Chapter 10 Michael Was Not Worth It

Already feeling unwell, Olivia's face went completely pale at the scene before her.

She had always known Michael didn't love her, but they weren't even divorced yet. To see him so blatantly embracing another woman right in front of her was too much.

The people in the private room hadn't noticed her, but Michael did. His expression flickered for a second before he regained his composure. He made no move to push Sophia away, instead asking with concern, "How are you feeling? Can you stand?"

Sophia, feigning drunkenness, swayed and fell directly into his arms. "I think so…" she murmured.

Michael wasn't angry. He simply held her shoulders with a resigned sigh. "You're drunk. I'll take you home." He gathered her things and announced to the room, "Let's call it a night."

As they passed Olivia at the door, Sophia suddenly stopped. "Michael," she said softly, pretending to be considerate, "maybe you should take Olivia home. She drank tonight, too."

Michael glanced at Olivia, his voice indifferent. "No need. She only had one drink; she'll be fine. She can get home on her own. But if something happens to you, I wouldn't know how to explain it to your parents."

With that, he started to lead Sophia away. At that moment, Sophia looked up from Michael's arms, a smug, victorious smile on her lips. She didn't look drunk at all.

Olivia clenched her fists but didn't move. What was the point? He had already made her insignificance clear. She remembered a time she had gotten drunk at a company event and called him to pick her up. He had sent a driver, claiming he was busy with work. To him, her safety had never been as important as his work.

The dinner party continued, but Olivia declined the invitation to go to the next venue. She wasn't in the mood.

Outside, a heavy rain had started to fall. She hadn't driven, expecting she might drink, and now the ride-share apps showed over a hundred people in the queue ahead of her. Shivering under the restaurant's awning, a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She had thrown up in the restroom just before leaving and felt awful.

Just then, a familiar Rolls-Royce drove past. The wheels splashed muddy water onto her dress. Through the rain-streaked window, she saw the elegant figure of her husband, with Sophia leaning intimately on his shoulder.

A sob escaped her. Her fingers trembled as she fumbled for her phone, scrolling to the only number she could bring herself to call.

"Evelyn," she choked out, "can you... come pick me up?"

"Olivia, what's wrong? Where are you? I'll be right there!" Evelyn's voice was sharp with alarm.

Ten minutes later, a red sports car screeched to a halt. Evelyn jumped out and found Olivia huddled by a pillar, her eyes red, looking fragile and broken.

"Olivia, are you okay?" Evelyn cried, grabbing her freezing hands. "Your clothes are soaked! Who did this to you? Tell me, and I'll deal with them!"

Olivia just shook her head, leaning into her friend for support.

"It's okay," Evelyn said softly, patting her back. "Whatever happened, you have me. Let's get you home. You'll catch a cold."

At Evelyn's apartment, she urged Olivia toward the bathroom. "Go take a hot shower. There are clean robes inside. I'll find you some clothes."

When Olivia emerged, Evelyn handed her a bowl of hot, sweet soup. The warmth and sweetness soothed the bitterness in her heart.

Waiting patiently for her to finish, Evelyn finally asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Olivia hadn't wanted to talk about it, but she knew Evelyn would worry. She gave her a brief summary of the night's events. She didn't have to go into detail; Evelyn was smart enough to piece it all together.

"How dare he?" Evelyn exploded, slamming her hand on the table. "Has he forgotten who took care of him when he couldn't walk? Without you, he'd still be a cripple! Now he flaunts his ex while you're still married? I used to think he was just cold, but he's nothing but scum!"

After her outburst, she sat down and hugged Olivia tightly. "Oh, Olivia, why didn't you tell me sooner how much you've been suffering?"

Feeling Evelyn's warmth, Olivia's own cold heart began to thaw. She shook her head. "It's not worth mentioning," she said softly, her voice hoarse. "I've already resigned from the Johnson Group's R&D department. Now I can focus on my own career."

She looked at her friend, her eyes clear with a new, hard-won certainty. "Evelyn, I'm going to divorce Michael. You were right all along. Giving up my career for a man was never worth it. I finally see how wrong I was."