This Risky Game We Play: An Enemies to Lovers Romance by Olivia Oakley

Author:Olivia Oakley [Oakley, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkblot Press
Published: 2023-08-06T16:00:00+00:00

Weeks pass me by.

Two former Sutherland employees are let go, another reminder that Will is right and Blue Ridge has no qualms about culling the herd.

Still, I can’t let the negativity get to me. After all, I’ve managed to survive, and now Will has been busy managing his team’s transition to the offices here to bother with me too much. While he still sits in on my meetings, he often steps out early. Rarely does he say a word.

I start to find my footing and feel like my old self.

It’s obvious, though, that Blue Ridge’s more formal culture is beginning to seep into our office. No one seems to deviate from black, dark gray, or navy blue. One morning, I find myself staring longingly at my more colorful attire gathering dust at the back of my closet. I’m not foolish enough to ignore attire conventions, even unofficial ones.

Pulling on a cream-colored blouse, I slip into a black skirt and matching black blazer. For accessories, I decide on a dainty gold chain interspersed with pearls. It was a gift to myself when I got my first promotion. Lately, it’s become a reminder of all I can accomplish. My fingers skim over each pearl, pride swelling within me. Growing up, my family lived paycheck-to-paycheck. I worked every summer I could to save money for college, and I made sure I was a straight-A student with a stellar record to qualify for as many scholarships as I could. For all that, it never felt enough. The irony of my degree in economics and then MBA was how I could never escape financial insecurity. The only reason I could afford that England trip was because of the hours I picked up and the honors scholarship I received.

Once I graduated and found a job, I thought I’d never again be uncertain about whether my card would go through. I knew how to manage money and plan for a rainy day. I felt in control. Too bad I’d never accounted for my rotten luck.

A wave of loneliness overcomes me as I recall how, despite my friendship falling apart with Will, I took off for New York with boundless enthusiasm. I was ready to take on the world and nothing could stop me.

Of course, that optimism came to a crashing halt when my parents called, asking me to help them out of a bind. I agreed and took out a loan. They swore they’d keep up with the monthly payments. At the time, I’d been proud I was able to help them—and most tragically of all, I had believed them. They were my parents, and they needed help. What was I supposed to think?

For a few months, it was fine. But then my father was laid off.

Needing to destress, they took a vacation to Mexico, where they spent what little money they had left buying a time-share they couldn’t afford. My parents called me, crying about how they’d been tricked. I remained sympathetic but didn’t offer any financial help until my mother had a panic attack.

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