Olivia’s POV

“Oh, look who we have here? It’s my husband’s mistress!” I mocked with a soft chuckle.

I didn’t care if this sound childish. I just needed to remind her—that I was still Daniel’s wife. I needed to do something to provoke her too, to make her feel even a fraction of the pain I was feeling right now.

“How dare you mock me?!” she snapped angrily.

My eyes widened in horror as she suddenly shoved me roughly against the wall and choke me with her hand, trying to strangle me. I struggled desperately to break free from her grip, but she was far stronger than I was.

I looked around frantically, hoping someone would notice and help me out, but everyone seemed too engrossed in their conversations to pay us any attention.

“Just die, and I will have Dan all to myself!” she hissed venomously.

With the little strength I had left, I fought to pry her hands off my neck. And suddenly, she stopped choking me and shoved me away with force.

A wicked grin slowly spread across her face, making her look absolutely terrifying.

“You know what? I’m not going to let things go your way. This time, I will make sure I get exactly what I want,” she said with a dangerous smirk.

And before I could react, she suddenly stabbed herself with something— I had no idea what it was, and she let out an ear-piercing scream that instantly drew everyone’s attention.

I tried to stop her, but it was already too late.

People came rushing toward us, shrieking in horror at the scene before them. Their voices gradually faded into the distance as darkness slowly consumed my vision.

•

I slowly opened my eyes, wincing as a sharp pain shot through my head. Looking around the unfamiliar room, I realized I was in a hospital.

The memories came flooding back— Juliana had tried to hurt me but ended up hurting herself instead.

I climbed out of bed and walked out of the room, only to see Daniel standing with his back facing me outside the room opposite mine.

“Dan…” I called softly.

“Finally, the witch is awake,” Aunt Chloe said, turning to glare at me with eyes that pierced straight through my soul.

Aunt Chloe was Daniel’s favorite aunt. She had never liked me from the very day he announced that he was going to marry me. In her eyes, I was never worthy of being Daniel’s wife.

“Aunt Chloe, I—”

“Spare me the details. I don’t care to hear a single word you have to say,” she interrupted coldly. “And once you’re done looking around, drag your miserable self to the police station and turn yourself in.”

“P… police station? W-why? What have I done wrong?” I stammered, my voice trembling with confusion and fear.

“You’re asking what you’ve done?” Lauren, Aunt Chloe’s daughter, sneered. “Are you insane? After trying to kill someone, you still have the audacity to ask such a ridiculous question?”

“What? You’re saying I tried to kill her? But I didn’t!” I protested desperately.

I looked from one face to another, and then it finally hit me.

This was Juliana’s plan all along.

She had deliberately framed me for the injuries she inflicted on herself.

I couldn’t believe they were all choosing to believe her without even giving me the chance to explain my side of the story.

I shook my head repeatedly. “Please… believe me. I didn’t do it,” I pleaded.

Throughout my marriage to Daniel, I had always been a submissive wife, never daring to go against his family. Despite being married to a billionaire, I never complained, even when I was expected to wash dishes, do household chores, and work alongside the maids.

I had no one to stand up for me except my mother-in-law, who had always defended me whenever I was treated unfairly.

“I beg you… just this once, please believe me. I’ve always tried to be a good daughter-in-law to this family despite everything you’ve done to me!” I cried, my voice filled with frustration and desperation.

Aunt Chloe slowly walked toward me, her face twisted with rage. And without warning, her hand struck my face with a hard slap.

“How dare you! How dare you speak to me in that tone?”

“But I—”

“Shut up!” she snapped before I could finish. “You’ve made the biggest mistake of your life by trying to harm the Minister’s daughter! Who do you think you are? How dare you try to ruin my nephew’s happiness? Didn’t you think about the consequences before trying to kill her? What if you had succeeded?”

Every word she spoke made me feel more worthless and hopeless.

At that moment, all I wanted was for my mother-in-law to be here. But she was out of the country.

Why was this happening to me now?

Why was I the one being treated like the villain while Juliana was playing the victim?

“Aunt Chloe, please don’t be too hard on her. I must have hurt her deeply for her to react this way. Any woman in her position would have done the same. After all, I’m engaged to her husband and was publicly introduced as his fiancée tonight. That must have been very painful for her,” Juliana said, pretending to be sympathetic.

At the same time, everyone immediately rushed to comfort her.

And I didn’t miss the triumphant smirk she secretly threw in my direction.

