Chapter 2
I said, "Since you're all staying at this postpartum center together, let's make sure to take extra good care of the family's star here.
"Olivia is the center of my husband's world, his true love. He even filed for divorce, all so she could finally be officially crowned as his wife.
"Honestly, their love story is so moving, isn't it? I bet you all feel it too."
After I finished speaking, one of the new moms shot Olivia a look that was downright chilling.
This postpartum center charged a 70 thousand dollars deposit, so the only people who could afford to have their babies here were either the wives of rich families or the mistresses of rich men.
But most of those mistresses wouldn't flaunt it like Olivia did.
After all, they all had their own unspoken rules. Some wanted money, others connections.
Olivia was the odd one out. She wanted love.
After all, in those long, dramatic messages Olivia kept sending me, she never missed a chance to insist that Michael didn't love me anymore. He only had eyes for her.
Apparently, I was the real homewrecker here, the one ruining their epic love story.
She even said I should get out of their way.
Mistresses were already disgusting.
But someone like Olivia, always showing off and acting all high and mighty? She was even more unbearable. Just looking at her makes me want to roll my eyes.
One of the new moms stood up, sounding annoyed. "A mistress actually has the guts to play the wife, calling someone else's husband hers. Aren't you afraid you'll get hit with a bigamy charge?"
Another woman stood up. "Seriously? Does this place not check who they let in? If you keep letting mistresses waltz in here, I'll have my husband pull his investment and watch this place go under."
Just then, the manager of the postpartum center hurried over.
"Everyone, please calm down. Let's all go back and rest for now," she said.
Once the other new moms left, it was just me and Olivia.
She looked at me, her face streaked with tears.
"Are you satisfied now?" Olivia asked.
Satisfied? Me?
Just this? She thought I'd settle for this?
No way.
In my world, anyone who messed with me had to pay through their nose.
This was nothing.
I sat down and grabbed Olivia's hand. "You're only twenty-four. You really haven't thought things through. You think I came here because I'm jealous or mad, to make a scene?"
She looked at me. "Aren't you?"
I smiled and pinched her cheek. "Seriously, you're so naive. No wonder Michael can't get enough of you."
She tried to pull away, but I gave her cheek an extra hard pinch.
I said, "Why would I ever be jealous of a side chick like you? You've got no title, no real money. Every dollar in your hand? If I feel like it, I can drag you to court and claim it all back as marital assets.
"And you really think Michael splitting everything with me means anything? Without a notarized contract, it's empty talk. The court won't acknowledge it."
I stared her down. "If you want to play the mistress game, at least know your own worth and recognize who you're up against. You're way out of your league."
I glanced at the baby. "That kid's got your looks, and Michael's. How hideous."
Olivia shot up, grabbed me by the collar, her face twisted with rage.
"What did you just say?" she yelled.
I smiled. "I said the kid looks like you and Michael. He's seriously ugly."
Smack!
*****
Olivia slapped me hard across the face.
I went along with the blow and fell to the ground.
Emily, who'd been waiting outside, burst in right on cue.
"Did you just hit Susan?" Emily shouted.
Emily didn't hesitate. She whipped out her phone and dialed 911.
Olivia jabbed a finger at me, practically shaking with anger. "She called my baby ugly. She started it, not me."
Emily fired back, "She didn't lay a finger on you. And let's get this straight: you're the side chick who had a baby, and the real wife still showed up to celebrate.
"That's way more than you deserve. And you hit her?"
Olivia's face drained of color the second she realized Emily was already dialing 911.
"Please, don't call the police. I'm begging you, don't," she pleaded.
But Emily had already rattled off the address and hung up, not giving her a chance.
"Begging me won't do you any good," Emily said.
Emily shot me a look, and I had to fight back a grin.
It wasn't long before the cops showed up.
I insisted on going to the hospital for a medical exam, and Emily, my lawyer, headed to the station with the police to handle the paperwork.
I got a full checkup at the hospital.
Turned out one of my teeth was loose. Looked like that was enough for a minor injury claim.
That meant Olivia could get arrested.
Emily really put on a dramatic performance at the precinct. "My client is Michael Grant's real wife. She went out of her way to congratulate Olivia after she gave birth.
"For someone who's been betrayed in her own marriage, that's already above and beyond. And Olivia still had the nerve to hit her."
After Emily finished, the officer's face looked pretty grim.
His attitude toward Olivia got a lot more strict.
Olivia kept whining that I insulted her.
But a middle-aged woman who was minding her own business nearby snorted.
"Back in the old days, they'd have you stoned for this. If you're gonna be a mistress, suck it up and deal with it. If you want respect, maybe don't be a homewrecker in the first place," the woman said.
Olivia shot up from her seat, her face burning with anger.
"You—!" Olivia sputtered.
The woman fired right back, "You had the guts to be a mistress, now have the guts to face it. Playing the side chick but can't take people talking? Give me a break."
The cops had to step in and hold them apart, or that woman really would've gone after Olivia.
Emily snapped a photo and sent it to me.
I'd just finished my checkup and was chilling in the hospital hallway, munching on a sandwich, feeling pretty damn pleased with myself.
Right then, my phone buzzed with a message from Michael.
He typed: [What are you trying to do? Why did you have to go make a scene at the postpartum center?]
Make a scene at the postpartum center?
He kept spamming me with messages, but I ignored every single one.
An hour later, I finally replied: [Not only am I making a scene, I'm also sending your precious Olivia straight to the police station.]