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20/01/2024

EVEN AFTER DEATH - OLIVIA FORDHAM-ETHAN MILLER

Chapter 6
The wind blew bitingly cold on her face. Olivia was frozen to the core, but she pushed herself up and continued chasing after the
car.
She overestimated the current condition of her body and only ran for a couple of feet before crashing back to the ground.
The car door opened. She saw a pair of shiny, tailored leather shoes halt before her. Slowly, she moved her sight from the shoes
and up the trousers until she met Ethan’s cold and unnerving gaze.
“Ethan ...” Olivia muttered weakly.
A pair of slender hands reached out to her. In a trance, Olivia thought she caught a glimpse of the young man she had fallen
head over heels for all those years back. She could not help but stretch out her hands to him.
Just as their hands touched, Ethan pulled back, extinguishing the light in her after giving her false hope and causing her to fall
once more.
She had not injured herself before this, but when she slipped this time, she cut her palms on the pieces of shattered glass on the
ground. Blood started trickling down her palms to her arms.
A shadow seemed to flit across Ethan’s face, but he stayed motionless.
Olivia was stunned. Back then, he would rush her to the hospital in the middle of the night even though she merely had a cut on
her finger.
She remembered the doctor chuckling and saying, “Thank goodness he brought you here in time. Otherwise, your wound
would’ve healed on its own.”
The man before her and the one in her memories were the same person. He had the same eyes and face. Looking back, she
realized that the concern he once showed for her was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a shade of icy indifference.
In a cold voice, Ethan said, “Olivia, do you really think that I don’t know you? You could easily run a mile and do a somersault. Do
you expect me to believe you’d fall after running just a couple of steps?”
He stared at her, the mockery in his eyes like a knife cutting through her.
Olivia bit her lip and tried to explain. “It’s not like that. I’m not lying to you. I’m just a little weak because I’m sick—”

Ethan did not wait for her to finish. He crouched and tilted her face upward to face him. His rough fingers brushed her dry,
chapped lips.
“You truly are your father’s daughter. You two are pretentious to the extreme and would put on a stupid act just for some money.”Those words stung more than the cold wind, and they stabbed at her heart repeatedly. She swatted his hand away from her
face.
“My father is an upright person. He would never do anything to harm anyone!”
Ethan sneered. He decided he no longer wanted to discuss this matter with Olivia and plucked a check from his wallet instead.
He carelessly wrote on the check, held it in between two fingers, and placed it in front of Olivia.
“Do you want this?” he asked.
Five million dollars certainly was not a small amount. It would spare Olivia the headache of securing funds for her father’s
medical bills. However, she did not take the check because Ethan would not be so kind to her.
“I have one condition, though,” Ethan added and whispered in her ear. “This money is all yours if you repeat after me. Jeff
Fordham’s an asshole.”
The look on Olivia’s face changed instantly, and her hand shot up in an attempt to slap him across the face.
Ethan stopped her by grabbing her by the wrist, and as Olivia struggled against him, she left a bloody handprint on his shirt.
Ethan’s grip on her tightened, and his tone became harsher. “Oh? You don’t want to do it? He’ll have to die in the hospital then.
I’ve already picked a burial spot for him anyway.”
Tears streamed down Olivia’s face as she asked, “Why did you become like this?”
The man who had once swore an oath to protect her and cherish her for the rest of her life was long gone, replaced by a ruthless
person who found joy in making her break down in tears.
The dim light from the nearby lamp post illuminated his face, further emphasizing his annoyance and impatience.
“So you’re not going to say it, right?” He released his grasp on her and slowly tore the check into pieces.
Olivia rushed forth to stop him, but he shoved her away and told her in a tone devoid of emotions, “I’ve given you a chance.”
The paper shreds fell from his hands, just like the hope she had had for him.
“No! Don’t!” Clumsily, Olivia hurried to pick them up as her tears continued to flow. She looked like a child who had lost
everything she valued, anxious and helpless.
Ethan turned to leave, and just when he was about to get in his car, he heard a thud. He turned around to see her figure lying
unconscious on the ground.
Kelvin, the driver, had an anxious look on his face as he asked, “Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller’s passed out. Should we send her to the
hospital?”
Ethan’s gaze was unsettling when he looked at Kelvin. “Are you worried about her?”
Kelvin was confused. He had been working for Ethan for a long time.

