Chapter 5

Olivia's POV

By the time we got back to our estate, the maid had reheated dinner for the third time.

Worried about my stomach, Ethan personally scooped a bowl of soup and placed it in front of me.

"Eat a little."

I stared at the soup.

Ethan used to be incredibly busy, but whenever my stomach acted up, he would personally supervise my meals.

Those tiny, caring details were what kept me going through all the cold shoulders I received from his family.

But now, looking at them, they just felt degrading.

How could a man split his tenderness so precisely—one half for his wife, the other for his mistress?

I picked up the spoon and forced myself to swallow a few sips.

Ethan let out a sigh of relief, reaching over to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"I cleared my schedule tomorrow. I'll take you to that art exhibition you wanted to see."

I kept my eyes down. "No need. You're busy."

Ethan paused. "Never too busy for you."

Right after he said those words, his phone on the table began to buzz.

The screen lit up. There was no contact name, just an unsaved number.

But I saw the subtle shift in Ethan's eyes.

He pressed decline, pretending nothing happened, and continued eating.

Within thirty seconds, it buzzed again.

I put down my spoon. "Answer it."

Ethan looked at me. "It's not important."

When it buzzed for the third time, I finally let out a small, mocking laugh.

"Ethan, people don't call three times if it's not important."

He was silent for a moment before picking up the phone and walking out to the balcony.

The sliding glass door had excellent soundproofing. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I saw his shoulders tense up as he rubbed his temples.

When he came back inside, his voice was perfectly normal. "An urgent issue came up with an overseas branch. I have to head to the office."

I looked at him.

"Now?"

"Yeah. I might be late."

I nodded. "Go ahead."

Ethan didn't seem used to my calm reaction. Before leaving, he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

I turned my head.

His lips met empty air.

The room went dead silent for a second.

Ethan asked softly, "Still feeling sick?"

"Acid reflux," I said. "I don't want to throw up on you."

It was a perfectly logical excuse.

A flash of worry crossed Ethan's eyes. "I’ll have the family doctor come over."

"No need." My voice was quiet. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Ethan stared at me for a few seconds before finally grabbing his coat and walking out.

The moment the heavy front door clicked shut, the massive villa plunged back into silence.

I sat at the table, motionless.

Ten minutes later, my phone pinged.

Amber had sent another photo.

It showed Ethan's car parked right outside a high-end private women's hospital.

Amber was standing on the steps, wearing Ethan’s coat over her shoulders. Her face looked pale, but her hand was wrapped tightly around his arm.

【Did Ethan tell you he had work tonight, Olivia?】

Immediately followed by another text:

【He just rubbed my belly. You have no idea how excited he is for this baby.】

I stared at the screen for a long time.

Until my eyes burned, I flipped the phone face down on the table.

When heartbreak reaches its limit, you don't scream or cry.

You just feel cold.

A cold so deep that even breathing feels like swallowing glass.

I got up and walked upstairs to our bedroom.

On the nightstand sat a framed photo of us from our tenth anniversary at a ski resort. Ethan was holding me from behind, kissing the top of my head. I was smiling, my eyes full of complete, unshakeable trust.

I picked up the frame, my fingers brushing over my younger self.

How foolish I had been.

I actually believed love could make up for all my sacrifices.

I opened the drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors.

Snip.

The photo was cut right down the middle.

I kept my half, tucking it deep into the drawer, and threw his half into the trash can.

My phone buzzed again.

This time, Amber sent only one sentence:

【Tomorrow night at eight, Seattle Auction House. Your mother's heirloom is putting up for bid. Do you have the courage to show up?】

My grip on the phone tightened.

My mother's heirloom.

I raised my head. In the vanity mirror, the woman looking back was pale, but her eyes had gone entirely cold.

Amber could ruin my marriage.

But she crossed the line when she touched my mother's memory.