Chapter 2 Planning a Divorce

Olivia scrolled through her phone, only to see one single contact—Austin. The color drained from her face.

She remembered when she first lost her sight, Austin had said it was for her own protection. Since she couldn't use the phone, he kept hold of it for her. What she hadn't imagined was that he had erased every friend's number from her phone.

In that moment, she realized she had become a puppet in Austin's hands, strings pulled tight. She didn't even know who she could call.

Her grip on the phone tightened. After a moment's hesitation, she dialed Bella Pearl.

Bella had been her only close friend, though their friendship had ended when Bella fiercely opposed Olivia's marriage to Austin.

Olivia's pulse raced. She wasn't sure Bella would even answer.

The call connected.

"Bella…" Olivia's voice trembled.

"Olivia? Is that really you?" Bella's shock was laced with disbelief.

The words nearly broke Olivia. She forced back the sting in her eyes, masking it with calm. "It's me."

Bella's joy gave way to a sharp edge. "You've gone years without reaching out. I called, you never picked up. I was angry when I said we couldn't be friends if you married Austin, but I never thought you'd take it that far."

She was angry that Olivia seemed to put Austin above everything else, but Bella had no intention of ending their friendship. After all, how could so many years of closeness possibly end just because Olivia was getting married?

Olivia rushed to explain, her voice tight. "It wasn't by choice. I had a car accident saving Austin, suffered optic nerve damage, and have been blind for two years. Today… I can finally see again."

Bella's voice shot up. "Blind from an accident? Austin never told anyone. We all thought you'd vanished."

Olivia lowered her gaze, bitterness pooling in her eyes. "I believed what he told me. Now I see it was just a lie to keep control. While I was blind, he cheated—and even brought his mistress home."

Bella's outrage was instant. "Austin's a bastard. I'll help you get revenge. He won't get away with this."

Olivia exhaled, her voice heavy with exhaustion. "Don't be rash. I handed over my shares to him after the accident. You can't beat him."

She knew Austin's methods well. In business, he was ruthless—that was how he'd clawed his way back so quickly.

"I just want the fastest way out of this marriage… but I don't know if I can win."

"I'll find you a lawyer," Bella said firmly. "If you need anything, tell me."

Warmth flickered in Olivia's chest. Bella was the only person she could truly rely on. "Thank you, Bella."

"You don't need to thank me. But if you choose to stay with Austin, I'll be furious."

Olivia laughed despite herself. "Don't worry. I won't step into the same trap twice."

"Good."

After hanging up, Olivia deleted the call record. She lay back on the bed. It wasn't long before Austin returned.

She felt his body press against hers and fought the urge to recoil.

"Olivia," he murmured, "you don't know how much I've missed you. I've dreamed every day of having you back."

She kept her breathing steady, feigning sleep. If she hadn't seen what happened in the study, she might have believed him.

Maybe even fate decided she had been kept in the dark long enough… and restored her sight so she could witness the truth.

When she didn't respond, Austin soon drifted off.

Olivia lay awake until dawn.

The next morning, the first thing she saw was Lucia sitting on the sofa—wearing Olivia's own nightgown.

Lucia's eyes were full of challenge. She tugged the collar lower, revealing a trail of fresh kiss marks. The message was clear: she wanted Olivia to know exactly how wild the night had been.

Confident Olivia couldn't see, Lucia's taunts were brazen.

Olivia dug her nails into her palm, resisting the urge to slap her.

Pretending blindness, she walked forward. Lucia rose and stepped into her path, extending a leg to trip her.

Olivia's lips curved in a cold smile. She stepped down hard.

Lucia's scream ripped through the air.

Olivia followed with a startled cry.

Austin rushed out of the bedroom. "Olivia, what happened?"

Olivia's face was pale, fingers clutching his sleeve. "Austin… is someone in the house? I think I stepped on something."

Austin's eyes flashed a warning at Lucia, who was biting back pain. He soothed Olivia. "We hired a new housekeeper. You forgot—she came to speak with me yesterday."

He shot Lucia a look.

Lucia forced out, "Sorry, Ms. Smith. I didn't mean—"

Olivia's gaze was steady. "Shouldn't you call me Mrs. Roberts?"

For a heartbeat, Lucia thought Olivia's eyes had focus. But she quickly reassured herself—two years of nerve damage couldn't heal overnight.

"Yes… Mrs. Roberts."

Olivia nodded. "Austin, I don't like having strangers in the house. Now that I'm back, let's let the housekeeper go."

Lucia's expression darkened.

Austin studied Olivia's unfocused eyes. If she'd regained her sight, she'd have confronted him about last night.

"Olivia, your eyes aren't fully healed. I'm busy during the day. Having someone here makes me feel better."

"I prefer the caregiver from the hospital," Olivia cut in.