Olivia's office was silent except for the sound of her pen scratching across the resignation letter. Her hands moved with sharp, decisive strokes, each word carved into the paper like a wound. The morning's chaos still burned hot in her chest, but the CCTV footage had been the final nail in the coffin—she was done.
Once the letter was signed, she opened her desk drawers and began packing her belongings. Photos, files, small trinkets—each item tossed into the box with deliberate care, yet carrying the weight of her frustration. She connected her hard drive to her computer, methodically copying every pending project, every presentation, every finalized design file. If she was leaving, she'd leave clean—no loose ends for him to hold over her head.
By the time the progress bar hit 100%, the office was bathed in the warm glow of evening. She powered down her computer, slipped the hard drive into her hand, and took one last look at her desk. It felt strange—like she was erasing herself from the very place she'd built piece by piece over the years.
Word of the morning blow-up had spread like wildfire. As Olivia walked down the hallway toward Aiden's office, every head turned. Conversations dipped into hushed whispers; eyes followed her like a slow-moving storm. She didn't care. Not anymore.
When she reached his office, she didn't bother to knock. She shoved the door open, the sound crashing into the room.
Aiden flinched at the intrusion, his brows pulling together. "Olivia—"
She didn't let him finish. Striding to his desk, she slammed the hard drive down so hard it rattled against the wood.
"This," she said coldly, her voice sharp enough to cut glass, "contains every single pending file, presentation, and project you've given me. It's all there. You don't need to look for me to clean up your mess."
Before he could speak, she yanked a folded paper from her hand and slapped it onto the table beside the drive.
"And this," she continued, her tone dripping with venom, "is my resignation letter. I'll make it simple for you, Aiden Ashford—it wasn't pleasant working for you."
Aiden froze for a moment, the reality of her words sinking in. He had thought she'd cool off after her morning outburst, that she'd come back to work as usual. Instead, she was handing him the very thing he never expected to see.
His jaw tightened, his expression hardening into something darker. "Fine. But don't come crawling back to me, begging to take you in again. Because I won't."
She didn't even blink. "I wouldn't waste my breath."
Without another word, she turned toward the door.
When she entered Adien's office, she didn't close the door, so every single person had heard what was said inside. They stared at her, wide-eyed, some even holding their breath. It was their first time seeing the always gentle Miss Bennett like this.
Olivia's gaze swept past them as if they were invisible. She walked back to her office, lifted her box of belongings, and strode toward the elevator without once looking back.
When Olivia left the office, she didn't look back. Not once.
The air outside felt heavier than usual, as if it were holding the weight of everything that had happened. She drove straight home, her knuckles tight on the steering wheel, her mind still replaying every word she and Aiden had thrown at each other.
The moment she stepped inside her apartment, she tossed her bag onto the couch, kicked off her heels, and walked straight to the shower.
The hot water pounded against her skin, washing away the makeup, the office air, and—just for a moment—the tension coiled in her chest.
When she finally lay down on her bed, exhaustion took her almost instantly.
She woke to the dim light seeping through her curtains.
The clock on her nightstand glared back: 7:02 PM.
Olivia sat up, running a hand through her hair. She didn't want to spend the rest of the night brooding in silence. For once, she had no deadlines, no urgent emails, no Aiden. She grabbed her phone, hesitated for a second, then scrolled to Emily's number.
"Liv?" Emily's voice was filled with surprise when she picked up.
"Hey," Olivia said, her voice lighter than it had been all day. "You busy? Wanna have dinner? My treat."
There was a pause. "Wait—you're asking me to dinner? Did hell just freeze over?"
Olivia smirked faintly. "I'm serious, Emi. Come on."
"Fine. Fine. Text me the location."
By 7:45, Olivia had gotten ready and was already at a quiet, upscale restaurant. She booked a private room, the kind where the noise of the city disappeared and no one could overhear. She sat alone for a few minutes, her thoughts wandering until the door opened and Emily stepped inside, with a waiter in tow, probably the one who showed her the way.
Emily's curious eyes scanned Olivia's face.
"Alright," Emily said, sitting down. "What's going on? You never call me in the middle of the week, especially not after work hours."
Olivia leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly. "I quit today."
"Oh, Okay— Wait, You what?"
Olivia told her everything—what had happened in the morning, the heated argument, and the look on Aiden's face when she slammed the resignation letter on his desk.
Emily's jaw dropped," What the hell. How can he do that?"
"If I were there, I would have slapped him."
Olivia chuckled, sipping her water. "I want to do that too, but I control myself."
Emily laughed. "God, I wish I could've seen Aiden's face when you cursed. It's good you quit, but… It's a shame you won't get to stare at him anymore."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it is. But looks don't change the fact that he's a complete jerk."
They ordered dinner, the conversation flowing more easily than it had in weeks. By the time dessert arrived, Emily leaned forward with a thoughtful expression."So what's next? Any plans?"
" Not for now, I just want to rest for now, and maybe look for a job afterward," Olivia said while eating her dessert.
" Let me know when you want to look for a job, and I'll help you."
Olivia smiled at Emily," Okay."
After they both were done with dinner, they decided to take a walk.
While walking, Emily said, "You know, now that you're not chained to the office, you should visit Anty and Uncle. You know they miss you."
Olivia nodded. "You're right. I think I will. What about you? Let's go together."
" As much as I would like to go, I can't this month's a bit tight, the hospital's short on staff, so I can't." Emily sigh.
" Just go and visit them. We'll go visit them together next time."
Olivia nodded.
After walking for some time, both of them parted ways. Olivia reached her apartment and decided to call her parents.
With a deep breath, she tapped her mother's number.
It only rang once before a familiar, warm voice answered.
"Olivia? Sweetheart? Is everything okay? It's late."
A small smile tugged at Olivia's lips.
"Yeah, Mom. Everything's fine. I just… wanted to tell you I'm coming to visit tomorrow."
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sharp inhale of excitement.
"Tomorrow? You mean—tomorrow tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow tomorrow," Olivia said with a faint chuckle. "I'll take the train in the morning. Spend a few days with you and Dad."
Her mother's voice softened, thick with relief.
"Oh, honey, your father will be so happy. We've missed you. Are you sure everything's alright?"
Olivia's eyes flicked toward her closed laptop on the table—the one that no longer chained her to endless deadlines.
"Yeah," she said, her voice steady. "I just… finally have the time."
"Alright, sweetheart. We'll be waiting. Do you want me to make your favorite lasagna?"
The knot in Olivia's chest loosened a little.
"Yeah, Mom. I'd like that."
They exchanged a few more words before hanging up, and Olivia sat there for a moment, staring at the darkened window. For the first time in years, tomorrow didn't feel like a weight pressing down—it felt like something she could look forward to.