Chapter_91
In the morning, Olivia heard the sound of a car pulling up in front of the house, and her heart sank. She knew exactly who had returned.
She lay in bed for a while, unsure whether she should face the world outside her room. Eventually, she found the strength to get up. Slowly, she opened her bedroom door and saw Tyler walking into the living room, his posture as composed as ever.
The maid had been in a state of panic since morning, knowing how serious the situation was. She rushed to Tyler immediately, her voice trembling with apology. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Tyler. It’s my fault. I asked Ms. Olivia to deliver the soup to Ms. Naomi, and I was busy…”
Tyler’s footsteps halted abruptly, and he turned to look at the maid, his gaze cold and piercing. It was a look that sent a chill through the maid’s entire body. “If something like this happens again,” he said in a low, menacing tone, “you’ll be fired.”
Olivia, who had always thought of Tyler as a calm, gentle man, was taken aback. She had never seen him speak to anyone like that. The maid, visibly shaken, nodded fervently. “I’m sorry, Mr. Tyler. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Without another word, Tyler turned and continued toward the living room, but the maid hesitated, unable to stop herself from asking, “And what about the… cat, Mr. Tyler?”
Olivia froze, her breath caught in her chest as she heard the question. Her heart pounded in her ears as she waited for Tyler’s response.
Tyler stopped once again, and his voice was cold and detached when he answered, “Get rid of it.”
Olivia’s body tensed for a moment, but she soon felt an overwhelming sense of relief. It wasn’t that she wanted the cat to be harmed, but the moment she had feared had arrived, and Tyler’s words pierced her heart like an arrow.
“Sure, Mr. Tyler. I’ll get rid of it right away,” the maid said. Without another word, she turned and hurried to the backyard to deal with the cat.
Olivia stood there for a moment, paralyzed. She hurriedly descended the stairs, not sure what she was even going to say. As she reached the bottom, she stopped right in front of Tyler. He looked surprised to see her there, as if he hadn’t expected her to be downstairs at this moment.
Olivia was acutely aware that she had nearly caused Naomi’s life-threatening situation. She knew the cat’s presence had contributed to the incident, but it felt cruel to simply dispose of the cat like this. The thought of it twisted inside her, but she felt powerless. She couldn’t speak up for the cat—she felt like the guilty party, and the idea of asking for any mercy seemed impossible.
After a long pause, she finally managed to speak, but it wasn’t about the cat. She asked, “Tyler, how is Naomi?”
Tyler looked exhausted, his face weary from the long night. He replied flatly, “She’s stable for now.”
A wave of relief washed over Olivia, but it was soon replaced by a sense of exhaustion that seemed to drain every last bit of energy from her. “That’s good to hear,” she murmured.
The maid, observing the interaction, took her cue from Tyler’s silence and left for the backyard to handle the cat. Tyler, without acknowledging Olivia’s hesitation or emotions, walked past her and ascended the stairs.
Olivia stood still, her throat tight, her heart heavy. She felt like she might break into tears at any moment, but something was blocking her, keeping the tears from coming.
After Tyler had disappeared upstairs, she heard a faint meowing in the distance. The sound only deepened the pain she was feeling, as if every part of the situation was a cruel reminder of her guilt.
Soon after, the maid returned from the backyard, and the cat was nowhere to be seen. Olivia didn’t know whether she should feel relieved or sad, but the air around her felt unbearably heavy.
During lunch, Olivia stayed in her room. She didn’t respond when the maid knocked, nor when she called out to her. It wasn’t until evening that the maid knocked again, but once again, Olivia remained silent. Worried, the maid went to Tyler’s room, a sense of unease creeping up her spine.
A short while later, the maid stood behind Tyler as he opened the door to Olivia’s room.
Inside, Olivia was seated on her bed, her body unmoving. The room was silent, the air thick with tension. Tyler didn’t comment on Olivia’s behavior, nor did he address what had transpired earlier. Instead, he simply looked at the maid and said, “Bring food here.”
Olivia didn’t say a word, sitting in the heavy silence that surrounded her. She was lost in her thoughts, too tired to respond to anything, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened.