chapter 1 i never imagined that I'd one day end up working with my ex-husband after all it was only 3 months ago that
we finally ended our miserable three-year long marriage the day the news broke that the new general manager
was arriving the entire office buzzed with gossip finally a young manager for
once look at his photo he's seriously good-looking huh zach from the next desk
leaned over staring at the employee profile photo of Santiago on my screen the new GM is not even 30 do you know if
he's married he was now he's divorced what i closed the page and replied
calmly but he has a girlfriend might even be engaged maybe already remarried
zach gaped at me how would you know that i shook my head and smiled just a guess
he has that look but that wasn't true everything I said was real because Santiago's ex-wife is me chapter 2
santiago and I were practically the textbook example of how two lovers can become each other's worst regrets we
were alumni from the same teachers university he was a year ahead my senior
some people just shine no matter where they go and Santiago was exactly that kind of person you couldn't help but
look at him truth is I was the one who had a crush on him first but there were
so many girls who liked Santiago i wasn't confident back then i just admired him silently like an idol never
daring to confess of course I was afraid of rejection but even more I was afraid
we wouldn't even be friends afterward then came that summer break when we volunteered to teach in a mountain
village the living conditions weren't great one night it rained through the roof of my room the teacher in charge
moved me to an empty classroom to wait out the repairs when I got there someone was already inside it was Santiago i
guess he had also been sent there to escape the rain maybe he was too exhausted he'd fallen asleep slumped
over a little desk i quietly pulled out the chair beside him watching his sleeping face my heart thudded wildly
there were no lights on outside the rain poured down my courage surged and a wild
idea popped into my head i slowly leaned closer to his face just as our noses
were about to touch thunder cracked outside snapped back to reality by the thunder i scolded myself for letting
desire override my reason i was about to sit upright when a strong hand pressed down on my head santiago slowly opened
his eyes looked at my panicked face and said softly 'Olivia what were you just
trying to do i wasn't trying to do anything.' I blurted out face burning
struggling to free myself but he didn't let go his eyes curved with amusement
and the next second he leaned in and kissed me i froze too stunned to resist
it was a very very gentle kiss but I want to he said chapter 3 and so
Santiago and I got together he was a really good boyfriend we dated for 3
years in college and our plan was to stay in the same city after graduation and build a life there but then
unexpectedly he received an offer from a well-known company back in his hometown
he never really wanted to be a teacher that job offer was everything he had dreamed of after a lot of thought he
held my hand and asked me if I would go back home with him santiago's hometown was very far from mine no high-speed
trains connected the two just a 20-hour train ride my parents were strongly against the idea my dad got so angry he
argued with me several times over the phone my mom pleaded with me sweetheart
we don't want you to marry far away because we don't know anyone there if you're treated badly who's going to
stand up for you you won't even have a place to go but back then I was too in
love with Santiago to listen to reason i told my mom Santiago would never hurt me
but in the end the one who hurt me the most was him chapter 4 it was like I had
been blinded by love even when my dad said 'If you marry him and move there
then don't come back to this house.' I didn't hesitate right after graduation I
followed Santiago to his hometown he came to pick me up from the train station it was snowing that night
wearing my thick winter coat i ran into his arms eyes red with tears and told
him I had arrived his eyes were red too as he held my face and kissed me over and over santiago I whispered that night
curled up in his arms my parents are furious my dad said if I leave he'll cut
ties with me you're all I have left he hugged me tightly then he said 'Olivia
let's get married i'll take care of you for the rest of my life.' Chapter 5 and
so Santiago and I got married after the wedding I started working as an English
teacher at a primary school while Santiago took his corporate job at first
everything was sweet and full of joy like any newlywed couple we cooked together watched movies and shared the
chores my dad was still mad at me and didn't even attend the wedding i was heartbroken about it but back then I was
so caught up in the bliss of marriage that I ignored a lot of things i kept thinking once we got a long holiday we
could visit my parents and Santiago would talk to my dad and make things right surely then dad would forgive us
but Santiago got busier and busier he wasn't just working overtime on weekdays weekends and holidays too i felt bad for
him and told him not to push himself so hard but he would wrap his arms around me and say he had to give it his all i
want to prove to your dad that you made the right choice i'm going to give you a life everyone envys chapter 6 santiago's
career took off quickly in just 2 years he became a department manager in those
two years he drank countless rounds of alcohol at work events every time he got drunk and threw up i was there taking
care of him cleaning up worried sick at the banquet celebrating his promotion to
general manager i met Miranda for the first time she had long wavy hair
