Chapter 4
Edward and I got married later on. When I was pregnant with Lily, I had brutal morning sickness and could barely eat a thing.
Edward always came home way past midnight after long surgeries.
Even dead tired from work, he would still get up in the early morning hours to make mild oatmeal to settle my stomach and rub my sore calves.
He really loved me back then.
That was why he ended up in a horrific car accident for my sake.
He was left completely paralyzed and confined to bed after the accident. Barely ten days later, I pressured him into signing divorce papers.
I went on to marry his half-brother, Michael Grant, and that was the root of his deep hatred for me.
He resented me so fiercely that he didn't hide his wish for me to die.
*****
I snapped back to reality and found my soul had followed Edward into the bedroom.
After he tucked Lily into bed, he sat quietly on the edge of the bed, zoning out.
Earlier in front of the media, he'd looked disgusted and furious at the mention of me, calling me out for abandoning my family. But right now, his eyes were empty and distant, and he looked strangely lost.
He sat there in silence for a long time before pulling out his phone and opening a photo.
It was the last photo my mom had taken of me after I died.
The photo on his phone was a little blurrier than the one my mom had saved, and the frame showed half a car window and a glimpse of my mom's hand.
I had no idea when he'd secretly snapped a photo of the picture on her phone.
He zoomed in slowly, focusing the picture on the skin near my left elbow.
I suddenly remembered I had a burn scar right there on my arm.
I'd burned myself with a cigarette once, and the scar had never faded.
I'd been struggling with severe depression not long before my divorce from Edward.
One night, I sat by Lily's bed and suddenly wanted to try smoking. I lit a cigarette, but Lily's crying pulled me out of my numb state.
My emotions spiraled out of control all at once, and I pressed the lit cigarette hard against my left arm.
Edward walked in right at that moment.
He first saw my tear-streaked, messed-up face. Then his eyes dropped to my arm and the burning cigarette pressed into my skin.
His expression shifted suddenly, his eyes blazing red as he lunged toward me.
He snatched the cigarette out of my hand and pulled me into a tight hug. His tears fell on my skin, burning hot.
His voice cracked with pain as he spoke, "Talk to me, Olivia. Please. What's going on with you?"
I opened my mouth to answer him, but my mind drifted back to the past. I thought about how a single slap from a vengeful defendant had made Edward beat him into permanent disabling injuries.
I thought about how he'd spent six months in jail for standing up for me.
What happened to me this time was way worse than that old incident. I could imagine what crazy things he'd do if he knew the full truth of what I'd been through.
My life was already messy and broken enough. I couldn't risk losing Edward too, and Lily still needed her dad around.
He held me firmly in his arms, and we stayed there trapped in heavy, endless silence.
Edward sat by the bed, staring intently at the part of the photo where my scar was.
But my clothes covered that spot entirely, so there was no way to see the scar.
I might have been overthinking it, but his eyes looked a little red.
He stayed focused on the photo for a long time.
After a while, he eventually shook off his daze and let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh. "No way. I'm going crazy."
He put his phone down, but quickly picked it up again and texted my mom. [Bring the body over early tomorrow. I have a company meeting later.]
*****
Early the next morning, my mom brought my body over.
Edward acted completely unfazed and had his staff move my body straight to the basement.
He didn't even lift a finger to help.
After everything was taken care of, my mom walked back up to Edward. She looked nervous and spoke carefully, "She's important to Olivia. Please take good care of her, Mr. Grant."
Edward never looked up and let out a cold chuckle. "Plenty of people are important to her."
His words were full of sarcasm, judging me for leaving my family while prioritizing other people.
My mom looked worn out and was about to argue, but she closed her dry mouth the second Lily walked downstairs.
She chose not to say anything, afraid of scaring the child with a conflict.
Edward spoke again in a flat, cold tone, "Have Olivia come pick her up at 7 PM in two days."
My mom nodded. She glanced toward the basement, her eyes bloodshot and tired.
She kept repeating her request, unable to hide how worried she was. "Thank you so much for this, Mr. Grant. Please do your utmost. She means everything to Olivia."
Edward frowned, clearly annoyed by her constant pleading.
My mom pushed down her worry and turned to leave, walking slowly and weakly.