It had been a week since the accident, and though the past days were filled with uncertainty, Olivia had held onto hope. Baby Eva was stabilizing, finally able to breathe on her own, and Olivia, recovering from her surgery, felt her strength returning. Ethan, too, had made great progress. His physiotherapy sessions were going well, and he was declared fit to go home. Olivia had been planning their return, dreaming of the day she, Ethan, and their precious daughter would go home as a family.
But something was wrong.
During the recovery phase, Ethan had been distant—so distant that Olivia barely recognized him. They spoke like strangers, their once effortless connection replaced with awkward silence. He avoided her touches, and what hurt even more was that he never visited Eva, not even once. Olivia thought it was part of his recovery, that maybe he needed time to heal mentally and physically. But deep down, a nagging fear began to take root, one she didn't dare voice.
On the day of discharge, Olivia dressed herself and Eva in their best, despite the nervous energy buzzing in her stomach. Linda was by her side, offering her unwavering support as they waited for Ethan. The plan was simple: they would all go home together, start their life as a family. Olivia clung to that image as if it were the last bit of hope she had left.
But when Ethan finally arrived, her world came crashing down.
To her utter disbelief, Ethan walked in flanked by Martha and Mathew. Worse still, Jenna was clinging to his side, her hand wrapped possessively around his waist as they laughed and talked like lovers. Ethan, with his arm around Jenna, didn't even glance at Olivia or Eva. His eyes—once so full of warmth and love—were cold, indifferent.
Olivia's breath caught in her throat. Her body went numb, disbelief rooting her to the spot. She clutched Eva closer, her mind racing, trying to understand what was happening. Was this some sick joke? A nightmare?
She took a shaky step forward. "Ethan… what's going on?" Her voice cracked, raw with confusion and hurt.
Ethan met her gaze with chilling calmness. "I love Jenna," he said flatly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "I want to be with her. For the rest of my life."
The words hit Olivia like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from her lungs. Her eyes searched his face for some sign, some flicker of the man she had fallen in love with—the man who had held her through countless storms and who had promised her forever. But all she saw was a stranger wearing Ethan's face.
"Wh-What are you saying?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What about Eva? What about us?"
Ethan didn't flinch. His expression remained cold and emotionless as he pulled out a folded paper from his pocket and threw it at her feet. "Eva isn't mine," he said, his voice hard and accusatory. "The DNA test proves it."
The paper fluttered to the floor, but Olivia didn't need to pick it up to know that her world had just been obliterated. She stared at Ethan, her heart breaking piece by piece. "How could you… how could you even say that?" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she cradled baby Eva closer, her entire body shaking with grief. "Eva is your daughter! How could you deny her like this?"
Ethan looked away, his jaw tight. "I'm done, Olivia. I'm done with this life. Jenna is who I want to be with."
The pain was unbearable, like her heart had been ripped out and shattered into a million pieces. Olivia stood frozen, watching in disbelief as Ethan, the man she had loved with all her heart, turned his back on her and their newborn daughter.
Jenna smirked, her fingers tracing the outline of Ethan's chest as if to claim him fully. Martha and Mathew stood smugly by, silently supporting Ethan's betrayal. Olivia felt completely alone in that moment, with only Linda standing at her side.
Alex and Emma, so consumed with the chaos at Pierce Enterprise, Carter Couture, and Eva Enterprise, weren't even there. Olivia had no one but her baby in her arms and her mother beside her. The betrayal was too much to bear, the pain too raw.
As Ethan walked out with Jenna by his side, Olivia's world collapsed. She stood there, shaking, watching them leave—watching her husband walk away from her and their child without so much as a backward glance.
Linda's hand rested gently on her shoulder, but Olivia couldn't speak. She was frozen, barely able to breathe, the weight of Ethan's betrayal suffocating her. All she could do was clutch baby Eva, her tears falling silently onto her daughter's tiny face.
As the rain poured down outside, Olivia whispered to her daughter, "I'll protect you, Eva. I'll protect you… from everything."
But in her heart, Olivia knew that nothing would ever be the same again. The man she loved had destroyed her. The life she had built was gone, and the future she had dreamed of was slipping away. Now, all that remained was survival. For her and for Eva.