Chapter 322
Even After Death
Chris reached out for Olivia just as Ethan had expected.
Back when Olivia was about to die, the majority of the Carltons chose to let Marina live instead of her.
Chris was the only one who didnât make a decision.
Hence, Olivia didnât hang up. She said in a distanced and polite way, âYes, itâs me.â
âI knew it! Youâre still alive!â
Chris sounded very excited. Fortunately, Olivia had asked someone to deliver the teddy phone watch. It
was how they figured out that she was still alive.
Chris only dialed her number to see if it would work. He didnât expect the call to go through.
âMr. Carlton, Iâm alive, but it doesnât mean that I will donate the bone marrow to your wife.â
Before he could speak, Olivia declined his reason for calling.
âOlivia, I want to talk with you.â
âIâm afraid thatâs not possible.â
Olivia lay on the reclining chair. She held a coconut in her hands, enjoying the comforting sea breeze. It
felt like a warm hand caressing her cheek.
She thought that even the sea breeze was gentler than her motherâs own touch.
âOlivia, I know you donât like Marina and the Carltons. As an elder, itâs not appropriate for me to
comment on the younger generation.â
Olivia interrupted, âIf itâs not appropriate, then donât do it. I donât need your comments or apologies.â
âOlivia, I know that nothing I say can ease the resentment youâve been feeling. I just want to tell you
that your mother is in a
dire state.
âIt wasnât that she refused to come back to Arlandia to see you. Itâs because of my special status that
she couldnât come back. Your mother truly misses you!â
Olivia didnât say a word. She couldnât be bothered to argue with him about Chloe missing her.
His lies were too blatant.
Even if Chloe couldnât go back to Arlandia, she could at least make a call.
Back then, Chloe had just left when Olivia pestered Jeff for Chloeâs number overseas.
She kept wondering if Chloe was used to life overseas. Life in other countries was quite different from
Arlandia, after all.
Chloe had always been a picky woman, so Olivia was worried that she couldnât get used to it.
When the call went through, Olivia didnât even have a chance to talk.
When Chloe heard Jeffâs voice, she said, âItâs over between us. I have a new family now, so donât call
me anymore. I donât want him to misunderstand our relationship. Thatâs all. Iâm busy.â
Olivia was stunned when she heard that. She was worried for Chloe for days, but Chloe never even
asked about Olivia. Instead, Chloe was worried that Jeff would pester her.
After all, if Jeff truly wanted to pester Chloe, he wouldnât have let her leave just like that.
In all those years, Olivia could see that Jeff loved Chloe to bits. But no matter how much he tried, he
couldnât get Chloe to warm up to him.
In the end, when Chloe left, she didnât even remember a nice thing he did for her. Instead, she feared
that he would become a
burden.
Olivia found it pathetic.
How could her mom be someone like this?
As time passed, her love for her mother was able to trump the sadness she felt from this incident.
Back then, she would stand guard near the phone, fearing that she might miss a call from her mother.
When she was in her teens, other families had alreadyâstopped using landlines. But she kept their
landline around.
She thought that Chloe simply didnât want to talk to Jeff. But she was different. She was her motherâs
daughter, so surely her mother would ask about her.
As soon as she got off school, she would keep watch on the phone. She would also keep an eye on the
extension line when she went to sleep at night.
There was a time zone difference to consider. Olivia couldnât sleep too soundly in case she missed a
call.
But after giving hundreds of excuses, she still hadnât received a call from Chloe.
Now that Olivia had grown up, she finally understood the truth. Chloe was relishing the happiness of
getting back together
with her old lover.
Chloe was probably eagerly preparing for her new life with Chris. She wouldnât remember that Olivia
even existed
After all, Olivia was simply the daughter Chloe didnât love.
It wasnât that Chloe was playing favorites. Olivia was simply never loved.
Chris spoke for a long while, and Olivia stayed silent the whole time. When he had finally stopped
talking, Olivia spoke up
âAre you tired from all the talking? Why donât you drink some water before you continue?â