Chapter 3

Mike said that it was pouring rain that day, and Richard stood at the Green family's gate for two hours, not even bothering with an umbrella.

Olivia finally came out to see him, and the first thing she said was to tell him to leave.

The Green family's finances were on the brink, and only marrying into a powerful family could save their business.

And at that time, the Grant family was struggling to stay afloat themselves.

Olivia married decisively and headed overseas with her husband, embracing a carefree new life.

Richard was left standing there, dazed and heartbroken, nursing his wounds in solitude.

Not long after, Charles passed away.

They met again at the funeral, but any warmth between them had long faded. They were reduced to nothing more than the polite small talk of strangers.

Later, Richard also married up.

At a party, Victoria Lane, the heiress of a powerful business family, fell head over heels for Richard, who was working multiple jobs just to pay off his debts.

Mike sighed, "The only reason the Grant family managed to get back on our feet was because of all the help from Ms. Lane's side.

"And you know, Mr. Grant is a real softie when it comes to love. After they got married, he spoiled Ms. Lane rotten. He wouldn't let her lift a finger or suffer even a little. Seriously, everyone was jealous."

But pampering someone didn't always mean you loved them. Sometimes it was just a sense of obligation.

I couldn't help but shake my head to myself. So Victoria really was trying to claim the title of "the one true love."

But here's what I was wondering: normally, after years of basically being strangers, there was no way the two of them could just pick up like old friends.

And yet, Richard had actually driven all the way to the airport to pick her up himself. He'd even let her crash at his place.

*****

It didn't take long for the mystery to clear up.

Victoria's socialite friends showed up one after another, each one more dramatic than the last, their nonstop chatter giving me a headache.

I couldn't be bothered to fake a smile, so I pulled the classic "bathroom break" move and slipped out to the garden to chill for a bit.

I had just settled onto a bench and was about to check my phone when I heard voices from the patio.

It was Richard and Olivia.

Quickly, I slipped behind a thick boxwood hedge, ready for a front-row seat to whatever was going on.

But then I found I wasn't the only one hiding here.

It was Victoria. She was supposed to be chatting with her friends, but instead, she was squatting there in the least elegant way possible, trying to listen in.

We caught each other's eyes, instantly awkward.

Olivia finally broke the silence. Her voice was deliberately frail and a whisper, honestly more convincing than any sick act I had ever faked to get out of classes.

"Rich... I know if I hadn't pretended to be terminally ill, you wouldn't have given me a second thought," she said. "You must really hate me in all these years."

Richard just stayed silent.

She continued, tears streaming down her face before she quickly wiped them away. "But I had my reasons back then. Both our families were in trouble, and I had to consider everyone's future. That is why I had no choice but to marry someone else."

She paused, then delivered another emotional blow. "The truth is, I already had feelings for you then. I just didn't want to hurt Charles, so I kept them buried. But fate had other plans.

"If I could do it all over again, I would not hesitate for a second. I would run straight to you."

Olivia was busy playing the saint, portraying herself as the one who always put the greater good first and sacrificed her own happiness.

At the same time, she was pouring her heart out, confessing her feelings with all the passion she could muster.

Honestly, what guy could withstand such an all-out confession from his first love?

But Richard remained completely unmoved.

Olivia was crying like her heart was breaking, so delicate and pitiful that it tugged at my heartstrings. "And my ex-husband was terrible to me. He cheated on me constantly, and whenever he lost his temper, he'd hit me and scream at me..."

Richard, his voice tight with barely contained anger, demanded, "Then why didn't you reach out to me? I could've helped you."

Olivia closed her eyes, her face etched with sorrow and a kind of fragile despair. "I just couldn't do it, I really couldn't! You had a wife, a child. How could I bear to intrude on your life and happiness?

"But whenever I was struggling to find happiness in a foreign land, it was always thoughts of you that kept me going. Just remembering your smile was like a light in the darkness, giving me hope all over again.

"Rich, it's been ages since you smiled at me... Could you smile for me, just this once?"

Richard didn't even crack a smile, but I couldn't help snickering. She was really milking this for all it was worth.

Finally, Richard let out a weary sigh. "Olivia, let's just leave the past in the past."

For a moment, I felt a surge of relief and was ready to call him the king of common sense.

But then he completely flipped the script. "I promised Charles I would always look out for you. Now that he is gone, you are like my own little sister. We're family. If you ever need anything, just say the word."

I was so flustered I nearly jumped out from behind the bench. Seriously, what was this? He would not take her back, but he was basically offering her a permanent spot in his home?

Olivia clearly was not having it. She grabbed Richard's hand, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, "But I do not want to be your sister. Do you know what I regret most in my whole life?

"It is leaving you standing there in the rain that night. I keep thinking, if I had just been a little more selfish and run off with you, maybe I would not have had to see you end up with someone else.

"Rich, I get it. You blame me for letting you slip away, don't you? But I swear, I will not let you slip through my fingers ever again."

Richard was silent for a long moment. "Olivia, I don't blame you. I let it go a long time ago." With that, he turned and walked away.

Olivia hurried after him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, her voice full of longing and desperation. "Rich, is there really no way for us to go back to how things used to be?"

Richard froze for a second and then gently pried her hands off him.