I’m Someone Else

Chapter 76

“I’m fine with anything. Just order what you want, but nothing too cheap. You’re making it up to me, so I want the best of the best,” said Olivia cheekily.

Thomas smiled. He didn’t mind the money. Besides, even if she wanted the best of the best, the food in this shop wouldn’t cost much, anyway. She was just teasing him, so he took the menu and ordered, “Two smoked salmons, one borscht, two medium-well sirloin steaks, and two salads, please.”

He had a bit to eat back at the buffet, but Olivia might suspect something if he ate nothing, so he still made some orders for himself. A while later, his phone rang. The cake was here, and he went to take it. It was just a small cake since they couldn’t finish a big one with just the two of them.

The moment Olivia opened up the box, she teared up. It was her favorite fruit cake, and there were a lot of oranges on it, too. “How did you know I like oranges?” She started digging in. Ever since her mother’s passing, she had never eaten cakes made with oranges. The moment she saw this cake, it reminded her of her mother.

“You like oranges?” Thomas was surprised. He had no idea what her preferences were, so when he made that order, he just made it according to his preference.

“When my mother was still with me, she’d make orange-flavored cakes on my birthdays.” Although she could still have cake on her birthdays, things weren’t the same anymore.

“Your mother’s gone?” he asked. Wait… Now that I think about it, I’ve been to the villa before, but I’ve never seen her mother.

“Yes. It’s been ten years since then. I was only 14 back then.” As soon as Olivia said that, tears started streaming down her cheeks. She missed her mother, especially so during the day of her birthday. After all, it was the day her mother had brought her into this world.

Thomas stared at the table in silence. He had no idea what to say. He was born an orphan, so he had no idea what his parents were like, and the old man who raised him had gone missing a long time ago. The person called ‘mother’ was nothing more than a strange concept for him.

She dug into her cake and glanced at him. What am I doing? Sure, it’s sad that Mom’s gone, but Thomas is born an orphan. The only relative he has is his sister, and she’s not even blood-related. Great job in dampening the mood, me, she cursed herself in her mind.

Back when Thomas came to her and asked for a job, she had asked someone to look into his past, and she knew a lot about him. I have to change the subject, so he won’t feel down.

“This cake tastes so good. Don’t just sit there. Try some.” She held up a small piece of cake and tried to feed him.

“Um…” Thomas blushed. It was the first time a lady was feeding him. I can’t refuse her, or that’s going to be a blow to her confidence. Thus, he had no choice but to eat it.

A moment later, their food was served, and he said, “Happy birthday. A bit late, but still…”

“Thank you.” Olivia had a good appetite. She finished her steak and wolfed down Thomas’ share as well.

He wasn’t hungry anyway, so he didn’t even touch his steak.

“Being with you is always fun. I get to ease up and wind down. Whenever I’m at the company, I have to put on a stern look so everyone will respect me. I don’t have many friends growing up. They either get jealous of me, or they want to be nothing but bootlickers and sycophants so they can get my family to help them get what they want. I only have two ladies whom I can call friends. If you’d shown up at my birthday party, I could’ve introduced them to you.”

She continued, “Everyone thinks it’s sunshine and roses in my life. I am my father’s firstborn and was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’m the president of my family’s company. I went abroad to study and came back to everyone calling me a business genius. They even labeled me as ‘the Most Beautiful Female Entrepreneur in Irieson,’ but no one ever knows how hard I have it.”

Olivia looked a little sullen, and Thomas felt for her. Yeah, they only see the glory, but they have no idea about the suffering she has to go through. I have a few people I can call friends, but she only has two. And as if that’s not enough, fate cracks a joke on her. Now, she’s nothing but a sacrifice to her family.

Talking about that dark side of her life roused something in Olivia, and she told the waiter to get some wine for her. “When I was little, I wanted to go to the amusement park for my birthday. I wanted to go on roller coasters, carousels, and haunted houses, but I never did get my wish. Because I was born into this family, I had to study right after school and make sure I was always in the top three of my year. If I didn’t, I’d be an embarrassment to my family. And then, the working life came. Even after work, I spend my time negotiating and talking about business. If I am not doing that, I stay at home because many people have their eyes on me. The Hind Family, for example.” This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

My friends might come from regular families, but at least they’re happy. Not only that, they make enough money to support themselves, too. Unlike me, I’ve been locked in a cage since young, Olivia lamented.

Thomas looked at the time and smiled. “Easy. It’s still early; we can go to the amusement park after this.”

Her eyes lit up at once. “Really?”

“Yep.” He nodded. He was a man of his word.

“Cool!” An excited Olivia dabbed her mouth with a tissue. “I had my fill.”

“Huh?” You’re full the moment you know you can go to the amusement park, huh? But you were wolfing down the food just now. They might call you ‘the Most Beautiful Female Entrepreneur in Irieson,’ but in reality, you’re just a little girl inside.