flawless makeup and walked over to Santiago with a glass of wine swaying her hips tilting her head as she
congratulated him maybe it was some kind of woman's sixth sense but something about her made me uncomfortable when we
got home I asked Santiago who she was santiago was a bit drunk he pulled me
into a kiss and said 'Miranda she works in my department.' I wanted to ask more
but he had already fallen asleep chapter 7 but Miranda wasn't just a regular
coworker she quickly started invading my and Santiago's life late night texts
unexpected phone calls perfume lingering on his shirts all of that soon became
fuel for arguments between me and Santiago i couldn't stand Miranda's blatant provocations anymore and
Santiago's overtime hours only got longer until one night i waited until
11:00 p.m and he still wasn't home i took a taxi to his company and right at
the entrance I saw her miranda was clinging to his arm adjusting his collar
go home already she said playfully her tone flirtatious and sugary otherwise
the psycho call storm will start again santiago gave her a helpless smile i'll head back after she falls asleep that
night I couldn't hold back i rushed forward shoved Santiago aside and
slapped Miranda across the face what did Santiago say that night right he said
'Olivia you're acting like a crazy woman.' Chapter 8 after that night
things between Santiago and me hit rock bottom we didn't speak not until half a
month later when Santiago placed divorce papers in front of me i had never seen him look so indifferent he told me he
had real feelings for Miranda he admitted it was wrong to cheat but said that when love came he just couldn't
control himself i stared at him dazed love i repeated his words wouldn'tly
feeling like my whole world had just shattered so what you have with her is love and what about me he was silent for
a long time then he only said one thing let's get divorced chapter nine i didn't
agree to the divorce i couldn't accept it later Miranda came to my school she
said she wanted to talk only useless women try to tie a man down through marriage she said full of disdain what's
the point in what you're doing she pulled up a surveillance video on her phone miss Olivia she sneered what would
your students think if they saw you acting like a crazy jealous wife that night what would the school think just
divorce him already santiago is mine now we've done everything he only has eyes
for me why keep making this hard on yourself what's your reason for not signing the papers because he's rich and
successful she gave me a mocking smile but you need to know your place you're just an ordinary primary school teacher
a man like Santiago deserves someone like me your school has plenty of male teachers why not find some divorced guy
and live a quiet life wouldn't that suit you better you don't belong in Santiago's world anymore that day she
said a lot she even threatened me with the video of me slapping her and I stayed silent the whole time in the end
she got impatient and asked what I really wanted i said just one thing if you're so capable then make him divorce
me chapter 10 after that Santiago stopped coming home i kept calling him
again and again when he blocked me I waited outside his company i was like
someone gone mad there was only one thought in my head if they won't let me live in peace then no one gets peace i
wrote out my story printed it on A4 paper and pasted it all over the company
building i handed copies to everyone walking in or out she wanted to expose me then I'd expose her first she thought
I was terrified of losing but the truth was I had nothing left to lose the moment I broke with my family for
Santiago he became my whole world but now he didn't want me anymore chapter 11
miranda underestimated how far I would go to hold on to this marriage she called me a crazy woman news of her and
Santiago spread quickly through the company to protect its reputation the company fired her the scandal also
reached Santiago's parents they were very traditional people and when they found out they were furious they called
both of us home right in front of me santiago's father slapped him while his
mother threatened to hang herself if he dared to get a divorce in the end Santiago gave in he broke things off
with Miranda and returned to our family that three-way war we finally won it
that night Santiago and I talked the whole night we reminisced about the past
i flipped through our old photos with him page by page by the end I was crying
santiago cried too with red eyes he apologized and pulled me into his arms
again olivia I'm sorry let's start over tears streamed down my face as I
reflected on all the reckless things I had done that night we fell asleep in each other's arms he made an effort and
I responded after that we had about 2 months of peace he stopped working late
so often we cooked together watched movies shared little daily stories and
even visited his parents regularly we planned to visit my parents next month when he got time off it really felt like
everything was going back to how it used to be until that night when he went to shower and left his phone on the table
screen flashing non-stop i couldn't resist i picked it up the caller ID read
M as soon as I answered the other person hung up curious I checked and saw a
stream of incoming messages santiago will you come tomorrow i miss you so
much i cried for hours holding the pillow you used i really miss you i don't want to sleep alone why can't we
be together if we love each other i've been thinking non-stop i don't care if you never make it official i just need
you to stay with me i really really love you i can't live without you i'll take
