Olivia tapped her feet impatiently as she listened to her construction manager rant on and on about why the estimated time for the construction of the new shopping mall had to be extended due to miscalculations. The moment she closed her eyes and rested her both elbows on her desk while clasping her hands, she was no longer listening to him but instead thinking of ways to teach him a lesson.

If there's one thing Olivia hates, it's when things don't go according to her plan and the fact that he dared to ruin her plan already pissed her off completely.

"I've heard enough," she said firmly, leaning into her chair and facing her head up to gather her thoughts and plan her words.

The construction manager, Brian Crowley had his lips pressed firmly together as he anticipated nothing but the worst reaction from his boss. Both his hands involuntarily start to tremble in fear as he watches her fingers drumming lightly on her table.

Olivia had a reputation of being quite brutal when it came to dealing with her employees. She was one of those bosses that tolerated zero mistakes and did not believe in giving second chances. According to her, why bother giving a second chance when they're many more people out there that would gladly take the job seriously and not need a second chance to prove themselves.

She didn't care if all of her employees hated her and they dare not say a word to her face if they didn't want their entire lives to come crashing down in their faces.

Olivia took in a deep breath before finally speaking up.

"Mr Crowley, Mr Crowley, dear old Mr Crowley. About a week ago, I personally told my secretary to come to you and confirm whether or not the shopping mall would be ready this week so we can proceed to the next stage and if my memory serves me right, which it always does, what did you report last week?" she asked, waiting for him to reply.

Brian swallowed the lump in his throat painfully as soon as she asked. A part of him felt embarrassed and weak because no matter how hard he tried to stand firm and be a man in front of her, he couldn't help but tremble in fear especially when she had a justified reason to be upset.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as his heart beat in trepidation. His hands were still shaking out of fear of what the consequences of his actions could be and he tried inhaling and exhaling calmly in order to control his breathing.

"You know very well that I hate to repeat myself Brian. Now, answer me and explain to me why you assured me that my project will be done last week and now, you're telling me to extend the time cause your stupid self did not make plans like a professional. Explain yourself to me!" she demanded furiously, raising her voice intentionally and taking Brian by surprise.

Brian couldn't say a word. He knew better than to try to explain himself and get into more trouble wit her and he simply looked on to accept whatever fate he had waiting for him.

Olivia dialed a number on her landline.

"I need two security guards in my office right now!" she demanded through the phone before placing the landline down.

"Mr Crowley, it's been a pleasure working with you all this while you were still efficient and truthful to your profession. Unfortunately now, you've become a liability to our company and since we can't afford to babysit anyone around here, you are hereby fired with immediate effect. This means, you get your things and you get out of here and wait for your severance pay. Is that understood?" she informed him with a stern expression on her face.

Brian's heart broke as soon as she uttered the word he had honestly expected to hear but at the same time, didn't want to hear. He immediately went on his knees, pleading that she forgave him and gave him a second chance even when he knew it was something that would most probably never happen.

Olivia expected this reaction from him which was why she called the security guards beforehand. She got up from her seat and walked towards the see-through window behind her. She folded her arms across her chest as she watched people move from one point to another busily and if there was one thing she enjoyed, it was watching how people lived their daily lives walking to and fro while she watched them from above like a mini god.

"I'm begging you miss Olivia, I promise it will never happen again. Please, just give me one more chance," he pleaded as tears filled his eyes but Olivia could care less about his pleas.

Not too long after, the security men came in and dragged Brian away but even when getting dragged out, he still relentlessly pleaded for her forgiveness.

"Don't be scared, come in," Olivia spoke up when she spotted her secretary standing by the door with a nervous look on her face.

"Pardon my disturbance madam," Felicia muttered politely as she walked into her office.

"Speak up, I'm listening," Olivia instructs, getting back to her seat and getting back to the work she had on her table.

"Mr and Mrs Octavos are waiting for you in the other room madam and they requested that they meet you immediately," Felicia informed her and Olivia immediately knew that her afternoon was about to be ruined.

***

"I must say mom and dad, you two were the last people I was expecting to see here. When did you both decide to return from your vacation so early?" Olivia asked the moment she walked into the room and spotted her parent's on the sofa.

"Welcome back I guess," she greeted, smiling at both her parents as she placed her side buttocks on the desk with her arms folded across her chest.

"It's good to see you too Olivia. Your father and I thought it would be best to return this as soon as possible since we still have a few things to settle over here," her mother, Ariella Octavos replied, wearing her usual stoic expression.

