Olivia growled, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. Her heart was pounding, as if each beat echoed her burning rage. She pulled out her cell phone, her fingers dancing purposefully over the keys. When the voice on the other end picked up the phone, Olivia’s words sounded cold yet restrained, “Can you do something for me?”
After the call, a sly smile was etched on Olivia’s lips, signaling a plan in the making. “I won’t let someone take what should be mine.”
***
On the other side of the city, Emily sat at the end of a long table, taking Daniel’s place as the CEO in an important meeting at company W. The room was filled with voices mingling together, but to Emily, it all sounded like a distant whistle in the wind. As the board member with his expertise in marketing strategy talked about new market expansion opportunities, Emily found herself caught in an inescapable whirlpool of thoughts.
She remembered the hope in Daniel’s grandfather’s eyes and the warm smile of her father, Fred, who had given his blessing for their marriage. A blessing that, ironically, was given for a marriage that was nothing more than a contract, set to expire in a year’s time.
After the presentation, the room was filled with hope and anticipation. All eyes were on Daniel who actually had Emily’s soul trapped inside. They were all waiting for the decision that would determine the future direction of the company. However, Emily was still trapped in a deep reverie.
Richard, who sensed the tension in the room, approached Emily with cautious steps. He touched her shoulder gently, “Sir,” he whispered, “We need your decision.”
Emily was startled, as if she had just woken up from a very real dream. She looked at Richard, and in an instant, she realized that everyone in the room was waiting for her words. With a deep breath, she gathered her thoughts and spoke in a firm yet soft voice, “Thank you. I will consider everything that has been said and make a decision as soon as possible.”
After the grueling meeting, Emily returned to Daniel’s room that was now hers. She felt tired, but there was also a sense of satisfaction at having made it through a difficult day.
Suddenly, the door opened and Daniel entered with a firm step that seemed to chase away the silence. “How was the meeting?” he asked, his voice cold and sharp, as if every word was an order.
“Tiring,” Emily replied with a small smile. “But I made it through, thanks to you for teaching me everything.”
“I just want to make sure you don’t mess things up,” Daniel said, his voice filled with undeniable authority.
“Very well, sir. I’ll try not to disappoint,” Emily replied.
Daniel looked at her with a piercing gaze. “We’re getting married next week. I’ve organized everything, hired a professional who will make sure that every detail is taken care of perfectly,” he said in a tone that suggested that everything had been decided.
Emily took a deep breath, trying to digest the reality that had just been revealed. “Next week?” she muttered, her voice barely audible. “It all feels so fast, as if my previous wedding fiasco just happened yesterday.”
“And we’re going to announce our marriage at the company’s anniversary this week,” Daniel said, as if already envisioning the scenario.
“I also have to give a speech on your behalf at our company anniversary, don’t I?” asked Emily.
“Of course. And don’t make any mistakes,” Daniel replied.
Emily sighed heavily, the weight of responsibility given to her felt like a mountain. Replacing Daniel was no easy task. Over the past few days, the two of them had spent every evening together, immersed in study and preparation. Daniel, with his perfectionism, had taught Emily everything. Daniel always made sure that Emily would not make mistakes, because for Daniel, mistakes were something that could not be tolerated.
“You can go home early today,” Daniel said without turning his head, his voice as if giving orders, not options.
Emily was surprised, “No study session tonight?”
“No,” Daniel replied curtly, “Tomorrow’s a holiday, and I think you need some rest too.”
Before stepping out, Daniel turned his head with an appraising look, “You have time tomorrow?”
Emily, confused, asked, “What is it, sir?”
“I’ll take you somewhere,” Daniel said, leaving the words hanging in the air.
When Emily was about to ask again, Daniel had already walked away, leaving her in confusion. Emily stood there, her heart in her throat. ‘I really can’t figure him out,’ she thought to herself. ‘Some days he can seem nice, but then he goes back to being his cold, arrogant self.’
