Chapter 4
As soon as I walked in, I saw Helen sitting on the couch, her face as dark as the bottom of a pot. And to my surprise, Monica was there, too.
She wore a light-colored dress, sitting next to James, as if she'd been the lady of the house for years, even if she never had the title.
When she saw me, she jumped up. "Olivia, don't get the wrong idea. Mrs. Carter was worried James couldn't explain things on his own, so she asked me to come along."
I ignored her and walked straight over to Mary.
As soon as Mary saw me, her eyes turned red, and she grabbed my hand, refusing to let go.
"Olivia, I know everything now. I'm so sorry for what you've been through," she said.
For a moment, I felt my throat was stuffed with wet cotton. I could barely get a word out.
That was the first time since last night that anyone had said something decent to me.
I crouched down and gave Mary a small smile. "Mary, I'm fine."
Helen, standing off to the side, chimed in with a sarcastic tone, "Don't just feel sorry for her. Have you seen what's blowing up online?
"James's company stock dropped three points this morning, and she's still clinging to the divorce. Isn't she stirring up more drama?"
Mary looked up and gave her a sharp, cutting glare.
"Shut up," she snapped.
Helen didn't dare say another word.
Mary patted my hand and then turned to James, her face darkening.
"Answer me this. Who fell into the water last night?" she demanded.
James stood there, steady as ever. "Olivia and Monica."
"And who did you save?" Mary pressed.
"Monica," he said.
"Why?" Mary snapped.
James paused for a few seconds and said, "I thought Olivia could swim."
Mary was so furious that her hands were shaking. She lifted her cane and whacked him with it.
"You thought? Seriously? After three years of marriage, you don't even know if Olivia can swim? All you did was assume?" she snapped.
The cane hit the floor next to James's leg with a dull thud.
Monica's eyes were teary as she stepped forward. "Mrs. Carter, it's all my fault. Please don't blame James. He was trying to save me."
"You, too, shut up," Mary said coldly, gazing at Monica. "This is the Carter Family's business. It's not for you to interfere."
Monica's face went pale.
Helen wasn't happy. "Mary, that's a bit much. Monica's a victim, too."
Mary didn't even bother to look at her. "A victim? Would a victim spend the night with another woman's husband and then share photos for everyone in town to see?"
That one sentence left both Helen and Monica frozen in place.
It turned out even Mary saw that photo.
James's face darkened, too.
Mary turned to me, her voice softening. "Olivia, I won't stop you. If you can't go on, divorce him. Do what you want. The Carter Family let you down, not the other way around."
My eyes stung with tears.
Helen panicked. "Mary."
"Shut up," Mary snapped. "When Riverstone was struggling, Olivia's dad swallowed his pride to get your son the money he needed.
"Olivia stuck with James through the toughest times. Now the company's finally doing well, and you're acting like she's the problem?"
The living room went dead silent.
Monica glanced at me, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something unfamiliar in her eyes.
She probably never expected that the "Ms. Bennett" and "rich lady" everyone talked about wasn't just a decorative wife who spent her days shopping and sipping coffee.
James looked at me, his expression complicated.
He'd always known about all this.
But knowing didn't mean he remembered.
And it sure didn't mean he cherished it.
I gently squeezed Mary's hand and stood up.
"Divorce or not, Mary, I'll still come see you," I said.
I turned to James. "You had three days, but I've changed my mind.
"Get it signed and hand it over to me tonight."
James's eyes darkened. "Olivia."
"Don't say my name," I said, my voice so calm it even surprised me. "Ever since you jumped in to hold her, you lost any right to talk to me that way."
I turned to leave, but Monica suddenly called out from behind. "Olivia."
I stopped in my tracks.
Her voice was barely above a whisper, like she'd finally worked up the courage. "If you're divorcing James because of me, I'll feel guilty about it."
I turned back to her and smiled. "Guess you'll have to live with that guilt for the rest of your life."
As I stepped out of Carter Manor, I saw David's car waiting outside.
He was dressed simply today, white shirt and black pants, leaning against the car door like he already knew tonight was going to be rough.
After I got in, he handed me a file.
He said, "I had someone dig up the preliminary evidence from the cruise that night. The media didn't leak the video.
"It came from a private account run by a marketing team. The team behind it is tied to the agency Monica joined after she came back."
I took the file, my fingers tightening around it.
"So, that trending topic last night wasn't some random accident," I said.
"At least how things blew up afterward wasn't," David replied. "Someone made you look like the wife who got dumped for your husband's first love."
I flipped through a couple more pages, and any last bit of hope I had was gone.