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It was clear as day that Mr. Miller had been head over heels for Mrs. Miller in the past, but his entire personality seemed to
change after going to identify his sister’s co**se.
Nevertheless, this was his employer’s family matter, so he dared not probe further. He simply drove away.
The car drove further and further away. Ethan looked at Olivia through the rearview mirror and found that she still had not gotten
up. The look of disdain on his face deepened.
Apparently, her acting had improved in just a few days.
Despite letting her live a sheltered life, Jeff had Olivia participate in various fitness programs since she was young to prevent her
from being a target of bullying. She had a black belt in Taekwondo and was an expert in self-defense.
There was no way someone as fit and healthy as her would faint so often like this.
To him, Olivia was putting on an act for money. As this thought crossed his mind, he averted his gaze from the rearview mirror,
refusing to spare her another glance.
Seeing Ethan’s car gradually disappear, Keith finally came to Olivia’s side.
When Olivia awoke once again, she found herself in the room she had left not too long ago. A needle was stuck in the back of
her hand, and the IV fluid slowly seeped into it. Her left hand was bandaged.
She looked at the clock that hung on the wall and saw that it was already three in the morning.
Before she could react, she heard Keith say in a gentle voice. “Sorry. I followed you because I thought you would do something
stupid.”
Seeing that Olivia wanted to sit up from the bed, Keith rushed to her aid by placing a pillow behind her. Then he gave her some
water.
She finally opened her mouth to speak. “Did you witness everything?”
“I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.” Keith was so earnest and sincere, while Ethan was the exact opposite of him.
“It’s okay. I’m his wife. There’s nothing to hide, anyway.”
Keith’s expression seemed to freeze for a second. Olivia noticed it and smiled bitterly.
“Right. Everyone thinks Marina is his fiancée now. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe—”
“No. I believe you. I recognize the design of your wedding ring. It was an SL limited edition. That’s the only pair that exists. The
magazines mentioned that SL’s boss designed it specially for his wife. And I know that Ethan Miller is the one behind SL.”
Back then, Keith suspected that Olivia and Ethan were together, but he dismissed the idea after hearing the gossip between
Ethan and Marina. Ethan rarely came to the hospital after that too.
Olivia subconsciously touched the place where she usually wore her ring. Her finger was bare now, and the skin where the ring
had once been was a bit fairer than the rest of her hand—as if it was reminding her of her ridiculous marriage.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m his wife. We’re getting a divorce tomorrow at nine.”
“Does he know about your condition?”
“He doesn’t have the right to know about it.”

Chapter 7
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. “I know you haven’t paid for your father’s surgery. Since
we’re friends, I’ll lend you some money for now. You can pay me back in the future.”
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, “No, thanks.”
“Olivia, your father’s 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 isn’t much to me. So, don’t
worry about it.”
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.
“Keith, I know you’re a good person, but ... there’s no future for me anymore.” Whether it was money or his kindness, she
couldn’t 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, “You don’t need to worry about the money. He’ll give me ten million dollars when I divorce
him. My father just had surgery yesterday. I’m going to visit him at the hospital.”
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.
“The cab is here.” Olivia then put on her jacket.

As she placed a hand on the doorknob, she heard him ask, “Olivia, did you ever regret letting go of everything to marry him?”
Did she regret it?Ethan was the cause of her family’s 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, “I don’t.”
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 parents’ 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
mother’s 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 father’s
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 family’s side, she shifted her target to Ethan’s
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 Ethan’s place.
Olivia dialed Brent’s number. After some time, he answered the call and said in his usual polite tone, “Mrs. Miller?”
Olivia tried to suppress her bitterness when she heard him addressing her that way. “Mr. Ingram, I’ve made an appointment with

