Goodbye to All the Traitors

With a knife in hand, Olivia Gerber catches Caleb Jebb in bed with another woman for the ninth time, only to discover that the woman is none other than her younger sister, Shannon Gerber. The usually aloof Caleb suddenly grabs the knife and drives it deep into his own abdomen. "Don't hurt Shannon." Caleb stares at Olivia with bloodshot eyes, his voice unexpectedly shaking. "You can get back at me however you want. I'll accept it. Are you happy now?" Olivia freezes on the spot, her fingertips numb from the warmth of his blood. The next moment, Gerald Gerber, her father, hurries over and slaps her across the face. He launches into a furious tirade. "Olivia, have you lost your mind? All Shannon did was come between you and your husband. What's the big deal? Did you really have to come here and embarrass her?" Vivian Ingham, her mother, points at her and tells her off. "You've been married to Caleb for five years, yet you still haven't given him a child. So many women have tried to take your place as his wife. "Your sister's willing to help you out. Don't you know how lucky you are? And instead of thanking her, you choose to get back at her?" At that moment, Olivia finds the whole situation completely absurd. Caleb has spent years fighting with her, yet he is willing to compromise for Shannon. Gerald and Vivian have known all along that Shannon is a homewrecker, yet they keep enabling her behavior. Ever since Olivia and Shannon were kids, their parents have always favored Shannon. No matter what she does, they always forgive her. And Olivia? All she ever gets is endless criticism. If that's how it is, Olivia is done with her rotten marriage and family. Chapter 1 "Who's Mr. Jebb's next of kin? We need someone to come with us to the hospital and sign the paperwork." It wasn't until the doctor spoke that Olivia Gerber came to her senses. She pressed her lips together as she stared at her husband, Caleb Jebb, lying on the stretcher, his shirt soaked in blood. Caleb didn't even flinch when the blade plunged into his abdomen. But right before he collapsed, the last thing he did wasn't to save himself or even look at Olivia. He gritted his teeth against the pain and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Shannon Gerber's eyes, reassuring her. Only after he watched Olivia's parents, Gerald Gerber and Vivian Ingham, safely take her younger sister, Shannon, away did his strength finally give out. He collapsed, blood spreading across his body. Throughout it all, Olivia felt like nothing more than an outsider, silently watching the ridiculous scene unfold. She had never seen Caleb lose his head like this over someone he cared about. Olivia and Caleb had been at each other's throats for years. Things had gotten really ugly between them. Once, Olivia ran her sports car into Caleb and his mistress, breaking six ribs between them. He got back at her by throwing her into shark-infested waters, leaving her to fend for herself for three days. That was how they punished each other for their marriage. Betrayal. Hatred. Madness. Neither of them was willing to budge, as if they had to destroy each other so they could be free. But now, Caleb looked at Olivia, his eyes filled with mockery and pity. "Shannon may be your biological sister, but she's nothing like you. You're crazy." With that, he let out a sigh, as if finally giving in. "Don't hurt her. You can get back at me however you want. I'll accept it." Olivia's fingers curled slightly. "What do you mean?" Caleb chuckled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "You win. Are you happy now? Isn't this what you wanted all along? But you didn't exactly win, did you?" Olivia dug her fingers into her palms, a dull, throbbing pain spreading through them. She and Caleb fell in love at first sight back in college, and they had an unusual way of interacting with each other—they loved making bets. At 20, Olivia was sent to Kolville to lead a research team, and she made a bet that he would come looking for her. And Caleb did. He traveled over 1,400 miles just to confess his feelings to her outside her office. "Olivia, you win! Will you be my girlfriend? I can't live without you!" When Olivia turned 23, she bet that he would propose to her. Caleb had 900 thousand roses flown in before getting down on one knee in front of her. "Olivia, you win! Will you marry me? I don't mind losing to you for the rest of my life!" On their wedding day, Olivia and Caleb put rings on each other's fingers and kissed passionately. They were over the moon, as if they had won