“What the fuck!” Olivia screamed at the sight of her husband and her cousin in their bedroom.
She moved closer, doubting whether or not she was seeing things. Verifying that this was really happening, her purse fell from her hand, and her legs weakened.
Her husband got away from the woman he was with. He adjusted his trousers before he walked up to her without an ounce of shame or guilt.
“Bradford,” she tried to speak, but was at a loss for words. Not only was she disappointed, but she was equally shocked.
“Olivia, i–”
Before Bradford could finish his statement, Olivia summoned the courage to slap him, silencing him.
Olivia wasn't just sad, but angry at her husband, who had the guts to bring a woman into their bedroom. She thought he was a different man and trusted him, but he failed her like every other man she had encountered. All they wanted was what she had to offer, not her love.
“Olivia, I don't care if you slap me a hundred times. It is what it is.” His words left her speechless. “Let's get a divorce. I am tired of hiding this from you. I love your cousin, Layla.”
For some reason, his words made tears well up in her eyes. She expected him to go on his knees and beg for her forgiveness like other men. But no! He showed no remorse for his action.
To worsen it, she had just transferred her shares to him, making him the owner of her father's company. She gave him everything, including her money, house, and cars, believing he truly loved her. She never expected this day to come.
For the past three years they had been together, Bradford was always treating her well and making her believe he was the only person she could trust and rely on. For that reason, Olivia opened up to him and gave him everything she had.
“What if I say no?” Her brow raised as she asked. “Actually, I am not getting a divorce,” she firmly opposed, holding back the tears that threatened to pour down.
Bradford chuckled darkly at her words before walking closer to her. She kept drifting back until her back was against the wall.
He leaned in close to her. “Olivia, will you sign the divorce letter or would you prefer I strangle you to death without anyone knowing?”
Hearing his words, fear instilled inside of her. She knew Bradford was not a man who went back on his word; he was a man of his word. “I… will… sign… it…” she stammered, hoping not to get hurt by Bradford.
“Fine,” he said with a sly smile before turning to face Layla, who had been watching them. “Babe, can you get me the divorce letter?”
“Sure.” Layla's voice echoed.
In no time, she walked up to them with the divorce letter, the duvet wrapped around her chest.
“What are you waiting for, Olivia? Won't you sign it?” Layla asked, stretching the divorce letter and a pen to Olivia.
Olivia felt defeated as she received the divorce letter from her cousin instead of her husband. She read the document with tears streaming down her face.
She raised her gaze to look at Bradford, staring into his eyes. His green eyes, which used to look at her lovingly, were now cold, staring at her like she was the most despicable thing in the world.
“Do you really have to do this? Is this a divorce or a scam?” Olivia asked sadly.
“Do what?” He asked, sounding as if he had no idea what she meant.
She hesitated before speaking, tears streaming down freely. “Why does it say I am getting nothing from you? Including everything I gave you? Why do I have to be the one losing everything? Can't we just go our separate ways without destroying each other?”
Bradford burst into laughter at her words. He turned to Layla, who was anticipating what the almighty Olivia would do. “Layla, can that happen?” He asked her, sounding like this was actually fun.
‘It must be fun for both of them. Maybe this was their plan from the beginning,’ Olivia thought. No matter how she tried to remain strong like the lady her father raised her to be, she kept breaking down.
“Why should it happen? Did she allow my father, who worked hard for the success of the company, to have the company?” Layla retorted before she took a few steps closer to Olivia. “Girl, things don't always go as you wish; remember that.”
“Will you sign the document or not? Layla and I have unfinished business to finish,” Bradford said, licking his lips seductively.
She took a deep breath, trying not to hurt herself further because Bradford didn't deserve it. She picked up the pen and signed the document.
After she was done signing the document, she handed it back to him. “The both of you are only helping me keep what is mine safe. I will come back for it,” she informed them.
“Until then, honey,” Layla whispered in Olivia's ear, feeling victorious.
She had never won Olivia anything. Education, business, creativity, luck, name it all, Olivia has always been on top. How sad it would be for Mr. Jaylen to see his dear daughter lose her man to her cousin.
“Olivia, what are you waiting for? Won't you excuse us? Layla and I still have rounds to go,” Bradford reminded her, sounding naughty and pleased.
Just as much as she regretted ever meeting a scoundrel like him, she would regret not taking her revenge on him. She clenched her teeth before she walked out of the room weakly.
She headed out of her own house with one more glare, wishing everything was a dream, but it was too vivid to doubt if it was really happening.
Just as she stepped out of her magnificent mansion, heavy rain began to pour down on her. She closed her eyes and allowed her tears to stream down, wishing the rain would wash away her pain. She wished that by the end of this rain, she would no longer feel pain.