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Ethan to settle our divorce. Can you pick me up so we could go to the City Hall together?”
Brent fell silent. Just like Ethan, he did not like any sudden change of plans.
Hastily, Olivia added, “Please don’t misunderstand. I don’t have other intentions. I’m just afraid that something might happen and
stall us from getting divorced. I still haven’t settled my father’s medical bills—”
In truth, she was pretty close with them both. She was never rude to them, so when she spoke gently, Brent did not refuse.
“Where are you, Mrs. Miller? I’ll be right there.”
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.
“Sorry, Mrs. Miller, but we’re almost in Midvale. You’ll have to wait for about 20 minutes.”
“Okay.” 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. “Sorry for the wait, Mrs. Miller.”
Olivia nodded and got in the car. “No worries.”
Brent was a rather stoic person. Compared to him, Kelvin was more lively and talkative. “Why didn’t you sleep in, Mrs. Miller? It’s
so cold today. The sun isn’t even up yet,” Kelvin said.
Brent shot daggers at Kelvin to shut him up. Olivia tried to exaggerate things by speaking slowly.
“Initially, I thought Ethan had a change of heart because of Marina. But now, it seems it’s not just because of her. You two have
been working with him for so long, so you should know something about his sister.”
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. “You can’t just say things like that, Mrs. Miller.”
Calmly, Brent answered, “Mrs. Miller, you know that we usually won’t ask Mr. Miller about his personal matters. Even if we know
something, we can’t disclose anything to you. Please understand.”
Olivia covered part of her face with one hand. A tear slid down between her fingers as she said, “I know I’m making things
difficult for you two, but I have no choice. Ethan wouldn’t tell me about it, and my dad is still unconscious after the surgery.
“My family has fallen into such a hopeless state, and I have no idea why. Even if I were to die, I’d want to know the truth. I don’t
want to suffer from ignorance every day.”
“Mrs. Miller, what happened to Mr. Miller’s sister is taboo. We don’t know much about it.”
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.
“Mrs. Miller, since we’re friends, this is the most I can do to help you.”

Chapter 8
Olivia looked at the paper in her hand. It was the address of a cemetery.
Was Ethan’s sister dead?
Even so, what did her father have to do with her death?
If anyone were to know what kind of person her father was, it would be Olivia. And she knew he was not one to harm others, let
alone a young woman.
She knew that Brent and Kelvin would not disclose more information and decided to stop probing them. It was silent all the way
to the Millers’ residence. Olivia had mixed feelings when they arrived.
Brent politely asked her, “Mrs. Miller, would you like to go inside?”
“No, thanks. I’ll wait for him here.”
This was the final time she would meet him, and it was only to settle their divorce. She did not want to cause more trouble for
herself. Besides, every single thing in there would remind her of their time together, and she refused to reminisce about the past.
He was to blame for cherishing her so much back then. Even though he had become colder and more indifferent to her over
time, she would never forget how kind and loving he had been.
He should have been someone she hated to the core, but she could not find it in her heart to do so.
The ignition was not turned off, and the inside of the car was warm and comfortable. She was the only one left in the car now.
Her stomach started to hurt again, and she curled up into a fetal position and waited for the sky to brighten up. After that, she
shifted into a position where she hugged her knees tightly to her chest.
It was winter, so the days were short and the nights long. It was already seven in the morning now, yet the sky was still rather
dark. The leaves had fallen from the apple tree in the garden, making her thoughts drift off to some time in the past.
During the apple season, she yearned to have a taste of apple cider. Knowing this, Ethan helped to pick the fruits for her.
Back then, the Ethan she knew was amiable and approachable. He was an excellent cook, and he spoiled her like a princess.
As her thoughts wandered, she found herself walking alone toward the tree. It was still there, as it had been back then.

