Things at home were no better. Her mother-in-law continued to grumble, and Olivia never found the courage to confront Victor about the note. And what could she really say? The words of a street psychic? It was all becoming an unbearable weight, as if a noose were slowly tightening around her neck.
Her only escape was her time with Irene and her grandson, Danny. The boy was charming and immediately won Olivia’s heart. Every time she left, he would ask plaintively:
- “You’ll come back again, right?”
With each visit, her desire to help the child grew stronger, but she felt helpless. She couldn’t get the medicine, she had no money, and after a divorce, she would likely be left with almost nothing. She was consumed with anger at her own powerlessness.
One day, Nicholas decided it was time to force the issue. In the stockroom, he snuck up behind Olivia, grabbed her by the waist, and began to press himself against her, breathing on her neck. Without a second thought, Olivia slapped him hard across the face. The manager, his pride wounded and feeling humiliated, did not forgive her.
When Olivia came in for her next shift, something felt wrong. Her colleagues looked at her with apprehension, some with outright fear. She had barely changed into her scrubs when she was told the director wanted to see her.
Entering the office, she found not only Nicholas but also two police officers: one stout and balding, the other a tall, dark-haired man with a stern expression.
“This is her, Olivia Vetrova,” Nicholas said, pointing at her from the doorway. The stout officer, sweating profusely and constantly wiping his neck and forehead with a handkerchief, gestured toward a chair and recited in a monotone:
- “Please have a seat, Olivia. We’ve received a complaint. You’re being accused of stealing expensive, controlled prescription drugs.”
- “What? Stealing?” Olivia stared at them in shock, unable to believe her ears. “I’ve worked here for over ten years!”
The officer nodded impassively toward the laptop open in front of him:
- “Here’s the security footage. It clearly shows you entering the stockroom and carrying out boxes of medication.”
Olivia, instantly realizing which medications they were, let out a sigh of relief.
- “Yes, of course. Nicholas himself asked me to bring him those boxes.”
She turned to her boss, expecting him to confirm her story. But his face contorted in fear, and he waved his hands dismissively.
- “What are you talking about, Olivia! This is the first I’m hearing of these drugs. I never gave you any such instructions.”
This cruel betrayal took Olivia’s breath away. A fine tremor ran through her body—how could a man she had worked with for so long do this to her? It had been a simple request at the end of the day, and she, suspecting nothing, had carried it out. But it had all been a trap. This man was trying to ruin her, to send her to jail, all because she wouldn’t have dinner with him. The sheer malice of it was staggering.
A bitter lump formed in her throat, and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. She could barely manage to choke out:
- “But you… you…”
The second officer, the tall, grim-faced brunette, had been watching the scene unfold in silence, his gaze never leaving her.
With trembling hands, Olivia grabbed her phone and quickly dialed her husband’s number. Her voice was on the verge of a scream:
- “Victor, I need your help! I’m in huge trouble at work.”
- “What happened?” Victor asked, sounding completely unfazed.
- “They’re accusing me of stealing medication. I need you to come down here. The police are here, it’s really serious!”
There was a short pause on the other end of the line, and then Victor said carefully:
- “Liv, I’m sorry, I can’t right now. I’m… busy. Can it wait a little while?”
Olivia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She struggled to hold back her tears.
- “Victor, how can this possibly wait? I’m begging you, please, come! I need your help!”
Her husband’s reply was cold.
- “Sorry, I’m not in town. Urgent business trip. I’ll be gone for a few days.”
His words paralyzed her. She pictured the suitcase and passport she’d seen on the table that morning. So, he’s somewhere overseas with his mistress right now and just left me to deal with this alone, the thought flashed through her mind. He didn’t even care enough to lie convincingly. Victor had made his choice, and it wasn’t her.
Her world collapsed. Olivia felt a void, which had been growing deep inside her, suddenly expand and swallow all her emotions. This was the final, definitive end to their relationship. In that moment, everything was irrevocably broken—the husband she had once loved so much had chosen someone else.
Leaning back in the chair, she stared blankly into space. She no longer cared what happened next. She had no fight left in her.