at life. But Olivia never imagined that Caleb had deliberately made her fall for him. He just wanted to use her as a cover. Caleb had pursued her and married her just to fulfill the marriage alliance between their families and protect the woman he truly loved. By the time Olivia discovered the truth, she was already five months pregnant. The first time she caught him in bed with another woman, she got into a heated argument with them. Amid the chaos, she and the woman fell down the stairs at the same time. Olivia lost her baby, and the woman died. From that day on, Caleb seemed like a completely different person. He made no attempts to hide his affairs, constantly making headlines online and turning Olivia into a laughingstock among the elite. Driven by resentment, she held on to him, fighting with him year after year. By now, Olivia was getting tired. She let out a sigh. "How long have you two been together?" "A year." A whole year? Her heart clenched with pain as she set a divorce agreement in front of him. "Sign this. Let's get a divorce." Caleb froze for a moment before letting out a chuckle. "Olivia, are you really playing hard to get? That's pathetic, coming from you. "You've hung on to me all these years because you don't want to give up the status and privileges that come with being my wife. "Once we get a divorce, Jebb Corporation will stop funding your team. How far do you think you can even get without me?" Olivia paid no attention to his taunts and repeated, "Sign it." Caleb's brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't hesitate. He signed the papers right away. "I hope I'll actually see you at the courthouse," he said in a challenging tone. But Olivia didn't respond. She silently turned away and walked out of the hospital room. She happened to glance into the hospital room opposite Caleb's. She saw her parents fussing over Shannon, who only had a few scrapes. Gerald patiently adjusted the height of Shannon's bed. "Let me know if you're in pain." Vivian carefully brought a glass of water to Shannon's lips. "Sweetheart, just take it easy. Have some water." Noticing Olivia outside, Shannon deliberately put on a timid expression and said, "Mom, Dad, Caleb fell out with Olivia just to protect me. Will she hate me for that?" "What are you afraid of? It's Olivia's fault. She can't blame anyone else if her husband decides to look for another woman." "Relax. If she dares to hurt you, we'll make sure she pays for it." Every word cut deep. It was as if Olivia wasn't their daughter, but their enemy. Olivia met Shannon's smug gaze, her expression unreadable, and turned and walked away. At the end of the hallway, she pulled out her phone and dialed a number she hadn't called in a long time. Someone answered the call almost immediately, and a warm, pleasant voice came through the line. "Ms. Gerber, have you thought it over?" "Yes. I'll give you the rights to the patent and formula for the newest drug my team developed, but I have one condition." Olivia's voice was calm yet firm. "I want Caleb and my family to lose badly at the bidding event next month." Chapter 2 "As you wish, Ms. Gerber." The person agreed without hesitation. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Olivia's lips. After ending the call, she went straight home. The moment she walked into the house, the butler handed her a gift box. "Mrs. Jebb, Mr. Jebb got this for you as an anniversary gift." Olivia opened the box and saw a dazzling pair of sapphire earrings inside. They were clearly worth a fortune. She thought it over carefully. After catching Caleb in bed with another woman for the eighth time and causing a scene, she fell ill for an entire month. He went mad, searching all over the country for the best doctors to treat her. He even set aside all his work. He stayed by her bedside every day and looked after her himself. No matter how many times she asked him to leave, he refused. From that day on, the tension between them seemed to fade. Caleb also stopped making headlines with other women. He even started keeping Olivia informed of his whereabouts and made sure to give her presents on every special occasion. He was so good to her that she started to believe everything was back to normal. She never imagined that he had fallen for Shannon and was doing everything he could to protect her. Caleb never cared about his previous mistresses. Even when Olivia found out about them and took her revenge, it didn't bother him. But Shannon had become an exception. Caleb had gone to such lengths just to keep Olivia distracted. Even after