Chapter 451
Even After Death
Standing behind Olivia, Mona noticed that Olivia had been hesitating for a long while. There was a
puzzled expression on her face as she asked, âMs. Fordham, are the clothes not nice enough?â
âNo, they all look very nice. Iâm just feeling a little sad.â
Mona didnât know about the history between Olivia and Ethan. So, she couldnât understand what the
sadness meant.
âChoose one for me.â Olivia decisively looked away.
She was too used to wearing cheap clothes, so she only felt at a loss when faced with those luxurious
outfits.
Standing in front of the wardrobe, Mona picked out the clothes as she muttered, âMs. Fordham, you
have a good figure, and youâre good-looking, too. You even have fair skin.
âYouâre just like a model, so youâd look good even if youâre wearing a sack.â
She selected a white dress. It had an elegant design and was well-tailored, too.
It looked graceful in every aspect.
âThis one, then. I think it suits you very much, Ms. Fordham.â
Olivia put on the white dress. Smiling, Mona said, âLook how fitting it is! Ms. Fordham, everyone can
tell from a glance that youâre a pampered young lady from a rich family.
âNo one else has the noble demeanor you own.â
××
âYoung lady?â Olivia reached out her left palm. There were lots of calluses on her fair skin.
In the year she lost her child, Ethan cut off all her sources of income just to torture her.
The Fordhams went bankrupt. Jeff was also hospitalized, so Olivia had to pay high hospital bills every
day.
Back then, she had abandoned her studies to be a housewife.
She used to be a star student in medical school, favored by the supervisor. But then, she ended up
having to do physical labor.
The pampered princess finally learned what worldly suffering meant.
Her fair and tender hands, which used to dance on the piano keys, were now covered in calluses and
scars.
Also, she was busy working in winter. She had frostbite on the back of her hands, and they were red
and swollen.
She quit the part-time jobs in the past six months, so her hands healed a little. Still, the shadows of
her past suffering were visible.
When Mona saw Oliviaâs slightly rough hands, she was even more puzzled.
âMs. Fordham, you shouldâve been a pampered young lady before the Fordhams went bankrupt. Have
you done rough work before?â
Olivia smiled bitterly. âYes, and not just once.â
Under Monaâs sympathetic gaze, Olivia interrupted what Mona was about to ask. âHelp me brush my
hair. I canât do it with my hands.â
âUnderstood.â
Picking up the brush, Mona changed the subject.
âLook at the bright side, Ms. Fordham. Even though Mr. Miller is about to marry Ms. Carlton, his heart
still belongs to you. Anyone can see that.â
Olivia didnât want to humor any conversations about Ethan. Hence, Mona shut up as she braided
Oliviaâs hair.
âIf you grow your hair a little longer, Ms. Fordham, youâll look even prettier.â
Her hair had grown out quite a lot in the past six months, but it barely reached her shoulders.
With her hair tucked behind her head, she looked gentle and elegant.
Olivia didnât want to doll herself up, so Mona chose a pair of delicate pearl earrings for her.
âYou look pretty even without makeup, Ms. Fordham. Mr. Miller was lucky to have married you
in the past.â
Olivia looked at herself in the mirror. The tender look was gone from her face, and her chin was a little
sharper now.
There was no more liveliness in her features, and a slight sorrowful look could be seen on her face.
In the past, she was half a girl and half a woman. But now, she had turned into a whole woman.
She was just a woman who had a failed marriage.
Crouching next to Olivia, Mona smiled as she looked at Olivia.
âIâm supposed to be a little older than you, so why do you always look so grave? Youâre so pretty; youâd
look even prettier if you smile.â
The word âsmileâ echoed in Oliviaâs mind.
She realized that she hadnât smiled sincerely in a long time. She even seemed to have forgotten the
simple movement of curving her lips.
Her reflection in the mirror looked so familiar. But she also felt like she couldnât recognize herself.