Chapter 3

After sending the message, I headed back home.

I gazed at the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

With quiet resolve, I took it down, cutting it into pieces before scattering them across the floor.

By the time Edward returned, I was already packing.

Without a word, I handed him the divorce papers. "Sign it, Edward."

I turned away, refusing to meet his eyes, and rose to leave.

But as I moved, the room spun, and darkness swallowed me whole.

I woke in a hospital room, surrounded by the Hawthornes.

Ashley clutched my hand, her voice urgent. "Olivia, why didn't you tell us you were pregnant?"

The word "pregnant" echoed emptily in my mind.

All those months of hope, of counting days—now nothing but a bitter irony.

*****

Because I was pregnant, Edward and I couldn't go through with the divorce. I heard Grace had been sent away.

For a while, Edward seemed to return to the man I once loved.

The night before I left for Harbor City, for some reason, my heart was restless. I opened the door to Edward's study.

I found him staring out the window, a long ash hanging from his cigarette—a telltale sign of his agitation.

Neither of us said a word.

The next day, my longtime rival Jonathan invited me to Harbor City to discuss a partnership.

Reluctant at first, I agreed—Edward was there too, after all.

The negotiation with Jonathan went surprisingly smoothly.

After signing the agreement, he leaned back lazily, his phone lighting up with a notification.

He glanced at his phone and gave a mischievous smirk.

"Ms. Sterling, want to watch the show? It's happening right next door. Promise, it'll be worth your while."

In the VIP lounge next door, Edward and Grace were seated front and center.

Everyone was showering them with compliments. "Mr. Hawthorne, you and your wife are so in love. Even here in Harbor City, you never leave your wife's side."

I pulled myself together and pushed the door open.

The laughter and chatter stopped on a dime as everyone turned their attention to me.

My gaze locked onto Edward. "What a coincidence. I just finished next door with Mr. Royce and heard you were here. Thought I'd say hello, Mr. Hawthorne."

Lifting my glass, I offered him a cool toast. "Mr. Hawthorne, it's been a while."

Then, smiling politely at the others, I added, "Olivia Sterling, of Sterling Enterprises. A pleasure to meet you all. I hope we might work together someday."

I took a sip, set the glass down, and turned to leave. "I won't intrude further."

Behind me, Grace's eyes burned into my back, her nails digging into her palm. But a faint smile touched her lips.

Jonathan let out a low laugh. "Still the same Olivia. Still refusing to take a loss, huh?"

I glanced back with a faint smile. "You flatter me, Mr. Royce. Pleasure doing business."

In the car, I directed the driver home.

Then I called my lawyer, Michael Warren.

"Mr. Warren, draft me a divorce agreement," I said.

As I ended the call, rubbing my temples, a sudden glare of headlights blinded me.

The car swerved violently.

I gripped the armrest for dear life. Then impact.

My vision started to blur, fading in and out.

I struggled to open the car door and dragged myself out.

With trembling hands, I dialed Edward. "Edward, I've been—"

Before I could finish, Grace's voice filtered through the receiver, and the call went dead.

I tried again and again, refusing to give up.

Each time, the call was hung up on me.

Rain soaked my face as the memory surfaced—his vow on our wedding day. "I'll never hang up on you."

Some promises, it seemed, had an expiration date.

Just then, my phone lit up.

It was a message from Grace: a photo of her and Edward in a heated kiss, followed by words that cut deeper than glass: [Olivia, looks like you lost. He ditched you again.]

I was gulping for air, struggling to breathe.

The ache in my chest was so overwhelming that I barely noticed the pain in my body.

Curled on the wet ground, vision fading, I barely made out a figure rushing toward me through the rain and blur of light. "Olivia!"