Chapter 132: Breaking the News

That video call rang throughout Olivia's apartment, each ring resembling her nervous heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair one last time before clicking on Accept. Her parents' faces flickered on screen; their smiles were warm and expectant. "Hello, baby!" crackled her mother's voice over the speaker. "It's so great to see you. Are you okay? You said you had some news?" Olivia forced another smile, trying to control her voice. "Hi mom, dad. Yeah, I. I need to tell you something important." Her father's brow furrowed with concern. "You're not sick again, are you?" "No, no, nothing like that," Olivia quickly reassured them. "It's, well, it's about Mark and Nathan." Her parents exchanged a weighted look. They'd known how Olivia felt and had listened to her agonize over it for months. "I've made my choice," Olivia continued, volume inflecting in her voice. "I have decided to be with Mark." There was a pause, and then her mother just broke into a big smile on her fac