"Good for you mom. I'm happy you at least enjoyed your holiday. What about you dad? How are you?" she asked, looking away from her mother and staring back at her father who had a displeased expression on his face.

Olivia could tell something was off with him since he didn't seem like his usual bubbly self and this genuinely worried her. She mentally hoped that her mother's always sore mood had not rubbed off on her poor father.

"I'll only be fine when I finally get the chance to walk my daughter down the aisle before I finally kick the bucket. When do you plan on fulfilling this old man's wish Olivia?" he replied, catching Olivia completely off guard.

"No offence dad but what did you just say? What's this sudden talk about walking down the aisle?" she asked, wondering if she had misheard him.

"I'm very sure you heard me Olivia. Who knows when I will die and you still haven't...," he said but Olivia is quick to chime in.

"Don't start with that nonsense dad, You're not dying anytime soon. Don't be so dramatic," she said with an eye roll.

"Okay then. Let's assume I still have a few years left, don't you think I deserve to see my daughter get married and have her own children? You're not getting any younger Olivia. You're about to turn thirty and you still don't have a family of your own. Just look at your cousin Rosa, she's just twenty six and she already has a beautiful family with two beautiful children and here you are, still whiling away your life like you're never gonna get old," he hissed and Olivia frowned.

"With all due respect dad, I'd prefer you not compare me to that dense brat. What's so great about her having a family when she's nothing but a stay at home wife? That's not the kind of life I wanna live Papa and trust me, I don't envy her for it. Not one bit. If you're happy for her and you appreciate her unfortunate lifestyle, good for you dad and lucky her but don't try to compare us cause we are not the same people," Olivia defended, not holding back with the insults.

"What did you just say you brat? You're not the same people? You don't envy her? She's a dense brat? Don't make me laugh Olivia. That girl you call a dense brat married into a prestigious family and has secured the best future for her children. That girl you don't envy has numerous buildings under her name and she doesn't even have to lift a finger to get anything done and here you are, the one who isn't dense, whiling away your time by working so hard and all for what you brat? Tell me, all this money you have is for what exactly?" her mother finally spoke up, hitting Olivia where she believed would hurt her the most.

"Not you too mom. Don't be like that," Olivia pleaded, already tired of the conversation.

"You know what Olivia, I am not going to keep listening to you or waiting for you to finally do the right thing. I can't even trust you to get a man on your own with that nasty attitude of yours. I don't care what you say or think anymore cause it's high time I do the right thing with your money and come to your rescue before you end up ruining your life and embarrassing our family's prestigious name," Ariella hissed.

Olivia's frown deepened. "What do you mean mother?" she asked as the skin between her brows creased in confusion.

"Your father and I have come to a conclusion that we should take matters into our own hands as soon as possible and for this reason, we have met with the Hardy family, met with their son Thomas and we've decided that you, our dear daughter, are going to wed their lovely son and have a beautiful family," Ariella explained and Olivia's face fell.

"This is a joke, right mom? You can't possibly be serious about what you just said to me," she muttered with a dry laugh, hoping her mother had just said an hilarious joke but when the expression on her mother's face remained the same, she felt her insides slowly churn in disgust.

"You want me to marry Tom? As in the same Tom Hardy?" she asked, raising her voice.

"Is there a problem with him? Is he not a good enough man for you?" Ariella asked and Olivia's face scrunched up in disgust.

"He could only wish mom. I can't marry a man as repulsive as that bastard," she tells her mother quickly to show how completely against the idea she was.

Thomas Hardy was the only son of the Hardy family, who were close friends of her parents. She never liked Thomas because not only was he a perverted bastard, he was also disrespectful, arrogant, rude, disgusting, dirty, just every negative word she could attribute to him. She has known him since they were children and several times, he has tried to hit on her but of course, she rejected him each time.

"Don't say such unkind words you brat," her mother reprimanded.

"I'm not marrying Thomas mom and don't bother trying to convince me otherwise cause I'm already happy in my life," she replied in a definite tone that confused both her parents.

"What are you saying Olivia? Are you in a relationship with someone else?" her mother asked with curious eyes.

Olivia bit her lips nervously as she tried not to make it too obvious to her parents that she was about to lie.

"Mom, dad, I know this may come as a surprise to you guys but yes mom, I'm in a relationship with another man and he and I are madly in love with each other,"