the job you found for me i promise i know your parents won't let you divorce her it's okay let's take our time we'll
get through this together okay every line was full of emotion every word true
love when Santiago came out of the shower I was still sitting there stunned
holding his phone he snatched it from my hand glanced at the screen and said
hurriedly 'Olivia you're still talking to her?' I stood up staring at him in
disbelief not just talking you helped her get a job you slept with her too
calm down how could I calm down ra shattered any self-control I had left i
screamed hysterical how could you do this to me Santiago how
could you you said we'd start over he let me scream and cry his expression
growing colder by the second and then he said 'Olivia I told you I'm not
divorcing you miranda's still struggling to accept everything i'll handle it
slowly these past weeks haven't been easy for me either.' Then he added 'Stop
pushing me.' Okay chapter 12 that night I had something important I wanted to
tell him i was pregnant but Miranda's calls and messages shattered that joy like a soap bubble and dragged Santiago
and me back to square one a week later a student at school slipped while coming down the stairs and hit their head
bleeding badly I happened to be nearby without thinking i rushed over scooped
the child up and ran straight to the school clinic by afternoon my lower
abdomen began to ache and then the bleeding started i called Santiago over
and over but he didn't pick up the pain was so intense I nearly fainted a coworker panicking rushed me to the
hospital the baby couldn't be saved the doctor told me my pregnancy had already been unstable and the embryo wasn't
healthy to begin with honestly she said it might be a blessing it ended early
lying on that cold hospital bed i called Santiago again the phone rang for a long
time no one answered chapter 13 because it was a natural miscarriage the doctor
gave me some medication and sent me home on the way back I sat in the cab
miserable and aching trying to distract myself i opened my phone and started
scrolling through short videos lately a meme about Wong Banan picking wild herbs
had gone viral everyone was posting comedic takes on it the comment sections were flooded with jokes about how scary
it is to be blinded by love even the lady driving the cab chimed in when she heard the audio from my phone girl I
just don't get that wong Baan it's not like men are in short supply sure her
parents had it bad but even that poor mountain suffered 18 years eating wild
herbs girl she basically plucked the whole mountain bald what did those herbs do to deserve that she burst into
laughter i laughed too that only encouraged her she kept going watching
me in the rear view mirror seriously though love can make people crazy huh
are you crying i hastily wiped my face tears pouring uncontrollably i forced a
smile no your jokes are just too funny i laughed too hard my tears are from
laughing haha there's tissue in the seat pocket grab one sweetie i took one
turned my head and happened to catch my reflection in the car window messy ponytail a worn out face bitter eyes red
swollen lids a face covered in tears was this really me was this the same Olivia
who once shown on stage winning first place in a provincial dance competition was this still the girl who always faced
the sun with boundless energy was this still the Olivia they once called a rising star after she won first place in
the national teacher skills contest and just like that I suddenly understood why
I didn't want the divorce what I couldn't let go of it wasn't Santiago anymore it was everything I gave up for
him just like Wong Bouan maybe she too couldn't let go not because of love but
because she had sacrificed too much and once you've given up so much it's hard to walk away you need it to mean
something luckily for me it was only 6 years thank God just 6 years chapter 14
when I got back to the neighborhood I saw them from a distance standing under the tree wrapped in each other's arms
miranda's eyes were red from crying santiago gently cuped her face full of
affection they kissed deeply completely lost in each other as if the world
around them didn't exist even as I walked closer they didn't notice me
miranda kissed him through her sobs whispering 'She's almost off work i
should go right?' Santiago said nothing he only kissed her again even harder i
stood there quietly my body aching but inside I felt unusually calm no impulse
to slap anyone no tears nothing oddly enough I almost felt like I was the
villainous in some romance novel the bitter obstacle between the male and female leads they were only struggling
to love because I stood in the way 6 years ago Santiago looked up at me with sparkling eyes after I failed to sneak a
kiss pulled me close and said 'But I want to.' 6 years later he's holding
another woman comforting her tears while ignoring the woman who just lost his child all this time what exactly was I
so reluctant to let go of that unexpected kiss in the rain the sweetness of a shared secret crush the
night I gave up everything to chase him through a snowstorm the promise Olivia I'll love you for the rest of my life
and now all of those memories splashed over with thick ugly red paint they can
never be cleaned off i tilted my head upward no tears and for the first time I
felt like I could breathe finally I understood letting go stopping love
sometimes it only takes a moment chapter 15 that night I told Santiago I wanted a
divorce he froze tugged at his tie and frowned impatiently can you stop making
a scene you were the one who refused to divorce before and now you're doing this
he probably thought I was just looking for a fight again i looked up at him and calmly asked 'You don't want a divorce?'
