Olivia's eyes were devoid of happiness as she looked at Ethan. "I don't wanna admit it, but they are your babies."His expression lit up almost instantly. He was happy yet surprised.She added coldly, "And you almost killed them. I will never allow someone like you to become their father.""Sorry, Liv." These days, the only words that come out of Ethan's mouth were apologies."Not everything can be redeemed with an apology. "Ethan, look at my face. This slap isn't from her but from you." Olivia reclined in the chair, exhausted.There had been too much for her body to take in since she was pregnant. She had used up a lot of energy while trying to break free from the nurses' grasp. So, she was all in.It seemed like Ethan believed her, so she didn't want to explain anything to him further.He parted his lips but didn't say anything.Looking at her tired face, he hugged her and sighed. "Liv, I know that you hate me. But I can never bring myself to let you go no matter what hap
Ethan left, and Olivia was depressed.Mona noticed that the faint glint of light in Olivia's eyes vanished. Olivia sat by the window silently. The swell on her cheek finally finally subsided.Her face was pale, and her eyes were glazed over as she looked at the rain outside."Olivia, you must be hungry. The maids have made something. Didn't you say you want some noodles? Why don't you give it a try to see if it's the taste you were craving for?""Leave it. I'm not hungry.""Even so, you gotta have some. Do it for the babies, at least." The babies were the only leverage they could use over Olivia's head. Mona saw that Olivia's fingers moved and hurriedly passed the cutleries to her."Eat it before it gets cold. I tasted it for you without them knowing. It tastes good." Mona stuck her tongue out. "Sorry. Mr. Miller informed us that your meals should be tested before they're served to you."Mona initially wanted to compliment Ethan. But the thought of what had just happened m
Although Olivia managed to keep her babies, Ethan stripped her of the last ray of hope in her life.Now that he knew that he was the father, he wouldn't let her go that easily in the future.However, she was sick of this game.As if she was trapped in a big net, there was nowhere to escape.She neither knew how to take revenge nor saw hope.She couldn't do anything during her pregnancy. The only thing she could do was stroke her belly again and again, praying that it would be a smooth delivery.Olivia's low spirits didn't go unnoticed by Jeff.He could already wander around at home because his legs got better. He didn't need others to support him.It was the early summer, and the temperature was rising. Lying down under a tree, Olivia was getting sleepy and fell asleep.When she woke up, there was a blanket over her. Jeff was waving a fan to shoo the mosquitoes away as he always did when she was a child.Her mother passed away when she was younger, but he gave her all the l
Jeff was in disbelief, which turned into shock and, subsequently, joy. "R-Really?"Jeff became visibly more relaxed. He had thought the relationship between Olivia and Ethan was irreparable. It seemed like he had been overthinking. The two of them were having a child, and it was a good thing. "Why would I lie to you? I'm a little over a month pregnant, with twins, too."Jeff said excitedly, "Great! That's wonderful." Olivia had already lost a child when he was hospitalized from the traffic accident. Even though Olivia would always wear a smile when she visited him, she grew more frail as days went by. It was only natural that Jeff was concerned. He could relax a bit now that she was pregnant with Ethan's babies, and they had been together for a long time. "What has been going on between you and Ethan? Why is he visiting less now that you're pregnant?"Olivia resisted the urge to tell him the truth. After all, the Fordham Family was bankrupt, and Jeff was still recove
Jeff fanned himself and raised his head to look at the sky. "Let me ask you a question. What would I get if I forced her to stay?"Olivia fell silent. Jeff added, "All I would get is resentment. She wouldn't yell at me for it, but she'd ignore me and hate me for the rest of her life. She'd lament the unfairness of the world. Her eyes would become lifeless, and her lips would never smile. "Even if I had her with me in person, I'd never have her heart. The relationship would look fine on the surface but would actually be in ruins. That would've resulted in you having to walk on eggshells during your childhood."I'll never forget how you tried so hard to make her like you. You were still so young. Kids your age had no worries, but you were trying your best to win her favor. And despite your efforts, she still didn't warm up to you. "Sooner or later, you would've become like her if we had remained a family torn by such internal conflicts."A peacock is only beautiful because it ha
First, it was Leia, then it was Jodie. Both times, when Olivia thought she had grasped the truth, she was wrong. Jeff didn't know what had happened. His memories stopped a few years ago. "Olivia, do you have so little faith in me? If I wanted a baby, I would've married her and asked for your permission. I'd only have a baby with her if all the conditions were right. I'd never take having a baby so lightly." If Jeff hadn't told her, Olivia would have held onto the misunderstanding forever. She thought the unformed baby in Jodie's womb was a Fordham. "I thought she liked you. Why would she have someone else's baby, then?"Sighing, Jeff said, "This is why I say young people are too emotional. She was resentful when she left me. So, she went to a bar, got drunk, and did it with someone. Later, I found her and told her how I felt. We found out about the pregnancy shortly after we got together.""What did you think about that?" Olivia asked while looking at Jeff."I won't deny the
Jeff continued, "Olivia, you've been sheltered by me from a young age. You don't know how cruel people can be. Some people will do anything to get status and wealth. When it comes to this, gender doesn't matter.""I know that now.""Back then, I was the one who spent the most time with her. I was the ideal target. I didn't have any bad habits, and I was a dedicated man. She wouldn't have to worry about other women if she married me. Most importantly, I was much older than her. She could inherit my wealth after I passed."She only gave up and tried pursuing another man after I explicitly turned her down. Olivia, do you know who she set her sights on that night?"Olivia felt a chill down her spine. "Who was it?""It was Ethan."Olivia was dumbfounded. "How could it be him?""Jodie was a proud woman. She was probably discontent that she wasn't able to get together with me. Your relationship with Ethan wasn't public, and no one knew he was married. Naturally, there were a lot of wom
Jeff noticed that Olivia was deep in thought and realized he had gone off-topic. "Look at me. I was talking about you and Ethan but ended up talking about myself. Olivia, don't worry. Ethan is a good man. He won't mess around when he's away from home. I had him looked into when you married him. He's always done a good job of keeping his distance from other women." Olivia didn't want to talk about Ethan. "Dad, how much do you know about Jodie?"Jeff wanted to drop the subject but saw that Olivia cared about it. So, he said, "In the beginning, I thought she was a bright and obedient kid. Then, I realized I only saw the tip of the iceberg after I saw what she did. Why did you ask? Did you know her?"Olivia came back to her senses. "It's nothing. I was just curious about your love life, Dad."Jeff smiled gently. "It's all in the past. I want nothing else but to see you happy every day."Jeff seemed to think that Jodie's death was an accident. He knew nothing about what Ethan did