Chapter Thirty-Four
Olivia
Wednesday
Shit, shit, shit.
What was the hell wrong with me? Why couldn’t I get myself together today?
My makeup wasn’t done, my hair flew out all over my head… I felt and looked a mess. I hadn’t overslept, everything had pretty much gone to plan. It was just me falling apart, and I couldn’t work out why. Sure my head was all over the place, and I was worried about being fired, but there seemed to be something else going on in me too.
“Are you okay, Olivia?” Drea called loudly into my bedroom. “It’s just that I don’t want you to be late for work.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m leaving. I’m just, erm…” Urgh, I didn’t know what I even needed to do anymore. Did it even matter what I looked like when I was probably going to lose my job anyway? “I’m just coming.”
I checked my cell phone one last time to see if I’d heard anything from Ms. Simms, but still nothing. Something serious must have happened for her to be so neglectful of work. That wasn’t like her at all! I’d only known her for a short while, but she always seemed very dedicated to the practice as far as I was aware.
Still, that wasn’t for me to worry about right now, I had many other concerns – and the first one was getting my sorry ass to work. I gave up on makeup and tied my hair back into a bun, so at least it wouldn’t be in my way. Then, with one last withering glance in the mirror, I gave up and pushed my way into the living room just as there was a knock on the door.
“Do you want me to get it?” Drea asked me. “While you fix your face.”
I ignored her thinly-veiled insult and stomped towards the front door. “No, it’s okay. I’m leaving now anyway, so I’ll just quickly get rid of whoever it is.”
I didn’t want to risk Zack coming in when I wasn’t here. He must have figured out by now that I genuinely was telling the truth about the whole scandal and that I had nothing to do with the sale of the story. Despite me telling him never to speak to me again, I knew he wouldn’t stick to that. He wasn’t the sort of person who could stop himself.
I didn’t want him anywhere near Meghan, ever again. I couldn’t risk her getting hurt.
“Oh.” But it wasn’t Zack. I found myself very shocked to be staring at Lark. “What are you doing here?”
I half-closed the door behind me so Meghan wouldn’t see. Luckily, she was very involved with her coloring, so I thought I’d be okay. I didn’t want her to get excited just to be let down once more. If we couldn’t see Zack anymore, then it was unlikely we’d see Lark, either. It was a shame, but that was the way it had to be.
“I, erm, I’m sorry turning up like this.” His cheeks flamed, and he looked really stressed out. I wondered what the hell was going on inside his head. “I know I’m probably not who you want to see right now, but I just think you should read today’s paper.”
“Urgh, I’ve had enough of newspapers to last me a lifetime.”
“Not this one. Just trust me.”
There was something in his tone that stopped me in my tracks. I felt intrigued, so I took the paper from him. “What is this?”
“I just want to apologize in advance for my role in this before you start reading, I’m sure you’re going to think I’m a massive douchebag.”
“What?” He was too cryptic. It was very strange.
“Just read the article. And don’t make any decisions before you’ve got to the end.” His cheeks burned even brighter. I could tell he felt a little weird. “Erm, do you mind if I hang out with Meg and Drea for a bit? I’ve actually missed my little gaming buddy while I’ve been away.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. I still wanted to keep Lark and Zack distant from my family, but there was something really pleading in his eyes. Plus, I wanted him to stick around in case I had any questions with regards to this article that he seemed to think was going to impact me greatly.
“Lark!”
It was too late anyway. She’d already seen him. I gave him a wave and allowed him inside while I turned my eyes to the words printed in front of me.
“Billionaire Lottery Winner In His Own Words.”
The headline was baffling. Why would Zack go from hating the media and hiding from it to speaking directly to them? It almost got my back up further because I hated being accused of something that he’d gone and done without a second thought about me. Unless maybe my initial instincts were wrong and it was just another fake story.
“Zack Taylor, the mysterious winner of two point seven billion dollars, has spoken directly to us about his own experience with the money…”
Hmm, maybe not. My heart hammered in my chest as I drank in every word like I was dehydrated in the middle of a desert, and this was the only drink available in the world. Certain paragraphs jumped out at me and really struck a chord.
“My time in the Navy Seals defined me, it changed me as a man, so losing that was devastating.”
I could already feel my heart opening up. I’d shut myself down so rapidly, I’d told myself never to think about Zack again unless I really had to, but clearly, I wasn’t as great at controlling my feelings as I thought I was.
