Chapter 3

Olivia was always flying off the handle, acting without thinking, and blurting out whatever crossed her mind.

She completely destroyed whatever little pity Harley still had for her.

But me? I came fully prepared.

I hit the spa beforehand, slipped into the latest couture fresh off the runway, and picked a quiet café with just the right vibe.

Colin's report had Chloe's whole story laid out for me in black and white. I could size up her entire life in a single glance.

She practically threw herself at Harley when he came to give a speech at her university. She was forward.

Her family was dirt poor. Her dad was a gambling addict who'd done time. She ran wild as a troublemaker all through high school.

Honestly, she turned out even more low-class than I'd expected.

But even with all that info in hand, when I saw her face across from me, I still froze for a moment.

She was the spitting image of Olivia, even with that faint little mole under her eye.

Those knowing glances from the wedding guests flashed through my mind.

And Harley's friends used to call me "Little Olivia" when they thought I wasn't listening.

After we got married, I went out of my way to look nothing like Olivia, desperate to escape her shadow.

But Chloe looked even more like Olivia than I ever did.

I couldn't help but feel how ridiculous this whole thing was.

Seriously? How was that even possible?

Chloe dropped into her seat, her arms folded, and waved off the coffee the waiter suggested.

"Just bring me some warm milk," she said.

She arched her brow at me. "Cat got your tongue? Weren't you the one who wanted this talk?"

She showed up with no makeup at all. Just her bare face.

A loose cotton slip dress draped over her skin, which was firm and radiant.

Even that pink hair, the kind that usually needs a ton of makeup to avoid looking washed out, looked perfectly natural on her.

I caught my own reflection in the glass. My flawless look owed everything to layers of makeup.

My fingers instinctively tightened, but I still slid the bank card I'd prepared across the table.

I said, "There's 1.5 million dollars on it. Should be enough..."

Enough for her whole family to hit the jackpot and live large overnight.

Chloe laughed, "Seriously, lady? You think I'm some street beggar you toss scraps to?"

"Do you even know how much Harley gives me every month?" She smirked.

For seven years, Harley made sure I lived comfortably, never letting me want for anything.

He used to say, "Just be happy and play your part as Mrs. Frost."

Aside from attending important events with him, I was never involved in anything else.

I had no idea about his company's finances or any changes in ownership.

I forced myself to keep my cool, ignoring the taunting expression on Chloe's face.

"How long do you think your relationship with him will really last?" I asked.

"Ambition's not a bad thing. But with this kind of mess? It's not exactly smart," I added.

Chloe let out a sudden laugh.

She laughed so hard that her eyes were brimming with tears, and the way she looked at me was like I was a joke.

She snorted. "Such a saint... haha. Janice, don't tell me you've already forgotten how you got to be Mrs. Frost?"

Chloe finally straightened up after laughing for a good while.

She rested her hand on her stomach. "You and me? We're different."

Chloe had no makeup on. Her pink hair was growing out. She just sat there sipping warm milk.

If one looked closely, they could see a slight bump beneath that loose cotton dress.