So this is all about Javier, then. Huh?” she said, tears streaming down her face.
“We apologize,” he said before ending the call.
Tears continued to flow as she moved towards her bed. She sat down, knowing that this was just the beginning of her heartbreak.
Her phone vibrated again, causing another wave of fear as she answered it. Not again.
“Hello, we can no longer work with you, so the deal is off. I’m sorry, I hope you understand,” a voice with an American accent boomed through the speaker. He didn’t wait for her response before ending the call, leaving her speechless.
She leaned back on her bed, regretting her decision to go to Javier’s club in the first place. She could have continued with her pursuits instead of getting herself into this mess that she now regretted.
Her phone made its usual sound. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Mr. Edward, her manager. A little smile of hope formed on her lower lips.
“Hello, Edward. I’m losing everything, please help me,” she cried out to the old man, who had been her manager for five years.
“Yes, because all the companies you endorsed with are canceling their deals,” he calmly replied.
“Please, help me,” she pleaded, feeling frustrated.
“I may be your manager, but I can’t help you. You got yourself into this mess, and it seems no one wants to work with you anymore. I can’t be your manager. You should handle this on your own and stay away from Javier if you want to stay safe. He has the power to destroy you. Goodbye, child,” he said before hanging up.
“You old fool!” She cried out, angrily. She furiously threw her cell phone against the wall and watched it shatter into several pieces on the tiled floor.
“Javier, you are a bastard,” she screamed, hitting her fist on her bed. She stood up and tried to walk amidst the glass scattered on the floor.
“Ouch!” A groan escaped her lips when she felt a sharp pain in her toe. She looked down and saw blood gushing out from the small cut. She picked up her phone and called one of her sex workers. After a few rings, he picked up.
“I want you to be here in twenty minutes.” With that, she ended the call.
After some minutes, someone knocked on Olivia’s door. She assumed it was Kiel, the guy she just called so she yelled, “The door is open.”
The door was pushed open by the person, who then peeped into the room. Javier and that it was her younger sister Jesley, causing her to roll her eyes.
“Listen, Jesley. If you’re here to taunts me, you should leave now,” Olivia warned, rolling her eyes again as she pulled the duvet over herself. She anticipated her sister’s reaction.
Jesley strode confidently into the room, her eyes quickly taking in the disarray. She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I told you not to go to his club house, didn’t I? ” she said amidst her laughter, taking a seat on Olivia’s sofa.
Olivia was still seething with annoyance, but she tried to keep her calm. There was no use in arguing with Jesley, as it would only lead to a summon, and she wasn’t in the mood for that.
“Only God knows, if I were as pretty as you, my self-respect would be my priority and my crown. Why chase after a guy who doesn’t want you and humiliates you at every opportunity? Why?” Jesley vented her anger at her sister, who never listened and always faced the consequences of her actions. “It’s time you started considering my advice before making any decisions,” she added.
“Get out of my room, Jesley, now!” Olivia angrily yelled at her sister. Jesley stared at her for a moment before walking out.
‘I really need to cool off with sex, even for a few minutes, because I’m already losing it’ She thought as Javier’s image clouded her mind again, as she impatiently waited.
*****
Alverdo walked down the stairs at his company and noticed all of his employees whispering to each other as soon as they saw him approaching. Some quickly returned to their positions, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in confusion as he wondered what was going on.
“Hey, come closer,” he signaled to one of his female employees, who quickly obeyed. She bowed her head as she approached. “Why is everything so messy? What happened?” he demanded, looking around and noticing the rest of his staff pretending to work on their laptops. “Nina, I asked you a question!” he yelled when she hesitated to respond.
Nina’s palms were sweaty as she pondered about telling her boss about the viral video of his daughter, Olivia. She knew it could put her job at risk, as Alverdo was known for his strict reaction to any negative publicity involving his daughters. She vividly remembered how he had fired his secretary for gossiping about his daughter’s viral sex tape. She wasn’t willing to risk her only source of income.
“Nothing boss. We were discussing work and brainstorming ideas to save the company, as you had instructed. We were in the middle of that when you arrived.” She lied smoothly without hesitation.
As he nodded his head, he turned to head back to his office. However, the sound of the TV stopped him in his tracks and he veered in the direction of the sound. He was shocked to see his daughter being bound by Mac and humiliated by Javier on the news displayed on the TV.
The veins on his arms were visible, and his fingers clenched into a hard fist. Without hesitation, he rushed out of his company and drove home frantically.