That morning, Olivia Parker headed to work with a heaviness in her steps unlike any other day. Ever since she had heard rumors that the company was planning another round of layoffs, anxiety had consumed her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the fear that her name might be on the list of employees to be let go.

As soon as she arrived at the office, Olivia went straight to her desk. She turned on her computer and pretended to busy herself with paperwork, but her mind was far too distracted to focus on anything.

A few moments later, a company-wide email appeared in her inbox.

The company had officially changed ownership. All employee rights and obligations had been transferred to the new owner.

Olivia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

At least the company hadn't gone bankrupt.

But her relief lasted only a few seconds. The final paragraph stated that the planned workforce reduction would still proceed based on the employee evaluations that had already been completed.

Her heart immediately began pounding again.

Before she could fully process the email, the office suddenly erupted with excitement.

"The new boss is here today!"

"I heard he's still pretty young."

"Someone said he's already taken over all company operations."

Whispers spread across the office like wildfire.

Olivia swallowed hard.

Is he here to announce who's being laid off?

Cold sweat dampened her palms.

A few minutes later, the new owner and his entourage entered the office. Every employee rose to their feet and greeted them politely.

"Good morning, sir."

"Welcome, sir."

Friendly greetings echoed throughout the room.

Everyone greeted him...

Everyone except Olivia.

She stood with her head lowered, far too nervous to meet his eyes.

Footsteps stopped directly in front of her.

Then a deep, commanding voice broke the silence.

"Is this how you greet your superior?"

Olivia flinched.

She quickly looked up, stammering, "I-I'm sorry... I'm just not feeling very well today."

The man studied her face for a brief moment.

She did look unusually pale.

Without another word, he merely curled his lips into a faint smile—one that was impossible to read—before walking away.

The moment he disappeared, Olivia sank weakly into her chair.

The look in his eyes convinced her even more that her days at the company were numbered.

Not long afterward, another company-wide email was sent to all employees.

All staff members were allowed to leave work early that day, while only the department managers were required to stay for a meeting with the new owner.

The results of the employee evaluations would be announced the following day.

As Olivia read the email, her body went rigid.

She couldn't bring herself to imagine what tomorrow might bring.

The journey home felt unusually long.

Her mind was consumed by one dreadful thought after another.

What if I really lose my job?

How will I pay for my children's education?

How are we supposed to survive?

Without realizing it, tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

Lost in her thoughts, Olivia stepped onto the crosswalk without paying attention to the oncoming traffic.

A black sedan sped toward the intersection.

Screech!

The driver slammed on the brakes.

Even so, the front bumper struck Olivia, knocking her to the side of the road.

Fortunately, the car wasn't traveling very fast. She escaped with nothing more than a few scrapes and a badly twisted ankle.

The driver hurried out of the car in panic.

A moment later, the rear door opened.

A tall man in a tailored suit stepped out, his expression calm yet unmistakably serious.

The moment Olivia recognized him, her eyes widened.

It was her new boss.

He walked over and extended his hand.

"Can you stand?"

Olivia hesitated before placing her hand in his.

She managed to take only a few steps before a sharp pain shot through her ankle, causing her to lose her balance.

She nearly fell again.

Reacting instinctively, the man wrapped an arm around her waist and steadied her.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

They were standing far too close.

Realizing it, he immediately withdrew his hand.

"Come with me. We're going to the hospital."

"T-There's no need, sir. I'm fine," Olivia replied quickly.

"That wasn't a request."

His tone remained calm and even, yet it left no room for refusal.

Feeling awkward, Olivia reluctantly followed him.

Inside the car, silence filled the cabin.

After several minutes, Olivia finally gathered the courage to speak.

"Excuse me... are we really going to the hospital?"

Without taking his eyes off the road ahead, he answered, "You're injured."

"It's only a minor injury."

"I'll take responsibility for it, even if this accident wasn't entirely our fault."

His words made Olivia lower her head in embarrassment.

She knew very well that she had crossed the street without looking.

"Please stop the car," she said softly to the driver.

Only then did the man turn to look at her.

"Do you want to make this into a bigger issue?"

Olivia frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"If your condition worsens later, people could accuse the company of neglecting you. It's better to make sure you're completely fine first."

Olivia fell silent.

She had to admit...

His explanation made perfect sense.

When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor examined her injuries carefully.

"The good news is that you only have a few abrasions and a mild ankle sprain. There's no fracture."

Both of them let out quiet sighs of relief.

After receiving her medication, Olivia once again declined when her boss offered to drive her home.

"I can get home by myself, sir."

