Chapter 5

Julia ended the call and acted as if nothing had happened. "It's my friend's wedding," she said casually. Oliver thought her behavior had been strange lately and narrowed his eyes. "Which friend is getting married? How come I haven't heard about it?" Julia met his gaze and raised her brows. "Since when do you care about anything going on in my life?" Her words left Oliver speechless for a moment. Julia watched him falter and felt a cold sense of satisfaction. "It's getting late. You should get some rest," she said. Normally, Oliver would've walked away by now, but this time he stayed. He stepped closer, wrapped his arms around her waist, and said in a low voice, "Didn't you always want a baby? Let's make up for that tonight." If this had happened before, Julia would have been happy. She'd always hoped a child might tie him to her. But now, all she wanted was to get away from him as quickly as possible. She didn't want to take anything related to him with her. "Let's talk about this some other time. Tonight's not the right time." Oliver thought he was already making an effort to compromise, but Julia's indifference irritated him. In his mind, she was just being difficult. He let her go and said coldly, "Whatever." After Oliver left, Julia showered again, scrubbing every place he'd touched her. ... The next morning, Julia went to the office. There were still a lot of things to take care of. But before she could make it into the building, a group of people ambushed her. They started hurling eggs and vegetable leaves at her. "That's her! Julia Evans! She's just the adopted daughter, but she plagiarized Emily's painting and even put her own name on it. How shameless can she be?" "She's a homewrecker, too. Everyone knows Oliver is marrying Emily, but she's still hanging around trying to seduce him!" "I've got some juicy gossip. I saw Julia leaving the Miller residence this morning. She really is the other woman. What a tramp!" "How dare you steal Emily's fiancé after everything the Evans family did for you? You deserve whatever's coming to you!" Julia was covered in filth. She shouted back, "I didn't plagiarize! I'm not a homewrecker, either!" At that moment, a video of Oliver appeared on the giant screen of the building across the street. "Julia Evans did plagiarize Emily's painting. But please, everyone, forgive her just this once. It's the first time she's made such a mistake." Instantly, any defense Julia had become meaningless. No one would believe her now. ... When Julia got home, Oliver noticed her battered appearance and frowned. "Why were those people so rough with you? What happened to your hand? Did someone throw acid on you?" For the first time, Oliver actually looked visibly anxious. Julia pulled her arm back and gave a mocking laugh. "Didn't you expect all of this? You're the one who told everyone I plagiarized Emily's work. "I spent three years on that painting. The inspiration was my love for you. Didn't you feel guilty at all when you stood up there and lied about it? "Oliver, when you called me a plagiarist, did it even bother you for a second? Did you feel anything at all?" With every question, Oliver's fists clenched tighter. He tried to comfort her. "I know this is tough for you, but Emily is the real heiress. She can't have a plagiarism scandal on her record. "Look, people will forget in time. You don't need to worry about money. I'll take care of you even if you're not working. "Julia, I'll make it up to you. But right now, it's Emily's awards ceremony. This is the most important moment of her life. I have to be there. "Just stay home tonight. I'll make it up to you when I get back." With that, Oliver left. Julia collapsed on the floor, laughing and crying at the same time. She couldn't believe she'd wasted so many years loving a man like him. Her hands shook as she called Noah. "Forget about waiting a week. Come get me now." Noah didn't hesitate even for a second. "I'm on my way." Half an hour later, Julia set the signed divorce and resignation papers out on the dining room table. Then, she grabbed her ID and the sketches she'd drawn over the years. Neither Oliver nor Emily knew that behind every one of her paintings were hundreds of drafts. With those, she could prove she never plagiarized. She tossed her keys to the villa and walked away without looking back. Outside, a helicopter descended. Noah stepped out and walked toward her, framed by the beam of the landing lights. "Julia, I'm here to take you away. I'll make sure you get the justice you deserve for everything you've been through."