Chapter 7
Even After Death
Olivia sounded unnaturally calm when she said this. It was as though she had thoroughly let go of
Ethan.
However, Keith knew that letting go of someone you once loved was not as simple as this. She was like
an injured animal that would hide her wounds in front of others but tended to them when no one was
around.
Still, Keith did not probe further about it. He tried changing the subject. âI know you havenât paid for
your fatherâs surgery. Since weâre friends, Iâll lend you some money for now. You can pay me back in
the future.â
It was not a simple matter for Olivia to obtain such a large sum of money. He had offered help multiple
times before this, but she always refused.
Today was no different as Olivia shook her head and said, âNo, thanks.â
âOlivia, your fatherâs condition is serious. Would you rather be humiliated by that scumbag than accept
my help? I have no conditions. I just want to help you. My family might not be as wealthy as the Millers,
but this sum isnât much to me. So, donât worry about it.â
Olivia was holding a glass of water with both hands. He thought she looked pale to the extreme when
she glanced over at him. It made him rather upset to see her in such a state.
âKeith, I know youâre a good person, but ⦠thereâs no future for me anymore.â Whether it was money or
his kindness, she couldnât repay any of it.
Noticing the fluid in the IV bag was almost finished, Olivia forcefully pulled the needle free from the
back of her hand. Blood gushed out from the wound since there was no gauze to stop the bleeding.
However, she did not seem like she cared.
Picking up her jacket, she told him, âYou donât need to worry about the money. Heâll give me ten million
dollars when I divorce him. My father just had surgery yesterday. Iâm going to visit him at the hospital.â
She was as stubborn as a mule, just as had been when she suddenly decided to give up her studies to
marry despite being dubbed the college genius. Even her mentors would sigh in grief while talking
about her when Keith joined them for meals.
Olivia seemed to expect that Keith would suggest driving her to the hospital. Before he could say
something, she was already gesturing to her phone and cutting off any chance of letting him speak.
âThe cab is here.â Olivia then put on her jacket.
As she placed a hand on the doorknob, she heard him ask, âOlivia, did you ever regret letting go of
everything to marry him?â
Did she regret it?
Ethan was the cause of her familyâs misery. Her father was hospitalized after suffering from a huge
shock right after a car accident, while Olivia herself lost her darling child.
Logically speaking, she should be regretting her decision, but when she closed her eyes, she would
remember the shipwreck and the man who had rescued and dragged her back from the storm.
He was the youngster she once met at school.
She forced her tears at bay and said to Keith, âI donât.â
Keith watched her leave with mixed feelings, and the door closed with a click.
When Olivia arrived at the hospital, Jeff was still in the ICU. She could only watch him from afar. The
questions she had for him were lodged in her throat.
In her memories, her father was a person who was both kind and humble. Before her parentsâ divorce,
they never raised their voices at each other.
He never remarried after Chloe left. All the spare time he had, he would spend it accompanying Olivia.
Ethan kept mentioning her father, which meant the person he hated was not her.
When they were still together, he had mentioned having a little sister that went missing. Her
disappearance took a toll on his motherâs mental health, which was why she stayed overseas all the
time.
What was the connection between his lost sister and her father then?
Olivia decided it was best to start investigating those who worked for her father. She rushed off to find
Harvey, her fatherâs chauffeur, and Victor, their butler, at their respective homes.
The two of them had worked for her father for many years. Strangely, one had gotten into an accident
and the other had gone overseas, and she was unable to contact them.
The only thing she knew now was that her father was still unconscious. She spent the day in a daze,
not knowing what to do. Still, since things had come to this, the only explanation was that none of this
was a coincidence.
Clearly, someone had devised this.
But Olivia was no fool. Since she did not manage to obtain any clues from her familyâs side, she shifted
her target to Ethanâs chauffeur, Kelvin, and his assistant, Brent.
She checked her wristwatch for the time. It was only seven in the morning, so they should be on the
way to Ethanâs place.
Olivia dialed Brentâs number. After some time, he answered the call and said in his usual polite tone,
âMrs. Miller?â
Olivia tried to suppress her bitterness when she heard him addressing her that way. âMr. Ingram, Iâve
made an appointment with Ethan to settle our divorce. Can you pick me up so we could go to the City
Hall together?â
Brent fell silent. Just like Ethan, he did not like any sudden change of plans.
Hastily, Olivia added, âPlease donât misunderstand. I donât have other intentions. Iâm just afraid that
something might happen and stall us from getting divorced. I still havenât settled my fatherâs medical
billsââ
In truth, she was pretty close with them both. She was never rude to them, so when she spoke gently,
Brent did not refuse. âWhere are you, Mrs. Miller? Iâll be right there.â
Olivia stated a location that was nearest to them. This place was along the road to Collington Cove,
which was where Marina lived.
Despite being reluctant to admit it, Ethan was caught spending the night here by the media multiple
times. So, he must have been staying here when he and Olivia were apart a few months back.
âSorry, Mrs. Miller, but weâre almost in Midvale. Youâll have to wait for about 20 minutes.â
âOkay.â Olivia was quite surprised. Midvale was somewhere near the Miller residence.
Did Ethan not live with Marina?
Olivia quickly dismissed the thought. Whether he stayed with Marina was none of her business.
Kelvin drove fast, and they arrived in no time. As always, Brent opened the door for her. âSorry for the
wait, Mrs. Miller.â
Olivia nodded and got in the car. âNo worries.â
Brent was a rather stoic person. Compared to him, Kelvin was more lively and talkative. âWhy didnât
you sleep in, Mrs. Miller? Itâs so cold today. The sun isnât even up yet,â Kelvin said.
Brent shot daggers at Kelvin to shut him up. Olivia tried to exaggerate things by speaking slowly.
âInitially, I thought Ethan had a change of heart because of Marina. But now, it seems itâs not just
because of her. You two have been working with him for so long, so you should know something about
his sister.â
The car came to an abrupt stop with a loud screech. Kelvin took his hands off the steering wheel and
gestured to dismiss what she said. âYou canât just say things like that, Mrs. Miller.â
Calmly, Brent answered, âMrs. Miller, you know that we usually wonât ask Mr. Miller about his personal
matters. Even if we know something, we canât disclose anything to you. Please understand.â
Olivia covered part of her face with one hand. A tear slid down between her fingers as she said, âI know
Iâm making things difficult for you two, but I have no choice. Ethan wouldnât tell me about it, and my dad
is still unconscious after the surgery.
âMy family has fallen into such a hopeless state, and I have no idea why. Even if I were to die, Iâd want
to know the truth. I donât want to suffer from ignorance every day.â
âMrs. Miller, what happened to Mr. Millerâs sister is taboo. We donât know much about it.â
As if knowing that Olivia would continue asking them for help, Brent started writing an address on a
piece of paper and passed it to her.
âMrs. Miller, since weâre friends, this is the most I can do to help you.â