He said nothing fighting through the pain in my body I continued can you
really stand to keep her in the shadows like that forever the mistress that line
clearly struck a nerve fine fine divorce great works for me but Olivia he added
cold as ice don't regret it later how could I regret this i already had enough
regrets to last a lifetime what surprised me though was that I always thought Santiago wanted out more than I
did yet days later when I handed him the divorce agreement he hesitated he didn't
sign 'you really thought this through?' he asked tossing the pen down clearly
annoyed i nodded our finances were simple the house and car were his premarital assets we had some joint
savings not much i only asked for half he had no reason to refuse but it still
took him three full days to sign a month later once everything was finalized we
went together to the Civil Affairs Bureau to officially file the divorce olivia he said when the moment came his
voice no longer sharp just hesitant are you really sure once we sign we won't be
husband and wife anymore are you really sure he asked again i suddenly found him
funny he probably thought I was playing games pretending to want a divorce as some roundabout strategy a way to guilt
trip him or sabotage his relationship with Miranda that's why when I finally agreed to the divorce he looked anxious
instead of relieved but the truth was I really didn't love him anymore i truly
wanted to leave and I didn't want to stay a moment longer chapter 16 the day
after we finalized the divorce I left that day it snowed heavily Santiago
called he actually said he wanted to take me to the station no need I replied
i only have one suitcase the same one I brought 3 years ago i can handle it myself but he still came anyway at the
train station i waited to board while he stood silently off to the side his phone rang again and again but he didn't
answer eventually he turned it off altogether i figured as the one who
cheated maybe now that I'd agreed to divorce without drama he felt some guilt
maybe escorting me was his way of easing that guilt when boarding started I pulled my suitcase and walked toward the
gate suddenly he grabbed my wrist i turned back let me know when you get
home he said softly i shook my head and pulled my hand free santiago we're
divorced from now on let's pretend we never met and then I walked away without
looking back standing on the platform surrounded by falling snow it felt like
everything had been reset 3 years ago I came here with nothing but love and reckless courage dragging the same
suitcase behind me 3 years later in the same station I left behind pain and
resentment still alone but this time I'm never coming back chapter 17 i arrived
home at 7:00 in the morning but standing in front of the door I suddenly hesitated back then I ignored my parents
warnings and stubbornly did things my way and now after everything I'd been through I had no one to blame but myself
with things ending like this what right did I have to come back crying what face did I have left to seek their comfort
just then the door opened my mom bundled in thick pajamas probably on her way to
take out the trash froze when she saw me olivia mom my voice trembled oh my
goodness why didn't you tell us you were coming home she cried as she quickly pulled me inside honey come out here
olivia's home she shouted into the house why are you dressed so light your hands
are freezing how long have you been standing out there why didn't you knock she scolded while taking the suitcase
from me where's Santiago didn't he come with you right then my dad came out of
the bedroom i couldn't hold it in anymore tears poured down my face dad
mom I got divorced chapter 18 i thought my parents would scold me the moment
they heard about the divorce but they didn't say a word of blame after I told them everything my mom just teared up
she trembled with anger cursing Santiago for being a heartless bastard and hugged
me tight my baby's home that's what matters divorce was the right choice that kind of jerk didn't deserve our
Olivia in the first place listen to your mom what's ahead will only get better okay i buried my face in her arms and
cried like a child all the pain all the loneliness I'd bottled up over the past 3 years finally it came pouring out my
dad sat silently nearby not saying a word maybe maybe he had already seen
this coming when he tried so hard to stop me from leaving back then that night I went back to sleep in my
childhood bedroom nothing had changed the photos and award certificates were still pinned to the wall my mom said she
and my dad cleaned the room every day your dad talks tough but he's soft inside she said as she sat beside my bed
he was mad and said he'd cut ties with you sure but he's been polishing your trophies like their treasures you take
after him you know both of you are stubborn and always follow your heart that's why he was so afraid you'd get
hurt i nodded tears welling up again get some sleep now she said brushing my
forehead gently i closed my eyes she turned off the light and left the room
aw you scared me i heard her voice outside what are you doing standing here
she's asleep not yet almost she's been crying all day can't you put something
on her eyes my dad's voice came through the door when she's asleep roll a boiled
egg over her eyelids if not they'll be sore tomorrow i turned over in bed and
once again the tears came chapter 19 that night I had the best sleep I'd had
in a long time the next day I cut off my waistlength hair dyed it dark brown and
got a soft curl bob the hairdresser gasped at how beautiful my hair was and asked if I wanted to sell it i shook my
head and told him to just throw it away i used to keep it long because Santiago liked it he always said I looked best
with long straight black hair and told me never to cut or dye it but now I just
wanted to please myself i wanted a fresh start i majored in elementary English
education but after inquiring at a few local schools I found out none of them had openings or plans to hire thankfully
