16. Olivia

OLIVIA

M y hands shake as I gather my things from my office, shoving files and personal items haphazardly into a cardboard box. Tears blur my vision, but I refuse to let them fall. I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

The choice the GM laid out wasn't really a choice at all. My career or Calvin? How could I possibly decide between the two things that mean the most to me?

But in the end, it wasn't a choice at all. Because Calvin isn't just some passing fling or fleeting infatuation. He's the love of my life, my soulmate. And if the Fury can't see that, can't trust in my professionalism and integrity even in the face of tabloid gossip, then maybe this isn't where I belong anymore.

I pause in my packing, staring unseeingly at the framed photo in my hands. It's from my first day with the Fury, shaking hands with the GM, a bright smile on my face. So much hope, so many dreams. All turned to ash now.

Anger simmers under my skin, warring with the soul-deep ache in my chest. How dare they make me choose like this? How dare they question my character, my commitment, after everything I've given to this organization? The unfairness of it all makes me want to scream, to rage, to march back into the GM's office and tell him exactly where he can shove his ultimatum.

But I don't. Instead, I place the photo in the box with shaking hands, jaw clenched so tight my teeth ache. Because even now, even in the midst of this crushing betrayal, I refuse to let them see me upset. I’ll be walking out of this place with my head held high, thank you very much.

I continue packing robotically, each item a piece of the life I'm being forced to leave behind. My prized med school diploma, the silly little succulent that's been my desk companion for years, the thank you cards from grateful players I've helped get back on the ice. All reduced to mere mementos now, reminders of a career cut brutally short.

By the time I've finished, my office is nothing but a shell. Empty shelves, bare walls, a yawning void where my purpose used to be. I take one last look around, throat tight with unshed tears, before I grab my pathetically small box and walk out.

I keep my eyes down as I navigate the familiar hallways for the last time, not wanting to see the curious stares, the pitying looks. Word travels fast in the arena, and I'm sure the news of my downfall has already made the rounds.

“Olivia? What's going on?”

I tense at the sound of Beck's voice, my steps faltering. The last thing I need is to face one of my patients—former patients—right now.

But I paste on a brittle smile as I turn to him, arms tightening around my box like a shield. “Nothing you need to worry about, Holloway. Just...moving on to a new opportunity.”

His brow furrows as he takes in the box, the tight lines of my face. “Wait, are you serious? You're leaving? Just like that? Who’s going to help me through my recovery? We had a plan, Dr. Angelo.”

“My replacement will take great care of you, I’m sure.” I swallow hard, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. “But as of about ten minutes ago, I no longer work for the Fury.”

“But...but why? Is it because of that article? Because if someone's giving you shit, I swear I'll?—”

“It's fine, Beck,” I cut him off, touched by his concern even as I frantically blink back tears. “I’m fine. It...it’s just time for me to go. Nothing for you to worry about.”

He opens his mouth like he wants to argue, but something in my expression must convey how close I am to cracking. So he just nods, jaw tight.

“We're gonna miss you around here, Dr. Angelo. You're the best thing that ever happened to the Fury.”

A tear slips free at that, tracing a hot path down my cheek. I brush it away quickly, mustering a wobbly smile. “Thanks, Beck. That...that means a lot. Take care of yourself, OK?”

And then I'm walking away, vision blurred and heart shattered. But I keep putting one foot in front of the other, even as each step takes me further from the only life I've ever known.

By the time I reach the staff parking lot, I'm shaking so hard I nearly drop my keys. But I manage to unlock my car and carefully place my sad little box of belongings on the passenger seat before collapsing behind the wheel.

And that's when it truly hits me. I'm unemployed. My reputation is trashed. Everything I've worked for, sacrificed for, gone in an instant. Because I dared to fall in love.

A sob wrenches free from my throat, tears flowing unchecked now. I grip the steering wheel like a lifeline, knuckles white and shoulders heaving as I finally let myself shatter.

I don't know how long I sit there, crying in my car like a cliché. Long enough for the sobs to quiet into weak hiccups, for the tears to slow and my breathing to even out. Long enough for the doubts to start creeping in, dark and insidious.

Did I make a mistake? Throwing away my entire career, my whole identity, for a man I've barely begun to know? What if this thing with Calvin doesn't work out? What if I gave up everything for a doomed love affair?

But even as the questions churn in my gut, I know I can't regret my choice. Because Calvin is worth the risk. Worth the sacrifice. I love him with a bone-deep certainty I've never felt before. He's my future, my forever.

And if I have to rebuild my life from scratch to be with him, then that's what I'll do. Because a life without him in it is no life at all.

So I start the car with shaking hands, taking one last look at the Fury arena in my rearview mirror. The place that's been my home, my whole world, for so long. Now just a fading speck as I pull out of the lot and drive to the only thing that makes sense. Calvin.