The morning light crept through Olivia's curtains long before she was ready to face it.
Her alarm rang… twice… and still, she lay frozen, buried in the remnants of last night's tears. Her head felt heavy, her chest even heavier.
By the time she finally pushed herself up, the clock on her bedside table had already begun its quiet scolding.
She was late. Again.
---
Stepping into the office building felt like stepping under a spotlight she didn't ask for.
The lobby's glass walls, the polished floors, the relentless hum of the elevator — everything seemed sharper, louder, almost hostile.
And Olivia wasn't ready for any of it.
Her shoulders slumped as she walked toward her department.
Every step felt like a negotiation with her own exhaustion.
When she reached her workstation and powered on her system, she stared blankly at the loading screen.
The world around her moved — conversations, footsteps, notifications — but she felt like she was floating outside her own body.
A deep breath.
Then another.
Neither helped.
---
That's when he entered the scene.
A young man, maybe in his early twenties, breezed into the office with the energy of someone who had a full tank of sunshine for breakfast. His ID card bounced against his shirt as he walked. He carried a stack of files, nearly tripping over a chair, but recovered with a dramatic, over-the-top bow that made a few colleagues laugh.
His name tag read:
Michael Harris – Intern
(But everyone immediately started calling him "Mike.")
He had an easy smile, the kind that lit up the room without trying.
The kind Olivia didn't realize she needed in her orbit.
"Morning, everyone!" he called with cheerful enthusiasm, waving like he was greeting his own fan club.
Someone joked, "Mike, it's too early for this much positivity!"
He gasped dramatically.
"Too early for positivity? Never. It's my only real skill besides breaking the printer."
Laughter rippled across the floor.
But Olivia didn't laugh.
She barely looked up — until Mike's voice landed right beside her.
"Hey, you must be Olivia, right?"
She blinked, startled.
He stood there with that same bright grin, not too pushy… just present.
"I… yeah," she managed, voice hoarse.
"I've heard you're the quiet, hyper-productive type," he said playfully. "And I'm the loud, chaos-driven entertainment type. Together we balance the office ecosystem."
Olivia tried to smile, but it faltered halfway.
Mike's expression softened.
He noticed. Immediately.
"You okay?" he asked gently — far less dramatic now, far more human.
Olivia shook her head slightly.
"Just… didn't sleep well."
"Corporate symptom," he said lightly, leaning on her desk. "Don't worry. I'll supply enough jokes to keep you awake. It's a strategic service."
She exhaled — not a laugh, not even close — but something inside her loosened a little.
---
A few desks away, Jenna nudged Claire.
"Who's that?" Claire whispered, watching Mike talk to Olivia.
"The new intern," Jenna replied, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "He's… different."
"Different good?"
"Different… helpful," Jenna said, noticing the tiny shift in Olivia's posture.
For the first time that morning, Olivia didn't look like she was breaking.
---
Mike gave Olivia a small, encouraging smile.
"Well," he said, clapping his hands softly, "if you ever need company, chaos, or coffee, I'm your guy. I specialize in all three."
She nodded, faint gratitude flickering in her tired eyes.
And just like that — without knowing it —
a new chapter in her life began.
A chapter where someone bright would quietly step into her shadows.
Mike drifted away to his workstation a couple of minutes later, still humming some upbeat tune under his breath.
But the brightness he left in his wake lingered longer than Olivia expected.
For the first time since she stepped into the office, the fog around her mind felt… thinner.
Not gone.
Just not choking her.
She opened her email inbox.
The screen blurred twice before her eyes refocused, and she forced herself to start scanning through the overnight messages.
Deadlines.
Corrections.
Follow-ups.
Everything felt heavier than usual.
---
Around mid-morning, Mike reappeared — this time with two cups of coffee balanced in his hands like they were trophies.
He placed one gently beside her keyboard.
"I took a calculated risk," he whispered conspiratorially. "This is either the coffee you like… or the one you absolutely hate. If it's the second one, please don't file an HR complaint."
Olivia blinked.
Then, unexpectedly, a small, real smile cracked at the corner of her lips.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Mike grinned like he had just won a corporate achievement award.
