Chapter 88
Stunned, Olivia stopped what she was doing and said sternly, âMadam, youâve crossed the line. I want to talk to my father alone. Please leave.â
âAlright.â The nurse closed the door gently and left.
As usual, Olivia patiently wiped Jeffâs body and trimmed his hair and nails. Had it not been for the electrocardiogram displaying his even heartbeat, she would have thought that heâd left her for good.
Compared to the snowstorm before, the weather was great today, so she pushed the curtain away to let the sunâs warm rays shine into the room.
âDad, I wonât be able to stay with you for long. If you donât wake up soon, you might never see me again. Oh rightâEthan and I are divorced now.â
Oliviaâs voice was gentle as she spoke to her father, updating him on her life. Sunlight fell on her face as she smiled.
âHe wasnât very kind to me these two years, but heâs been quite generous since our divorce. Heâs given me what he should, including a house, a car, and some shares. Iâm filthy rich now.â
âI remember you telling me after Mom left that life should have its regrets, because only then would we learn to appreciate things. Since then, Iâve treasured everything and everyone around me, but, in the end, I havenât managed to keep anyone by my side,â she continued.
âIâve got some good news too, Dad. I heard that Mr. Crosby has decided to auction our house. Iâll win the auction and get our house back.
â
âAfter Leo treats you and you recover, you live there. Iâm sorry I have to leave you alone and for not being able to send you off.
Olivia talked on and on until it was dusk, yet Jeff showed no signs of walding up. She forced out a laugh helplessly. âJust as Iâd expected⦠Miracles only happen in storybooks.â
On her way home, Olivia noticed a piece of news titled âPresident of Miller Group Customizes Priceless Wedding Dress for Fiancée.â There was a picture of the dress, âMilia Stellae,â attached as well.
To be honest, Olivia didnât mind Ethan remarrying or having children with someone else, but the fact that he was giving his new wife this dress was heartbreaking.
There were so many wedding dresses in the world to choose from. Why did it have to be this one?
It took her back to that day three years ago. Sheâd just taken a shower and was lying lazily on the couch. Sheâd been watching a highâend luxury brandâs press conference on TV.
Pointing to one of the dresses displayed, sheâd exclaimed, âWow! I just love the way Emy designs her dresses! All of them are special. Theyâre elegant and stylish, but not flamboyant at all. Itâs a pity that we didnât hold a wedding ceremony.â
Ethan had pulled Olivia into his arms out of habit. âWho said you could only wear a dress like that during a wedding ceremony? Iâll give you the most unique dress of all, Liv.â
A month after that, Olivia had come across a draft of a gown design on the table in the study. There had been other designs. wedged in the sketchbook too.
Seeing them, sheâd realized that the reason Ethan had been working late into the night was because heâd been designing a dress for her.
âDo you
like this one?â Ethan asked. He had appeared out of nowhere and hugged her from behind.
He rested his chin gently on her shoulder as he spoke, making the atmosphere ever so romantic and heartwarming-
âI like everything you draw.â
âIâve discussed things with the designer. The dress will take three years from material selection to completion. Can you wait
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until then?â
âIâll wait for it even if it takes 30 years,â Olivia said. âThere are so many diamonds on it. Why donât we call it âMilia Stellaeâ?â
âSure. Itâs all up to you.â
âThen, Iâll wear this dress only for you.â
Olivia could still clearly recall the time theyâd made this promise. She just needed to close her eyes to remember the smile that had spread on his lips that day. His gentle eyes shone like stars in the midnight sky, too.
Now, she didnât need to wait for the dress anymore. All her waiting had brought her was seeing him give the dress to his new
fiancée.
Olivia recomposed herself before she headed home. Eve had packed her things in a hurry and moved to her house yesterday.
When Olivia arrived home, Eve was humming and waving the spatula in the air as she prepared food in the kitchen. The years sheâd spent saving money to pay that douchebagâs bills had made her develop excellent cooking skills.
As the broth boiled in the pot, she busied herself with the ingredients, mixing them together step by step until the dishâs aromatic fragrance filled the entire room.
It warmed Oliviaâs heart and made her feel as though sheâd just climbed back from the depths of the underworld.
The aroma of the food helped improve her mood. It dissipated some of the sadness that had been weighing her down.
After stirring the broth with a ladle, Eve took a spoonful out of the pot, blew into it a couple of times, and tasted it. âHmm. This isnât bad. Liv will love this.â
âI like anything you cook,â Olivia said as she entered the kitchen. Eve was the only person by her side now.
âYouâre back! Howâs your father?â
âThe usual.â
âDonât worry. Heâll get well soon. After all, you already donated all that money today. What a shame, too. Youâre too generous.
Olivia smiled. âYou truly are a moneyâgrubber. One needs to be alive to spend that money. No matter how much money we have, itâs useless when we die. Itâs better to use it to help others.â
âYouâre right. That money came from an asshole anyway, so you should spend it however you want. Otherwise, itâd go to that scheming bitch,â said Eve.
She continued, âIâll never forget that he was the one who kicked me down the hill. As of late, I even dream of kicking him all the time.â
âOh, Eve.â Olivia couldnât hold back a smile.
âFreeze.â A camera appeared in Everlyâs hands out of nowhere. âStay still. This is the smile I want to see.â
Olivia covered her face with her hands. âYou know that I donât like taking photos.â
âI have to take more photos of you while youâre still in good shape. That way, Iâll have something to remember you by in case. you leaveâ¦â Everlyâs voice trailed off.
Olivia then took the camera from her and smiled softly.
âThen you must put on some filters for me. After all, women like to look pretty all the time. Iâll have to smile more so that youâll feel better when you see these photos in the future.â
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