*Olivia*
"There’s no way!" I crossed my arms, my lips pressed together until they hurt as I stared at my best friend straight in the eye. She sighed, clearly unhappy but in a way that let know she had been expecting this.
Of course, she should have.
What she was suggesting was ridiculous, preposterous, absolutely absurd....
Dahlia sipped her cocktail through a swirly straw shaped like a heart, a glum look in her eyes, and I felt a little bad for not imdiately believing her. Dahlia had never lied to before, and I doubted she ever would.
But this... I just couldn’t believe this.
"You could at least hear out," Dahlia said bitterly, "before shutting down like I offended your ancestors."
"What is it with all of you?" I snapped. "First Gio and now you! Why are you so against believing that Elena is just a good person who wants to help us out? She’s been nothing but kind."
"Gio?" Dahlia asked, surprised, then smirked. "Figures he’d pick up on it first. Good on him."
"Dolly!" I frowned.
"Look, Olive," she sent a firm look. "I know what I saw, and if Gio is telling you the exact sa thing I am, then doesn’t that an there has to be sothing off about her? I know you don’t want to believe this, but burying your head in the sand won’t make it go away. Besides, I’m your best friend. Shouldn’t you believe over soone you’ve only known for a month?"
Guilt shot straight through my heart, and I saw the hurt in her eyes from my vehent refusal. She was right... Gio and she had seen sothing that I clearly didn’t. And it was true that a few of Elena’s actions lately had made feel a bit uncomfortable.
I shook my head, resisting the doubts I could feel building inside .
"I’m sorry, Dolly, but there’s no way I can believe this. Elena is a wonderful person! You liked her just yesterday, and now you’re saying...." I swallowed, not even wanting to say the accusations Dolly had leveled at her. "You must have seen wrong. You must have."
"Olive." Dahlia sent a pitying look.
"No, Dolly. I just can’t believe it... I can’t," I shook my head stubbornly, not wanting to consider the possibility.
"Look, Olive, you can either believe or not, it doesn’t really matter," Dahlia frowned. "I know what I saw, and I know I had to tell you, even if you didn’t believe . You have to remain vigilant, Olive, because I’m telling you the truth. You need to consider that maybe Elena isn’t as selfless as you think she is. Maybe she has ulterior motives." There was that phrase again.
"There’s no way," I murmured, overwheld by what my best friend in the world was telling . "There’s no way... Elena is—she wouldn’t. Elena can’t be trying to steal Gio from ."
Just saying it aloud sent a pang of guilt straight to my heart, and I clutched my chest, my shoulders slumping under the heavy weight. The rejection of the concern was visceral, and I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Elena was a good person. I knew she was. She was the surrogate I had chosen, entrusted with carrying our child, and letting her into our lives. If there was any chance at all that Dahlia was right. That Elena really could be trying to replace —to steal my life, my husband, and my baby—then it was all my fault.
"It’s not true," I said stubbornly, clinging to my own beliefs and thoughts even with all the evidence and apprehensions Dahlia had expressed... even with the concerns Gio had told about. "I appreciate you telling about this, but I have to believe in her, Dolly. She’s my friend."
Dahlia sighed, sending a soft, helpless smile. "I should’ve known you would say that. You’re too caring for your own good, Olive. I’ll drop this for now, but please, be on your guard. Your optimism is one of your best qualities, but not everyone is as kind as you."
"I have to believe they are, Dolly." I smiled. I knew I was being stubborn, that I was digging my heels into the sand despite all the evidence otherwise, but either I believed in people or I didn’t.
And I did.
Maybe my faith and hope for a successful surrogacy were blinding to the truth. Maybe Dolly was right, and everything would blow up in my face, but I had to believe otherwise.
It was just the kind of person I was.
"I’ll be careful, I promise, Dolly, but I can’t believe Elena would do sothing so cruel. She’s my friend and the woman carrying our child. You said you’re not a hundred percent sure, either. This could all be a big misunderstanding, and I don’t want to suspect Elena over sothing like that. I’ll watch her more closely, though, and if I see anything alarming, I’ll be sure to tell you, alright?" I smiled.
Dahlia breathed out heavily, giving a small smile. "I guess that’s the best I can hope for."
And perhaps, if it were anyone else, that would’ve been the end of it. If it had been Tallon or Alessandro who ca to with concerns, I would’ve been able to brush it off easily, but this was Dahlia–my best friend.
We’d been stuck at the hip since we were babies. I knew everything there was about her, and she knew everything about . And the little thoughts I had tried to ignore about Elena, the anxieties and worries, all began to pile up in my mind.
That unwavering trust I had placed in others began to falter.