a neighbor of mine was heading abroad and her company urgently needed someone to handle English documentation she
recommended me that's how I started working at this company it was a private enterprise involved in foreign trade
with branches all across the country i was placed in one of those branches the atmosphere was great my co-workers were
friendly the company regularly organized staff activities and even partnered with a local mountain school for charity
efforts exactly the kind of work I enjoyed and was good at for 3 months
everything at work had been going really well until the general manager suddenly fell ill and had to be hospitalized he
retired shortly after due to health issues and the company brought in a new GM i never imagined I would run into
Santiago again so soon and certainly not as the new general manager of my company
chapter 20 if someone asked 'What does it feel like to run into your awful ex
and have him become your boss?' I might be the most qualified person to answer right now but those dramatic scenes
quitting in a blaze of glory or getting sweet revenge only happen in novels my parents are both retired now i can't
just quit and expect them to support me again besides teaching I have no other
professional experience finding another job would be tough and uncertain for now
i need this job honestly I was surprised Santiago came here but I didn't feel
much else after all in my position I had basically zero interaction with the GM
this was a big company it was rare to even catch a glimpse of him so I just
kept going to work like normal my mom worried I'd get stuck in the pain of my failed marriage had been busy setting me
up on blind dates these past few months to ease her mind I went along with them
she cast the net pretty wide so sometimes I'd run into some real characters but from another angle it
added a bit of fun to life one day during lunch I was chatting with my coworker Rita in the cafeteria she asked
how the blind dates were going i sighed and laughed i met one yesterday when he found out I used to be an English
teacher guess what he asked me what he said he wants to apply for a part-time
graduate program and asked if I could tutor him for free rita couldn't help it and sprayed her drink just as a group of
people walked past our table one of them paused midstep seriously what kind of
guy says that rita burst out laughing then sighed but really even someone like
you got divorced i honestly don't get what your ex was thinking what do men want these days a literal goddess i
smiled and took a sip of soup to each their own i guess I get it Rita said
with a click of her tongue once they've had plain rice they start craving leftovers she suddenly went silent i
looked at her confused until I noticed her standing up nervously good afternoon
sir she said i followed her gaze santiago our eyes met he looked
surprised maybe even a little conflicted i guess he hadn't expected to see me here either rita tugged at my sleeve
with so many people watching i stood up too 'hello sir,' I said he hesitated for
a second the group with him started greeting him one after another creating a sudden buzz some were clearly trying
to score points in front of the new boss i gently nudged Rita and the two of us carried our trays to the other side of
the room chapter 21 after that I didn't run into Santiago at the office again a
few days later was the company's midyear event in addition to reports and awards each department was required to prepare
a performance our department had planned ahead and arranged for me and a male colleague who also had dance experience
to perform a duet time was tight and I hadn't danced in a long time my partner
was more skilled than I was so he quickly decided we would adapt one of the routines I performed during a
college competition into a partner piece my mom didn't know Santiago was now the general manager of my company when she
heard I'd be dancing she excitedly dug out my old competition costume it was a shimmering blue dress i tried it on it
still fit my daughter is so beautiful my mom said with emotion like a fairy come
to earth the day of the performance standing on stage I actually felt really
happy after graduating and marrying Santiago my life had just been about work chores and grocery lists i'd barely
danced since then let alone stood under the spotlight but that night the dance
flowed freely my partner and I had great chemistry it was pure joy afterward we
walked off stage chatting excitedly about how in sync we'd been then someone nearby called out 'General manager.' I
turned around santiago was standing by the backstage entrance looking in our direction for some reason he was alone
and looked oddly isolated there was something unreadable in his eyes dark shadowed but I didn't care i turned away
and walked out through the other exit chapter 22 after the midyear performance
I got a little attention around the office even some friendly ladies from other departments came over to ask if I
had a boyfriend i told them honestly that I was divorced they were surprised
but one of them even clenched her fists and said she definitely helped me find a good man i smiled and thanked her around
the same time I received good news a new experimental elementary school was
opening in the city's development zone and they had officially posted their job listings a week later our company
organized another charity visit to the Mountain School I had joined the last one shortly after I started here and
since my co-workers knew I had teaching experience they recommended me again what I didn't expect was that Santiago
would also show up the children at the school still remembered me miss Olivia
they called out one after another i was thrilled i handed out snacks taught them
some English and led a game of catch the chickens where I played the mother hen and one of the male co-workers was the
eagle we ran so much I was dripping with sweat just when I was about to collapse and grab some water santiago who had
been speaking with the principal walked over 'tired?' he asked the male coworker
