Chapter 3

The moment Emily saw me falter, she smiled smugly, savoring the hit she'd landed. "Did I hit a nerve? I'm only telling the truth."

She flipped her hair and leaned closer. "It eats you up, doesn't it, Olivia? The country girl you always looked down on is sleeping with your husband now."

She hissed, "You and your mom always acted like I was beneath you, like I should be grateful for your hand-me-downs and swallow whatever attitude you gave me.

"You wanted to humiliate me, so I took your man. Her son-in-law."

My eyes went icy. "My mom genuinely wanted to help you. You're the one twisting her kindness and making up crap to excuse how shameless you are."

Emily had been one of Mom's poor students. She stayed with relatives in the city and always wore the same worn-out coat.

Mom had a soft heart, so she bought her clothes and shoes and even gave her things I'd barely worn.

I never imagined she'd see our kindness as humiliation.

"Kindness?" Emily scoffed. "Oh, please. Your mom only helped me so she could brag about how perfect her daughter was compared to me.

"But so what? I still got your man."

Her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "You have no idea. That day, while your mom was asleep, Alex and I were hooking up right beside her bed. You should've seen her face when she woke up. It was hilarious.

"Too bad I couldn't make that old hag drop dead right there."

Something in my head exploded.

Rage shot straight to my head. I spun around, grabbed Emily by the hair, and yanked hard as she screamed.

Her head slammed into the wall.

"How dare you!" Emily screamed.

In her skirt, Emily was no match for me. I pinned her down, and all she could do was scream and curse. "I'm going to make Alex stop your mom's treatment. That old hag will die even faster!"

My eyes blazed red as I slammed her head into the wall again and again. "Let me teach you how to talk properly!"

I didn't care about anything anymore. I wanted her to shut up and pay.

Then a powerful force yanked me away, and a man's voice roared in disbelief. "Olivia, what the hell are you doing?"

I braced myself against the cabinet and glared at Alex, who was furious.

I let out an icy, mocking laugh. "Isn't it obvious? I'm beating the hell out of this bitch."

The second Emily saw Alex, she clutched her bleeding forehead and threw herself into his arms, pointing at me with tears already welling up. I stepped toward her, my eyes cold.

She flinched and hunched her shoulders, too scared to even look up as she covered her face and sniffled.

Alex frowned and shoved me away. "Enough. When is this going to stop?"

I gripped my aching lower back and stared at him coldly. Guilt flashed across his face. "Never. Every time I see her, I'll hit her again. Divorce me, or keep watching her suffer."

Maybe something in my eyes finally got through to him, because for a second, Alex looked panicked.

But then Emily whispered, "Are you playing hard to get, Olivia?"

That snapped Alex out of it, and impatience flickered in his eyes.

"Fine, have it your way. From now on, I'm not lifting a finger for your mom," he threatened, his voice low.

It was laughable.

He still didn't know my mom was already dead?

On second thought, it made sense.

Six months ago, Mom had slapped him in public and called him an ungrateful bastard. After that, Alex never set foot in the hospital again. Whenever a doctor tried to update him on her condition, he chewed them out.

So the doctors stopped calling him and contacted me instead.

They were probably afraid of angering the man paying the bills. No one dared tell him anything.

Alex wrapped an arm around Emily and stood in the doorway, his voice icy. "Olivia, don't come crying to me later."

I smirked. "Get out."

*****

Emily came with Alex the day we finalized our divorce.

Her makeup was flawless, her arm hooked through his as she stood there looking smug and triumphant.

"Olivia, you're late. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now?" Alex frowned at me.

I ignored them and walked straight inside.

I left with nothing. No property, no settlement, nothing to divide, so the divorce was over in no time.

Years ago, Alex had nearly lost his inheritance because he wanted to marry me.

His mother, Fiona Carter, agreed only if I signed a prenup.

I didn't want to make things harder for Alex, so I signed it.

Back then, I was naive enough to think love could overcome anything.

I never imagined the people closest to me would be the ones who hurt me most.

After the paperwork was done, I waited by the curb for a cab.

Emily walked past with her arm linked through Alex's.

She looked at him, but every word was meant for me. "Alex, isn't this great? You're finally free of those two bloodsuckers."

I glanced at her. "Still can't talk properly?"

Her expression stiffened, and she tugged at Alex's arm, trying to leave.

Alex didn't move. Instead, he stared at me. "The imported medical equipment arrived. Too bad it's useless now."

I smiled. "Guess so."

His face darkened slightly. "Olivia, acting tough won't help you. Without my approval, your mom's next treatment isn't happening."

"Mr. Carter," I cut him off coldly. "Same line for years. Never gets old?"

Without another look at his stunned expression, I got into the car and headed for the airport.

Alex stood there watching the car disappear.

At the thought of my calmness, his brows knitted tightly.

He pulled out his phone and called Callen Lewis, my mom's attending physician.

In an icy voice, Alex told him to postpone my mom's treatment, certain it would teach me a lesson.

But Callen stayed silent for a long moment.

Alex was about to lose his temper when a cautious voice came through the phone. "But Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter's mother has already passed away."