But everything had changed, including the man she’d been with. Even the tree had changed; only a couple of dried leaves hung
from the branches now. Its sorry state resembled her current relationship with Ethan.
As Ethan walked out of the mansion, the same sight greeted him. A woman wearing a thin knitted shirt stood watching the apple
tree from below. A gentle breeze blew, gently tousling her hair.
The weather was way better today than the past few days. The first rays of the sun cast its glow on her face.Her fair skin glowed under it, making her look like a fairy who would vanish into thin air in the blink of an eye. Her hands were
bandaged, but her countenance was pale, and she still wore the clothes she wore last night.
“Ethan.” She did not look at him but was able to sense his presence.
“Mhmm?” He hummed.
Slowly, Olivia turned to face him. They stood close to each other, yet their hearts were far apart.
“I want to drink the apple cider you made one last time.”
Ethan was taken aback and took some time to respond. “The apple season has passed. Stop wasting your time,” he said,
emotionless.
Olivia’s eyes looked a little puffy as she muttered, “Can you treat it as my last request before our divorce?”
She seemed to have changed a lot in just three months. He turned to look at the barren tree. In a slightly softer tone, he told her,
“The frozen ones from last year aren’t fresh. Let’s see how it goes next year.”
Next year ...
Olivia brushed her fingers on the rough bark of the tree. She wouldn’t be able to wait for another year. “You must hate me a lot,
right?”
“Yes.”
“Then ... will you be happy if I die?” She turned to face him and spoke softly.
His heart skipped a beat at her words, and his thoughts became empty. For a moment, it felt like he had lost his mind.
After some time, he recomposed himself and calmly said, “Fine. It’s just some apple cider. Come on in.”
Olivia watched as he entered the house, the corner of her lips turning up into a smile. “Are you afraid of me dying?” she thought
to herself.
All of a sudden, she thought of taking revenge on him. She wondered what kind of expression he would wear when he received
the news about her death one day. Would he be glad or upset?
Ethan took out the box of frozen apples from the fridge to defrost. Olivia watched as he busied himself in the kitchen, thinking
ruefully that this was probably the last time he would cook for her.
At least it was something worth remembering.
She crouched by the fireplace and started roasting marshmallows. The sweetness permeated the air, reminding her of how
Ethan’s grandmother would never fail to rush over when she smelled roasted marshmallows in the winter.
The old lady treated Olivia really well, as if she were her own granddaughter. Sadly, she passed away two years ago. Ethan’s
grandfather then moved overseas to prevent himself from being constantly reminded of his loss.
The once cozy mansion now stood cold and empty. Ethan’s grandmother was no longer here to rob Olivia of her roastedmarshmallows too, and that made Olivia feel empty inside.
After finishing the roasted marshmallows and gulping down a glass of warm water, she felt that her stomach did not hurt as much
as before. She could smell the pleasant scent of food from the kitchen.
Olivia walked over to find Ethan pouring some of the soup into a thermos flask and into a bowl.
Since when had she fallen from being his priority and one and only?
She asked herself that question. Yet, she continued to turn a blind eye to the truth of their relationship by reminding herself of
how sweet he was to her in the past.
“The apple cider is ready,” Ethan said, unaware of her dampening mood.
“Thank you.” Olivia stared at the mug in her hands. It tasted just the same as before, but she had already lost her appetite for it.
“It’s late. Let’s head to the City Hall.”
Ethan looked somewhat annoyed. “Aren’t you going to drink it?”
“I don’t feel like it,” Olivia said.
Back then, he would have coaxed her with all the patience he had. Now, he simply glanced at her and poured the cider into the
sink.
His face was like a blank slate when he walked past her and said, “Let’s go.”
“Send this to Collington Cove,” Ethan said as he passed the thermos flask to Brent.
“Alright, Mr. Miller.”
It was at this moment that Olivia knew that there was nothing she could do to mend the tear in their relationship. The year she
spent trying to fix things was nothing but a joke.
Olivia quickly walked to the car. As she passed the apple tree, the wind blew, and the last leaves of the tree fell from its
branches.
Olivia raised a hand to catch one of the leaves. Softly, she said to herself, “What are you even holding on to?”
Then she tossed it to the ground and crushed it beneath her feet.
She closed the door of the car. Even though it was warm inside, just the way that she and Ethan sat at both ends of the
passenger seat—like the North and South Poles—was enough to have the air feel as chilly as the weather outside.
The journey to the City Hall was smooth and without much traffic. It was as if God was paving the way for their divorce because
the traffic lights were green all the way.
As the car was taking a turn at the intersection, nearing their destination, Ethan’s phone started ringing. Marina’s voice came
from the other end of the line.
“Ethan, Connor’s down with a fever. I didn’t want to disturb you, but his fever is now at 103 degrees. I’m so scared. Hurry over—”
“I’m coming.” Ethan hung up, his eyes meeting Olivia’s gaze.
Her eyes were glassy, but the hatred in them was as clear as day. She spoke slowly, enunciating each word. “What’s the child’s
name?”