Olivia discovered the truth, he was willing to swallow his pride and give in to her as long as it meant keeping Shannon safe. Olivia's phone lit up. It was a photo from Shannon. In the photo, Gerald, Vivian, and Caleb remained by her side, their eyes filled with affection. Around her neck was a sapphire necklace worth 30 million dollars. Anyone could see that the earrings Caleb gave Olivia were just a free gift that had come with the necklace. Olivia let out a quiet scoff. She reached for the gift box and tossed it into the bin without hesitation. Then she went to the bedroom, packed up everything Caleb had given her over the past year, and threw it all away. She didn't keep a single thing. The moment Caleb returned home, he happened to notice the gift box in the bin. He looked at Olivia with a frown. "You don't like it? I'll get you something else next time." "That won't be necessary. I'm not desperate enough to take someone else's leftovers," Olivia said calmly as she set her phone on the table. On the screen were several selfies of Shannon wearing the necklace. There were even photos of Caleb putting it around her neck himself. He seemed incredibly gentle with her, his gaze impossibly tender. Caleb's expression shifted instantly. He stepped forward and grabbed her by the wrist, his voice laced with warning. "Didn't I already tell you? You can get back at me however you want, but you can't hurt Shannon. I can't believe you had someone secretly take photos of her!" Olivia winced in pain and shoved Caleb aside. She almost laughed at the way he panicked over Shannon. Could a man like him even know what love meant? "Alright. I won't hurt her." Olivia looked at Caleb icily. "I still want my revenge though. Since you want to protect her, you can take ten lashes in her place." Chapter 3 Caleb's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Olivia noticed the flicker of surprise in his eyes too. After all, who in all of Joltbury would ever dare go against Caleb? He had never even gone to such lengths to protect any of the women before Shannon. Caleb clenched his jaw, his fingers slowly curling into a fist. In the end, he still said, "Sure. I'll take those lashes for Shannon." He spoke so casually, yet those words cut into Olivia's heart like a knife. So Shannon really was the exception for Caleb. Olivia suddenly let out a quiet laugh, her eyes stinging with tears. "Caleb, you really love her, don't you?" She gripped the whip and abruptly raised her hand. "No!" Shannon suddenly appeared and threw herself between them, shielding Caleb behind her slender frame. Her voice was thick with tears. "I wasn't thinking straight. I was the one who seduced him! If you want to hit someone, hit me instead! Don't hurt Caleb!" "Shannon, get out of the way!" Caleb immediately reached out to shield her. "I love you. I'll protect you if I want to. You don't get to decide." "Caleb…" Shannon looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. As for Olivia, she stood there like an unwanted outsider, forced to watch the ridiculous scene unfold before her. This was just wonderful—so much so that it made her sick. She suddenly tightened her grip and swung the whip at Caleb with all her might. At the last second, Shannon threw herself onto Caleb without hesitation. The whip never hit Caleb. Instead, it came down hard on Shannon's back. "Ah!" Shannon let out a strangled cry. Her body shuddered before she crumpled to the floor, her face deathly pale. "Shannon!" Caleb's eyes widened in horror. Before Olivia could even react, his hand was already around her throat. He slammed her hard against the cold, hard wall. Pain shot through her entire body. "Olivia!" Caleb gritted his teeth, his voice low and menacing. "I already warned you not to hurt her! Do I have to say it again?" Olivia could barely breathe, her head forced back as she gasped for air. Her face flushed red before gradually turning paler. Just as Olivia was about to black out, Shannon called out softly, "Caleb…" Her voice snapped Caleb back to reality, and he released Olivia instantly. Olivia's legs gave out. She slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor in a heap. She gasped for air as tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision. But Caleb didn't even look at her. He simply scooped Shannon into his arms and left. Half an hour later, Shannon sent Olivia a message. "Did you see that? If it weren't for me, your husband would've choked you to death. I'm the woman he loves most. Why do you still insist on being his wife? Isn't that pathetic?" Shannon sent