'i'll take over for a bit.' The guy was stunned and nodded stiffly santiago and
I locked eyes i turned my head away and said to a little girl behind me 'Want to be the mother hen?' Her eyes sparkled
'yes I'm going to get some water i will leave the chicks in your care okay keep
them safe.' I waved goodbye to the kids with a smile and walked toward the classroom chapter 23 the classroom was
empty i sat down feeling a dull ache in my lower abdomen counting the days it
made sense it was around that time of the month after the miscarriage i barely rested before jumping into divorce
paperwork with Santiago i didn't take the traditional postpartum rest and ended up with lingering pain in my waist
and abdomen recently I'd been dancing a lot and the night before I stayed up
late preparing materials for the experimental school interview then I'd just run around playing with the kids so
the pain this time was worse i didn't bring any painkillers and knew I couldn't hold out until the afternoon i
texted the male colleague who had played the eagle earlier and told him I wasn't feeling well i asked if he could drive
me back early he was kind and came right away driving me to a hospital in the city as if one problem wasn't enough the
doctor also diagnosed me with acute interitis i needed four treatment with
no choice i called my mom and asked her to bring my medical records from the past few months to the hospital my
parents arrived quickly and busied themselves paying bills and getting prescriptions i lay on the hospital bed
eyes closed receiving fluids through the floor the infusion room was noisy i
didn't know how long had passed before I opened my eyes and saw someone standing at my bedside it was Santiago you I
started zach told me you were here i was worried so I came zach was the colleague
who drove me here that wasn't necessary i said calmly general manager santiago
was holding a medical sheet he looked pale like he was the patient earlier when you were sleeping your file fell on
the floor and scattered i I picked it up he stepped closer eyes read clutching
the paper tightly his voice shaking we had a child the form was from last month
when I came to get medicine it included a history of previous pregnancy loss october 26th he said horsely that was
the day you asked for a divorce was it because we lost the baby his hands
trembled i reached out and took the paper from him if it had been the old me maybe I would have cried drowning in
grief and accusations telling him everything about losing the child but now I had nothing left to say no I said
'My heart is still as a quiet lake it was because I stopped loving you Santiago.' I looked him in the eyes and
repeated it's because I don't love you anymore chapter 24 just then my parents
walked in when they saw Santiago both of them froze santiago froze too he opened
his mouth and unbelievably said 'Dad
mom.' My mom paused for a split second then her emotions exploded 'you bastard
what right do you have to call us dad and mom?' Her tears fell instantly we handed our daughter over to you whole
and well look what you did to her huh and you've got the nerve to show your face here she rushed at him ready to hit
get out get out right now hey calm down my dad grabbed her why are you stopping
me my mom turned still furious my dad shook his head at her there are patients
here go sit with Olivia then he turned to Santiago and said in a cold deep
voice 'You come with me.' Chapter 25 not long after my dad and Santiago stepped
out I heard shouting from the hallway something's happening a fight a fight i
panicked and quickly asked my mom to go check she didn't return right away but a family member from the next bed came in
buzzing with excitement oh wow you wouldn't believe it just outside an old
man beat the crap out of a young guy my heart skipped a beat he must be pushing
60 the man went on but he knocked that kid down so bad he couldn't even get up
the hospital nearly called the police but the young guy said 'No need.' As he continued dramatically I pieced together
what my father had said during the fight you have no right to call us dad and mom my daughter she's been the light of my
life since she was born i never once let her suffer the tiniest bit you think I raised such a wonderful girl so you
could ruin her from now on every time I see you I'll beat you again just then my
mom came back supporting my dad why'd you get so worked up she sighed helping
him sit you're not young anymore and you've got high blood pressure what if you overexert yourself he bullied my
daughter he's lucky I didn't kill him my dad huffed he walked over and sat beside
my bed dad I choked out eyes red he nodded and held my hand after a long
silence he finally said 'Sweetheart you need to know no matter what your mom and
I will always have your back if you don't want that job quit we've got pensions savings even if you never get
married or work again we'll take care of you as long as we're here you don't have to be afraid of anyone i don't care who
it is even if it's the king of the world I'll shield you from it.' And that's when I finally broke down i threw myself
into my dad's arms and sobbed uncontrollably he rarely spoke much and he was always stubborn we used to fight
all the time when I was a rebellious teen but in this whole world he's the man who loves me most chapter 26 after I
was discharged from the hospital I rested at home for 2 weeks santiago came
by twice of course he didn't even make it past the front door a few days later
the company union sent over a bunch of health supplements i knew this was his doing maybe too late he was trying to
make up for the child that never made it the day before I returned to work I received a text from an unknown number
olivia have you no shame you're divorced and still clinging to your ex-husband
followed by a string of vile insults the number looked familiar in the living room my parents were calling me to come
drink black chicken soup i calmly deleted the message and blocked the number the next day I found out Miranda