Chapter 9It was dead silent in the car. Marina’s voice was loud as she was anxious, so Olivia managed to hear her say the name “Connor.”
She remembered the day she received her pregnancy report. She had run into Ethan’s embrace and told him about it. “Ethan,
you’re going to be a father! We’re having a baby!”
Her voice was filled with enthusiasm. “I’ve thought of our child’s name. It’ll be Colette if she’s a girl and Connor if she’s a boy.
What do you think?”
Oh, how she wished she had misheard Marina, but Ethan looked her right in the eyes and told her, “His name’s Connor.”
“You asshole!” Olivia’s hand was already in the air. She slapped him, yet he did not flinch, letting her do as she pleased.
“How could you name her child after our own?”
The thought of her child was Olivia’s final straw. Tears streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably, and she pounced on him as if
she had gone crazy.
“You devil! Why did God take away my child from me? Why weren’t you the one who died?” She landed hit after hit on him as
she yelled, “He doesn’t deserve that name!”
Ethan grabbed both her hands and told Kelvin, “Head to Collington Cove.”
This made Olivia go berserk. “We’re close to the City Hall already! Settle our divorce first before you head elsewhere!”
“His fever won’t go down. I must go back now.”
“My father’s lying unconscious in the hospital, yet the nurses wouldn’t even let me anywhere near the hospital because of the
bills! Are you saying that your child’s life is important, but my father’s life is nothing?” Olivia yelled in his face.
Ethan’s face darkened at the mention of Olivia’s father. “How dare you compare your father to Connor!”
In a fit of rage, Olivia raised her hand to slap him again, but he gripped her wrist tightly. “Are you done?” he shouted.
The car took a turn, and Olivia watched as they moved further and further away from the City Hall. Ethan locked her tightly in his
arms, restraining her movements and preventing her from struggling free.

Long ago, she would be happy and content in his arms, but they were nothing more than shackles to her now. His arms were
strong, and with how frail she was right now, she could not break free.
Helpless, she hollered, “Do you love Marina that much?”
However, Ethan was stunned, for when he held Olivia, he found that she had not only gotten just a bit slimmer—she was way bonier than she was a year ago. She was paper-thin, and he could feel her bones prodding him through her clothes.
The woman he once pampered so much was now so skinny and frail. Was this truly what he wanted?
He was just starting to doubt himself when the image of his sister’s co**se flashed across his mind. His grip on Olivia’s waist
tightened a little. When he raised his head to look at her again, all that was left in his eyes was an endless pool of darkness.
“Believe it or not, I’ll have someone remove your father’s breathing tube right now if you continue making a fuss!”
Olivia fell silent then. Her hands clutched his clothes tightly as her tears soaked his shirt. It was funny how he was the one who
used to say that he would never make her cry, but he was now the reason behind all her tears.
The silence in the car was suffocating. Olivia finally managed to calm herself down, pushing him away before straightening her
back.
She then sniffed and said, “It’s your business if you want to go to your child. However, you can’t ruin our plan. Stop worrying
about me not letting you go because I’m going to divorce you no matter what. I don’t have the habit of keeping someone else’s
trash.”
Ethan frowned at the word “trash,” but Olivia ignored him and carried on with her speech.
“I admit that I’ve been too naïve in the past to pin my hopes on you. I’ve seen everything now. Holding on is meaningless, so I’ll
let things go. Give me the money, and we’ll deal with the formalities later on. I promise I’ll be there in a call. I won’t go back on
my word.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
Olivia looked into his dark, unsettling eyes. The tears that she wept just now made her eyes clearer than ever.
Cooly, she met his gaze and said, “Then I’ll jump out of the car. I’d rather die if I couldn’t save my father.”
Only then did Ethan take out a check and write on it. “I’ll wire you the other five million after we’re divorced.”
Olivia laughed mockingly at him. “Are you so afraid that I wouldn’t divorce you? Don’t worry. I’ll sooner take my own life than stay
beside a man like you. Stop the car.”
She grabbed the check from his hands, slammed the door shut, and left without looking back.
Finally, she could save her father’s life.
She went to cash the check and rushed to the hospital to settle her father’s medical fees. She then called a cab and headed to
the address Brent had given her.
It was a private, high-end cemetery. Those buried here were either affluent or filthy rich. Ethan’s late grandma was buried here.