Suddenly, the ringing of the phone broke the silence of the room, Emily’s mobile screen lit up, displaying Olivia’s name. Her heart fluttered; she never answered calls or messages from Olivia, shackled by the uncertainty that she wasn’t the real Daniel. Hesitantly, she let her phone ring without an answer until the screen dimmed again.
However, not long after, the screen lit up again, this time with an urgent message notification.
‘We need to talk, I promise this is the last time I bother you. I hope you can come.’
And soon after, another message appeared, indicating the meeting place Olivia wanted.
Emily froze, confusion ruling her mind. ‘Should I tell Mr Daniel about this?’ the question raged in her mind. Every time she tried to bring up Olivia, Daniel would only reply with a cold, “Leave it alone,” or a sarcastic, “If you’re so keen to answer the phone, just marry her.”
“Do I have to tell Mr Daniel this?” muttered Emily, her voice barely audible in the quiet study.
But after much thought, she shook her head firmly. “No, no. He can’t be compromised on this. He’s nice sometimes but he scares a lot more.” Her words were choked, a reflection of the inner battle she was going through.
That day, time went by so fast, and before it was realized, it was time to go home. Daniel’s less hectic schedule gave Emily a chance to breathe.
Emily whispered to herself, “I can finally breathe freely too.” She stretched her tense muscles with her arms raised high, her legs wiggling, and a smile on her tired face.
The incident did not escape the sight of Richard who had just knocked on her door. As Emily turned her head towards the door, she instantly felt shocked and embarrassed for having shown her embarrassing behaviour for the second time to Richard.
“W-what’s wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly, while she smoothed her suit and tried to hide her embarrassment.
Richard stepped closer with a thick brown envelope in his hand. “This is the report you asked for earlier,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of responsibility but maintaining its politeness.
Emily nodded, her eyes sweeping briefly over the contents of the envelope before looking up at Richard. “Thank you,” she said, her voice soft yet respectful.
Richard gave a respectful nod, “Then you’ll excuse me,” he said, taking a step back before turning to leave Emily in the solitude of her thoughts.
Emily sighed, feeling her cheeks heat up. “Oh my, how embarrassing. I’ve been caught like this twice already,” she muttered, her voice barely audible as she covered her flushed face with both hands.
She took a few moments to compose herself before stepping out, walking through the deserted corridor. However, the calm was shattered when her mobile phone vibrated, the screen lighting up with an unexpected notification. A message from Olivia, ‘I won’t leave until you come.’
“What do I do?” she whispered to herself.
With hesitant steps, Emily continued on her way, but her drifting thoughts kept her from noticing the approaching wall. “Ouch,” she moaned, wincing in pain as her head slammed into the wall.
“Can’t you be more careful?” the familiar voice snapped her out of her reverie.
“Mr Daniel,” Emily said, surprised and slightly embarrassed.
Daniel just shook his head, his sharp, cold eyes piercing her. “Careless,” he said, his voice low but firm.
Emily looked at Daniel’s retreating back, “Would you like to go home with me?” she offered.
“No need, I’m going home alone. It’s better to avoid unnecessary gossip,” Daniel replied without turning around, his voice cold, reminiscent of the gossip that had been circulating between him and Richard.
“Sir,” Emily called, her voice barely audible.
“What?” Daniel stopped, turning his head with an unreadable expression.
Emily swallowed, it was hard to express her heart, but she finally chose to keep it to herself. “No, sir. I just wanted to say goodbye,” she said, her voice trembling with the emotion she was holding back.
***
That night, with a heavy heart, Emily decided to meet with Olivia. She stepped into the car, feeling her heartbeat in her ears as the car sped down the deserted streets, taking her to the destiny written in Olivia’s message.
“Are you coming?” Olivia’s voice that suddenly emerged from the darkness of the night made Emily flinch. Olivia appeared like a shadow, her hand wrapped around Emily’s arm with a bewildering familiarity.