“No, dear. Don’t say that. None of this is your fault, okay?” Aunt Chloe said gently as she crouched beside Juliana’s bed and wrapped her in a comforting embrace, softly patting her back.

She had never spoken to me with such warmth.

I was about to speak when I heard the familiar voice I had longed for behind me.

“Olivia… do you even realize what you’ve done?”

After over a month of avoiding me like a plague, my husband was finally standing in front of me again.

I had missed him so much. I had missed his touch. I had missed the warmth in his eyes whenever he looked at me.

“My love, I… I didn’t… I…” I struggled to find the right words to say.

I had always been like this around him— like a little girl, too afraid to raise my voice or disagree with him because I never wanted to upset him.

“Please believe me, my love. I didn’t do this to her,” I pleaded, staring desperately into his eyes, praying he would see the truth.

He stepped closer and gently cupped my cheeks.

“Dan, I didn’t do it. You have to believe me. Think about it… why would I want to hurt her? What would I possibly gain from doing something that would only make you angry with me?”

For a brief moment, I thought my old husband had returned.

The warmth in his eyes made me believe he trusted me, but the next word that came out of his mouth crushed me so badly.

“Olivia, this isn’t a small matter. Her parents are already involved, and if I don’t handle this the way I ought to, I will lose everything. The entire empire will go to Ethan, and I’m not prepared to let that happen. How about you just admit you were wrong? I will forgive you, and I will speak to her parents myself to convince them to forgive you too.”

Before I could even respond, Juliana suddenly let out a pained cry.

“Babe! Oh my God… argh! Our baby!” she screamed, clutching her stomach tightly.

“Our… baby?” I whispered, taking an unsteady step backward as my knees nearly gave way beneath me.

Olivia’s POV

“Just pray nothing happens to her or the baby, or you will regret the day you ever crossed this family,” Aunt Chloe threatened, her eyes blazing with anger as the doctor examined Juliana while I stood there, frozen like a statue.

I watched in silence as my husband fussed over her, rushing to her side as though I didn’t even exist. He didn’t care how much all of this was hurting me. He didn’t even bother to hear my side of the story. She had accused me of stabbing her, and without hesitation, he choose to believe her instead of me.

Of all days… why today?

Today was supposed to be special for the two of us— it was our fifth wedding anniversary, for goodness sake!

I swear, I felt like I am slowly losing my mind as a dry, mirthless laugh suddenly escaped my lips.

“And what’s so funny about this? Do you think trying to kill someone is amusing?” Lauren asked, her voice trembling with anger.

I didn’t respond. I just couldn’t stop laughing until I suddenly felt a firm grip on my wrist.

It was my husband, his eyes blazing with fury as he dragged me out to the hospital terrace.

“What’s wrong with you, Olivia? How can you disrespect my aunt like that? Do you even understand the gravity of what you’ve done?” he scolded, his voice stern, like a father reprimanding his child.

I stared at him for a moment, before yanking my wrist free, my anger finally boiling over, and before I could stop myself, I had slapped him hard across the face.

His cheek instantly turned red as his eyes widened in shock.

I’m sure he never expected that.

Never in all our years together had I dared to defy him.

But enough is enough!

“I’m not the same submissive girl you once knew, Daniel. The same naive girl you all walked over, I’m not that girl anymore!” I declared, my voice firm despite the fear creeping into my heart.

Daniel’s anger flared even more.

“Are you out of your mind?! What the hell is wrong with you?!” he roared, grabbing my wrist so tightly that it sent a sharp pain through my skin.

He shoved me against the wall, tightening his grip very tightly, making me winced in pain as his fingers dug painfully into my skin.

“Teach her a lesson she will never forget, Daniel! Deal with her!” Lauren shouted, fueling his rage.

“Let go of me, Daniel!” I cried, struggling desperately to free myself, but his grip was too strong. “You’re hurting me, Daniel. Please… let go of me!” My voice cracked as tears welled up in my eyes.

I couldn’t believe it had come to this.

I couldn’t believe our marriage had fallen apart this badly.

All I had ever wanted from him was his love and affection.

I never asked for too much.

Slowly, his grip loosened, and the fury in his eyes faded. As if he had done what he shouldn’t.

“Olivia… I… I’m sor… fuck!” he hissed, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

The guilt written all over his face suddenly gave me a hope.

And maybe… just maybe he was finally going to apologize sincerely.

In an instant, all my anger melted away.