"Success. The Olivia ecosystem is responding positively to caffeine diplomacy."
Jenna, watching from across the desks, smirked slightly.
"Well," Claire whispered beside her, "he's definitely making her smile more than we do."
"We're not losing her to a hyperactive intern," Jenna muttered jokingly.
Claire elbowed her.
"She was drowning. Maybe he threw her a rope."
Jenna's expression softened.
She couldn't deny it.
---
Back at her desk, Olivia took a sip.
The warmth traveled down her throat, loosening something in her chest.
But the feeling didn't last long.
Her phone buzzed.
The same number.
Again.
The notification glowed like a wound.
Olivia's breath caught.
Her fingers trembled around the mug.
Before she could silence the phone, Mike leaned a little closer, still cheerful but perceptive enough to notice her sudden stillness.
"You okay?" he asked again — not playful this time.
She forced a nod.
Her voice was thin. "It's nothing."
Mike didn't press.
But he didn't walk away either.
Instead, he pulled up a chair beside her and whispered,
"Okay. Then let's just sit. No questions asked."
His tone was casual, but the gesture wasn't.
And Olivia… let herself breathe.
---
Around lunchtime, the team headed to the cafeteria.
Jenna and Claire invited Mike along — half joking, half serious.
Mike accepted with theatrical gratitude.
"Finally," he said, placing a hand on his chest, "I'm being embraced by the senior staff. My career is skyrocketing."
"Relax," Claire laughed. "We're not senior. We're barely surviving."
"Then I'm in the right group," Mike declared.
The table filled with chatter and light banter.
For the first few minutes, Olivia stayed quiet, head down, picking at her food.
But slowly — almost cautiously —
she began responding.
A small laugh.
A quiet comment.
A tiny smile.
Mike celebrated each one dramatically, as if marking milestones on a scoreboard.
Jenna watched Olivia quietly.
There was relief in her eyes.
But also worry — deeper, unresolved worry.
Because every time Olivia's phone buzzed…
She flinched.
And every time she flinched…
It became clearer something was spiraling out of control.
---
Later that afternoon, after a round of meetings, Olivia stood by the copy machine, waiting for the papers to print.
Her hands were finally steady.
Then—
The smell of peppermint.
Her heart froze.
A memory.
A flash.
The old man's voice at the bar.
She stumbled back slightly, gripping the machine for support.
Mike, coincidentally passing by, noticed the sudden distress.
"Whoa, hey—Liv?" he whispered, stepping closer. "You look like you saw a ghost."
Her throat closed for a moment.
"I… I'm fine."
It was barely audible.
Mike didn't believe it.
Not for a second.
"Listen," he said softly. "We just met today. But I'm good at reading people. And you look like you're carrying… something heavy."
Olivia's eyes glistened — just for a second — before she looked away.
"I don't want to talk about it," she whispered.
Mike nodded gently.
"No pressure. Just… you don't have to carry it alone. Not around me."
Something in that tone — that quiet sincerity — almost undid her.
Almost.
She swallowed the rising ache, collected the printed pages, and walked back silently.
Mike didn't stop her.
But his eyes followed her with quiet concern.
---
As evening approached, the office lights dimmed.
People packed up, one cluster at a time.
Jenna and Claire walked over to Olivia's desk.
"You heading home?" Jenna asked.
"Yeah," Olivia murmured.
Mike popped up behind them.
"Group walk to the exit?"
Jenna chuckled. "Wow, Mike. One day in and you're already part of the executive committee?"
Mike placed a hand on his chest.
"Please. I've been waiting for this promotion my whole life."
Olivia smiled faintly.
A tired smile, but real.
And that was enough.
As they walked out together, something shifted — subtle but meaningful.
For the first time in days, Olivia didn't feel entirely alone.
But the ache inside her?
Still there.
Still sharp.
And as they reached the building's exit, her phone buzzed again.
This time she didn't look.
But she felt it.
Deep.
Dangerous.
Unavoidable.
Mike noticed the tension in her shoulders.
Jenna noticed her tightened jaw.
No one said anything.
But everyone understood:
Something was coming.
And Olivia…
wasn't ready for it.