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When I reunited with Susan Carter, she gave me a look of regret.
“We hail from the same town. Her scandal
was so juicy that even I, barely knowing her, heard all about it.”
Susan propped up her chin, reminiscing slowly.
“She was dating her then–best friend’s dad back in high school.”
Maybe it’s because I’ve always had this stereotype, but I wasn’t surprised at all.
Susan continued, “It caused a huge scandal back then. Her friend’s mom confronted her at the school gates and beat her up, forcing her to drop out for a year.”
She gave me a knowing look and winked, “Guess what she did during her time off?”
I had my suspicions but just shook my head silently.
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Susan smirked with disdain, “Birth giving! She had twins, a boy and a girl!”
According to Susan, the man eventually left his wife for Olivia, but since Olivia was underage, they just shacked up without making it official.
That memory of the first time I met Olivia flashed through my mind–no makeup, simply dressed, yet strikingly beautiful and unblinking.
Youth and innocence radiated from her face.
“I still have to head to work. If you need anything later, just hit me up.”
Susan rushed off. I waved goodbye, then after a moment’s thought, I followed suit.
She had sent me an address, and my mother and I trekked a thousand miles to that tiny village.
It truly was desolate. We traveled by plane to a high–speed train, then a bus, and
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1st
2nd
3rd
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finally a van.
Following her directions, I located the
man.
Walter Quinn, about the same age as my father, watched his two children with adoration.
“Careful! You may fall down!”
After I showed him a photo of Olivia, he proudly claimed her as his wife.
But when I showed him the wedding
photos of my father and her, Walter angrily tossed his thermos aside.
“If she hadn’t borne me a son, how could I have afforded her schooling?”
“Now that she’s hit the big city, she thinks she can ditch me? No way!”
Convincing Walter and the kids to come here took some effort, but I wasn’t about to let them slip away that easily.
Meanwhile, as my father and Olivia busied
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themselves with wedding preparations, I
bided my time.
Dad was over the moon, and the wedding was shaping up to be lavish.
My mom whispered sadly, “He wasn’t wealthy at the start, and I didn’t even get a proper wedding.”
Mom and Dad had built their life together from scratch, yet here we were, at this bitter end. I hugged her tightly, at a loss for
words.
“It’s better to just get divorced. It took me over 20 years to see his true colors. I was such a fool.”
My mother’s deep sigh mirrored my own heavy heart.
As the wedding drew near, Olivia sought
me out.
“Lily, you know, you’re my only friend. How about being my bridesmaid?”
Surprisingly, I agreed. Though Olivia found
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it odd, she couldn’t hide her excitement.
I had to be there–how else could I witness the impending drama?
In the past life, Olivia had asked the same, but back then, I had refused and even lashed out. My father resented me for that.
Well, it was not because I hurt Olivia, but because I nearly jeopardized his precious.
son.
Later, when I died in a bustling street, my father coldly remarked, “She deserves it, or the malice will always linger.”
Olivia tentatively asked, “Lily, have you finally forgiven me?”
Her eyes were clear, her figure slim. It was hard to believe she had ever given birth. Even now, pregnant with twins, her belly was just slightly rounded.
Catching the brief flash of malice in her eyes, I smiled with a mix of distress and helplessness, “You’re my friend, after all. I
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know now you didn’t wreck my family. There’s no reason for me not to attend.”
A flicker of doubt crossed Olivia’s eyes, quickly suppressed into feigned relief.
“Lily, I’m so relieved you can forgive me. You’re my only friend. We’ll definitely have a happy future together!”
I smiled noncommittally as Olivia’s smile widened with a hint of triumph. After issuing some quick instructions, she left.
Watching Olivia’s retreating figure, I calmly dialed Walter Quinn. His deep voice resonated, “I should never have sent her to school in the first place!”
