Chapter 22 She Lost Again

James hesitated, sending a chill through Olivia's heart.

Sure, Olivia was pissed about the whole James and Emily thing, but she wasn't about to throw away someone as great as James just because she was mad. She stepped forward, dropped her gaze, and put on her best heartbroken look.

She was wearing a light-colored dress today, making her look all fragile with her red eyes. "James, I get it. You and Emily have eight years of history, and you can't just drop her. I was just really angry earlier, I didn't mean to hurt Emily. I've always been good to her. I'm not mad at her, and I'm not mad at you."

James's heart softened, and he let go of Olivia's wrist. "I'm sorry, Olivia. It's not what you think. We just..."

Olivia cut off James's explanation and kept going, "I came back knowing you were married and had a cute son. I didn't want to mess things up. I just wanted to see for myself that you were okay. I went to the places we grew up. They haven't changed, thanks to you. I even visited our old schools."

Olivia paused, her voice heavy with sadness. "I can't forget our childhood. We were inseparable as kids. You promised we'd be together forever. I believed you, thought you'd never leave me. Even when Sophia and my family disapproved, we stuck together. Moving out and living together were the happiest times of my life. You taught yourself to cook for me, slogged through work for us. I felt like the luckiest woman in the world. I never thought those days would end so soon."

Olivia's voice cracked, making her even more pitiful.

James's expression softened. He closed his eyes, sighed, and pulled Olivia into his arms. "Olivia, don't cry. It's my fault."

As Olivia recounted their past, memories flooded James's mind, filling him with regret. He shouldn't have been so unclear with Emily and hurt Olivia.

Olivia leaned on James's shoulder and shot Emily, who was standing there in shock, a smug look from an angle James couldn't see.

'Emily, you think you can beat me? I have a whole youth with James, and you only have those eight years he regrets,' Olivia thought.

Emily couldn't help but take a couple of steps back, a bad feeling creeping up on her. They'd got so many happy memories together. Looked like James wouldn't pick her.

Sure enough, Olivia, still in James's arms, kept going, "When you had that car accident, I wanted to visit, but Sophia stopped me. She wouldn't let me near you. I had no choice but to wait outside the hospital. Without you, Sophia pressured my family, and my parents couldn't stand up to the Smith Family, so they sent me abroad overnight. All these years, I've been studying overseas, and every time I felt like giving up, our memories kept me going. I always hoped to come back and be with you, even though Sophia and Emily tried to keep me from knowing you had woken up. They made things tough for me abroad, bullied me, ruined my reputation, but I never gave up. But now, James, I really can't take it anymore."

"No, it wasn't me. Olivia, I didn't do those things, please believe me." Emily was at a loss, wondering why Olivia would say such things.

Emily wanted to approach James but froze under his intense gaze.

'No, this isn't enough.' Olivia thought, steeling herself. She suddenly pushed James away. 'I have to make James hate Emily once and for all, leaving her no chance to turn things around.'

"I just missed you so much, and I never wanted to ruin your marriage. But James, it was you who came after me again, wanting to be with me. How can you forgive her for what she did to us?" Olivia sobbed, bending over as if truly heartbroken. "Forget it, I don't want anything anymore. James, I wish you and Emily happiness. I won't show up in front of you again."

With that, Olivia picked up her bag from the ground, pretending to leave.

James grabbed her, his eyes filled with restraint. "Olivia, I'm sorry."

Emily was the one who did those ugly things, Emily who stayed in the Smith Family for money by having Michael. How could he waver and hurt Olivia because of such a woman? James thought, suppressing the discomfort in his heart.

He held Olivia's shoulder and lowered his voice. "Olivia, the one who should leave is her."

Turning around, he looked at Emily, who was filled with hope and helplessness, and said coldly, "Emily, you should leave and don't come back."

Emily smiled bitterly, nodded, and turned to leave.

James didn't choose her. She lost, utterly defeated.

James believed Olivia's words, convinced that she had done those things she knew nothing about. And she couldn't defend herself.