The dark-haired police officer, who had been watching her intently the whole time, moved closer and, crouching beside her, asked quietly:
- “Are you sure you don’t want to explain anything? Olivia, tell me, why did you take those drugs? If you confess everything honestly right now, I’ll help you. I promise, you won’t face any charges,” the dark-haired officer said calmly but firmly.
Olivia looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, but her voice was steady when she replied:
- “I didn’t take them. Nicholas is just trying to get revenge on me.”
Their eyes met, and in that moment, it was as if they saw into each other’s souls—the sincerity and kindness in her blue eyes met the genuine determination and integrity in his gray ones. It felt as though they understood each other without another word.
- “Tom, there’s no case here,” the officer said firmly to his partner.
- “Leo, are you serious? We have video evidence,” the stout partner grumbled in disbelief.
Leo stood his ground.
- “We have a video of her moving boxes. There’s no evidence of theft, just his word against hers. Without more, the DA will never press charges. We’re not wasting our time. We’re closing the file.”
The officers silently gathered their papers, ignoring a flustered Nicholas, who was muttering angrily under his breath. The enraged manager, his face twisted with fury, hissed:
- “Don’t get too happy. You’re still fired.”
Olivia stood up, gathering what little strength she had left, and as she walked to the door, she shot back:
- “After what you did, I had no intention of staying here anyway.”
This only infuriated Nicholas more, and he yelled after her:
- “I’ll destroy your reputation! No pharmacy in this city will ever hire you!”
As she exited the building, Olivia saw her rescuer waiting for her by the entrance. His stern face now seemed much softer, almost kind.
- “Let me give you a ride,” he offered, extending his hand. “My name is Leo.”
She gratefully took his large, strong hand and realized how much she had needed that kind of solid support. As she settled into the passenger seat of his old, worn-out sedan, Olivia caught one last glimpse of her former boss’s hateful face in the window.
- “Where to?” Leo asked, starting the car.
Olivia made her decision in an instant, without a second thought.
- “To the City Clerk’s office. I want to file for divorce.”
Meanwhile, Victor, alone at home, was rummaging through the papers in the home safe again and again, but he couldn’t find their marriage certificate. He had already gone through every drawer of his father’s old desk twice, with no luck. It had to be somewhere… Maybe they could proceed with the divorce without it, but the man couldn’t rest until he found that piece of paper.
The bottom drawer of the desk was crammed with old notebooks and stacks of papers covered in illegible handwriting. After his father’s death, Victor had once tried to sort through these notes, but at the time he had neither the time, the desire, nor the emotional strength, as the pain of his loss was still too raw. The task was postponed indefinitely and eventually forgotten amidst the chaos of daily life.
His father’s home office was rarely opened, as Victor handled all company matters at his corporate office. But now a thought struck him: “What if the marriage certificate somehow ended up in here?” He took a deep breath and, for the first time in years, began to methodically empty the contents of the drawer onto the desk. He didn’t find the certificate, but he stumbled upon a thick folder he had never seen before.
Inside the folder were stock certificates, issued to each member of the family. As he read the name of the company, Victor was stunned into silence. It was a major corporation whose stock had skyrocketed in recent years. It turned out his father had bought them long ago when they were worth pennies, clearly foreseeing the company’s success. Victor’s heart pounded as if it were about to burst from his chest.
He frantically opened his laptop and searched for the current value of the shares. The results came back instantly—the internet displayed a sum that literally knocked the wind out of him. It was a fortune.
- “Thank you, Dad,” he whispered, amazed by his sudden luck.
But his joy was short-lived. Upon examining the documents more closely, Victor realized that exactly one-third of the shares belonged to Olivia. His father had always been fond of her, considered her a daughter, and had welcomed her into the family immediately. But now, that kindness had become a major problem for Victor. To have full control of this fortune, he needed her shares too.
Am I really going to let this opportunity slip away? he thought, clenching his fists. This money was the seed capital he needed for a new, high-risk tech venture he’d been planning. It was his chance to break into the big leagues. The lavish wedding for Sophia was just a bonus.
