Olivia's POV
I stood at the bus stop, my legs feeling like they might give out at any moment. I was so tired and exhausted. The day felt like a whole month already with everything that had happened, and I just had this desperate need to get home before I completely fell apart.
A cab. That's all I needed. Just one simple cab to take me away from this nightmare.
I waited for what felt like an eternity, checking my phone repeatedly. Five minutes passed, then ten. The city's rush hour traffic meant most taxis were occupied, their little lights put off as they swept past me on the street.
Just as I was about to give up and brave the subway despite my fragile emotional state, a sleek grey BMW pulled up to the curb in front of me. The window rolled down, and my heart nearly stopped.
"Oliver? What are you doing standing out here?"
Alex's concerned voice cut through the evening air. I bent down to peer through the window, and my stomach dropped as I took in the full scene inside the car.
Alex sat in the driver's seat, looking effortlessly handsome in his work suit from earlier, his tie loosened around his neck. But it wasn't Alex who made my chest tighten with an emotion I didn't want to name.
It was the woman beside him.
She was absolutely stunning - the kind of beautiful that made you stop mid-sentence and stare. Long, silky blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her makeup was flawless despite what had clearly been a long day. She wore a classy black dress, and even from this distance, I could see the designer heels on her feet.
She looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine. Like she belonged in Alex's world of expensive cars and corner offices.
Like everything I could never be. Just like Dr. Heart had predicted - or rather, Max, Alex's best friend, who probably knew about this woman and was saving me the heartbreak.
"I'm just waiting for a cab," I managed to say.
"A cab? At this hour?" Alex shook his head, already reaching for his hazard lights. "Get in. I'll give you a ride."
"No, that's really not necessary..." I started to protest, taking a step back from the car.
"Don't be ridiculous," Alex insisted, "It's getting rather late. You'll be waiting here for hours."
The woman in the passenger seat turned to look at me, "Oh, you should definitely come with us!" she said, her voice carrying a slight Southern accent that made her sound like honey poured over silk. "Alex has told me so much about his new colleagues. I'd love to meet one of them properly."
I wanted to refuse. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to make some excuse and walk away. The last thing I needed was to be trapped in a car with Alex and his perfect girlfriend while I was barely holding myself together.
But they were both looking at me expectantly, and I realized how suspicious it would look if I refused such a reasonable offer.
"I... okay," I said reluctantly.
Alex smiled. "Great. Hop in the back."
I opened the rear door and slid inside, immediately regretting my decision. The car smelled like expensive cologne and the woman's perfume.
"Much better," Alex said, pulling away from the curb. "So, where exactly are we taking you?"
I panicked. I couldn't give him my real address - that would be too personal, too risky. What if a neighbor recognizes me in front of him? What if he wanted to walk me to my door?
"The subway station would be perfect," I said quickly. "I can catch the train from there."
Alex nodded, then glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Oliver, I'd like you to meet Vanessa. Vanessa, this is Oliver Hopton, the new associate I was telling you about."
The woman turned in her seat to face me, extending her perfect hands. "It's so wonderful to meet you, Oliver! Alex has been raving about how talented you are."
I shook her hand, trying to ignore the way her engagement ring caught the light. Of course she was engaged to Alex. Of course she was perfect enough to be his fiancée.
"Nice to meet you too," I managed, my voice coming out rougher than intended.
"Are you alright?" Vanessa asked, her brow furrowing with what appeared to be genuine concern. "You sound like you might be coming down with something."
Before I could answer, Alex's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I saw something flash in his eyes. Something that looked like sympathy. My stomach clenched as I realized he must have heard about my demotion. News like that spread like wildfire.
But he didn't say anything about it. Not with Vanessa sitting right there.
"I'm fine," I said, clearing my throat. "Just tired. It's been a long day."
Vanessa seemed to accept this explanation, settling back into her seat. But rather than letting the conversation die, she launched into a full discussion about her day.
"Alex and I just came from looking at venues for our engagement party," she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "Have you ever planned a party for two hundred people? It's absolutely overwhelming!"
I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. Engagement party. Of course they were planning an engagement party.
"That sounds... nice," I said weakly.