Despite everything he had done to me, I realized I still loved him. And If his apology was genuine, I am willing to forgive him. I wanted my husband back. I wanted to save him from the woman who had come between us.

“Yes, Daniel… You wanted to say something. Go on… I’m listening,” I said softly, my eyes filled with hope.

He sighed deeply before gently cupping my cheeks.

“You know how much this empire means to me, don’t you? With Juliana by my side, I’m closer than ever to securing it. She’s carrying my child, and I don’t want to upset her. If you truly love me, you’ll do this one thing for me, won’t you?”

“W-what… what are you talking about?” I stammered, confusion quickly giving way to anger.

“Just admit you tried to hurt her, and this will all be over. I’ll speak to her parents, and everyone will forgive you. There won’t be any need for you to—”

“ENOUGH!” I screamed, cutting him off.

My glare swept across Daniel, Aunt Chloe, and Lauren, who were standing only a few feet away.

“What have I ever done to deserve this, Daniel? All I’ve ever done is love you unconditionally. Even when you hurt me… even when you treated me like I meant nothing… I endured it all without questioning you because I loved you. But what have you ever done for me in return? Nothing! You’ve done nothing but cause me pain!” I cried, my voice echoing through the entire hallway.

Without warning, someone spun me around violently.

And the next second… A burning slap landed across my face.

I instinctively held my stinging cheek as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

My gaze slowly shifted from Aunt Chloe to my husband in disbelief.

I was hurt.

I was shattered.

I felt betrayed.

Yet he didn’t even flinch.

He didn’t even bother to defend me against his aunt’s constant humiliation.

“Look, Daniel, I don’t care how you do it, but you need to clean up the mess she created. We cannot afford to make enemies with the Carter’s family, or else… well, I’m sure you understand the consequences. I don’t need to remind you,” Aunt Chloe hissed before shooting me one last venomous glare.

Then she turned and walked away, with Lauren following closely behind.

Ignoring Daniel’s angry voice calling after me, I rushed back into Juliana’s room.

Just as I was about to expose her for who she is, Daniel grabbed my wrist again and slammed me against the wall.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Have you completely lost your mind? It seems you’re tired of this marriage, aren’t you? Who is he? Who’s the bastard making you behave like this?” he growled, his eyes burning with rage.

I stared at him for a long moment before letting out another dry, bitter laugh.

“Wow…” I muttered in disbelief.

I had never stood up to him.

Never for once have I ever raised my voice.

I had never challenged him.

And now that I finally defended myself, the first thing that came to his mind was that another man had influenced me?

What a joke.

“So cheating on me with your ex-girlfriend for an entire year isn’t enough? Now you’re accusing me of doing exactly what you’ve been doing?” I asked, my voice filled with pain.

“So that’s why you wanted to kill her? What about the baby she’s carrying?” Daniel shot back without hesitation.

I looked at him with nothing but disappointment and disgust.

Not even a single trace of remorse.

Not a trace of guilt at all.

I walked toward Juliana, who immediately began crying out dramatically.

“Baby! Stop her, please! She’s coming closer! She’s going to hurt me again!”

“Please, Olivia… stop. Don’t do this,” Daniel pleaded.

Before he could stop me, I quickly lifted Juliana’s blouse, exposing the so-called stab wound on her lower abdomen.

“Look at this, Daniel! There’s no wound here! Not even a scar! She’s been lying to you!”

I pointed directly at the tiny scratch on her stomach.

“Look closely! Does this look like a deep stab wound to you? If I had really wanted to kill her, don’t you think I would have made sure she didn’t survive it? For goodness sake, this is nothing more than a tiny scratch! She deceived everyone… INCLUDING YOU!” I shouted.

Juliana’s face instantly turned pale. Yet she still refused to admit the truth.

She slapped my hand away and hurriedly pulled her clothes back down.

“Don’t listen to her, baby. She’s obviously lying,” she said, her voice shaking.

What hurt me the most wasn’t even Juliana’s lies. It was the fact that Daniel was still willing to believe her over me.

“Then why don’t you check the CCTV footage? If I really attacked her, the cameras would have recorded everything. We have security cameras, don’t we?” I demanded desperately.

Daniel looked from me to Juliana, uncertainty clouding his expression.

He knew I wouldn’t bring up the CCTV unless I was absolutely certain it would prove my innocence.

“Is this true?” he asked Juliana, his voice low and firm. “Did you make everyone believe Olivia attacked you?”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Juliana because I will check the CCTV footage myself.”