had come to our company turns out the GM is married rita whispered to me in the breakroom his wife suddenly showed up
last week brought fruit to every department she lowered her voice even more total marking territory energy word
is people from the admin office overheard them arguing in his office she was yelling something like 'Why do you
still care about her?' I also heard she was the one who broke up his previous marriage rita popped a sunflower seed
they worked at the same company she was the mistress the ex-wife stormed the company made a huge scene the mistress
got fired it was that bad but hey she played her cards right the ex tried
everything to hold on but the GM still got a divorce apparently they only got
married recently and rumor has it he left his old company because everyone talked behind his back after the
marriage then he just happened to land here after our GM got sick she clicked her tongue men always fall for the toxic
ones i just smiled without saying anything after work I didn't go straight
home one of the ladies in the adjacent department had set me up on a blind date the guy came to pick me up downstairs at
the office he was a university literature professor his name was Dominic but the moment I stepped into
the parking lot someone grabbed my arm i turned around it was Santiago breathless
he looked at me with concern you're back at work are you feeling better i froze
for a second about to respond when suddenly a shrill female voice interrupted us then my hand still being
held by Santiago was yanked away hard well if it isn't Olivia miranda smiled
sweetly as she clung to Santiago's arm long time no see santiago's face stiffened he clearly wasn't happy i
heard you were sick her voice dripped with sarcasm what now your old tricks
didn't work so now you're playing the weak and pitiful ex-wife miranda Santiago said sternly watch what you're
saying olivia is an employee of this company now employee miranda burst out
laughing how convenient i was also your employee once wasn't I out of all your
staff only she gets to be fragile and dramatic have you forgotten all the dirty tricks she used to keep us apart
she's just trying to win your attention back miranda I cut her off coldly you
better watch your mouth santiago and I are already divorced your lives have nothing to do with me and I have no
interest in seeing either of you so do me a favor and stay out of my way i stepped closer but if you insist on
stirring things up I won't hesitate to let everyone here know what the two of you did you know I'm capable of that
don't you miranda froze stunned like she couldn't believe what she was hearing
her voice rose sharply are you kidding me i am Santiago's legal wife now what
right do you Oh I sneered when I was his legal wife that didn't stop you from
clinging to him did it i stepped in again weren't you the one who said only
useless women tried to keep a man with marriage miranda's face turned ghostly pale excuse me a gentle male voice spoke
behind us are you looking for Olivia i turned dominic santiago's face changed
instantly you must be Mr dominic i asked he nodded yes is everything okay do you
need help i smiled no it's fine let's go miranda looked like she still wanted to
say something but Santiago pulled her back i didn't spare them another glance i got in Dominic's car without looking
back chapter 27 after the dramatic scene just now I honestly didn't expect much
from this blind date anymore even though Dominic was objectively a great guy probably the best among my recent
matches after witnessing that mess earlier I figured any man would be uncomfortable things like this really
just depend on fate thinking that I sincerely apologized sorry you had to
see all that but he didn't seem to mind at all he gave me a small smile when the
matchmaker told me about your situation i admit I was curious why would someone
like you be divorced i even made a few silly guesses but after seeing what just
happened it all makes sense now a marriage like that why wouldn't you leave he said it so frankly and with
just enough humor that the awkwardness melted away to be honest I don't think
I'm really ready yet to open up to a new relationship i admitted totally normal
he said but still you have to believe in life there are good men out there like
who du Fu what he chuckled also Du Fay i
couldn't help but laugh what kind of answer was that the mood lightened i
teased him back so what all men with the surname do are good guys now he stopped
the car and turned to me eyes sparkling well my last names do too chapter 28 as
it turns out having dinner with a literature professor is actually pretty fun he could quote poems or stories at
any moment turning the most boring topics into something amusing over the next month I kept hearing gossip in the
company mostly about Santiago and Miranda what I heard most often Miranda
showing up every single day to pick Santiago up from work she watches him like a hawk honestly can't blame her she
clawed her way up from office mistress to legal wife now she has to defend her title one time the GM just left the
office with his secretary and Miranda nearly murdered her with a look that girl has a boyfriend doesn't she total
misunderstanding didn't matter they still ended up in another fight i listened quietly and then I found it
kind of funny back when I was desperately holding on to Santiago when I still loved him and refused to divorce
those two stood united so in love so determined they treated me like the only
thing standing in the way of their true love they fought through everything defying ethics and morals just to be
together but now now that I've finally let go drained of love and stubbornness
they're right back where I once stood miranda who used to radiate confidence in love now looked desperate even
pathetic i wonder is this the life they wanted so badly chapter 29 for a few
months Santiago had been sending me health supplements claiming they were from the company union eventually this
got back to Miranda one evening I was working late and happened to run into Santiago at the company entrance as I
