Chapter 56
Marina belatedly realized that she had walked into Everlyâs trap. She didnât want to out herself as the mistress, for thatâd reveal Oliviaâs identity as Ethanâs exâwife.
She would never do that.
So, she quietened and collected herself. Glaring at Everly, she said, âIâm not. Itâs indecent to discuss topics like cheating at a formal event.â
But Everly wasnât deterred. In fact, she was emboldened. âThe mistress is the indecent woman for sleeping with a married man! I have nothing to fear. But Ms. Carlton, you seem very affected by the discussion. Were you someoneâs mistress too?â
âMs. Hilton,â Ethan hissed at Everly with a menacing gleam in his eyes. She promptly behaved. âOh, right. With a rich husband like you, Ms. Carlton doesnât have to climb into anyoneâs bed at all! If anything, sheâll be getting into your bed all the time!â
Even the dumbest person could tell that Everly was taking a jab at Marina.
However, only Calvin picked up a minute detail. How did a notable figure like Ethan Miller come to know Everlyâs last name?
On the other hand, Olivia gaped at Everlyâs impudence. She wasnât as daring as her best friend, who had the guts to jab at Ethan.
Knowing Ethan, he wouldnât allow anyone to cause trouble for him. Sensing the danger, she quickly steered the topic of conversation, âAnyway, itâs all in the past. My late husband will not come back to life. So, please donât ask me for more details. A cheater is not worthy of discussion.â
Since she had set things straight, itâd be rude for anyone to press on. Everly almost clapped at Oliviaâs perfect comeback.
Bailey suddenly wondered aloud, âDoes this mean Oliviaâs single? Is Keith pursuing her?â She was not the sharpest tool in the shed.
They narrowly avoided a situation, only to be confronted with a new problem. The socially inept Bailey had not changed at all.
Still, Olivia wouldnât mind if Ethan got dragged into the discussion. She never expected the event to turn into a huge gossip party about her personal life.
Everyone was interested in her relationship. She was once the campus belle who had numerous suitors. When she gave up everything and left school, her classmates couldnât help but wonder about the man whom she made the sacrifice for.
Marina kept her anger under control and stole a look at Ethan. He was getting harder to read by the day. He seemed to have given up on Olivia, but he occasionally showed a lingering affection for that woman.
Ethan carelessly picked up a slice of steak. He ate it as though the conversations were none of his business.
Olivia was about to deny it when Keith took over, âItâs not surprising for a lovely lady like Olivia to attract a bunch of admirers. If I have a chance to date her, Iâll cherish her and never hurt her. Itâs her exâhusbandâs loss.â
Ethan froze upon hearing that. Similarly, Olivia was shocked by Keithâs statement. She had warned Keith to stay out of her business. But instead of heeding her advice, he issued a subtle challenge in front of Ethan.
âKeithâ¦â She looked panicked. There was no way she could explain her way out.
Keith seemed to have read her mind. He gave her an endearing look. âOlivia, now that youâre single, may I ask you out?â