David had his own life, his own career, and his own condo, but he still respected his mother’s intuition. He had lived with Olivia for a year now, and while she was a perfect partner—keeping the place spotless and always having dinner ready—there was a wall he couldn’t climb over.
Olivia was adamant about her career. When Nancy brought up grandchildren, Olivia was blunt. “Not yet. I’ve worked too hard for this degree to spend the next five years in a nursery. Arthur promised me a position at the firm, and I intend to make the most of it.”
Nancy found the girl’s pragmatism chilling. It wasn’t ambition; it was a cold, hard drive that seemed to leave no room for sentiment. She decided it was time for a fact-finding mission. She convinced David to take a “business trip” that just happened to pass through Olivia’s hometown.
“David, are you sure about this? It’s a six-hour drive to the middle of nowhere,” David said as they pulled onto the highway. But Nancy was determined. She had Olivia’s home address from some old mail she’d seen in Olivia’s bag.
While they were driving, Olivia was back at the condo, pouring herself a drink. She added a healthy splash of bourbon to her coffee and leaned back on the sofa. She loved having the place to herself. No David to pretend for, no Nancy to impress.
To her, David was a golden ticket. He was kind, sure, but he was mostly a means to an end. She had spent years perfecting the role of the “sweet, independent girl” because she knew that’s what men like David wanted. They wanted to feel like they were “rescuing” someone who didn’t actually need rescuing.
“God, these people are so easy to play,” she thought. She was tired of the charade, tired of the “home-cooked” meals she actually ordered from a high-end bistro and plated to look homemade. She was tired of the fake interest in Nancy’s roses. But she couldn’t stop now. She was too close to the finish line.
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