Page 79 of His Cruel Billionaire Scorecard

Theshrillsoundofher alarm clock shattered the silence of the room, jolting Olivia awake from a restless night. With a heavy sigh, she reached over and shut off the alarm.

The room felt suffocating, and a sense of gloom settled on her.

“Another day to get through,” Olivia muttered to herself, her tone lackluster.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples as she tried to shake off the remnants of sleep.

As she made her way to the bathroom, Sandy, her usually distant and disaffectionate cat, trailed behind her, sensing her disheartened mood. She meowed softly, but Olivia’s gaze remained fixated on the floor, lost in her thoughts.

“Shut up,” Olivia groggily murmured; she was annoyed for some reason; she switched on her phone and shuffled into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, shutting out the world.

Inside the bathroom, Olivia splashed cold water on her face, hoping to shake herself awake. It didn’t work; she sighed and grabbed her bottle of almost empty shampoo, applied it, and turned on the shower; the droplets cascaded down her hair and face. She hummed and finished off; steam clouded the mirror, and she wiped it off.

As she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Olivia caught the weariness etched on her face. Her eyes appeared puffy from lack of sleep; her skin was breaking out–a sign of extreme stress.

Ignoring Sandy’s gentle scratching on the bathroom door, Olivia focused on the routine of getting ready for the day, mechanically going through the motions. Every movement felt hollow, as if she was there, but not there.

She didn’t care about color coordination or matching outfits, just that she looked decent enough for work.

Today, like many days lately, seemed to stretch out before her, an endless expanse of uncertainty and heartache.

Olivia stepped out of the bathroom and vigorously toweled her hair dry; her phone rang persistently on the bathroom counter. She contemplated ignoring it. But on the second ring, she reluctantly picked it up; it was Avery.

“Hey, Liv, how’s it going?” Avery’s cheerful tone cut through Olivia’s somber mood.

“Oh, you know, just another day,” Olivia replied.

Avery sensed the heaviness in Olivia’s response and immediately shifted gears. “Guess what? I got another role! It’s not a major one, but I’m still excited about it.”

Olivia’s lips curved into a faint smile as she listened to Avery’s excitement. It was difficult not to feel a glimmer of joy for her friend’s success. At least one of them was happy.

“That’s amazing, Avery. I’m happy for you.”

Avery’s excitement spilled over into her words. “Thanks, Liv! I knew you’d be excited for me. You’ve always been my biggest supporter.”

“You deserve every bit of success, Avery. I’m happy you can take a step away from working and follow your dreams.”

Unlike me. She thought.

Avery’s voice, sensing the change, softened. “Liv, I hate seeing you like this. You know I’m here for you, right? Whatever you need, just let me know.”

“I know, Avery. And I appreciate it more than you know. I’m just going through a rough patch, but I’ll be okay.”

Avery’s tone became resolute. “You will be okay, Liv. Remember, storms don’t last forever. You’re stronger than you think, and I do not doubt that you’ll come out on the other side even stronger.”

As she hung up, her cat was sitting before her, tail swishing slowly. Sandy was detached most of the time, but she had a talent for sensing when her owner was upset. She cocked her head to the side and mewed plaintively.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll get over him eventually,” she said.

“Follow me. I’ll get you something special today.”

Her cat pattered after her, silent this time.

As Olivia poured her food and watched her cat eat it up, she knew getting over him was going to be a long, difficult route. She just had to get through today.

***

As she made her way to her office, Olivia noticed Jane waving and approaching her with a stack of files in her hands. She greeted Olivia with a smile.

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