a photo of Caleb gently tending to her wounds. He looked nothing like the man who had his hand around Olivia's throat earlier. Olivia called home with a blank look on her face. As soon as the call connected, Gerald and Vivian's displeased voices came through the line. "Didn't we tell you not to bother us unless it's something urgent? You could drop dead tomorrow for all we care—" Olivia closed her eyes and cut them off. "That's enough. Let's just meet up." "What for?" Gerald and Vivian were on their guard. "Are you up to something?" "I'll let Shannon take my place as Caleb's wife." Olivia's voice was icy. "Well? Are you going to meet me or not?" Chapter 4 Gerald and Vivian immediately hurried over to the address Olivia had given them. Even so, they were certain she had an ulterior motive. "Olivia, are you really willing to give up your place as Caleb's wife for Shannon? What's the catch?" Olivia was already used to them assuming the worst. She pulled out the divorce agreement Caleb had already signed. "Give me three billion dollars. Then I'll sign these papers." "Three billion dollars?" They pointed at her, their voices growing louder. "Olivia, have you lost your mind? Don't even think about it! We're leaving everything to Shannon. You're not getting a single cent!" Olivia looked at their indignant expressions and laughed. She wasn't surprised at all. These were her parents, who were supposed to love her. Ever since she was a child, they had always given Shannon the best things in life. She could only have Shannon's leftovers. Shannon got a six-figure allowance every month, while Olivia was only ever given about ten dollars. Olivia even needed financial aid to attend college. She would never forget how her classmates reacted when her family background became public and they realized that she was the eldest daughter of the Gerber family. Needless to say, the way they looked at her changed completely. "Her family's so wealthy. And she actually had the nerve to apply for financial aid? Is she really that desperate for money?" "She's disgusting! She's even trying to take money from the poor!" Snapping out of her thoughts, Olivia looked up at Gerald and Vivian. "Three billion dollars is nothing to Caleb. Once Shannon marries him, she'll get a lot more than that. She could even become part of the most elite—" "It's settled!" they exclaimed eagerly. "You'll get the money once you have your divorce certificate! If you try to screw us over…" "Relax. I'm done with this marriage." The next moment, Caleb's familiar, icy voice rang out. "What do you mean?" Olivia froze for a moment. She turned around, only to meet Caleb's scrutinizing gaze. "What's that got to do with you?" Olivia asked icily. "What's with your attitude, Olivia?" Caleb's brows furrowed. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes when he noticed the visible red marks he had left around her neck. Seeing that, Shannon stepped forward, looking at Olivia apologetically. "I'm so sorry about that, Olivia. Does your neck still hurt? Please don't hold it against Caleb. He lost control when he saw me hurt. "That's why he ended up hurting you. Since we've run into each other today, let's have dinner together. We'd like to make it up to you." "No need for that." Olivia turned her down immediately. Without waiting for them to say another word, she turned and walked away. "Olivia!" Caleb's expression darkened. He instinctively hurried after her and grabbed her arm. He blocked her path. "Shannon already swallowed her pride and apologized to you. What else do you want?" He gripped her arm so tightly that it hurt. She scoffed coldly. "She did, but that doesn't mean I have to accept her apology, do I?" Her question left him speechless for a moment. Then he remarked unhappily, "No matter what, you're Shannon's sister. Do you have to be so cruel?" "Cruel?" Olivia found it rather ironic. She looked up at him. "Fine. Since you're so determined to take me out to dinner to make it up to me, tell me. What are you planning to order?" Caleb froze for a moment, wondering what had gotten into Olivia. Still, he answered patiently, "Honey-glazed ham." "I knew it." Olivia smiled faintly. "Shannon likes sweet stuff, so honey-glazed ham was the first thing that came to your mind. But have you forgotten? I've always hated sweet things." Caleb froze for a moment, a flicker of guilt crossing his eyes. "Then we'll go for spicy seafood. Happy now?" Olivia suddenly let out a chuckle. It wasn't loud, yet it somehow made his heart ache. "Spicy seafood? That's her favorite too. You forgot that