Oh Cinderella: True love next door

We Only Live Once

We only live once. As human beings, we try to make the most out of every opportunity we get, knowing well that each moment is unique. That's why it's no wonder that when things get complicated, our instinct makes us fight tooth and nail to get respite. A second chance.

This is exactly what Olivia feels —A second chance has been handed to her to make things right, get her affairs in order and be a better version of herself. It hasn't been easy, especially the part about not having money, but definitely worth it.

Exactly a month ago, her life suddenly turned upside down. What's left now are pieces which she has been trying to pick and put together again.

She was able to solve the first problem, the rent. Though, it meant having to do with all her cents. Now, she has to keep living on her credit card till things go back to normalcy.

Josh visited two days back and it felt really good having a familiar and friendly face around. Though, he visits almost everyday, the burden of work being saddled on him now has his attention. But he still tries to be there for her...

"It's morning already!!!" Olivia cried out as she quickly yanked away her duvet and jumped off the bed. It was the ray of light from the window that woke her up.

She held her hand over her eyes as the light was so blinding. She hurried to the window and dropped down the curtains. She then went back to the bed, grabbed her phone to check what the time was.

"It's past seven already. How on earth did I sleep past the alarm?" She exclaimed as she dropped her phone back on the duvet.

She had set her alarm for six in the morning so she could prepare and get to the seminar on time.

Though, she went to bed late in the night. It wasn't her fault. Sleep wasn't forthcoming, she kept tossing from side to side until she finally drifted slowly into her thoughts as usual. It was already late in the night then and only a couple of hours left until daybreak.

Still, she couldn't help but wonder how she slept through the loud sound of her alarm clock. She was even more mad Ryan didn't come to wake her up.

"He could have at least come to ask me to stop the alarm." She muttered to herself but then quickly dropped the thought.

Is she really right to blame him? Considering her stern warning to him to steer clear of her and her things, she would be wrong to fault him for not interfering. Knowing herself well enough, she would have probably yelled at him for disturbing her sleep if he had indeed come to complain about the loudness of the alarm.

"What if he is a deep sleeper? Then he wouldn't have heard the alarm too. He doesn't look like one though," Olivia continued soliloquizing until her phone snoozed. It was the last alarm, it probably rang a few times and then diverted to a snooze when she didn't stop it.

"Ohh my goodness, why do I always have to overthink things?" She muttered and then rushed into the bathroom.

The summit was to start by nine that morning. It is a business seminar where prominent personalities in the business world, entrepreneurs, and other interested individuals get to discuss the important issues in business. It is an annual event and it's always an elaborate one. Anyone interested would have to book a space months prior because of the limited slots.

Since Olivia complained about being bored and always indoor, Josh offered her his ticket. He always attended the event every year before he met Olivia. And even after they became friends, he told her about it but being the former Olivia, she never reckoned it important.

This year, Josh didn't have to say much to convince her before she jumped at the offer.

Another problem apart from the stress of getting a ticket is actually getting in. The organisers of the event take time seriously. They believe anyone attending should be serious enough not to want to miss any part of the seminar. It starts at nine on the dot. Ten minutes after and you can no longer go in. It doesn't matter if you have a hundred tickets or if just a few people are in attendance yet.

Ten minutes later, and Olivia was out of the bathroom. She rushed through her dressing, makeup and hair. In another ten minutes, she was done.

She checked the time and found out it's only been twenty two minutes.

"Wow, that was pretty fast." She mumbled to herself as she checked herself one more time in the mirror.

Her makeup wasn't glamorous like she always wears it but it looked really nice.

"Maybe simple is the real glam after all." She said and then winked at herself while still in front of the mirror.

Her hair was packed in a high bun but the edges wasn't properly laid. For a second she contemplated about fixing it or not.

"I don't have to look like a mess just because I woke up late." Olivia said to herself as she decided to fix the edges.

"That looks better." She said as she dropped the hair brush.

As she opened her jewellery box to get an earring to match, the first one her eyes caught, was the one from Bobby. An expensive diamond earring for her last birthday.

With so much anger, she picked it and a few other ones from him and tossed them in one of the drawers she doesn't use often. That way, she wouldn't get to see them in a while.

