Olivia asked without hesitation, "Are you not coming back tonight?" Ethan could sense a hint of joy in her serious expression. He was taken aback. Did she feel happy that he threatened not to come home? Olivia did feel a little happy about that. In the few nights that she had slept with him, there were a few times he almost lost control. No matter what he felt toward her, all she wanted was to stay as far away from him as possible. Ethan grabbed her chin and rubbed her lips with his thumb. "You don't want me to come home?"Olivia thought about how annoying she used to be. She said with a serious expression, "You're Marina's fiancé now, and your engagement party is approaching. "You must not fight with her because of me. And if rumors spread about us, it would also impact the Miller Group's stock price."Olivia tapped his hand and assured him, "Don't worry. I will not pester you like I used to. I promise to let you experience a peaceful night."Olivia thought that Ethan

After a few rounds of alcohol on the dinner table, Chris slammed his glass hard on the table. He was a soldier who survived the battlefields. He had an intimidating presence and was exuding coldness. Chris, who was usually reserved, said coldly, "If you don't want to have dinner with us, just get out." Chloe quickly held his hand. She tried to de-escalate the situation with a smile, "Are you listening to yourself? Ethan has finally come to visit."Why are you giving him this attitude? Do you think you're talking to one of your fresh recruits in the army?" She then looked at Ethan with a smile. "Ethan, please don't blame him for that. He is used to being in the army. "He still thinks of himself as a soldier even though he's been out of the army for so long." Marina also chipped in, "Dad, please understand that Ethan is usually very busy. He might have work that he has to deal with."In the past, Chris was happy about Ethan. But he started to feel uncomfortable when he foun

Chris and Otto's unrelenting barrage of words gave Ethan no chance for rebuttals. Moreover, his marriage with Marina was practically set in stone. Marina knew that Ethan's feelings for Olivia were complicated recently. She grasped her sleeve tightly. She was afraid that Ethan would go back on his word. Ethan raised his glass and said calmly, "Okay."Marina sighed in relief. A smile reappeared on her face. "Gramps, dad. I told you that Ethan would not let me down." Otto looked at Ethan deeply and said, "It better stay that way." Chris also added, "Olivia is Chloe's daughter. She can be considered part of the Carlton family. We'll take good care of her if you don't. I'll take care of things on her end. I don't want to see you contacting her starting tomorrow." Ethan's fingers tightened around his glass. His eyes darkened. But he didn't say anything. He originally thought he was only telling Olivia that he wouldn't go home because he was angry. He didn't expect it to come

Olivia thought that she no longer cared. But at this moment she realized she couldn't cut Ethan out of her life completely. She wasn't able to let go of the love she had for so many years in a couple of months. She hugged her legs and rested her head on her knees. Her head was filled with the image of Ethan and Marina sharing a bed. It pained her to think about that. She did not sleep for the entire night. She stayed up until the owl left. She looked at the cold and empty bed beside her, and she gave herself a self-deprecating smile.Her phone on the nightstand rang. She quickly accepted the call. Chloe's voice came from the other end. She kept insisting that Olivia go over to the Carltons'. She said that she had made Olivia's favorite breakfast and that Chris wanted to meet Olivia. Olivia hung up emotionlessly. But her body got out of the bed subconsciously. She hadn't eaten breakfast made by her mother in many years. Chloe, in her memories, was a kind and lovin

Olivia had known that the marriage between Ethan and Marina was set in stone. But knowing and seeing were two entirely different things. She stared at Ethan, who walked out of the bedroom. Their eyes met. A hint of surprise appeared in Ethan's eyes. He opened his mouth like he wanted to explain something. But nothing came out in the end. Chloe said, "Ethan, did you sleep well last night? If you're not used to the bed, I can get someone to make custom bedding for you two. "After all, you'll be sleeping here regularly after you get married. Treat this like your own home. You can let me know if you need anything." Marina also started to play her part as a loving daughter. She said with a smile, "Thanks for being so considerate, mom. It was true that we didn't sleep well last night." A trace of shyness flickered across her face. It was clear that she was implying something else. Olivia finally understood why she was invited over. It wasn't that Chloe missed her. She i

