Chapter 165 So That Was My Anniversary Gift

After we got into the car, I kept my head down, not saying a word, staring blankly at the scenery flying by the window. Yvette and Oliver were deep in conversation about work stuff—mostly the usual trivial details. The Global VFX Competition had wrapped up perfectly, drawing more attention and praise than anyone could have imagined. Jenning Group was already working hard to lock in partnerships with the top three contestants. The deals with the second and third-place winners were practically sealed, and, honestly, Peter was already part of Jenning Group's crew, so he didn't take much effort to bring in. As for me, the first-place winner? Technically, I should've been the most eager to leverage the exposure, maybe even be turned into some sort of poster boy to squeeze every drop of my commercial value. I wasn't just some random winner, either. I was a director with real authority at one of Jenning Group's partner companies, the last protégé of Mr. Quenwell before he retired, and—oh yeah—Yvette's ex-husband. All of that should've made things super easy for her company. But no. Right before the competition kicked off, Yvette and I finalized our divorce. And now, two days later, we hadn't even come close to patching things up. Oliver, clearly feeling awkward, didn't dare refer to me as "Mr. Yates." Instead, she just called me "the first-place winner" and asked Yvette what to do with me. I didn't bother wondering why they were talking about this in front of me. I tuned it out completely. Yvette shrugged it off. "If we can work with him, great. If not, we'll use the second-place guy for promotion instead." Oliver glanced at me nervously through the rearview mirror, then carefully replied, "Got it, Ms. Jenning." A few minutes later, Yvette suddenly said, "Pull over. I'm grabbing something." The moment the car stopped, she hopped out and walked off without another word. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Oliver fidgeted before finally speaking up hesitantly. "Mr. Yates, I thought… after the competition, maybe things would've smoothed out between you and Ms. Jenning. But…" I let out a dry laugh. There was no fixing what was already broken. I glanced toward the dashboard and noticed a gift box sitting there. My expression darkened slightly. I vaguely remembered it. Back when I first visited Lydia after… I reincarnated, Yvette had specifically prepared that box. The driver had even joked that it was for me. Of course, I didn't buy that for a second. I figured it was probably meant for Randall. But now, months later, it was still here? Oliver noticed my gaze because he immediately grabbed the box and handed it to me. "Do you want this, Mr. Yates?" I waved him off. "No, just put it back. I was just looking at it. If Yvette plans to gift it to someone, she might as well know where to find it." Oliver looked confused. "Gift it? To whom? Mr. Yates, this was Yvette's anniversary gift for you. I helped her pick it out. The size and shape of the box—it was specifically made for you. She didn't give it to you?" "Anniversary gift?" I froze, more bewildered than Oliver. "What are you talking about?" Oliver looked even more uncertain. "You mean… because it was late? The gift was custom-made and had to be shipped from the headquarters. There was a delay, and it didn't arrive on the actual day. But it got here the next day. I thought Ms. Jenning gave it to you already—it's been almost two months now." I stared at the box, my mind racing. "There's no way that was for me," I said, shaking my head. "Oliver, I know you like to defend Yvette but come on, let's not make stuff up." Oliver looked panicked, almost on the verge of tears. "I swear, Mr. Yates, I'm not lying! Yvette said it herself. On your anniversary, she had a major meeting scheduled, but as soon as she got a call from your cousin—or whoever it was—saying you weren't feeling well, she canceled everything and rushed home to check on you." I blinked, remembering that day. It was the day I woke up in this second chance at life. Yvette did come home after getting a call from Jackson. I'd immediately brought up divorce, and she'd thought I was playing some kind of mind game. But she came back because she was worried about me. And she prepared a gift? That hadn't happened before. In my previous life, she never came home. There was no gift. A strange, indescribable emotion bubbled up inside me. It hit hard and fast, leaving me completely dazed. Something didn't feel right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Still, it didn't change anything. Yvette and I were beyond repair. Whatever inconsistencies existed in my memories couldn't alter that reality. Then, Yvette returned to the car with a cup of soybean milk and sandwiches. Her face was calm, unreadable. "Breakfast's here. Eat while it's hot." Oliver wisely stayed quiet and restarted the car. I glanced at Yvette, quickly shoving all my emotions aside, burying them deep. Right then, my phone buzzed. Seeing the caller ID, I answered immediately, excitement creeping into my voice. "Kenny, do you have news about Lila? How is she doing?" I noticed Yvette's expression flicker slightly out of the corner of my eye, but I paid no attention. I heard Lila's soft, slightly weak voice on the other end of the line.