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Olivia bought a bouquet of his grandma’s favorite bluebells. It was not long before she managed to find a grave that looked fairly
new, which was surrounded by a circle of plum trees. The trees were full of flower buds that would bloom very soon; a name was
carved on the gravestone: “Leia Miller.”
Olivia knew Ethan adored his sister and that her going missing had been a topic of taboo to everyone around him. It was exactly
why she did not know anything about his sister.
Leia. Was this her name? Olivia had never heard of it. She crouched down to look at the photo on the gravestone. It looked like it
was taken before she went missing when she was five or six years old. Her face was chubby and cute, and her eyes were
somewhat similar to Ethan’s.
Olivia had no idea what she could use this information for. She took a picture of Leia’s photo with her phone, considering it a
clue. Then, she placed the bouquet of flowers that she had bought for Ethan’s late grandmother, Eugenia Miller on the ground.
She knelt by the grave and started rambling. “Hi, Leia. I’m Olivia, your sister-in-law—scratch that, it should be your ex-sister-in-
law now. Sorry for meeting you in such a state. I promise I’ll help you find the real culprit who did this to you.”
Olivia then went to Eugenia’s grave, which was not too far away. In her photo, the old lady looked as amiable and kind as ever,
her smile warm and comforting. Olivia fished out some roasted marshmallows from earlier in the morning and placed it in front of
the grave.
“Grandma, I’m here to visit you. It’s winter now, but since you’re no longer here to steal the marshmallows from me, they’ve all
become tasteless.
After standing for some time, Olivia started feeling tired, so she ended up sitting by the grave. It was as though Grandma was
still alive, and Olivia was reminiscing with her.
“Grandma, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep the child. But that bastard Ethan has had two more children already. So you don’t have to
worry about the bloodline anymore.”
Olivia continued, “He’s changed. He’s no longer the person I knew. Back then, he told me that he would defend me from anything
and everything, but all the sufferings I face now are brought by him. If you were alive, you wouldn’t let him treat me like this,
right?”
She forced a smile and said, “Ethan and I are getting divorced soon. You always said that if he wronged me, you’d crawl out from
your coffin and kick his ass. My days are numbered, so I’m coming to find you soon. Then we can crawl out from the ground and
kick his ass together. What do you say?”
Once again, Olivia looked at the photo of the old lady with a kind smile.
“What does it feel like to die? Is it dark? I’m scared of bugs that would bite me. What should I do? How about I bring you lots of
flowers now, and you’ll help me to chase the bugs away when I join you on the other side?”
She looked up into the sky. “I miss you, Grandma.”

Chapter 10
Olivia stayed before the grave for quite some time before leaving. She did not have time to wallow in sorrow for too long. She
had an investigation to carry out now that she had the photo.
Most of the women her dad was in touch with worked in his company, so it was natural that Olivia started from there. But just as
she started to search for a way to contact them, her phone started ringing.
It was one of the children from the countryside whose education her father had sponsored back then. His voice was rather
anxious.
“Ms. Fordham, I just returned from overseas and heard that Mr. Fordham is gravely ill. Is he alright?”
“Thanks for your concern. My father’s still getting treatment at the hospital.”
“Gosh! How could someone as kind as him get into such a situation? If it wasn’t for him sponsoring our studies years back, we
wouldn’t be where we are today.”
A thought flashed across Olivia’s mind. In the past, her father had helped children in the countryside to move to the city for their
studies, so Leia could have known him since she was abducted and taken to the countryside.
“Ryan, do you know those who were sponsored by my father?”
“I’ve been helping Mr. Fordham contact them all along. I know most of them, but I’ve lost contact with them after going abroad for
the past few years. Is there anything I can help you with, Ms. Fordham? I’ll do everything in my power to help you.”
Olivia felt as though she just found herself a sliver of hope. Immediately, she told him, “I have a picture with me. Can you see if
she’s one of the students my father sponsored before?”
“Sure thing, Ms. Fordham.”
In just half an hour after sending him the picture, Ryan had sent Olivia the information she wanted. The girl in the picture he sent
had bright eyes that were similar to Leia and Ethan.
Her name was Jodie, and she came from a poor family. Olivia’s father had sponsored her education 12 years ago. She had been
a brilliant student from a young age and managed to get a spot in many of the top universities in the nation, so she chose to
further her studies in the country.
Perhaps this was the person Olivia was looking for. In a hurry, she asked Ryan to meet up with her in a cafe.

