Chapter 6

Dinner was bland and tasteless. It was already late, so Olivia and Emilia spent the night at the Young residence. Olivia watched as Emilia hugged her phone and glanced at her from time to time after her shower. Olivia was well aware of who Emilia was texting. Just then, Theresa sought her out. "Don't stay up too late, Emi. Go to bed early." No matter what, Emilia was still Olivia's child, and she had the responsibility to care for her. After saying that, regardless of whether Emilia listened, she spun on her heel and left the room. The moment she stepped out, she heard Emilia's anxious voice behind the door. "Sage, are you okay? I'm so worried about you!" Lying in bed, Emilia wished she could teleport to Sage's side. "It's so annoying. My mom was right next to me just now, so I couldn't even call you!" Emilia's voice was innocent and tender, yet her words cut deep. Olivia felt a chill spread through her body. "I know, Dad. I'll go to bed early. Remember to take good care of Sage." Olivia couldn't bear to eavesdrop anymore and hurried away. Tears welled up in her eyes as soon as she saw Theresa. "Mom." Theresa didn't notice that her expression was off. She reached out and sat Olivia down. "What's going on between you and Jasper?" The corner of Olivia's lips twitched. She felt utterly drained. "We're getting divorced." "Is he the one who wants it?" "No, I brought it up," Olivia responded apathetically. "I don't have a place in his heart, so there's no point in dragging this out." Olivia didn't mention her dreams. She was afraid it would scare Theresa. "You fool!" Theresa snapped. "Does he have a mistress?" Olivia pursed her lips, which was as good as an answer. Theresa caught on. "Still, you don't have to get a divorce. Listen to me. As long as you don't let go of him, that woman will always be nothing more than a mistress. You're the rightful lady of the Price family and Emilia's biological mother!" Olivia felt a little lightheaded when she heard all that. Looking at Theresa, who was speaking with such gravity under the dim light, she smiled bitterly. "You want us to be like you and Dad?" In the blink of an eye, a sharp slap rang out. Pain bloomed across her cheek. Looking at Theresa, who seemed stunned by her own actions, Olivia touched her cheek and smiled. "If that was all you wanted to say, I'm going to get some rest." Without waiting for a response, she turned to leave. "I didn't do it on purpose, Liv," Theresa choked out. Olivia came to a halt before twisting the doorknob and making her exit. She knew all too well how to hurt Theresa. She didn't want her family's views to conflict with hers when it came to divorce. When she thought of her father, her hands unconsciously balled into fists. … The next morning, Olivia woke up and realized Emilia wasn't beside her. So, she asked Edith about it. "Ms. Price had the driver take her early this morning. She said she had something to do." Emilia couldn't even wait a second longer, huh? After breakfast, Olivia was about to leave when Theresa came downstairs. "I won't tell your father about what happened last night, Liv." Olivia nodded. "Thank you, Mom." Noticing the cold look on her face, Theresa looked pained. "Do you still blame us, Liv?" "No. Nothing of the sort. It's been ages. That's all in the past now." Olivia genuinely didn't hold it against them. "But if you're talking about what happened last night, then yeah, I'm definitely mad!" Her rare, playful tone instantly eased the tension between them. Olivia felt at ease when Theresa smiled. With that, she returned to her own place. … In the days that followed, Olivia stayed home and crammed as much industry knowledge as she could. Before she knew it, the agreed date arrived. Olivia dawdled at home for a bit, and by the time she arrived at the venue, the entry was almost closed. The moment she stepped out of the car, her phone rang. "Olivia, are you here yet? If you stand me up again, you'll get what's coming for you!" The familiar words and teasing tone instantly eased her nerves. "I'm not standing you up. I'm already at the entrance." As soon as she walked in, the noise hit her head-on. Cheers and shouts surged like a tidal wave, leaving her frozen in place. It had been far too long since she had been in a setting like this, so long that fear crept up on her before she could stop it. Olivia hesitated and had a sudden urge to turn around and run. Before she could, a familiar voice cut through the noise. "Olivia!" … Ten minutes later, Olivia and Caleb Gray were seated in a quiet spot overlooking the hall. A massive screen stood in the center, capturing every move of the players. Unlike the chaos outside, it was almost unnervingly quiet here. Caleb casually poured her a glass of juice. "I forgot to tell you not to come in through the main entrance." Olivia accepted the cup, unfazed. "It's quite nice. I got a feel of how lively it was the moment I walked in." He scratched his nose. Noticing that she genuinely didn't mind his little trick, he asked with concern, "There's still a while before the match starts. How have you been lately? Why did you suddenly decide to come watch a competition?" "Oh, I'm the same as ever. It's just that… I'm planning to get a divorce." Caleb was caught off guard. "I'm sorry to hear that." "It's okay." Olivia's gaze landed on the giant screen as the players entered the arena one after the other. The excitement outside seeped through the speakers. "How much profit does a match like this make?" Caleb held up his hand. "Five hundred thousand dollars?" "Nope. Five million dollars." Olivia was taken aback. "In just a little over an hour?" Caleb was amused by her reaction. "Yeah, and that doesn't even include the follow-up products." Noticing her eyes light up, he couldn't help but smile. "Well, what do you think? Aren't you tempted? Don't you want to come back?" Back then, no matter how hard they tried to keep her, she had still left without a backward glance. Seven years later, she was finally interested again. "And what if I am?" Olivia looked straight into Caleb's eyes. Caleb was surprised by her answer. He froze for a moment and fell silent. Her heart sank. Olivia had been out of the industry for nearly seven years. Even though she had done some homework before she came here, it barely scratched the surface. If she returned, she might not be able to keep up with the market, let alone create something that would truly shake the industry like she once had. So, she could understand his reaction. Olivia lowered her gaze, hiding the disappointment in her eyes. "I was just joking. Don't take it—" "That's not it, Olivia!" Caleb cut her off. "You don't need permission to come back. This is your company as much as anyone's. Besides, the market is thriving right now. I couldn't ask for anything more than to have you back at a time like this!"