I'm allergic to seafood. Even a little could land me in the hospital." A heavy silence hung in the room. Olivia met his eyes. "Mr. Jebb, why should I even bother having dinner with you two?" Caleb froze. An inexplicable sense of panic suddenly stirred in him, catching him off guard. Chapter 5 Caleb met Olivia's reddened eyes. The disappointment in her eyes hit him hard. He didn't know why, but he suddenly found it hard to breathe. Just then, they heard an argument break out outside the nearby restroom. "What are you doing? Don't touch me!" Caleb's expression shifted instantly. Whatever guilt he had felt toward Olivia moments ago vanished. He instinctively turned toward the dim corner of the hallway. A drunken man in shabby clothes had Shannon cornered, his behavior crude and lecherous. Shannon was deathly pale with fear. She kept cowering, trying to get away from him. "Shannon!" Caleb completely forgot about Olivia standing behind him. He rushed over, stepped in front of Shannon, and shoved the drunken man away. Caleb snapped coldly. "Get lost!" The drunken man staggered backward. The alcohol only fueled his anger, and he instantly lashed out. "Damn you! How dare you ruin things for me?" In the chaos, he suddenly reached behind him and pulled out a small knife. The bystanders scrambled away in alarm, screaming. The situation descended into chaos. Olivia didn't want to be part of this nonsense. All she wanted to do was leave. She had barely taken a few steps when the drunken man lunged at Shannon with the knife. Just then, Gerald and Vivian dashed into the room, screaming, "Shannon!" Caleb immediately pulled Shannon into his arms. Just as the drunken man was about to stab Caleb, Olivia suddenly felt someone shove her hard from behind. She lost her balance and stumbled forward. She looked back and realized that the ones who had pushed her were none other than Gerald and Vivian. By then, the drunken man was already right in front of her, and the knife plunged deep into her chest. Time seemed to stop at that moment. Olivia froze on the spot. She slowly lowered her gaze and saw the knife handle protruding from her chest, blood blooming across her clothes. Caleb's expression shifted instantly when he saw Olivia standing right in front of him. The moment Olivia crumpled, he instinctively let Shannon go and dropped to his knees, catching Olivia in his arms before she hit the ground. Warm, sticky blood instantly spread onto his palms, the heat making his fingertips numb. "Olivia! Olivia!" Panicked and at a loss for what to do, Caleb pressed his hand against her wound, but the bleeding wouldn't stop. He turned toward the panicked crowd and yelled, "Help! Call an ambulance! Now!" Then he looked down and cupped Olivia's pale face in his hands, repeating over and over again, "Don't close your eyes. Do you hear me? Olivia, don't close your eyes! Look at me! Just hang in there. The doctor will be here soon. You'll be fine…" The panic and anxiety felt so familiar. It was the same look he wore whenever he was worried that something might happen to Olivia. Olivia lay in his arms. Even breathing hurt, and her vision gradually began to blur. Memories of their early days as newlyweds came flooding back to her. She got hurt once, and he held her in his arms just like this, begging her not to close her eyes. He was so terrified that he started crying. Back then, she truly believed she was the one he loved most. Now, he was holding her in his arms again, looking just as worried as he had back then. But this time, she couldn't bring herself to believe it anymore. Chapter 6 When Olivia opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in the hospital bed, her wound throbbing faintly. "You're awake." Caleb's voice rang out from beside her. His eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles under them. He looked exhausted. "Does it hurt?" With that, he reached out to feel her forehead, but she instinctively backed away. Caleb hesitated before saying softly, "Get some rest. I'll call the doctor." She watched him walk away in silence. Next to her, the nurse spoke up. "When they brought you to the hospital, Mr. Jebb was so worried that he brought in the best doctors in all of Joltbury. "His hands were even shaking when he signed the paperwork. While you were unconscious for the past two days, he stayed by your side the entire time. He even cleaned you up and changed your bandages himself. You guys must really love each other." Olivia lowered her gaze. Loved each other? If they really loved each other, they wouldn't have ended up this