Gio had important business that day and wouldn’t be back until late. Tallon and Alessandro were who knows where, and Elena was working at her job. It was just and Dahlia that day, but Dolly never could stay still for long.
She decided to go out for drinks and invited along, but I was too consud in my own head that I told her to go without . We both needed a break from the heavy emotional conversation we’d just had, and Dahlia dealt with it by partying and cheering herself up.
I dealt with it differently.
As in, I didn’t.
Once she left, I was completely alone with my thoughts. The day flew by quickly, and the sun set before I knew it. I tried to relax, but the more I did, the more tense I got.
I couldn’t pay attention to the movies or shows on TV. The internet just made feel frustrated. I even broke out my old sketchbook and tried to draw. Emptying my mind only made it worse, however, as I soon realized I was drawing Gio, and in his arms was a plain-looking woman without a face.
The tip of my pencil hovered over the sketch of the woman, and I tried to picture my own face, but all I could see was Elena’s flash across my mind.
I gave up, throwing the sketch to the side as I fell back onto my bed in the suite and stared at the ceiling. All the little seeds of doubt that had festered and grown over the day ca back to bite , and I groaned, throwing my hands over my face.
All I could think about was Elena–her smiling at Gio when he told her about the magnolia trees, the way she always took the seat to his left, her chair scooted just a little more toward him.
Even when she laughed, her eyes sparkled and never left Gio. I always thought it was innocent. Even when she kept touching his arm or his side, leaning in too close, I thought she was just an affectionate person.
But thinking back, she never did that to anyone else.
Just Gio.
I bit my bottom lip, a deep internal struggle having been triggered in my psyche. I wanted to believe in Elena’s sincerity. The thought of suspecting her made feel like a monster—a jealous wife trying to keep all won away from her man.
But that wasn’t it, was it?
My emotions were playing tug of war with my mind—pulling back and forth to the edge of each extre. I had to protect my relationship with Gio—with my family—but Elena was my friend. I refused to suspect her.
But she had made a few questionable moves.
"Shut up!" I scread in frustration, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at the door.
"Whoa," a voice called out, and I flinched, whirling to face the intruder.
Gio stood there, an incredulous look on his face and a scrunched-up pillow held in his hand.
"When...." I swallowed, reeling myself back in. "When did you get back? Weren’t you going to be late?"
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern flickering across his face. "It is late. It’s nearly midnight, carina."
I jolted, in complete disbelief as I turned to the window. I’d had the blinds closed all day, so I hadn’t noticed. I grabbed my phone, turned it on, and my eyes widened at the truth–11:39. It really was almost midnight.
Where had the day gone?
"Olivia, what’s going on? This isn’t like you," Gio frowned, heading toward . He gently set the pillow back onto the bed, took a seat on the edge, and pulled into his lap. He ran his hand along my bare arms soothingly and dipped his head into the crook of my neck.
A small sob ca out of my throat, and I shut my eyes, leaning back into his body and letting him be the rock to ground .
Once my tears faded, everything ca spilling from my lips–Dahlia’s concerns and my own doubts, my wavering faith in Elena, and how I wanted to trust her so badly, the emotional weight of the surrogacy and how none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been broken... unable to carry my own child.
Gio listened, keeping wrapped in his arms and safe from everything that had been weighing on . There was no judgnt in his eyes. He kept silent, waiting for to finish.
"I love you, Olivia," he said after everything was done. He grabbed my face in both hands, forcing to look into his eyes as he told sincerely, "I love everything about you, and no matter what, I will always love you and you alone. Even if it’s true, and Elena is trying to get close to , it won’t work. You are my everything, carina."
"But–"
He shook his head, silencing with a kiss.
"I’m glad you told ," he pulled away, smiling lovingly at as he brushed my hair from my face. "I want to be here for you, and I will do whatever you need to make sure you are comfortable. If that ans not interacting with Elena, then so be it. But I need you to believe in . No one could ever take from you because I’m yours. I’ve always been yours, ever since that day we t. You are my wife, and I will be by your side for the rest of my life. Forget everything else, Olivia. That is what you can believe in."
In his embrace, face-to-face with his love, all of my previous doubts seed silly. I softened, clinging to my husband as he maneuvered us into bed, pressing kisses to the top of my head every chance he got.
He was right. Gio was mine. Nobody could take him from , even if they were going to try.
My initial resistance to Dahlia’s concerns softened. Dahlia was right about one thing. Whether she was correct about Elena or not, it was important to be vigilant. For my family, I had to be the rock to keep us all grounded, and if that ant suspecting Elena’s motives despite considering her as a friend, then so be it.
Renewed determination filled , and I knew that soon, we would have to address our underlying concerns with Elena, even if it ant facing so very uncomfortable truths.
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