"What do you mean it's not fair?" Olivia asked. She tried to grab the food from Aaron's hand, who was still standing still, but Aaron quickly realized and stopped her. "Don't act like a child. I'm hungry! What's the point of nutritious food if it's all raw and inedible? If I had known, I would have just boiled potatoes and eggs."
Aaron suddenly felt like he had been struck by lightning. He remembered the jokes of his married employees. Most of the husbands were indeed afraid of their wives. They said that their wives' nagging was terrifying, making the husbands feel like they had made a huge mistake.
"Of course, I know that. Sit down and I'll prepare the food for you." Aaron's hands suddenly moved very quickly, opening the meat packages and seasoning them in a bowl.
"Alright. Just this once, I'll obey you," Olivia said curtly. She chose to do something else besides cooking. It wasn't because she felt bad about insisting on cooking; she could have kicked the man out or called the police if necessary. However, she realized that would require a lot of effort.
Cooking together was not an option either. They weren't close friends. The situation made her feel very awkward.
Thirty minutes later, the dishes were ready on the table. A proper and complete meal. Nutritious. Carbs, protein, and vegetables, along with some fruit slices, were all served. Something simple that Olivia had recently been forced to skip due to her dire economic condition.
She didn't realize that something like this could feel luxurious until it was all laid out in front of her.
"Eat up! I hope you like the taste," Aaron said awkwardly. He looked very anxious. His face was tense. "I tasted it myself, and I think it's all edible."
Olivia sat down and tried a piece of meat. Her eyes widened as she looked at Aaron intently, making him even more nervous. "I didn't expect you to cook better than me!"
Aaron finally breathed a sigh of relief when Olivia complimented his cooking. "Thank goodness!" he said, realizing Olivia was genuinely complimenting him and not just making small talk. She took a second and then a third piece of meat, clearly enjoying it. "Don't forget the vegetables. You need a balanced diet."
Olivia smiled and chuckled. She chose to sit back and fill her plate with food. "You know, I'm used to eating my own bad cooking. But I force myself because I know the food outside is too bad for me to eat." Of course, Olivia was referring to cheap street food, junk food. She couldn't afford healthy meals at expensive restaurants.
Aaron's heart ached even more hearing this. A feeling that had been momentarily put on hold because he had to focus on his cooking earlier.
"Come on, you should eat too!" Olivia said, chewing her food gracefully. Aaron swallowed hard. How could someone still look beautiful while talking and eating at the same time?
"I already had dinner before meeting you," Aaron lied.
Unexpectedly, a second later, a piece of meat was in his slightly open mouth. Olivia had forced it in.
"If you don't eat, I'll think you poisoned my food," Olivia said, glaring at him.
"Poison you?" Aaron exclaimed.
"You could have added something... like an aphrodisiac, for instance."
Aaron laughed out loud. "If I intended to do that, why would it be with a pregnant woman?"
Olivia fell silent. Indeed, Aaron wasn't someone who needed to resort to dirty tricks to get women because, with his Adonis-like appearance, beautiful women would crawl into his bed on their own.
Silence enveloped the room. Olivia ate in silence until she finished. Her appetite waned, but she knew her baby needed nutrition.
"You're not planning to stay here tonight, are you?" Olivia asked sarcastically because the man still hadn't left.
Aaron's face tightened and became serious. "Listen, Olive. I'm sorry—"
"Don't say that!" Olivia cut him off quickly. "The last thing I want to hear is your apology!"
"Olive!"
"Don't call me like we're close friends or something. As far as I remember, you were always mean to me while I was dating Nick. So why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" Olivia snapped, her emotions overflowing.
"But I can't ignore that all this happened because of my mistakes too!" Aaron insisted. "You're living like this because of me, you failed to get married—"
"Stop!" Olivia's voice was now louder. Her eyes were red. "If you care so much about my health and this baby's, please don't stress me out and make me angry."
Aaron felt cornered. But he had no choice but to stay silent. Especially now, with Olivia looking at him with teary eyes and a swollen face.
"Listen, Aaron, everything has happened and please don't make me feel pathetic because right now what I want is to be grateful for the presence of the baby in my belly," Olivia explained, sobbing.
The man swallowed hard and realized that Olivia's choice was the best at the moment. It made him grateful that Olivia was the woman he was with. Some people choose to lament their fate and blame others for the misfortunes that befall them.
"I didn't mean it that way. You're pregnant after all. I just wanted to invite you to stay with me—"
"What?" Olivia gasped, eyes wide.
"For the baby's sake—"
"No matter how it happened, this baby is a blessing to me. And I can take care of it," Olivia snapped. "Do you know how many people are struggling in this world? They all can have children and raise them well. I'm not your surrogate and you don't want this baby, do you? So let me raise it on my own."
"Olive!"
"Aaron, don't be an ass," Olivia said again, this time in a soft but firm voice. "Go if you can't stand to see my life as it is now!"