was leaving he hesitated for a moment but still walked over have you been doing okay lately i was silent for a
second then said 'You can tell the union to stop sending those supplements.' 'It
wasn't the union.' He said 'It was me i just said that because I thought you
wouldn't accept them otherwise.' I sighed santiago what's the point of this
i just I wanted to make up for it if you really feel any guilt for me or for that
child then please just stop disturbing my life he stood frozen in place people
are strange aren't they he was the one who fell in love with someone else he
was the one who pushed for divorce and now he can't stop trying to make amends with the ex-wife he cast aside suddenly
I heard the sharp click of high heels i didn't need to look to know who it was olivia miranda sneered storming over
don't you have any shame so you lost your baby so what that was ages ago if
you'd agreed to divorce earlier you wouldn't have gotten pregnant in the first place now you're divorced and
still using the baby as an excuse to pull Santiago back in trying to guilt him huh playing hard to get you think we
can't see through you you're disgusting she raised her hand ready to slap me i
instinctively raised my arm to block but someone else beat me to it stop dominic
caught her wrist voice ice cold smack i slapped Miranda across the face she
froze so did Dominic you hit me she stared at me clutching her cheek you hit
me how dare you no reason I said calmly just felt like it not like it's the
first time all grace gone miranda lunged at me like a mad woman santiago
immediately grabbed her and held her back why are you stopping me she screamed twisting she hit me santiago
she's bullying me whose side are you on i'm your wife you let her hit me i
watched as Santiago dragged her away flailing and hysterical the way she
looked now so much more out of control than I ever was i turned back to Dominic
wondering if I'd scared him with that slap 'sorry,' I said 'seems like every
time we meet it's something embarrassing but he just shook his head and quietly gave me a thumbs up.' 'I think,' he said
eyes shining 'that was badass.' Chapter 30 word of what happened that night
eventually spread colleagues began whispering behind my back even Rita came over to ask if I'd known the general
manager before i thought about it but chose not to say anything after all it
was all in the past the days that followed were mostly quiet when I received the official offer from the
experimental elementary school I submitted my resignation letter santiago
called my office line almost immediately for the first time i went to his office
he was holding my resignation head lowered as he said softly 'If this is because of Miranda don't worry she won't
bother you again you don't have to resign i shook my head it's not about her if it's because of me he looked up
olivia I've been thinking a lot lately about how badly I hurt you i just want
to make it up to you i sighed santiago maybe I didn't explain myself clearly
when we divorced he froze it's okay i'll say it now properly once and for all in
our relationship i was always the one who gave up everything you never had to give up anything so it's no surprise you
didn't cherish it and the things I gave up for you you never knew and you'll probably never understand have you ever
thought about this i married you and moved to a city where I didn't know a single soul i came here for you you were
the only person I had to lean on when you said forever I believed you i
thought it meant something real so when you broke that promise I couldn't accept it that's why I fought so hard to hold
on but to be with Miranda you did everything you could to push me away in this long drawn out tugofwar between
three people i've long since burned out all the love and obsession I had for you i still can't bring myself to bless you
too i don't need your guilt or your apology i just hope we never see each other again and I truly hope you both
stop interfering with my life when I finished Santiago lowered his eyes and sat in silence for a long time finally
he looked up his eyes were rimmed red and he said quietly 'I understand.'
Chapter 31 after leaving the company I started working at the experimental
elementary school i was back on the podium doing the job I loved and every
day felt full and meaningful dominic and I continued seeing each other as friends as we talked we were surprised to
discover that his father and mine had actually been colleagues for a while before retiring rita kept in touch from
time to time according to her Santiago worked at the company for another 6 months after I left then got transferred
back to headquarters the last time I saw Santiago and Miranda was in Hainan during winter break i planned to take my
parents on vacation to Hainan coincidentally Dominic and his parents went there every year so we decided to
go together perfect for putting together a full maong table but fate has its quirks on the beach while I was wearing
a big straw hat and buying sea shell accessories I ran into Santiago and Miranda again they seemed to be on
vacation too but neither of them looked very happy so why did you add her on WeChat miranda snapped santiago sounded
tired miranda don't be unreasonable okay I was trying to pay her how else was I
supposed to do it you didn't even want to come on this trip did you she was
nearly in tears you're trying to ditch me aren't you just like you ditched
Olivia there was a long pause before Santiago spoke again olivia wasn't like
you not like me what's that supposed to mean miranda's voice turned shrill and
hysterical let me tell you something Santiago if you think you're going to find some other woman and leave me dream
on i didn't listen anymore dominic had come over to call me the four parents
are hooked on coconut juice he grinned they're calling for you not far away
under the blue sky and white clouds my mom wearing big black sunglasses was waving at me excitedly olivia your dad
got you a big coconut come drink it i smiled and waved back just as energetically coming