Even After Death

Chapter 4

Chloe Parker had left when Olivia was eight.

It was Jeff’s birthday, and Olivia had been in high spirits, eager to return home and celebrate herfather’s birthday with her family. She never knew that what awaited her was her parents’ divorce.

Olivia had chased after her mother, scrambling down the stairs and falling. She did not even realizethat she had lost her shoes. All she cared about was clinging onto her mother’s legs and crying, “Mom,don’t go!”

The graceful woman bent down, stroked Olivia’s cheeks, and said, “I’m sorry.”

“Mom, I’m first in my grade. You haven’t seen my test papers yet. You have to sign them. Don’t leaveme, Mom. I’ll be a good girl. I promise I won’t go to any more fun fairs. I won’t make you mad. I’ll listento you. Please …”

Hastily, young Olivia blubbered everything she could think of in hopes of making Chloe stay. In the end,Chloe simply told Olivia that her marriage with Olivia’s father was not a happy one and that she hadfound her true happiness elsewhere.

Later, Olivia watched as a man she had never met helped Chloe place her luggage in a car, and theyboth left while holding each other’s hands. She chased after their car for a mile without wearing anyshoes before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Her feet and knees were scraped, and they bled as she stared at the gradually diminishing outline ofthe car that she could never reach.

At that time, she could not understand what had happened. Now that she was grown up, she knew thatit was because her mother had been caught cheating on her father and simply decided to file for adivorce, leaving him with everything, including Olivia herself.

Chloe had never contacted Olivia, and the latter hated her with every fiber of her being. She evenhoped that she would never have to meet Chloe again.

However, fate worked in mysterious ways, and Olivia could do nothing to stop it. Her throat went dryand her feet turned to lead.

Chloe knew what was on her daughter’s mind. She approached Olivia and pulled her to sit beside her.“I know you hate me. You were very young back then. Lots of things weren’t as simple as they seemed,so I wasn’t able to explain them to you.”

She caressed Olivia’s cheeks and continued, “Look at you, all grown up now. Liv, now that I’m back, I’llbe staying here permanently. I know something’s happened to the Fordham family. It doesn’t matter,though, because I’ll take care of you.”novelbin

It was then that Olivia knew the so-called hatred she harbored toward her mother was not worthmentioning at all. Her voice cracked as she called out, “Mom.”

“My dear, since you’re here already, you should stay and have dinner. Chris has taken good care of mefor the past few years. He has a daughter who’s older than you by two years. She’s coming over withher fiancé for dinner. I’ll introduce you to her later.”

However, it was not in Olivia’s plans to make herself part of Chloe’s new family. She hastily interruptedher, “Mom, I’m here this time for my dad. My family’s bankrupt now, and Dad just had a heart attack,but I don’t have the money to pay for his surgery. Can you help me? I promise I’ll return the money toyou.”

Chloe had not yet replied when they heard a familiar voice.

“Ms. Fordham, you truly are short of money, aren’t you? Going so far as to come to my house for it.”

It was like a slap to the face. Olivia looked incredulously over at the people standing by the door.

Who else could it be except Marina and Ethan?

Apparently, fate was toying around with her again. She never thought that her very own mother wouldbe Marina’s stepmother!

Olivia’s husband and mother were now Marina’s family. To make things worse, those two had caughther in the act of asking her mother for money.

Ethan noticed her uneasiness, but he remained calm and indifferent toward her.

Suddenly, a sharp cry pierced through the awkwardness in the air. Olivia noticed a maid pushing in atwin stroller. The moment the babies’ cries started, Ethan was already picking up and soothing one ofthem skillfully.

They formed an eye-catching picture of a happy family of four. Olivia’s child would have been this agetoo if it were alive.

She started regretting coming here. She felt as if she was being embarrassed and humiliated over andover again. Strangely, one of the babies could not stop crying today. The maid rushed to prepare themilk, yet the cries worsened instead.

Patiently, Ethan continued soothing the baby. “Be good, and don’t cry.”

The sight of a tall man like him holding a baby gently in his arms was heart-warming. Seeing thispatient and gentle side of him, Olivia suddenly had a thought.

In just a few strides, she approached him and picked up the child. Somehow, Ethan did not stop herfrom doing so. Even more strangely, the child stopped crying and started to smile the moment Oliviaheld it in her arms.

The corner of its lips curved into a smile, and its eyes twinkled as it looked at her. The child then startedchuckling and mumbling, “Ama …”

Its tiny hands reached up in an attempt to grab the fluffy ball-like ornament on her cap. The child wasall smiles, which was the exact opposite of Ethan.

It was like a blade had ruthlessly stabbed into her heart, and it was the last straw for her, crushing anybit of persistence left in her.

She once thought that Ethan truly loved her. He had been kind to her during their first year of marriage.

She could still remember him whispering to her, “Liv, let’s have a baby.”

How could she refuse him then?

Even though she had not completed her studies, she did not hesitate to conceive a child.

Only now did she realize that for all the time he spent with her, he did the same with another womanevery time he went abroad for business.

Nausea overtook Olivia. She returned the baby to Ethan and darted into the toilet. Then, she locked thedoor behind her.

She did not eat much today. When she puked, all that came out was a mixture of her blood and themedications she took. Crimson liquid filled her sight, and tears started flowing down her cheeks.

“Great, just great,” she thought.

Her marriage had been a joke all along. Everything had an explanation now. It turned out thateverything had been planned from the beginning.

So, this was the reason he chose to save Marina instead of her when they both fell into the water thatday. It also explained why he accompanied Marina when they both went into premature labor.

It was because the children in her womb were his!

After quite some time, Olivia heard a knock on the door.

“Liv, are you alright?” It was Chloe.

Olivia cleaned up the mess, splashed her face with water, and stumbled out of the washroom.

Chloe was unaware of the events between them. She asked Olivia, “Are you sick?”

“I just feel sick looking at those two. I feel much better now that I’ve vomited.”

“Do you know Marina? She’s always been abroad. Is there some kind of misunderstanding betweenyou two? This is Ethan—”

“I know.” Olivia interrupted her, her voice cold as ice. “Ethan Miller, the president of Miller Group. Whoin this world wouldn’t know him?”

“Yes. He’s a brilliant and accomplished young man.”

“Indeed. He hasn’t even divorced yet, but he’s already eager to remarry. Ordinary people wouldn’t beas bold as him.”

This left Chloe rather confused. “What are you talking about? He isn’t married, so why would he get adivorce?”

The smile on Olivia’s face did not reach her eyes. In a mocking tone, she said, “Who am I then, if heisn’t married? Mr. Miller, why don’t you tell my mom just who I am?”