73

OLIVIA
“What’s wrong with you, Olivia? Your phone is ringing. Why don’t you answer it? You’ve been dull lately. Do you want to let something off your heart? Don’t worry, this is a safe place. There’s nothing to be scared of,” Adrian urged me after he noticed how restless I suddenly became after my phone rang.
I didn’t respond to him. I would rather not complicate things further. I also didn’t want to put too much pressure on Adrian, considering the fact that he has been with me since my troubles started.
“”This isn’t about me being scared to speak, Adrian. You know I don’t hesitate to share my problems with you. It’s just kind of different this time. No matter how I explain, you will never understand,” I said quietly.
He held my hand and forced me to look into his eyes. “Hey, look at me. I am here to support your every move. If you feel bothered, please share. You know I got good listening ears. Trust me when I say I will understand anything you say right now.”
I was starting to fall for his antics. The way he touched my hands was kind of romantic. He got my heart melting like ice.
“The thing is? You know what? Forget about it. Please, y’all need to excuse me. I need to go answer the call outside. It’s important that I do that right now.” I sought permission and went outside. I didn’t even wait for Officer Matthew’s approval to leave before I was desperate to sort things out with Cyril.
I rushed to an isolated corner where I wouldn’t be overheard and quickly returned Cyril’s missed calls. I expected him to pick up immediately, but he didn’t
I quickly returned the missed calls from Cyril. I expected him to answer the phone immediately, but he refused.
“Typical of Cyril. I guess he’s mad at me for snubbing his call earlier,” I scoffed.
A thousand times I called Cyril, and not for once did he answer the phone. I gave up calling him and wanted to return to Officer Matthew’s office when my phone rang. Who else would it be if not Cyril?
I held my breath and encouraged myself to stay calm. I wouldn’t wanna sound like a broken bottle over the phone or give Cyril the slightest idea that I was going through a lot.
“You weren’t picking your calls. Did you intentionally ignore the calls or what? This is the reason we are always having issues because you do these things on purpose. Damn you, Olivia,” Cyril yelled at me.
Cyril started the conversation with a fight. He didn’t bother to ask about my well-being.
I didn’t pick any offense in his taunting. I already braced myself because I knew it was going to happen anyway. With Cyril, it has always been a sad story.
“Like seriously, Cyril? That’s because you are filled with troubles. You are just too ashamed to admit that. You are going to start this right now?” I retaliated immediately.
“I missed your calls. I am sorry about that. What do you want to talk about?” I asked nicely. It took me a while to realize I was wrong, and I knew I had to just apologize immediately before it got messier than it already did.
I was starting to handle his drama with maturity. Unlike those days when I usually talk about him, we start fighting again like kids.
“Where are you? You are not home. I called the staff at the company, and they said you are not in the office either,” he questioned me as though he were my father.
I had a second glance at the caller’s name that popped on my screen just to be certain I was speaking to Cyril.
I placed the phone back to my ear and fired back at him. “My whereabouts are none of your damn business. If this is the reason you called, I might as well end the call.”
I blessed the person who invented the mobile device. I wouldn’t have said those words in the presence of Cyril, regardless of my confidence.
Besides, you have no right to ask me such a question. The last time I checked, you left me for another woman. Don’t you think you should be worried about her?” I added without hesitation, saying words I wouldn’t dare utter in person.
“Wait a minute! Am I speaking with Olivia or a different person? There must be a mix-up somewhere,” Cyril asked in a faint tone. He still can’t believe his ears. He didn’t know me to be this confident to stand up for what’s right.
“You’re wasting my time, Cyril. I was in the middle of something very important before you called,” I told Cyril.
It was funny how I didn’t sound shaky like someone who recently escaped an assassination attempt. I even sounded more confident than him.
“Who gives a fuck about what you are doing? I am your husband and need you home right. I need to have a word with you. Don’t you dare give me some flimsy excuses because I won’t tolerate them,” Cyril commanded me like a puppet.
Originally, I would have freaked out and driven immediately to go join him at home due to fear. But that moment, I felt like a different soul entirely.
“It’s obvious that you are dreaming. You have to wake up from that deep slumber before you pass out because it’s damn obvious that you are dreaming,” I uttered the nasty things to Cyril and ended the call before he got the chance to clap back at me. He called back an unhealthy number of times, and I shunned him. I got tired of avoiding him and decided to switch off my phone.
After my drama, I placed my right hand on my chest and said, “Damn! That was close.”
That was the only time I was proud of myself. I was already imagining the disappointment on Cyril’s face wherever he was. He might have some questions running through his head already. One of the questions might be, “What has come over Olivia? What gave her the audacity to speak to me in such a manner?”
It wasn’t enough for Cyril to call me after all the nasty things he did to me. He still had the guts to demand my presence at home.
That sudden act from him conveyed different thoughts to my head. “Is Cyril aware that Rene wants me dead? Or is this some sort of setup? He wants to know my whereabouts to make it easier for them to attack me?”
I couldn’t help but think in that direction. If not, how else would I explain that the same Cyril that moved out of the house because he couldn’t withstand my presence suddenly wants to see me? Something definitely wasn’t adding up.
I fumigated my mind and soul as I intended to get back to the office. I wouldn’t want anyone to have the slightest idea that I just had a worrisome conversation.
As I turned back to leave, I saw Adrian standing a few miles away from me.
I felt a sudden shock. I was lucky enough not to suffer a heart attack.
“You startled me. How long have you been standing there watching me?” I snarled.
“So, Cyril was the one who called? Wait a minute, is he aware that Rene wants you dead? Why does he want you back home?” Adrian interrogated me as though I were the prime suspect.
I saw myself stuttering at every attempt to speak. I didn’t know how Adrian managed to find me.
Glancing around, I could have sworn I’d been alone. With Adrian now in the picture, I might as well stay in the station until nightfall.