Her composure instantly crumbled as soon as she heard Daniel said that.

“B-baby… it’s… it’s not true. I… I didn’t do it,” she stammered, still trying to lie.

But Daniel’s expression had already changed.

Disappointment.

Anger.

And betrayal.

“I won’t ask again, Juliana,” he warned through clenched teeth. “Did… you… do… this… to… yourself?”

Each word carried a chilling warning.

“I’m… I’m sorry, baby. It’s true… I did it to myself,” she confessed, her hands trembling. “Please forgive me. I only wanted her out of our lives. As long as she’s in the picture, I’ll never have all of your attention.”

She reached for his hand, but he pushed her away.

Regret and guilt filled his eyes as he slowly turned to face me.

“Olivia… I-I’m so sorry for not trusting you. I should have believed you when you kept insisting that you didn’t hurt her,” he pleaded.

But I felt… Nothing.

If he had apologized just a few minutes ago, I would have been the happiest woman alive. I would have forgiven him without a second thought. But now… All I felt was resentment.

I am done with him.

I am done with his toxic family.

I am done being treated like trash.

“I’m sorry, Daniel Cooper, but it’s too late for your apology. You had your chance… no, not just one chance. You had countless chances, and you wasted every single one of them. At this point…. I’m done.”

Daniel frowned in confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

“It means I’m no longer interested in this toxic prison you call a marriage.”

Then I looked him straight in the eyes and added, “I WANT A DIVORCE!”

Daniel Cooper

“Wait, what?! You’re joking, right?” I asked, letting out an incredulous chuckle.

The Olivia I knew would never leave me. She couldn’t even imagine a life without me. She loved me too much.

Yes, I had hurt her countless times, and I never should have doubted her when she insisted she was innocent. I allowed my family to walk all over her, but that was in the past now.

And if she was serious about divorcing me… where would she even go? She had no family.

I was all she had.

“Do you even realize what you’re saying? What has gotten into you? You can’t just stand there and tell me you want a divorce!” I exclaimed, still struggling to process her sudden change of mind.

“I’m not asking for a divorce, Daniel. I’m telling you that I’m divorcing you. Can’t you see? And who says I don’t know what I’m doing? Of course I do. I don’t want you or this marriage anymore. It’s over between us!” she declared, her eyes burning with a fierce determination I had never seen before.

I had never seen her like this. She had always been quiet, gentle, and calm.

But before I could process her declaration properly, my aunt stormed into the room again, her face flushed with rage.

“How dare you speak to my beloved nephew in that tone?!” she shouted, charging toward Olivia with fury written all over her face.

Everything happened so quickly that it caught me completely off guard. I had thought my aunt had already left, so seeing her return took me by surprise, plus Olivia’s sudden declaration.

But before she could reach Olivia, I quickly stepped in, already fed up with everything that’s happening.

“Can you just stop this?!” I snapped angrily, trying to hold my aunt back.

“What?! Did you just yell at me?” she asked in disbelief.

Olivia shot me one last look filled with disappointment and contempt before walking out of the room.

I wanted to go after her, but my feet refused to move on its own.

Everything is happening so fast that I couldn’t even think straight.

I was really losing my mind.

I had honestly believed getting back together with Juliana would make my life better.

It was only supposed to be a one-night mistake.

That day, I had argued with my mother because of Olivia. She complained that I always allowed my aunt to come between my wife and I. I got angry because I felt she was taking things too far, constantly defending Olivia and making me seem like the bad guy. Sometimes, it honestly felt as if she was Olivia’s mother instead of mine.

I went to a bar to clear my head, and that’s where I ran into Juliana.

Six years after our breakup, all those old feelings came rushing back.

One thing led to another… And before I knew it, we’re an item again.

“Just fix this mess, okay? I’m not upset with you because I understand what you’re going through right now,” my aunt said before walking over to Juliana and sitting beside her on the bed.

Fuck.

I thought I would be happy with Juliana, especially after she told me she was carrying my child.

That’s all I had ever wanted.

A child.

I convinced myself that Juliana was the right choice. But why was I only realizing now that she could never be compared to my wife?

I swear I regret hurting Olivia.

I regret crushing her pride.

She had always stood by me, even when I trampled all over her feelings.

Fuck!

I couldn’t believe I was only realizing it now.

I had hurt her far too much.

All I wanted now was my wife back.

I needed to apologize to her.

