Olivia’s POV

I was sobbing uncontrollably, my heart shattered beyond repair. Seeing Alexander with his new wife in that restaurant had utterly broken me. He was moving forward, living his dream with Vanessa by his side, while I was sinking deeper into my pain and despair.

In the employee bathroom of the restaurant, I was hunched over, vomiting everything I’d eaten that day, haunted by the memory of Alexander and Vanessa. Their cruel words and the way they treated me filled me with disgust, intensifying my nausea.

I collapsed onto the floor of the bathroom stall, tears streaming down my face. Everything in my life was spiraling out of control, and to make matters worse, I was pregnant with his child. A baby.

I had considered telling Alexander about the pregnancy when I saw him radiating happiness with Vanessa, but what would be the point? I couldn’t use this child to seek revenge on the man who had wronged me so deeply. I needed to find my strength, rise above this, and keep fighting until the end.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I stared at my reflection. I looked awful—my hair was disheveled and damp, my face smeared with wine and tears, my uniform stained and sticky from the wine Vanessa had poured on me.

I sighed, splashing cold water on my face to clean up. I tried to scrub the sticky wine from my clothes, but it was no use—it would take a washing machine to get it out. Defeated, I left the bathroom.

As soon as I stepped out, I saw my boss waiting for me, his expression furious. “You upset my most important client and his wife, Olivia? Have you lost your mind?” he shouted, his voice booming with anger.

“What? No, I didn’t do anything like that. They were the ones who humiliated me and treated me like garbage. Look at what that woman did to me!” I protested, gesturing to my wine-soaked hair and clothes.

“And you think I care about what they did to you?” he snapped. “Mr. Vaughn and his wife stormed out, saying they’ll never come back here. I just lost my most valuable VIP client. Do you realize the damage this will do?

If word gets out that billionaire Alexander Vaughn disapproves of this place, no one will come here anymore, and we’ll go bankrupt because of you! And you expect me to care about your pathetic appearance?” His rage was palpable.

I knew Alexander wielded immense influence over the local media, but this wasn’t my fault. “Sir, I…” I tried to explain, but he cut me off sharply.

“Get out of here. You’re fired!”

“What? But I need this job!” I pleaded, panic rising in my chest. How would I support myself now?

“Security! Get this incompetent woman out of here!” he bellowed, summoning the guards, who approached to escort me out.

“No, it’s fine. I know where the exit is,” I said, swallowing my pride. If someone had told me the day would end like this, I would’ve laughed in disbelief. With nothing left to do, I gathered what little dignity I had and left the restaurant.

Alexander wanted me gone from his life so badly that I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d given the restaurant a scathing review just to get me fired. He didn’t care if his actions ruined the establishment’s reputation.

Alexander Vaughn, the man I had loved for three years, had become my worst enemy. I despised him with every fiber of my being, but I was powerless. There was no place for me in Manhattan—Alexander practically owned the city.

I needed to escape to a quiet place where I could rebuild my strength, have my baby, and start over, far away from him and the world he controlled.

---

A few days later, I was finishing packing my bags for the move. The doorbell rang, signaling Grace’s arrival. I opened the door, and after a quick hug, she gave me a gentle smile and asked, “Everything ready?”

I nodded, managing a small smile. “Yes, I’ve packed everything I need for the move.”

“Okay, Olivia, are you sure about this?” Grace asked, her voice laced with concern.

Grace was the only one who knew I was carrying Alexander’s child. She had urged me to tell him, suggesting he might leave Vanessa and return to me if he knew about the baby. But that wasn’t the way things should work. Alexander shouldn’t come back to me just because of a child.

He didn’t love me—never had—and staying with him would only bring me misery, which would hurt the baby growing inside me. Besides, after the way he treated me at the restaurant, I doubted he’d want anything to do with this child.

“I’m scared, I’ll admit, but this is the best decision I can make,” I said, my resolve wavering but firm.

“But Alexander could help you, Olivia,” Grace pressed, and I shook my head.

“No, he can’t. I can’t go back. I don’t want this child to suffer like I did. I don’t want them to be rejected by their father the way I was,” I said, my heart heavy with grief.

Grace’s eyes welled up with tears. “I’m so sorry, Olivia,” she said, her voice breaking.

“Just promise me you’ll never tell anyone I’m pregnant, especially Alexander,” I reminded her. We had already discussed this—I was moving to Staten Island, to a quiet, obscure neighborhood where no one would find me, so I could start my life anew.

“You can trust me. Your secret is safe,” Grace replied, nodding sadly. We embraced once more, and I cried in her arms again. Then we gathered my things and headed to the taxi stand, where I would begin my journey to a new life.