“My best friend, Patrick, got me through my time in the military, so the accident that took away my health and killed him absolutely destroyed me in ways that I didn’t even think possible.”
Woah…that was crazy. I thought he never wanted anyone to know about that. I almost fell to the ground in shock.
“I used numbers relating to him on my lottery ticket, which was why I wanted to keep the win a secret. I was already hurting. I didn’t want that made worse by being judged for using my friend to gain money. Someone once told me that maybe he sent me the money…but I don’t know if that’s something I’ve ever believed.”
I couldn’t help myself; a secret smile played on my lips as he used my words. Maybe I did affect him in ways that I didn’t see before. Maybe there was a chance that I impacted on him just as much as he did me.
“I paid out of the nose to keep my name out of the spotlight, I just couldn’t deal with it – but now I’ve found a purpose for the money. I’m going to start my own charity to help soldiers and vets. I want to make a real difference in their lives.”
He came across so well. If this weren't a man I knew, I’d still be impressed by the story. Zack had articulated himself in a humble, clever way that made the world see the real him. He’d done a good thing by going to the media…
But then I saw a name that I recognized on the page, and I pressed the page closer to my face. What was she doing in a tale about Zack?
“I have been receiving physiotherapy for a while now, to help me with my injuries. This is something that’s already been reported in the press. What hasn’t been reported however is that the manager of that establishment, Ms. Carlie Simms, used and betrayed me. I donated money to the practice, I helped fund areas that needed extra help, and as payment, she seduced and tricked my best friend.
“She learned about my identity and the lottery win through him, and she decided to reveal that for a payoff. She has since vanished, and no one has been able to find her…”
Best friend? That had to be Lark; this must have been what he was talking about. I couldn’t resist, I needed to find out more.
“Lark,” I called into the room. “What’s all this about? What happened?”
“Erm…” He glanced at Meghan and Drea, clearly not wanting to discuss this in front of them. “It’s pretty much what you’ve read, and I’m sorry for it. I honestly never would’ve gone anywhere near her if I knew what was going to come of it. I didn’t mean…”
I shook my head and smiled at him. It didn’t matter, I knew for a fact he wouldn’t do anything to harm his friend. “Okay, it’s okay. At least the mystery is solved.”
“Just keep reading.”
Finally, I came across the part of the story that Lark had to be referring to. It was right at the end, and it was about me. My pulse raced with anticipation as I flicked my eyes over the words as rapidly as possible.
“The woman who has been portrayed in the media as a gold digger, going after what she can get, is completely opposite to that. Olivia is wonderful and caring, with a big heart. She fell for me without knowing anything about my lottery win, and I fell for her, too. I’ve loved her for a long time now – she very quickly became my world.
“The sad thing is Ms. Simms took that away from me, too. Because of her actions, which I stupidly blamed Olivia for in the heat of the moment, I lost her. I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to tell her what she means to me, which is the hardest lesson I’ve ever had to learn.
“So, yeah that’s me. In my own words.”
I touched my cheek, feeling the tears streaming down my face. Zack loved me.
I fell in love with him ages ago, and now I knew that he felt the same way, too. We certainly had communication issues that we had to work on, that was for sure, but I didn’t want to throw anything else away at something so silly. What we had was so much more important than that.
“Are you going to work, Olivia?” Drea asked me cautiously. “You’re already running very late. If you don’t go soon…”
Shit…work. I really didn’t want to go back to work right now, especially if Mike was there stirring shit up again because of this mess with Miss. Simms.
“No, I’m not.” I pulled my cell phone out and dialed the office. The receptionist quickly picked up. “Hey, it’s Olivia, I just want to let you know that I have a family emergency today, so I can’t make it in. Sorry for the late notice.”
“It’s okay. Mike has two relief therapists working today so one of them can take your patients. It won’t be a problem. See you soon, Olivia.”
“Yeah, thanks. Bye!”
As soon as I hung up the phone, I stared at the door across the hall. I needed to be brave. I needed to go in there and to sort things out with Zack. He needed me, I needed him, and we could make this work. Nothing else mattered – we had to give things a try.
“Thanks, Lark,” I called out behind me. “I appreciate you bringing this to me.”
“What are you going to do?”
I turned to give him a really bright smile. Finally, I felt relieved and calm. This was the best thing for me. “I need to go to and speak to Zack; we need to sort this out.”
“Oh thank goodness, I’m so relieved.” He nodded and smirked to himself. “Good luck.”