Our emotions were still riding high as we finalized our split. It didn’t help that Yasmin kept taunting me. In the heat of our argument, none of us noticed the sports car speeding around the corner.
I heard only a loud explosion before my world went black.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself transported back to the day Simon and I had gotten our marriage license. We were slated to announce our marriage to our families and friends.
To avoid history repeating itself, I gave him and Yasmin my blessing.
They officially got together after that and went abroad to further their careers. As for me, I finally returned to my beloved job as a surgeon.
The skills I honed in my past life helped boost my career in the emergency department, and I soon became a respected ER doctor. I also met the love of my life.
I could finally bid goodbye to the horrible fate that I had been dealt in my past life.
At that moment, the rest of my family finally arrived at the private club. My parents showed up, linking arms, and smiled at me when they spotted me among the crowd. “Olive, have you greeted your elders?”
I gestured at the most populated corner of the lounge and chuckled dryly. “They’re too busy to pay me any attention. Yasmin and Simon have returned from abroad, you see.”
My parents’ faces darkened, but they said nothing. It was only natural for the other relatives to fawn over Yasmin and Simon after the couple’s success abroad. Sycophancy was expected of human nature, after all.
Unfortunately, my relatives’ sycophancy came at my expense, for they pitted Yasmin against me as my parents and I neared the crowd.
“I know Simon messed up when he married Olivia first, but that mistake led him to Yasmin. It must be fate!” someone mused.
“I agree. Olivia is a good kid, but she can be so surly and stubborn at times. It’s been six years. She should have gotten over the divorce by now. She should try to get on Yasmin’s and Simon’s good side, especially if she wants them to grant her favors in the future.”
“Oh, tell me about it. It’s not as if the divorce was a big deal. Surely, there was no need for her dramatics. Olivia should know better than to throw a fit and make things awkward for the family.”
As my relatives prattled on, Yasmin stood among them with a pleasant smile, though there was no hiding the smug gleam in her eyes. She raised a glass in my direction and said, “Don’t take their words personally, Olivia. As your cousin, I will help you in any way I can should you ever ask me for a favor.”
Simon’s lips curled as he pointed out, “You’re a grown-up now, so learn how to conduct yourself in society. There’s only so many favors that we can do for you.”
My parents trembled with rage when they heard this. I quickly held them back and flashed Simon and Yasmin a warm smile. “You’re right.”
After that, I led my parents to their seats.
The waiters filed in with dishes that had been ordered in advance. The guests raised their wine glasses as they begged Simon to tell them about his time in the art galleries abroad and how he launched his career.
“With so many artists abroad, it must have been hard for you to distinguish yourself,” someone said.
Simon wrapped an arm around Yasmin and pecked her cheek lovingly before saying, “It was a challenge, but Yasmin supported me through tough times. If she hadn’t kept me going, I would have given up and found some boring white-collar job to stick with until retirement.”
Yasmin stared at him indulgently and said softly, “Simon doesn’t give himself enough credit for his success. His art had an impact, and he wouldn’t have become famous if it weren’t for his raw talent.”
“Oh, what a lovely couple! You both complement each other so well!” someone praised.
“It’s clear that Simon made the right call when he divorced Olivia to be with Yasmin!”
Everyone at the table began to put me down once more. To them, I was nothing more than the bump in the road that Simon took to find Yasmin.
My mom was furious. Her eyes turned red as she leaned close to me and whispered, “I don’t know what they’re making a fuss about! All he did was sell a couple of paintings. So what if he and Yasmin are married?
“They should leave you out of it. I can’t believe that this bunch of sycophants are outright insulting you. I bet they’ll start licking your boots when they meet Aaron later!”
I couldn’t help smiling at the mention of my fiancé, Aaron Hartman.
Aaron Hartman is a CEO of a publicly traded company.
But they don’t know yet that I’m ready to remarry.
My relatives were so busy gushing over Simon that they had forgotten that my parents were the actual hosts of this gathering.
My parents and I stayed silent in our seats and waited for our moment. It wasn’t until the waiter walked up to me and told me that the dishes had been served that everyone else at the table remembered us.
Simon looked around the private club. The club was located in the city center. The hallways were decorated with a priceless, personal art collection, and the patrons were people of influence. Even the most understated crystal chandelier here came with a six-figure price tag.
He turned his gaze to me and sneered, “I take it that you’re the host of this family gathering, Olivia. I didn’t think you could afford even a slice of cake here with your measly paycheck. What, did you get a fat bribe at the hospital and are now trying to show off to the family?”
I rolled my eyes and ignored Simon. I took my card and footed the bill at the counter. On my way to the counter, I got a call from Aaron. He told me that he would be late and wanted me to play nice with my family until he arrived.
I smiled and talked to him for a while longer before returning to the lounge. However, I had only just reached the door of the lounge when Simon accosted me.
He eyed me contemptuously from head to toe before tossing a wad of cash at my feet. “It won’t do you any good to burden yourself for the sake of pride. Take the money and pay the bill. Think of it as a kind gesture from an old friend.”
I nudged the money toward him, “I don’t short of money.” I sneered and drawled, “these are not enough to pay…”
“Oh, cut the crap, will you? I know how much you make at the hospital. When we divorced, I told you to quit your job. It’s hard labor at a cheap cost. Is there any point to it?”
