Chapter 2A Love That Lingers

By the time Olivia finalized the divorce terms with her lawyer, the sun was already setting.

Her stomach churned uncomfortably, a sharp, familiar pain she was used to ignoring. Hoping to settle her nerves, she wandered into a newly opened dessert café, absently running her fingers over the stack of legal documents in her lap.

That’s when she saw him.

Adam.

He was walking in with Hannah, her hand playfully tugging on his arm. Though Adam’s expression carried a hint of impatience, his eyes betrayed a warmth and tenderness Olivia hadn’t seen in years.

Adam Grant—who couldn’t stand overly sweet foods, who used to wrinkle his nose at the sight of her carefully chosen birthday cakes—was now willingly stepping into a dessert shop, all for Hannah.

The sight of them together hit Olivia like a knife to the chest. A sharp, searing pain she couldn’t ignore. She drew in a shaky breath, her fingers tightening around the documents as she tried to steady herself.

The waiter had just placed her order on the table—it was a chestnut cake, her favorite—but before she could lift her fork, she heard a sharp voice echo through the café.

"What do you mean there’s no more chestnut cake?"

It was Hannah. Her tone was loud, entitled, full of irritation.

"I came here specifically for that cake!" she snapped, glaring at the waiter with barely concealed contempt. "How can you not have it? Don’t you know who I am?"

The waiter tried to remain polite, though his face showed clear discomfort. "I’m very sorry, ma’am," he explained. "We only use imported ingredients, and we have a limited supply each day. I’m afraid we’ve already sold out."

Hannah scoffed, crossing her arms. "Then make more! I’ll pay ten times the price if I have to. I’m not leaving without it."

The waiter hesitated, looking helpless. Olivia, meanwhile, had quietly picked up her fork and was about to take a bite of her cake when a familiar voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, miss," Adam said from across the room.

Olivia froze, her hand hovering mid-air.

"My friend just got back to the U.S.," Adam continued smoothly, his voice polite but firm. "And it’s her birthday today. She’s been looking forward to that chestnut cake for weeks. Would you mind letting us have it? I’ll pay twenty times the price if necessary."

Olivia’s chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat.

Five years of marriage. Five years of sitting across from him at the same table, sharing the same life. And now, here he was, standing just a few feet away, unable to recognize even the back of her head.

It was both absurd and heartbreaking.

Adam’s request hung in the air, and Olivia slowly looked up. When their eyes met, Adam froze. For a moment, guilt flickered across his face, but he quickly masked it.

Olivia, pale and visibly thinner than before, offered him a small, understanding smile. She carefully pushed the plate of chestnut cake toward him, her voice calm and composed.

"I understand," she said softly. "It’s just a birthday celebration for a friend. I get it."

Adam opened his mouth, as though to say something, but before he could speak, Hannah’s voice rang out again, sharp and impatient:

"Adam! What are you doing over there?"

Olivia ignored Hannah’s interruption, her eyes still on Adam. She reached for the documents in her lap and held them out to him with a steady hand.

"By the way," she said, her tone light, almost casual, "I’ve been looking at this small beach house. I thought it’d be perfect for a little vacation someday."

She smiled faintly. "Consider this cake my thank-you for signing the papers."

Adam frowned slightly, glancing down at the legal documents. Olivia pressed the papers closer.

"Oh, and one more thing," she added with a trace of bitterness. "You still owe me a birthday gift this year."

Adam hesitated, glancing between the cake and the papers. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe it was Hannah’s impatient glare boring into his back, but after a brief pause, he took the pen Olivia had placed on the table and signed his name on the last page.

Without another word, he picked up the plate of cake and returned to Hannah, who was waiting with a triumphant smile.

Olivia exhaled slowly, her shoulders slumping as the tension left her body. Her fingers trembled as she picked up the signed papers, clutching them tightly.

It was done.

She had finally taken the first step toward leaving Adam behind.

But the adrenaline from the encounter left her feeling lightheaded. Olivia stood on shaky legs, her knees weak as she made her way toward the exit.

She barely made it to the door before her vision blurred and her body gave out. She collapsed onto the cold pavement just outside the café.

Her ears rang, muffling the concerned murmurs of the people around her. She tried to get up, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. The world around her spun, and then everything went black.

In the haze of unconsciousness, Olivia vaguely felt herself being lifted. Strong arms carried her, jostling slightly as they rushed to… somewhere.

Her mind, foggy and disoriented, drifted toward a familiar thought.

It must be Adam, she thought faintly.

How inconvenient… ruining his date with Hannah just before the divorce.

And with that, she let herself slip further into the dark.