Chloe answered without hesitation, "Am I wrong? I've heard that you're still living together. Liv, do you understand the concept of a divorce?"You're still young, so stop this now. If not, you'll bring trouble to yourself."You'll also cause Ethan and Marina to be mocked. There should only be two people in a healthy relationship."Olivia was no longer able to tell if the pain came from her heart or her stomach. She felt like ants were gnawing at her, causing her pain all over. Olivia held in her sadness. She had so much she wanted to say, but instead, she smiled and said, "So that's how I am in your eyes." "Mother, don't yell at Olivia. She's still young, so it's natural for her to make mistakes. "We should tolerate each others' mistakes since we're a family. I'm okay with it." At this moment, Marina's display of generosity was a sharp contrast to Olivia's pettiness.Chloe said with a righteous tone, "Don't worry, Marina. I gave birth to Liv. I will give you a satisfactor

But what happened was Chloe went out in the morning. She went for a beauty treatment, had afternoon tea, and attended a music concert. Victor called her. She replied coldly, "Why are you telling me? I am not a doctor! Get her a doctor if she's sick."Olivia was in a daze from the fever. She kept calling for cake in her dreams.She kept calling out for the cake until the fever subsided. She looked at the snow falling outside. Victor brought her a teddy bear cake. She smiled happily. "Mom must've made this right?""Yup."She found out later that the cake was made by the chef. Her mother did not take care of her. She didn't even ask about her. Time passed. Olivia watched as the faces of her mother in the past and present overlapped. Truthfully, her mother wore a cold expression and was harsh to her. Olivia heard from her classmates that most parents liked children with good grades. So, she worked hard to improve her grades just to see her mother smile. She was more hardw

Olivia closed her eyes. She could see herself chasing after Chloe throughout the years. She never did understand why her mother was always unhappy. She always thought that her mother might be happier if she was more obedient. Even after Chloe had left for years, Olivia would find excuses for her whenever she missed her. She thought that Chloe only left because she didn't love Jeff. She thought that Chloe must have her reasons for leaving her daughter behind. When she hadn't reunited with Chloe, her image of her stayed as a gentle and kind woman. She thought that Chloe would miss her as much as she missed her. Now, it would seem like their emotions were not on the same wavelength. Olivia took a deep breath. She swallowed the bloody taste in her throat once again. When she opened her eyes, they were clear. Olivia said slowly, "Ms. Parker, Mrs. Carlton. I hereby sever all ties with you. Just pretend like you never had a daughter. I'll pretend I never had a mother." C

Ethan stood at the door. His eyebrows were furrowed. He thought she should be fine. He had only gotten her to do a full body medical examination recently. But the amount of blood that flowed from her nose clearly exceeded that of a normal nosebleed. It was gushing out. The sight of it was alarming. Chloe came back to her senses at the sight of Ethan's worried expression.She said, "You don't have to worry. She has always loved pretending to be sick."Marina added, "Mother, I didn't know she was so manipulative that she would use such a method to get attention." "That's right. She has been a cunning one since she was young. "Her father doted on her too much. That's why she's become such a spoiled brat now." Chloe then looked at Ethan and said, "Ethan, don't be fooled by her. She has always been in good health. "It's impossible for her to bleed so much from a slap. I didn't even touch her nose." Chris said, "Alright, stop talking. How can a nosebleed be faked?" "Wha

Ethan had no choice when everyone was looking at him. He looked at Olivia and said, "I have no plans of canceling my engagement with Marina." Marina swallowed nervously. She quickly looked at Ethan and asked, "Ethan, does that mean that … you pick me?" Ethan nodded. It was like a huge stone had been lifted off Marina's chest. She ran to Ethan excitedly and wrapped her hands around his arm. "I knew you loved me, Ethan! Dad, Grandpa, did you hear that?" The anger on Otto's face subsided. "You better mean what you say.""I'll be counting on you to take care of my daughter from now on." Chris patted Ethan on the shoulder. Olivia had expected this outcome. But even if she had known, she still felt a freezing chill in her heart when she heard it. She pulled her hand away from Ethan and said, "I respect your decision, Ethan." Ethan watched as she left. He had no choice since Otto was there. Chloe thought about it for a while. Then, she went after Olivia. Olivia straighten