“Olivia, are you really fine?” Her friend, Annabelle, asked worriedly. After the night that she got divorced, she couldn't think of anywhere to go aside from her friend's place. She caught a cold and wouldn't tell her friend what happened. “I am,” she managed to reply, as if those two words were forced out of her mouth. Annabelle placed her hand on Olivia's forehead to feel her temperature. Her temperature was warm compared to two days ago when she came knocking on her door, looking soaked. “Olivia, you aren't okay. Stop pretending to yourself,” Annabelle said. She knew her friend would never share her problem with anyone except she was at the verge of dying. Unable to keep lying, Olivia decided to tell everything to Annabelle. She explained how she caught Bradford, how shameless he was, and everything that transpired between them. Annabelle ruffled her long black hair as if she were the one treated that way. “Fuck! Girl, how could you keep such a thing to yourself?”“What can I
“Grandma, what is this family dinner about?” Dario, the youngest grandson of old Grandma Katherine, asked curiously, interrupting the silent dinner. It was unusual for their family to dine together unless there was an announcement to make. Atlas, the eldest grandson, paused to hear his mother's response. He knew there was no important announcement to make aside from announcing who she was going to hand over the company to. “I called everyone, including your brother, Alden, who just returned from Country D, to announce who I was going to hand over the company to,” the old woman replied before she continued eating. Atlas chuckled at his grandma's words. Every action she took was unpredictable. Wasn't it obvious that he was the one she was going to hand over the company to? Was there any need to inform his brothers instead of announcing it to the press?“Atlas, why did you laugh? What is so funny about my words?” She asked with a serious look on her face. Atlas hesitated before he r
His question caught her off guard. He sounded cold, yet he smiled as if she was joking. “Why did you want to marry me?” He repeated the same question, making her snap out of her thoughts. She drifted back and sat upright. “I want your help. I want you to help me take revenge on my ex-husband,” she said, finding it unbelievable that Bradford was now her ex-husband. “You are so funny. You are a perfect fit for a comedy role,” he said, staring at her brown eyes. “For real, how does your revenge have anything to do with me marrying you?”“I learned your grandma wants to hand over the company to you if you get married. Won't it be a win-win for the both of us? I get revenge on my ex-husband, and you get the company, then we get divorced after some months,” she proposed. Amused by her words, he smiled darkly. He had never seen a lady propose a contract marriage. It was always men doing it. This was his first time. “Why are you not straightforward with your words?” He asked before he mo
“Annabelle, I messed up,” Olivia said, blaming herself. She couldn't overcome the feeling of stupidity that overwhelmed her. She forgot the dialogues she had learned from movies and dramas and the ones Annabelle had taught her. She remembered everything the moment she arrived at Annabelle's apartment. Annabelle chuckled at Olivia's reaction. Somehow, she felt happy about the fact that Olivia was recovering from the heartbreak. “You sounded more like yourself, girl,” Annabelle paused. “There is no need to beat yourself up over it. If it doesn't go well, we can look for another man,” she assured Olivia. “No. I prefer Alden. He is a simple guy, unlike other men I have met,” she protested against Annabelle's words. “Okay, no problem. You can try—”Annabelle's statement was cut off by the sudden ringing of Olivia's phone. Olivia hesitated before picking up the call, wondering who the caller might be. “I am Mr. Kendrick's secretary. I am calling to inform you that my boss would like t
“Why did you do that, Layla?” Her father, Dante, asked disappointedly. He knew how ambitious his daughter was, but stealing his niece's husband? It was a no-no for him. Even though he had his eyes on that company, he would never do anything that would hurt Olivia. Layla burst into laughter at her father's question. She let go of her phone and walked up to him. “Dad, what did I do wrong? Why are you questioning me like I killed someone?” She asked sarcastically. Dante ruffled his dark brown hair at Layla's words. “Layla! Don't you dare play with me! I asked, Why did you steal your cousin's man?”She bit her lips at how frustrating her father was becoming. “If you are going to be the angel or the devil, choose one and stop confusing me! You want that damn company, don't you?” Her question came as a harsh truth to her father. He wanted that company more than anyone else. He had worked so hard for the past two decades to impress his brother, hoping his brother would hand over the com
“Why the hell are you all taking photos and videos of my friend? Do you all have a death wish?” Chloe barked at everyone taking videos and pictures of Layla. This was her first time. Layla had never been embarrassed or framed before, she was always the one doing those things. She finally had a taste of how it felt to be in that position. She desperately wished the ground could open and swallow her. Not only was her reputation at stake, but so was the company she finally got from Olivia. Of course, the BOD would never support or accept the father of a whore, a liar, and a she-devil as their CEO. She regretted ever attending the party when she knew there were now a lot of things to protect. “Chloe, you don't have to waste your strength because they will publish everything that happened here the moment they all stepped out of this party hall,” Layla said weakly after everyone left, excluding Chloe, Olivia, and herself. Olivia, who was watching Layla with a bright smile on her face w
“Kenny, have you caught the thief?” Alden's cold voice echoed in the room as he inquired. Kenny hesitated before he replied, “Yes. Our tech team tracked down the car, while our boys did the rest of the work.”“Where is he now?” Alden asked, sounding a little calmer compared to earlier. He knew that if he failed his client, not only would he be in trouble, but his family would also be in trouble. Thanks to Kenny, that won't happen. “He is in our disciplinary room,” Kenny informed him, his gaze glued to the ground. He knew that if he made any mistake, Alden would direct his anger at him. “Thank you, man,” Alden said, and patted his shoulder slightly before he left the company. He drove off to a shabby building that was built in the middle of an abandoned land. The land belonged to his mother. No one knew about it aside from him because he was the only one his mother informed about the land before she died. It took him thirty minutes before he arrived at the building. He alighted fr
After an hour, Alden arrived at the mansion. He parked and alighted from his car before he headed into the living room. He had bad feelings about this from the start. He was beginning to regret not following Kenny's words until he saw Olivia smiling with old grandma Katherine who hardly smiled at strangers. “Olivia, let's talk!”Olivia smiled faintly before she stood up and walked up to him. He dragged her to the corner of the living room before he began questioning her. “Why are you here without my permission, Miss Jaylen?” His voice was cold, sounding as if they were strangers. At least she expected him to be a little bit kinder; after all, they got married three years ago. She hesitated before she replied, “Your grandmother requested my presence. I couldn't turn down her invitation because I feel—”“Fine! What did she ask you? What did you both talk about?” He asked, looking like a different person. “We just talked over tea. Just girls talk,” she paused. “I bought you some tim