I needed to make things right.

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, and without saying another word, I hurried out of the room to search for her.

I heard my aunt calling after me, but I ignored her. My mind was consumed by one thought.

To find Olivia, and beg for her forgiveness.

I hate how horribly I had treated her.

The worst part was that I had broken every promise I had ever made to her.

I promised to love her.

I promised to protect her.

I promised to be her safe place.

But instead… I had failed her in every possible way.

As soon as I stepped outside the hospital building, my gaze landed on my cousin, Noah, leaning against my car.

He’s my aunt’s eldest son, but unlike her, he had inherited my mother’s kindness and compassion. In fact, people often mistook him for my mother’s son because they looked so much alike.

“Judging by the look on your face, I would say you’re already regretting everything,” Noah said softly.

“Come on. Let’s go find your wife.”

I sighed deeply, overwhelmed by guilt, before getting into the passenger seat while Noah started the engine.

“Do you know where she might have gone?” I asked quietly.

The truth is just so embarrassing.

As her husband, I should have known exactly where she would go… But I had no idea.

Noah glanced at me through the rearview mirror before shaking his head with a mischievous grin.

“This isn’t the time to tease me, Noah Cooper,” I muttered, rolling my eyes in frustration.

“Sorry, man. But I think you should see this.”

He handed me a small, neatly wrapped gift box tied with a ribbon.

“What’s this?” I asked impatiently.

“Olivia had it with her before everything happened at the hotel. I think she was planning to give it to you.”

Without wasting another second, I quickly untied the ribbon and opened the box.

Inside was a handwritten note.

*

Hey, Hubby.

Happy anniversary to us.

I know things haven’t been great between us lately, but I still want to make tonight special.

Will you go on a date with me tonight?

*

The moment I finished reading it, tears stung the corners of my eyes.

My chest tightened painfully with regret.

I couldn’t believe I had been such a complete jerk.

She remembered our anniversary. She wanted us to go on a date… Just like we always did every year. Even after everything I had put her through, she still wanted to save our marriage.

She was trying to fix what I had broken.

And what did I give her in return?

Pain.

Betrayal.

And humiliation.

I have to find her.

I have to find my wife.

I knew my apology came far too late… But I still need to try.

I wouldn’t give up until she forgives me.

I didn’t know what had come over me. I didn’t know how we had fallen this far.

It was all my fault.

I caused all of this.

I let my greed and ambition consume me.

I threw away a woman worth more than gold… All because I was desperate for power.

Olivia’s POV

With tears streaming endlessly down my cheeks, I walked out of the hospital, completely lost.

I had no idea where I was going.

I had no one to run to.

No friends.

No family.

The only people I had ever truly had were Daniel… and my mother-in-law.

Where do I go from here?- I wondered helplessly.

Just then, four luxurious black cars suddenly pulled up in front of me, and my heart began to pound wildly in my chest.

I knew exactly what this meant.

Juliana’s parents are here for me. They believed I had hurt their precious daughter. And now they had come to make me pay for it.

My legs felt rooted to the ground for a moment.

I wanted to run… But fear had completely made me paralyzed on the same spot I was standing.

Just as I braced myself for the worst, several men stepped out of the cars and lined up professionally in front of me.

I trembled uncontrollably, convinced I was about to be dragged away.

But then…They did something I never expected.

Every single one of them bowed… to me.

“At your service, ma’am!”

They greeted in perfect unison. And my eyes widened in shock.

“Ms. Carter, please get into the car. Your parents are waiting for your arrival at home,” One of the bodyguards said respectfully as he opened the rear door for me.

I stood there, stunned and utterly confused.

For a moment, I wondered if I was hallucinating.

But this was real.

It was actually happening.

But how?

How was I suddenly related to the Carter’s family?

Or… Had they mistaken me for Juliana?

“Um… I think you’ve made a mistake. I’m not Juliana. She’s actually inside with—”

“Please, ma’am,” the bodyguard interrupted respectfully. “We know exactly why we’re here. Your parents, especially your mother had ordered us to bring you home safely. She specifically instructed us that not even a scratch must be found on your body, or I will lose my head. Please… come with us. I believe they’re in a much better position to explain everything to you.”

Still overwhelmed with confusion, I quietly got into the car without another word.

As soon as I settled into the back seat, the cars slowly and one after the other, drove off from the hospital building.

I still had no idea what was happening… But knowing I finally had somewhere to go eased the heaviness in my heart.