She had barely stepped off the examination bed when a sharp pain shot through her ankle, nearly causing her to collapse.

The man let out a quiet sigh.

"Are you still convinced you can make it home on your own?"

Olivia lowered her head, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"Being stubborn isn't necessarily a bad thing," he said calmly. "But not when it ends up hurting yourself."

He gestured toward a wheelchair beside the bed.

"Please."

With the nurse's assistance, Olivia finally sat down without another word of protest.

By the time they arrived at Olivia's house, her three children had just returned home from school.

"Mom!"

They rushed toward her the moment they saw her, taking turns wrapping their arms around her.

"What happened to you, Mom?"

Olivia smiled reassuringly despite the pain.

"I had a little accident, but I'm fine. It's only a sprained ankle."

Her boss quietly watched the heartwarming scene unfold before him.

"Is your husband home?" he asked.

The question made Olivia tense.

Forcing a faint smile, she replied, "He's still at work."

The man gave a small nod.

"In that case, please apologize to him on my behalf."

"You don't have to, sir. You've already done more than enough for me," Olivia said, guilt evident in her voice.

He nodded once before reaching into his pocket and handing her a business card.

"If your ankle gets worse, call this number."

Olivia accepted the card with both hands.

"Thank you, sir."

"Take care."

As she watched him leave, Olivia glanced down at the business card in her hand.

Only then did she realize her boss's name.

Adrian Carrington.

Inside the car, Adrian looked back at the modest house where Olivia lived with her three children.

The place was small and worn, hardly spacious enough for a family of four.

For reasons he couldn't quite explain, a sense of guilt slowly crept into his heart.

Olivia Parker's name was on the layoff list.

The decision had been made long before he acquired the company. According to the evaluation reports, Olivia's performance had shown little improvement over the past two years.

But after seeing the life she lived with his own eyes, Adrian found himself questioning whether that decision had truly been fair.

---

Inside the house, Olivia looked at her children with misty eyes.

"Mom... you're not going to be crippled, are you?" her youngest asked innocently.

Olivia let out a soft laugh.

"Of course not."

"Emily said you just need to rest," her eldest said gently as she stroked her younger sibling's hair. "You'll be back on your feet in no time."

Emily Parker carefully helped her mother lie down before tucking the blanket around her.

"If you need anything, Mom, just tell me. I'll take care of it."

Olivia bit her lip, fighting back tears.

Seeing how thoughtful and mature her children had become only made the ache in her heart grow stronger.

I'm sorry...

I haven't been able to give you the life you deserve.

---

The following morning, Olivia intended to go to work.

However, the moment she put weight on her injured foot, a sharp pain shot through her ankle.

With a heavy heart, she sent a message to her manager, asking for a day's leave to recover.

After the children left for school, the house fell silent.

She was watching television when a knock sounded at the front door.

Olivia had just begun to stand when the door opened.

Adrian.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Sir?"

"I just wanted to check on you," Adrian said casually.

Olivia quickly invited him inside.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you."

Adrian took a seat for a moment.

"Your manager told me you requested leave. I wanted to see how you were doing... and I was hoping to meet your husband as well."

Olivia stiffened.

There was no way she could tell him that she had been divorced for years.

"My husband is still at work."

Adrian nodded.

"I see. Perhaps another time."

He stood and gestured toward the business card he had given her.

"My number is on there. Call me if your ankle gets worse."

"Thank you, sir."

Before leaving, Adrian paused at the doorway.

"Take care of yourself. Your children must be worried about you."

His simple words caught Olivia off guard.

It had been a very long time since anyone had shown concern for her like that.

She watched him leave through the window.

For a brief moment, she found herself thinking that beneath his cold exterior, Adrian was actually a thoughtful and responsible man.

Then reality came crashing back.

Today was the day the employee evaluation results would be announced.

Her heart began pounding once more.

Limping toward her laptop, Olivia logged into her company email.

One by one, she opened the messages.

Then her gaze froze on the newest email.

Her hands began to tremble.

Olivia Parker.

Her name appeared on the list of employees whose positions had been terminated.

The laptop nearly slipped from her grasp.

She slowly sank onto the couch, all strength leaving her body as tears streamed down her face once again.

With trembling fingers, she found Adrian's number on the business card and pressed the call button.

The line rang.

Once.

Twice.

Again and again.

No one answered.

Eventually, the call disconnected on its own.

Olivia stared blankly at her phone before forcing a bitter smile.

"I should have seen this coming..."

Perhaps everything Adrian had done for her...

was nothing more than taking responsibility for yesterday's accident.

Nothing more.