"Oh, it's going to be beautiful!" Vanessa continued, oblivious to my discomfort. "We're thinking of having it at the Sunflower Gardens. Alex suggested it because he knows how much I love flowers."
She reached over and placed her hand on Alex's arm, and I watched his face soften as he looked at her. There was so much love in his expression - the kind of pure affection I'd dreamed of seeing directed at me.
"Alex is so thoughtful," Vanessa continued, turning back to me. "He's always doing these little things that show how much he cares. Like today, he surprised me with lunch at that new French place downtown because he knew I'd been stressed about work."
I tried to smile and nod, but inside I felt like I was dying. This woman had everything I'd ever wanted - Alex's attention, his love, his devotion. And she deserved it, too. She was beautiful and successful. Everything I wasn't.
"You know what?" Vanessa said suddenly, her face lighting up. "You should come to our engagement party! I know we just met, but any friend of Alex's is a friend of mine."
"Oh, I don't think..." I started to protest.
"Actually, that's not a bad idea," Alex interjected, glancing at me in the mirror again. "It would be nice to have some colleagues there. Make it feel less like we're only surrounded by family."
"I really couldn't..." I tried again, but Vanessa was already waving away my objections.
"Nonsense! It's going to be so much fun. We're having it next Saturday evening. Very casual, just cocktails and dancing. You have to come!"
The thought of watching Alex and Vanessa celebrate their engagement, of pretending to be happy for them while my heart broke into a thousand pieces, was almost too much to bear.
"I'll... I'll think about it," I said, hoping they would drop the subject.
Fortunately, we were approaching the subway station. Alex pulled up to the curb, and I practically lunged for the door handle.
"Thanks for the ride," I said, one foot already on the sidewalk.
"Wait," Alex called out. "Are you sure you don't want to join us for dinner? We're getting Italian. My treat."
"Oh yes, you should definitely come!" Vanessa chimed in. "I was just telling Alex how nice it would be to make some new friends."
I stood there for a moment, torn between wanting to spend more time with Alex and knowing that watching him with Vanessa would be torture.
"I can't," I said finally. "I forgot to feed my dog this morning. She's probably destroying my apartment as we speak."
It was a lie, of course. I didn't have a dog. I didn't have anything waiting for me at home except my impatient roommate probably waiting for some office tea.
"Oh, that's too bad," Vanessa said, her face filled with disappointment.
"Maybe next time," I agreed, knowing there would never be a next time.
Alex nodded, but I could see the concern in his eyes. "Take care of yourself, Oliver. And don't worry about... well, just take care of yourself."
I knew he was referring to my demotion, trying to offer comfort without being specific. It only made me feel worse.
"Thanks," I said, stepping back from the car. "Have a good dinner."
"We will!" Vanessa called out cheerfully. "And I'll see you next weekend for the party!"
I waved weakly as Alex pulled away from the curb, watching their taillights disappear into the evening traffic. Only when they were completely out of sight did I allow my shoulders to slump.
Within minutes, I'd flagged down a taxi and climbed into the backseat. I gave the driver my real address, then slumped against the window.
As we drove through the city, I found myself replaying every moment of the car ride. Vanessa's laugh, Alex's gentle smile, the way he'd looked at her with so much adoration. They were perfect together - the kind of couple that made other people believe in love.
And I was just the pathetic fraud sitting in the backseat, pretending to be someone I wasn't, chasing after something I could never have.
By the time we reached my building, I was barely holding back tears. I paid the driver and made my way up to my apartment, my legs feeling so heavy I could barely walk straight.
The moment I closed my door behind me, I collapsed against it, finally allowing myself to break down completely.
Today had been the worst day of my life. I'd been humiliated by Maxwell Wellington, forced to accept a demotion that felt like suicide, and then tortured by watching the man I loved with his perfect fiancée.
I slid down the door until I was sitting on the floor, my face buried in my hands.
I was tired. So incredibly tired of pretending to be someone I wasn't, of chasing after a dream that was never meant for me.
I heard the bedroom door opening, but I didn't bother to look up, even as my best friend sat beside me, engulfing me in her embrace. The only thing I could do was cry.
"Oh honey."
Shit! That was my mother's voice.