Chapter_53
The next morning, Olivia was the last to wake up. By the time she finally emerged from her room, Tyler was already sitting at the dining table, quietly reading the newspaper.
The maid paced nervously, glancing toward the stairs, worried that Olivia would be late for school. She hesitated, unsure if she should wake her. Finally, Tyler broke the silence. “Go check on her.”
Just as the maid was about to head upstairs, they heard footsteps. Olivia appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way toward the table. Tyler immediately noticed her pale complexion and the exhaustion in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice soft but filled with concern.
Olivia shook her head. “I didn’t sleep well, that’s all.”
Tyler wasn’t convinced. “Are you feeling unwell? Did you catch a cold?”
She continued shaking her head, though the exhaustion was clear in her face. “I just didn’t sleep well,” she repeated, trying to avoid his gaze. She poured herself a glass of milk, focusing on the simple task rather than meeting his eyes.
Tyler noticed the slight puffiness around her eyes. Something was off, but he didn’t press her further.
When they left the house, Tyler was already waiting in the car for Olivia, but she hadn’t appeared yet. The driver kept checking his watch. Finally, Olivia stepped out of the house, slowly making her way to the car. Tyler lowered the window to watch her approach.
Without looking at him, she said, “I’m going to school on my own, Tyler.”
He frowned. “You’re going to be late for your first class.”
“I’ll take a taxi,” she replied, her voice barely audible.
He watched her for a long moment, his eyes searching hers as if trying to understand her sudden change of behavior. Finally, he sighed. “Okay, be safe. Call me if you need anything.”
Olivia nodded, her voice thick with emotion as she whispered, “I will.”
Tyler hesitated, then stopped rolling up the window. He stared at her for a few more seconds, but when she didn’t say anything else, he closed the window and drove off. Olivia stood there, watching him leave, her heart heavy.
At the university, Olivia had a lot on her plate. In her fourth year, she was juggling a heavy workload, countless assignments, and long hours in the lab. She didn’t want to deal with any distractions, so she did her best to ignore the stares and the whispers that followed her.
Later that day in the lab, the teams were being assigned for an upcoming project. One of the girls in Olivia’s group suddenly spoke up, drawing the attention of the entire room.
“We’d like to change teams,” she said, addressing the lecturer.
Olivia looked up, intrigued by the sudden request.
The lecturer, who had been seated at the main table, glanced up with a raised eyebrow. “Why?”
One of the girls shot a look toward Olivia, her voice dripping with disdain. “We don’t want to be on the same team with a ‘problematic person.’”
Her words echoed in the room, and the lab fell into an uncomfortable silence. Olivia’s hands gripped the paper she was holding, her heart sinking.
“What do you mean by ‘problematic person’?” the lecturer asked, his tone measured.
The girl pointed at Olivia, and suddenly, all eyes in the lab turned to her. It felt like the walls were closing in, and Olivia’s stomach twisted with embarrassment. The room seemed to pulse with judgment, and she could feel every pair of eyes burning into her.
For a moment, Olivia couldn’t speak. The silence seemed to stretch on forever as she stood there, feeling the weight of the world press down on her.
The lecturer, aware of the gossip circulating on the school forum, didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at Olivia, his expression unreadable. The room was thick with tension.
Finally, the lecturer spoke, breaking the silence. “Okay, let’s not bring personal conflicts or opinions into this lab. This isn’t a social gathering. Let’s focus on the work at hand and avoid gossiping.”
The relief Olivia felt was almost overwhelming. The lecturer’s response had spared her from further humiliation. He had observed her behavior in class—Olivia was a hardworking student who kept to herself and didn’t cause trouble. He knew she didn’t deserve to be treated this way, and he decided to let it go.
The girl who had spoken up clearly hadn’t expected this response. She shot a quick glance at Olivia, but Olivia didn’t meet her eyes. The damage had been done, but at least it was over—for now.