Why Is He Back??

moving in....

Olivia rushed into her office at Elegante Afford, her heart racing and tears already threatening to spill. She needed to talk to someone-someone who could give her clarity amidst the chaos. As soon as she saw her brother-in-law, Jacob, she broke down.

"Jacob, I don't know what to do!" Olivia sobbed, barely able to get the words out.

Jacob immediately stood up from his desk, crossing the room in two quick strides. He enveloped Olivia in a comforting hug, his strong arms providing a sense of security that she desperately needed.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be okay, Liv," Jacob murmured soothingly. "Tell me what happened."

Olivia explained everything, her words tumbling out in a frantic rush-how Zack had practically blackmailed her into moving in with him, the fear of potentially going to jail, and the overwhelming guilt she felt about leaving Zivia. Jacob listened intently, his expression darkening as he pieced everything together.

When she finally finished, Jacob sighed deeply. "Olivia, I know this is hard, but you have to do what's best for you and Zivia. My father saw cases like this all the time when he was on the bench. If you don't go through with this, there's a very real possibility that you could face serious jail time. You don't want that hanging over your head, or Zivia's."

Olivia wiped her tears with the back of her hand, nodding weakly. "I called Eloise, and she said the same thing. I just... I don't know how I'm going to do this, Jacob."

"You're strong, Liv. You've been through worse, and you've always come out the other side. And you're not alone. We're all here to support you."

His words gave Olivia a small sense of comfort, but the anxiety gnawing at her wouldn't let up. She knew he was right. There was no other option.

With Jacob's encouragement, Olivia forced herself to focus. She had to get ready for the move. The next day, Zack would be discharged, and everything had to be in place. She started packing her bags, and then moved on to Zivia's.

As she packed Zivia's small backpack, Olivia carefully selected her daughter's favorite things. She folded Zivia's favorite pink pajamas with the tiny unicorn prints, packed a few changes of clothes, her school uniform, and some comfortable play clothes. She made sure to include Zivia's beloved stuffed bunny, a book she was reading, and some of her favorite toys. Olivia even tucked in a small blanket that Zivia liked to sleep with at night, hoping it would bring her some comfort while staying at Alandra's.

Once everything was ready, Olivia drove over to Alandra's house. She knew Zivia was already there for her playdate, and she wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible for her little girl. As she pulled into the driveway, Olivia took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves.

When she rang the doorbell, Alandra opened the door almost immediately, as if she'd been waiting. She quickly hugged Olivia, concern etched on her face.

"Oh, Liv, I heard what happened," Alandra said, pulling back to look at her sister. "I mean, how the fuck did Zack do so wrong with you?"

Before Olivia could respond, they were interrupted by a small voice. "Mommy, what does 'fuck' mean?" asked Emma, Alandra's daughter, who was a year older than Zivia.

Zivia, who had been standing next to Emma, looked up at Olivia with wide, innocent eyes. "Fuck," she repeated, clearly unaware of the weight the word carried.

Olivia and Alandra's eyes grew wide with horror. They both rushed to divert the topic, speaking over each other in a frantic attempt to explain.

"Uh, sweetie, that's a word you should never say!" Olivia said quickly, kneeling down to Zivia's level. "It's a really bad word that only grown-ups use when they're very, very upset."