way. Sometimes, Olivia found Caleb rather strange. Whenever they were at each other's throats, he never held himself back, acting as if he wanted to be the one to kill her. But whenever something actually happened to her, he looked more worried than anyone else. It had happened a year ago, and now it was happening again. But Olivia wasn't the same person she had been a year ago. Over the next two days, Caleb never left her side. She tried to make him leave, but he pretended not to hear her. She deliberately smashed the cup, but he grabbed her hand and asked if she was hurt. As Caleb wiped Olivia's body, she struggled and told him to get out of her room, but he only held her tighter. "You can be mad at me all you like. I don't care if you tear this entire room apart. But if you aggravate your wound, it's only going to hurt more. Don't be so stubborn, Livvy." Olivia froze. Livvy. She hadn't heard Caleb call her that in years. While Olivia was distracted, Caleb changed her bandages and left the hospital room. She didn't care where he had gone off to. She pulled out her phone and started responding to messages from her team. She had planned to make further improvements to the drug efficacy report and the proposal to bring the new drug to the market. But not long after, Caleb walked into the hospital room and took the phone from her, saying gently, "You need to rest. You can always work later." Olivia scowled. "Give it back to me." "You need to rest," Caleb repeated, leaving no room for discussion. Olivia was exhausted. Since it was getting late, she couldn't be bothered to fight with him anymore and lay on the bed. Caleb finally gave her phone back to her and even carefully tucked the blanket around her. Perhaps she really was exhausted. She slept soundly through the night. It wasn't until noon the next day that Olivia's phone rang. She finally stirred awake and realized that one of her team members was calling. There were 12 missed calls. Olivia froze for a moment before quickly taking the call. "Bad news, Olivia! Shannon's team presented a drug efficacy report and a commercialization plan at today's meeting at Jebb Corporation. They're exactly the same as ours!" Olivia's eyes widened in shock. Those formulas and data came from two whole years of research she and her team had conducted. How dare Shannon steal her research? Olivia immediately hurried to Jebb Corporation. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she saw Shannon at the corner of the hallway. Shannon looked at her smugly. "Olivia? What brings you here? The meeting just ended. Everyone said my team's new drug development proposal has amazing potential. If we submit it, we'll definitely win." Olivia looked at her coldly. "That's my research." "I know." Shannon shrugged. "A few days ago, I casually mentioned to Caleb that I wanted to have a career of my own too. Guess what happened? "He immediately set up a research team just for me. He even gave me your research materials!" Shannon burst into laughter. Olivia's mind went blank, and a chill ran through her. Seeing her pale face, Shannon smiled even wider. "Don't worry, Olivia. You worked so hard on it, didn't you? I'll pay you for your hard work." With that, she slowly pulled a ten-dollar bill from her wallet. "Will ten dollars be enough?" Chapter 7 Olivia dug her fingers into her palms. "Not enough?" Shannon pulled out a 20-dollar bill, acting as though she were doing Olivia a huge favor. "I'll give you another 20 dollars. That's 30 dollars in total." Then she kept adding bills one by one until she had a total of 50 dollars. She held the bills between her fingers and waved them in Olivia's face. "50 dollars. That's all you're getting. Don't be greedy, Olivia." Olivia let out a chuckle. Before Shannon could even react, Olivia raised her hand and slapped her hard across the face. The slap made Shannon's head snap to the side, and her cheek immediately began to swell. "You… How dare you hit me—" Before Shannon could even finish, Olivia slapped her again. "Ah!" Shannon's shriek echoed through the hallway. In just a few seconds, her smug expression had vanished. Both her cheeks were red, swollen, and burning. The corner of her mouth was split, tiny beads of blood seeping from it. Her hair was a mess, and her makeup was completely ruined. Shannon staggered backward, frantically raising her hands to protect her face. "Stop slapping me! I know what I did was wrong, okay!" "Too late." Olivia raised her hand again. "Stop!" Caleb strode over and seized her by the wrist. He gripped her so tight that it felt like