hapter <b>31 </b>


    Back then Olivia wasn’t yet called Olivia Sutton; she was Olivia Winters.


    Her father, Carlos, had every terrible habit a man could have: heavy drinking, gambling, chasing prostitutes, and violence.


    Yet Carlos was also a hypocrite who knew how to hide himself, so well that for many years no one


    saw his true face. <fn8004> Read full story at Find1Novel</fn8004>


    For a long time, Olivia believed every father in the world was like that.


    Emilia had a proud spirit and refused to beg her parents for help or let outsiders know she’d married the wrong man. And they lived isted and unsupported.


    Fortunately, in the poor neighborhood where they lived, people’s lives were roughly the same— Olivia didn’t have it well, but nobody else was living happily either.


    When people called her a little messy or a poor beggar, Olivia fired back by mocking them as Fatherless bastards. Their daily fights left wounds on both sides.


    Then one day Olivia saw Natasha–the little cousin in a floral dress, clean and fair and pretty.


    It turned out such lives existed: parents who loved you, brothers who doted on you, carefree days so innocent they made someone else angry.


    The first time they met, Olivia didn’t even dare touch her, afraid she’d soil Natasha’s expensive


    clothes.


    But Natasha didn’t mind at all; she bounded over cheerfully, hugged Olivia, and shared bright candies and toys Olivia had never seen before.


    Olivia hated Natasha. ‘I hate her,‘ she thought. ‘She shone so brightly that I exposed every bit of my lowliness and darkness.


    Worse, since Natasha’s family arrived, Emilia had only grown sadder and more withdrawn. And Carlos’s beatings of her got worse.


    Then one day Emilia told Olivia the life Natasha had was supposed to have been hers.


    Andrew was originally supposed to be Emilia’s fiancé, but he fell for Madeline instead and became engaged to her.


    Tricked by Carlos in a fit of rage, Emilia fell into an abyss from which she couldn’t climb out.


    If the ident back then hadn’t happened, Emilia would have been Andrew’s wife, and Olivia would have lived like a princess just like Natasha.


    <b>E </b>


    4:33 pm <b>P </b>22.


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    Olivia was too young to understand then. Although she was jealous, she didn’t know how deep that wrong turn would cut.


    Until one night, after Carlos got drunk and beat Emilia again, Olivia tried to shield her and was beaten bloody herself.


    In the chaos, Emilia protected her and told her to run to the rks for help.


    Olivia staggered to the rk house, bedraggled and terrified, only to find Andrew and Madeline smiling as they called the kids in for dinner.


    Natasha, upset because her brother had picked her flower, was being fussed over by Thomas and Noel.


    Seeing Natasha fussed over while Oliviay bleeding, at death’s door, was absurd to Olivia.


    Olivia slunk around like a rat in a gutter, bitterly jealous of Natasha’s good fortune.


    When Olivia’s fresh wounds stung and her brother finally soothed Natasha with candy, Olivia limped away in tears.


    Seeing her, the rk couple were furious. Though it had been a fated ident and they hadn’t meant to hurt Emilia, the situation was awkward.


    Once they learned how badly Emilia had suffered, Andrew and Madeline felt guilty.


    They acted decisively: they forced Carlos to divorce Emilia, had him arrested, and gave Emilia enough money to get through the worst of it.


    After Emilia returned home, the first thing she did was change Olivia’s surname–to Olivia Sutton -making it clear she was Emilia’s daughter.


    Life back at Sutton house was much better. After that, visits and contact with Madeline’s family increased.


    Olivia had quietly told Emilia she didn’t like going to Madeline’s house and didn’t like Natasha. Those happy scenes made her feel even smaller.


    Emilia would just pat her head and say with meaning that what Natasha had, Olivia would have too.


    In truth, Emilia had been saying a lot of things like farewells before the ident.


    Late at night Olivia would sometimes see Emilia talking to herself, saying that her daughter would have a better life than Natasha, and that Madeline’s debts would all be repaid.


    That version of Emilia was nothing like the gentle woman Olivia usually knew.


    Still, Olivia never doubted–Emilia loved her. Emilia had given everything to her.


    <b>4:33 </b>pm


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    Looking at Natasha–the cousin who had once been unreachable–Olivia asked, with a lightugh, “Do you think I stole your family?”


    Olivia smiled thinly. “But it was mine to begin with. I just took back what should have been mine.”


    Natasha’s eyes flickered. “What do you mean?”


    Olivia didn’t answer directly. “We’re sisters, but our mothers‘ lives ended up inpletely different. ces. That’s fine. Our gap will only grow.”


    Olivia watched the rk brotherse down from the cemetery path one by one. “Natasha, you’re lucky. In the end Grandma favored you too. Do you know what Grandma said before she died?”


    Through the curtain of rain she smiled, then slowly said three words, “Help… help… me.”


    Instantly, Natasha’s eyes zed red. She lunged forward and grabbed Olivia by her throat. “You killed Grandma.”


    Olivia gasped for breath but still smiled. “Me? No, no. At most I didn’t save her. So what? Why should the same blood get special treatment? She always puts you first. Why? Because of you–if you hadn’t followed Grandma everywhere, if you hadn’t clung to her, she might still be alive.”


    “Grandma cared about you too. After you returned back, Carlos kept bothering you, and she protected you. Later it was only because my parents favored you that she paid attention to me a bit more,” Natasha said, her voice full of hatred.


    Olivia shot back, “And so what? From the day my name changed, I decided no one would be allowed to treat us differently.”


    Natasha felt like she might choke. Tears mixed with the rain.


    “Natasha!” Noel sprang forward and shoved Natasha away; her body crashed hard into Emilia’s


    gravestone.


    Thomas put down his umbre and scooped Olivia from the ground without even looking at Natasha, hurrying them away.


    Noel nced at Thomas walking off with Olivia, then at Natasha’s pained, drawn face. After a moment’s hesitation he followed, holding the umbre over Thomas and Olivia and getting half


    soaked himself.


    From her ce in the rain, Olivia looked back at Natasha standing alone like a small sapling in a storm and felt a quiet, terrible satisfaction at the life’s reversal.


    The little girl who used to hide in the dark and watch other people’s happiness was no longer the


    abandoned one.


    4:33 pm PS


    <i>& </i>


    &


    ‘Mom, you must be so pleased now, Olivia thought with a silent smile.


    *****


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    Down at the cemetery gate, the rk couple hurried to open the car doors. “Where’s Natasha?” Andrew asked.


    Thomas‘ face was cold. “Don’t worry about her. Let her stay and think.”


    Madeline’s expression softened, but when Olivia gave a little cry of pain they hardened their faces. Then Madeline said, “Come on. We’ll take her to the hospital.”


    Andrew looked up at the thin, lonely figure half–hidden by the rain and sighed. “Let’s go.”


    Two cars sped away through the rain.