She then slipped into her black suede heels, grabbed her purse and hurried out of the room.

It was a quarter to eight, that was plenty of time to get something in her belly before heading out. Hopefully if she doesn't hit traffic, then an hour was enough to get to the venue and settle in before the seminar commences.

Ryan was already in the living room, he seemed a little busy on his laptop. Olivia thought of slipping past him, get breakfast, and leave without his notice. She didn't want another episode of his forced friendship.

Well, it didn't work. Ryan has the ears of a wolf. As soon as she stepped into the room, he quickly closed his laptop and then turned to face her. His sudden change in countenance looked suspicious to Olivia but she couldn't care less.

"Good morning." Olivia said with a straight face while looking at him with her corner eye.

"Top of the morning to you Ms Lanes. I trust you had a great night judging from the fact that you're just coming out now." He chimed in.

"Ohh, so he even knows I slept in late." Olivia thought to herself but she didn't say a word to reply him.

She went straight to the coffee machine, and with a press of a pinkie like she had described, her coffee was getting prepared. All that remained was a countdown to the awkward sixty seconds of silence till it gets ready.

It seemed like forever to Olivia as she kept checking her phone while also tapping nervously on the counter.

"Now the time decides to turn into a snail." She mumbled to herself.

She snuck a peek at Ryan but quickly looked away when she saw him about to look too. It was too late though, Ryan caught her right in the act. He let out a soft smile.

"Ms. Lanes?" He called out to her but Olivia pretended as if she didn't hear.

"Can I get a sugar-free vanilla latte with soy, extra foam? He asked while Olivia looked with surprise.

Her coffee was done then. She picked it up, took some cookies from the jar and settled on the dinning table where she downed her breakfast. She quickly cleaned up and made her to the door.

"You can make yourself one when you are through." Olivia said as she walked past him.

Ryan decided to pretend as if he didn't hear too. After all, two can play the game. When she didn't get a reply, Olivia stopped and turned back. She was going out of her scheduled time but she needed to clear things first.

"Uhm... I was talking to you Mr. Davis." She chimed in.

Ryan looked up, smirked then leaned forward.

"Ryan is fine. And before you argue or oppose which I know you will, please I insist. Just call me Ryan. Anything else will only make me uncomfortable." He said firmly while Olivia just rolled her eyes in a defiant manner.

"Fine then. If that's what you want." She chimed in while Ryan nodded his head in affirmative.

"I can see you're all dressed up, going to work?" He asked while she gave him such a devouring look that made him wonder what he had done to warrant such.

He doesn't know she was suspended from work. Olivia never mentioned it and he just assumed she was going to work since she was all corporately dressed up early in the morning.

"I am going to 1234 mind your business avenue." Olivia taunted inwardly.

"I'm going out." She said and started to walk away without waiting for a reply.

"I wish you a nice day Ms. Lanes and thanks for the..." Ryan said and them went mute when the door slammed shut.

A minute had barely passed when Ryan came running toward Olivia.

"Ms. Lanes, Ms lanes..." He called out as he raced outside right to her car.

She had already ignited the car and about pulling out of the park when he showed up.

She opened the door and found him bent over, panting heavily like he had just ran a marathon. Olivia gave him a pity eye which also screamed in his face for him to spill his reason for stopping her.

"Yes???" She voiced out when it seemed like he didn't get the gist.

"The keys... The keys... I... Don't... I need... Uhm..." He kept on paraphrasing amid the heavy breaths.

"As much as it seems you do enjoy the sound of your voice, why don't you just get to the point? I need to be somewhere and I'm running late." Olivia quickly chimed in.

"The keys, I don't have mine yet. The last time I asked, you said you will give them soon." He finally let out.

Olivia looked as if she was going to bite his head off and eat it raw for choosing that exact moment when she was in so much hurry to remind her.

He got the memo too and opted to defend himself.

"I never thought it necessary since you have been home all this while. I didn't want to be a bother." He said.

"Hey careful who you're calling black, little kettle." Olivia replied as she gave him a cut-eye for insinuating she was jobless when he wasn't any better.