he could crush her bones. Shannon immediately threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Caleb, it hurts so bad. You have to do something…" "Olivia, you've gone too far." Caleb's expression was grim. "Me? I've gone too far?" Tears welled up in Olivia's eyes, and her voice came out hoarse and broken. "Caleb, did you steal my research on the new drug and give it all to Shannon?" Silence hung in the air for a moment. Caleb hesitated before speaking. His voice was so calm that it was almost cruel. "I did, but so what? Your team wouldn't have made such a breakthrough without my company's support. I have the right to decide what to do with the results. "You don't get to complain. You hurt Shannon, so you have to face the consequences." Caleb turned to his bodyguards and ordered coldly, "Hold her down." Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and restrained Olivia's arms. "Let me go!" Olivia struggled, but to no avail. The next moment, with countless employees looking on, the bodyguards forced Olivia down onto the cold, hard marble floor. All her dignity, pride, and composure were shattered in that moment. "Stay down there until she forgives you." The moment Caleb finished speaking, the bodyguards pressed down hard on the back of her neck, forcing her head down. Once. Twice. Thrice… They slammed her forehead against the floor over and over again. Every impact felt like torture. Olivia's eyes turned red, and she couldn't stop the tears from falling. Humiliation and hatred welled up inside her, making it almost impossible to breathe. After they slammed her head against the floor 20 times, Shannon finally tugged on Caleb's sleeve. "Caleb, forget it. Stop them. I won't hold it against Olivia anymore." Caleb finally gestured for the bodyguards to release Olivia. Olivia was completely drained. She lay limply on the floor, streaks of blood trickling down her forehead. Caleb looked down at Olivia. She was a complete mess, yet she still refused to give in. He pressed his thin lips together and said, "Behave yourself. Get some rest at home, and stop stirring up trouble. I'll be taking Shannon with me to the bidding event. All you need to do is be my wife." With that, Caleb didn't look back at her and left with Shannon. People passed by the hallway, whispering among themselves. But Olivia didn't seem to have heard a thing until her phone pinged with a text message. "Your divorce has been finalized. Your divorce certificate is ready for pickup." Olivia suddenly let out a laugh. Ignoring the wound on her forehead, she went to see Gerald and Vivian. Even when they saw the wound, they didn't ask about it. Instead, they looked at her in disdain. "Did you come here just to piss us off?" "Let's not waste time. Hand over the money, and you can have the divorce certificate." "Oh, whatever!" Gerald reluctantly made a call. It wasn't until Olivia received a notification that the three billion dollars had been transferred to her account that she tossed the divorce certificate over to them. Vivian glanced at it just to make sure everything was in order. With a smug smile, she warned Olivia, "From now on, stay as far away from here as possible. Don't ever show your face in front of Caleb and Shannon. Got it?" "Got it." A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Olivia's lips, and a knowing look flickered in her eyes. … Three days later, the bidding event was held as scheduled. Caleb wore a sharp suit and looked imposing. Shannon sat next to him, her makeup perfectly done. Gerald and Vivian texted Shannon. "Shannon, we've already got a feast ready for you. We're waiting for you to come home so we can celebrate your winning the bid! We also have some good news for you!" "Relax. You're so smart. We know you're going to make a name for yourself this time!" Shannon's smile grew wider. The lights gradually turned toward the stage, and the noisy hall fell silent. The emcee stepped onto the stage with a microphone. "After multiple rounds of rigorous evaluation by our panel of experts, we are ready to announce the winning company and project lead for the major new-drug commercialization project." Everyone held their breath, their eyes turning toward Caleb and Shannon in the front row. They were waiting for the outcome they were certain was coming. Olivia sat up straight, ready to rise and accept the applause. Caleb was getting ready to take the stage as well. The next moment, the emcee's clear voice rang out in the banquet hall. "The winning company is Robinson Group, and its project lead is none other than Olivia Gerber!"