Ryan arrived on time. This was the first time in ten years that Olivia met him in person. Back then, he was still a bashful boy, very unlike the smart-looking man in a suit who was the president of his own company sitting before her.
Even though the Fordhams had fallen into bankruptcy, he still addressed her courteously. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms.
Fordham.”
“I’ve only just arrived. I won’t beat around the bush. Are you still in contact with Jodie?”
“I used to be. I seldom contacted my friends in the country when I stayed overseas. We haven’t talked in at least two years.”
“Do you know how she’s doing these days?”
“I’ve only just returned a few days ago. I wouldn’t have known about your family’s situation if it weren’t for my friends. Jodie and I
aren’t close, though. At most, I only contacted the others because of Mr. Fordham.”
Ryan took a sip from the cup of coffee and cleared his throat. “But since you requested it, I tried asking around in her circle.
Sadly, she’s dead. What a shame. Her grades were excellent, and she would’ve had a bright future ahead of her if she were
alive.”
“How did she die?”
“I’m not sure of the cause of her death, but I heard that she was fished out of the sea.”
Olivia frowned, her forehead wrinkling. Not only did she not find the answers she was looking for, but more questions also began
to come up.
Leia was kidnapped when she was almost six years old, so she should have remembered what had happened to her.
If her father had sponsored her studies, why didn’t she ask for help?
Why did she not return to the Millers when she came to the city?
Besides, what did Olivia’s father have to do with Jodie’s death?
“Was my father kind to her?” Olivia asked tentatively.
“Jodie came from a poor background and was orphaned at a young age. She scored well in her exams and made her way into
the city all alone. Mr. Fordham was very kind to her. I heard that she was rather reserved and was ostracized by her roommates,
so Mr. Fordham rented her a small apartment so that she could excel in her studies,” Ryan explained.
Then, he set his cup down and asked, “Why are you so curious about her?”
“I just want to find out the cause of her death so that she wouldn’t die in vain,” Olivia explained.
She had planned to leave this world peacefully after getting ten million from her divorce to settle her funeral. Now, she had
something else in mind. She wanted to clear her father’s name and take revenge for her family.
Even if Ethan refused to tell her the truth, she would find it out herself.

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Ryan looked as if he suddenly recalled something. He took out a name card from his wallet and passed it to Olivia. “One of my
friends is a renowned private detective. He could be of help if you wish to find out about anything.”
“Thank you, Ryan.”
“No worries. I know Jodie, and I wish for her to go peacefully too. I’ll be staying in the country for some time, so just message me
if you need anything. I have a meeting soon, so I’ll be taking my leave.”
“See you later.” After seeing him off, Olivia called the private detective and sent the information she got over to him. Presently,
she was in high spirits.
When she arrived at the hospital, Dr. Freeman called her to his office. Olivia had an ominous feeling about this. Anxiously, she
asked, “How’s my father’s condition? When can he wake up?”
“Ms. Fordham, you need to be mentally prepared. Even though Mr. Fordham’s surgery was a success, he hit his head during the
car crash, which triggered an aftereffect. He shows no signs of waking up, and ... he may not ever wake up again.”
Olivia thought her heart had fallen into a perpetual abyss. Her grip on the disposable paper cup loosened, and her hands started
to tremble.
Seeing her reaction, Dr. Freeman could not help but let out a sigh. “Don’t lose hope. I’m just saying that it’s a possibility. He
should be fine if he wakes up by the end of this month.”
When she raised her head, Olivia’s eyes were clouded with tears. She croaked, “He’ll be in a coma if he can’t wake up, right?”
“Yes. So, I hope you’ll be prepared for this and have things planned out.” Dr. Freeman knew that it was not easy to earn money
these days and that spending it on a person in comatose was not necessary.
Olivia abruptly shot up from her seat and slammed her hands on the table. “No matter what happens, I won’t give up on my
father. I believe that miracles do happen.”
Then she dashed out of the office. She never thought that things would take a turn for the worse. If her father couldn’t wake up,
she’d never get to hear him speak the truth. If so, she could not die just yet!
She rushed off to the oncology department. Keith had just finished diagnosing one of his patients when Olivia barged into the
room.
“Keith, help me.”
Keith looked at her anxious face and her hands that tugged at his sleeve. Olivia spoke calmly and firmly as though she had
found her salvation.
“Be it chemotherapy or surgery, I’ll do anything as long as I can have more time to live ...”
Only by living would she have the time to find out the truth and accompany her father for a longer time.
Keith did not understand what she had been through, but as long as she had the will to live, he, as a doctor, was positively
delighted.
“Alright. I’ll arrange your first chemotherapy session right away.”

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