Why did things have to turn out like that? Olivia wanted to return to the carefree life she had two years ago."I'm here. I'm here," he repeated tirelessly.Olivia knew that his tenderness would only last a fleeting moment, and she should keep a distance from him. Yet, she couldn't help wanting to hold onto that tiny, remaining shred of his warmth.She wondered how good everything would be if he were still himself.When Ethan woke up at dawn, he felt someone in his arms before even opening his eyes. Despite all the alcohol he had last night, he figured that nothing would happen to him. His alcohol tolerance was high and he had great self-control.He didn't dare to open his eyes. He had a splitting headache and no recollection of what had happened the night before. It was only after mentally preparing himself that he gave in and opened his eyes. Upon seeing Olivia in his arms, he sighed with relief. However, upon recalling their current situation, he had the urge to shove her off
The bathroom door forcefully flew open, startling Olivia, who was picking up the last strands of her hair. Watching him nervously, she said, "Hey—"Before she could finish, her eyes were attacked by the sight of Ethan's bare, muscular chest. Even though they had spent countless nights together in the past, it made her uncomfortable after not seeing him for over a year. She quickly averted her gaze.Soon, the shadow he cast and his unique scent enveloped her as he approached. Olivia instinctively cowered and stared at him warily. "What are you doing?"Ethan slowly bent over her, his deep, dark gaze eyes falling upon her as he asked, "You said you were sick. How sick?"Olivia didn't know how to feel meeting his inquisitive gaze. His eyes were devoid of mockery, disdain, and aloofness; he genuinely wanted to know about her illness.At this moment, Olivia was conflicted. She suddenly had a thought: if she told Ethan now, would he feel even the slightest bit guilty for what he had done
Olivia found it increasingly difficult to understand him as his temper changed quicker than the weather. He was the one who had demanded a divorce, yet he would fume whenever she brought up the topic. Had his sister's death driven him off the edge of sanity? Was he experiencing early andropause? What a hormonal man!Ethan washed up and left, leaving Olivia lying on the bed with her back facing him. Their past affectionate farewells were nowhere to be heard, and the cold slam of the door was the only thing that filled the air. Olivia was aware of her weak health, so she didn't put up much of a fight. The only thing that hadn't changed was Madam Burgess' kindness. Equipped with an apron and a spatula, she still prepared delicious food for her every day."I brewed a healthy chicken stew for you, Mrs. Miller. Please eat it," Madam Burgess announced softly.With a gentle smile, Olivia replied, "Please make me some fish chowder too, Madam Burgess.”"Alright."Looking at the weather
Engrossed in reading the contents of the document, Olivia was startled by Ethan's sudden appearance. She dropped the files, which scattered all over the floor.Why had he come back so early? Ethan usually only returned home late at night. Although they were married, she was a little ashamed, especially since she knew that Ethan hated it when people schemed behind his back.Olivia swallowed nervously. Her expression was stiff as she said, "Y-You're back."Ethan was clad in a suit and tie, which outlined his tall and slender figure. When his icy gaze fell upon her, Olivia felt like she was trapped in a frozen cellar.He stalked toward her, taking wide strides with his long legs as he leisurely took off his blazer. Having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he carried himself with an air of nobility.Although he was merely removing his clothes, Olivia was so frightened that she nearly lost her composure. She wanted to escape, but her legs seemed to be paralyzed.Before she w
Olivia was dumbfounded. His words struck a chord within her. Ethan was the best example of it. He used to dote on her endlessly, but now he was extremely cruel to her. She couldn't say he had changed. Instead, he was just showing her a different side of him.Since Ethan was like that, Jeff could be too.Olivia countered weakly, "Well, no matter what happened, he wouldn't ... kill someone."Ethan's finger gently brushed Olivia's cheek. He spoke gently as if he was still her lover, but his eyes were devoid of any tenderness."Liv, you're so naïve. Did you also think that I would never leave you?"His words cut Olivia’s heart like a knife. It was true that she had thought that he would never change until she saw him holding Marina at the airport. That was when reality slapped her in the face.Ethan continued, "You've always wanted to know the truth. Today is your lucky day. Jeff didn't want to keep that child, and he didn't want to give Leia a home. The first three months are the
To Olivia, her father was a kind, benevolent man. Besides sponsoring students, he also frequently donated money to charity funds. In all the reports, her father was righteous and humble. He was the perfect man. As Olivia knelt on the ground picking up the scattered documents, her face fell as she flipped through the pages.Clearly, Ethan had done thorough research. Even if those women had only been in a relationship with Jeff for a few days, the evidence was clear. In the span of a decade, Jeff had ruined the lives of multiple women, all of whom were innocent, beautiful, young women.It was not difficult to understand. Jeff was a handsome man. Despite being middle-aged, his regular workouts kept him fit. He was a refined, wealthy, and attractive fatherly figure, which seemed to be a trending archetype. Hence, it was normal that many young girls were attracted to him.However, he seemed to have a thing for those from the countryside or from poor backgrounds. Perhaps it was because
Leia was as important to Ethan as Jeff was to Olivia."I’m not denying that he is a good father, but he is definitely not a good person. Underneath that hypocritical facade lies the heart of a devil. Liv, I won't hide anything from you anymore at this point," Ethan said, down on one knee as he held Olivia's face in his hands. With a maniacal smile, he continued, "You were once everything to me. I loved you to the point of obsession. However, because you are Jeff's only daughter, the more I loved you, the more I hate you now."Although he was smiling, Olivia felt a chill run down her spine. “On the day I fell into the water with Marina, did you intentionally save her first? Did you want our child to pay for the life of your sister's child?"Yes, an eye for an eye."Olivia grabbed his collar with both hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Are you crazy? Our child hadn't even had a chance to see the world yet. What did it do wrong? It was innocent!"Tilting his head, he smil
Tears streamed down Olivia's cheeks. She knew that she and Ethan could never go back to how things were before. He had betrayed her and destroyed the Fordhams, and the Fordhams owed him his sister's life.Those debts could never be settled. Trying to resolve them would only serve to tighten the knots of their relationship, suffocating them and leading to an inevitable end.Ethan held her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his cheeks. "Liv, don't love me. Hate me instead. I betrayed you, I killed our child, and I can never turn back."She sensed his inner turmoil, but amidst that, she could feel the tenderness he still had for her like a calm oasis in a turbulent desert sandstorm. However, she knew that the oasis would soon be destroyed by the raging winds.Ethan left the room, leaving Olivia behind. Olivia knew that this was their final farewell.When Olivia headed out of the study, Madam Burgess was nowhere to be seen. The kind-hearted Madam Burgess had always believ