Chapter 3A Love That Lingers

When Olivia woke up in the hospital, it was already hours later.

A young woman sitting nearby noticed she was awake and immediately called for a nurse. Olivia’s head felt foggy, her thoughts a jumbled mess. Instinctively, she asked:

“Where’s Adam?”

The girl paused, blinking in confusion. “Adam? Who’s Adam?”

Only then did Olivia realize—it wasn’t Adam who had brought her here.

“You fainted outside the dessert café,” the girl explained with a friendly smile. “I was passing by and figured I’d better get you to the hospital.”

Olivia hadn’t expected a complete stranger to help her. Feeling embarrassed and grateful, she quickly thanked the girl and reached for her phone, intending to pay her back for covering the medical expenses. But when she saw her phone, its screen was completely shattered.

“Don’t worry about it,” the girl said cheerfully. “I live nearby. I’ll give you my contact info—just pay me back once you’ve had your phone fixed.”

She scribbled her number on a piece of paper and handed it to Olivia before glancing at her own phone with a start.

“Oh no, I’ve gotta go! My mom’s been texting me nonstop to come home!”

Before Olivia could say much else, the girl rushed out, leaving behind the scrap of paper with her name: Luna Young.

It was such a soft, pretty name. Olivia repeated it quietly to herself with a faint smile.

But her fleeting moment of calm disappeared when her eyes caught the time on the bedside clock. It was already 11 p.m.

She suddenly remembered something Adam had said years ago, before they got married: “I don’t like women who stay out late.” Those words had stayed with her, shaping her habits for the past five years. Unless she was at an event with Adam, she had made sure to never return home after 8 p.m.

But now… now things were different. She lowered her gaze, letting the memory fade.

Even so, Olivia got dressed and prepared to leave. Divorce or not, she didn’t want Adam to suspect anything unusual.

By the time she got home, the house was dark and quiet, except for one person waiting for her in the living room. Adam.

He was sitting there, his expression sharp and disapproving.

“Where were you?” he demanded. “Why didn’t you answer my texts?”

There was a note of concern in his voice, but it was buried under layers of irritation.

“You’re my wife, Olivia. Wandering around in the middle of the night—what were you thinking?”

He waited, fully expecting her to apologize as she usually would. But Olivia simply blinked at him, her voice calm as she replied:

“You texted me?”

“What did you send? My phone’s screen is broken—I couldn’t see anything.”

Adam frowned and pulled out his own phone, scrolling to show her the message he had sent when she fainted:

“Was it low blood sugar? Go home and rest.”

So, he had noticed something was wrong. He had sent her a message.

But instead of helping her, he’d been busy spending his evening with someone else. Olivia’s chest tightened, a cold, sinking feeling spreading through her.

She forced a smile, but her eyes drifted to his phone screen, where new messages were popping up one after another.

They were from Hannah.

“Adam, my friends threw me a welcome-back dinner, but they’re insisting I bring someone with me. Can you come?”

Olivia lowered her gaze, pretending not to notice as Adam picked up his phone and typed out a reply. The ache in her heart grew sharper, but she kept her expression steady.

“Adam,” she said softly, her voice tinged with quiet hope, “can we visit your grandparents tomorrow? They’ve been asking about us.”

Adam hesitated, his jaw tightening. The room fell silent, the tension thick enough to feel. Taking a deep breath, he finally muttered:

“I’ll let them know. Work’s been really busy… I can’t make it.”

Olivia’s heart sank, but she quickly masked her disappointment with a practiced smile.

“That’s okay,” she said gently, always the one to smooth things over.

Adam seemed relieved, even grateful for her understanding. He lifted a hand toward her, as if to brush aside a stray strand of her hair, but Olivia instinctively stepped back, avoiding his touch.

His hand froze in mid-air before he awkwardly pulled it back. Clearing his throat, he said quietly:

“I’ll have the housekeeper handle your phone tomorrow. Next time… next time, I’ll go with you to visit them.”

Next time?

No, Adam. There won’t be a next time.

But Olivia just nodded, silently reaching to loosen his tie as she had done so many times before. Her hands trembled slightly, but she kept her movements steady.

“You know,” Adam said suddenly, his voice low, “that house contract you signed today—bring it here. Let me double-check it. You’re inexperienced with this stuff. I don’t want you getting scammed.”

Her hands froze mid-motion, her heart pounding hard in her chest. She could feel her pulse in her fingertips, the nervous tremor betraying her calm exterior.

Adam noticed her hesitation and opened his mouth to ask something, but before he could, his phone buzzed loudly.

The screen lit up with Hannah’s name.

“Adam, I think I caught a cold. Can you come help me figure out this hospital stuff? I don’t remember how any of it works here.”

Her playful, whiny tone carried through the speaker as Adam read the message. His brow furrowed, but he quickly stood, glancing at Olivia with an apologetic look.

“Hannah’s sick,” he explained. “Her family’s all overseas. I should go help her.”

For a moment, he lingered, as though waiting for some kind of reaction. But Olivia simply smiled, her voice warm and even.

“Go ahead,” she said. “A girl all alone with no family nearby… it’s only right someone helps her.”

Olivia barely slept that night. Her stomach pain had worsened, keeping her awake until dawn. By morning, the housekeeper had already delivered a replacement phone, and Olivia quickly sent Luna the payment for her hospital expenses.

After tidying up, she packed a small gift and left the house to visit Adam’s grandparents.

They had always been kind to her, urging her and Adam to cherish their marriage. They had even given her the family’s heirloom jade bracelet as a symbol of trust and blessing.

This time, Olivia planned to quietly return it.

But on the way, her driver accidentally hit someone with the car.

To her shock, it was Luna—the same girl who had helped her just the day before.