Chapter 5

Olivia was dragged to the doorway. The moment she and Theresa reached, Emilia dove straight into Theresa's arms, smiling brightly as she called out sweetly, "I missed you so much, Grandma!" "I missed you too, sweetheart." Theresa smiled warmly and bent down to kiss Emilia. Olivia smiled. No matter what, Emilia was still her daughter. Grandparents always doted on their grandchildren, so she wasn't about to force Emilia to keep her distance from her maternal family. "Mrs. Young," Jasper greeted Theresa. Olivia felt a dull ache in her chest when she heard the way he addressed Theresa. After all these years of marriage, Jasper had never once called her parents "Mom" or "Dad." Olivia hadn't thought much of it at first. She had even been considerate enough to come up with excuses for him. After all, anyone would find it hard to call strangers "Mom" and "Dad". She had assumed things would get better with time, and she had waited until they were on the verge of divorce. Olivia smiled. She had been holding onto something that was never meant to be, and it had only left her bitter. Emilia spotted Olivia as well. However, she was a little hesitant, as if she wanted to go to her but didn't quite dare to. Olivia suppressed the emotions welling up inside her. Noticing Theresa's probing gaze, she plastered a smile on her face and beckoned to Emilia. "How are you feeling? Tired?" Emilia didn't really want to go over, but it had been a while since she had seen Olivia, and she missed her. Olivia was always soft and smelled nice. Being with her felt warm and comforting. Since Olivia had taken the initiative to talk to her, it would be rude of her to ignore her. With that thought in mind, Emilia held Jasper's hand and walked forward. Noticing she was approaching with Jasper, Olivia frowned imperceptibly. However, she hastily schooled her expression. When the father and daughter were before her, a gentle breeze carried the faint scent of perfume from Jasper's direction. It was sweet, with a clear note of peach. Olivia never wore fruity fragrances. Her smile faded slightly. "Mom!" Emilia threw herself into Olivia's arms. She also carried traces of the same peach scent, and it filled Olivia's senses. Olivia pulled Emilia back. "Go wash your hands. It's almost time for dinner." Sensing Jasper's gaze on her, Olivia turned around and called out to Edith, "Take Emi over." Emilia froze for a moment. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Olivia yet. "Ms. Price, we made your favorite meatballs today," Edith chirped. The strange feeling in Emilia's chest was instantly replaced by excitement. Olivia rarely allowed her to eat such heavily seasoned dishes. So, she could only enjoy them at Theresa's place. Emilia immediately skipped off when she thought of that. Olivia had just linked arms with Theresa when she was briskly pushed aside. "There's still some time before dinner. Take Jasper upstairs to rest for a bit." Olivia froze for a moment before nodding in agreement. That worked too. She had been meaning to ask Jasper if he had signed the agreement and when he would be free to finalize the divorce. Hence, the couple went upstairs one after the other. As soon as the door was closed, Jasper sat on the couch. He was tall and slender, and his movements were calm and composed. Olivia looked at the man she had loved for seven years, and she couldn't deny it; Jasper was exceptionally attractive. He had thin lips, dark eyes, and an elegance that showed in every gesture. It was no wonder she had fallen for him at first sight. However, with time, she realized what truly mattered was the heart beneath the surface. Olivia's lips twitched. "Have you signed the agreement?" she asked apathetically. Noticing his frown, she immediately knew that he hadn't even looked at it. Her matters had never been of importance to him. She suppressed her anger and lowered her voice. "I'm talking about the divorce agreement I had Mary give you!" As soon as her words fell, she noticed a smile creep onto his face. She froze for a second. He was probably delighted to be divorcing her. He couldn't even be bothered to put on an act now. "You sure will go to any length to avoid apologizing, Olivia." His voice was cold and unfeeling. Olivia found his words unbearably heavy. Realizing that he wanted her to apologize to Sage, tears welled up in her eyes against her will. Noticing the matter-of-fact look on his face, she couldn't help but sneer, "In your dreams!" Jasper's dark eyes flickered with surprise. For the first time in years, she felt gratified. In the past, she would agree to everything he said just to please him. At that moment, she met his hardened gaze and said, "The sooner you sign it, the sooner we get divorced." Right after saying that, she turned around and went downstairs without sparing him another glance. Jasper only took his seat at the dining table when it was time to eat. As soon as the dishes were served, Theresa said, "Jasper likes this, right, Liv?" Then, she nodded toward the plate of shrimp. Olivia lowered her gaze, pretending not to catch the hint. "I suppose." Realizing Jasper was looking at her, she frowned. The very next second, she was pinched on the leg. Olivia looked over and met Theresa's anxious gaze. Theresa had spent years worrying herself sick over their marriage. Olivia didn't mind indulging her on something so trivial, so she picked up her cutlery. Just then, Jasper's phone rang. Olivia looked over. "I don't feel so well, Jas. Are you free right now?" Olivia could hear Sage's weak voice clearly because she was sitting so close to Jasper. Her grip on her cutlery unconsciously tightened. "I'll be right there," he immediately said. There was a trace of worry beneath his calm expression that Olivia had never seen before. As soon as those words left his mouth, he shot to his feet, grabbed his coat, and strode out. In a heartbeat, all eyes were on her. Olivia had already pierced a shrimp with her fork, but it felt like it had stabbed straight into her heart instead. Jasper had left just like that, leaving the whole family behind. Sitting there, she felt like a joke. Olivia quietly popped the shrimp into her mouth. It usually tasted sweet, but now, she found it bland. She just chewed mechanically. "Sit down, Emi. We wouldn't want you to fall!" Theresa's anxious voice suddenly rang out, snapping Olivia back to reality. Half of the little girl's body was hanging off the chair, her favorite meatballs abandoned on the table. Noticing that Jasper's figure was about to disappear from view, she grew more and more anxious. Something must have happened to Sage. That was the only reason Jasper would be in such a hurry. Sage was all alone, and Emilia wanted to be with her. The more she dwelled on it, the more anxious she became. Emilia climbed onto the chair and tried to jump down. "Dad, wait for me!" Olivia hastily reached out and yanked Emilia back, but a sudden weight pressed down on her wrist. The next second, she heard the sound of her joint twisting, followed by a sharp pain that made her tear up. Emilia tried to run off as soon as she regained her footing. "Let go of me, Mom!" When she turned around and noticed the tears in Olivia's eyes, she froze and didn't dare struggle. Olivia took a deep breath and slowly loosened her grip. Her voice was calm as she said, "Don't run. We can call and ask about her condition later." "Okay," Emilia responded meekly, not daring to look at Olivia. The child obediently followed Edith back to the table. Olivia turned around and noticed that Theresa had stopped eating. She was watching her closely. Olivia couldn't help but smile and place some food on her plate. "Why aren't you eating? It won't taste good when it's cold."