She thought about Brooklyn, the stunning, confident woman she had seen with him at the mall. She wondered if that was the reason Leo was acting different. Maybe he had finally found someone. Maybe he was building a real relationship. Olivia told herself she should be happy for him.
She wanted to be happy for him.
But a selfish little part of her missed being the person Leo always made time to see. She missed her best friend.
***
The house was dark when Olivia walked through the front door that evening. She turned on the kitchen lights and pulled the leftover chicken parmesan from the refrigerator, placing it on the counter to warm up.
James walked in an hour later. He dropped his keys on the entryway table and loosened his tie.
"I saved you some dinner," Olivia offered, gesturing to the plates.
"I am not hungry," James said, not breaking his stride as he walked toward the stairs. "I grabbed something at work. I am tired. I just want to shower and answer a few emails."
The house felt emotionally barren, a hollow shell shared by two people living separate lives.
Olivia followed him to the base of the stairs. "James, maybe we could plan something together this weekend. A dinner out. Or just a night here without our phones. We need to spend some time together."
James stopped on the first step, letting out an exhausted sigh. "We will figure something out, Liv."
He did not commit to a day. He did not suggest a place. The response was absent and dismissive.
Olivia wrapped her arms around her waist. "Do you still want this?"
James turned around, his brow furrowed in deep irritation. "What are you talking about?"
"This," Olivia clarified, her voice shaking just a fraction. "Us. Time together. Closeness."
"Why do you have to make everything so intense?" James snapped, his voice echoing in the foyer. "I am tired, Olivia. I had a grueling day. Not every long workday is a statement about the status of our marriage."
The words stung, twisting the blame right back onto her shoulders.
"I am sorry," Olivia whispered, apologizing even though she knew she had done nothing wrong.
The apology seemed to satisfy him. James softened just enough to keep her from pushing any further. He walked down the single step, leaned forward, and kissed her forehead. "I love you. We are fine."
He turned and walked up the stairs, leaving her standing alone in the foyer.
Olivia did not feel fine. She walked back into the kitchen, picking up the plate of dinner he did not want. She wrapped the food in foil, her chest tight with fear and a profound, isolating loneliness. She was trying everything she could to hold her life together, but it felt like it was slipping right through her fingers.
Chapter 7
Olivia
The stainless steel counters of the bakery were covered in paperwork.
Olivia pushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, her eyes scanning the checklist provided by the cake competition committee. Maria leaned against the prep table, holding a fresh cup of coffee, her expression caught between exasperation and triumph.
"They need a lot of documents," Olivia murmured, tapping her pen against a printed email. "Proof of business ownership, the commercial kitchen license, insurance paperwork, three years of tax returns, recent business bank statements, and a signed authorization form regarding the marital assets tied to the business."
"And you have all of that, Liv," Maria pointed out, taking a sip of her coffee. "You just need to gather it. This is a huge opportunity. Do you realize what placing in this competition could do for us? It could triple our custom orders. It could get you national recognition."
Olivia sighed, organizing the folders. "I know. It is exciting, but we are not officially in yet. This is just the secondary review stage."
Maria rolled her eyes. "You keep hiding behind that technicality because you are scared to want it too much. You are allowed to be excited about your own success."
Olivia let out a soft laugh, but the words landed far deeper than Maria realized. She was terrified of wanting something and having it fall apart.
