The Billionaire's Charade

"Abigail, are you pregnant?" Olivia Brown raised an eyebrow as she looked at the two people in front of her. The man was Steven Walker, her husband of three years. Beside him stood Abigail Taylor, pale-faced and clinging to Steven's arm, her slightly swollen belly betraying her pregnancy. "Olivia, I'm sorry. I know you're angry, but our child is innocent," Abigail said, her eyes red and brimming with tears. "Can you please allow me to have this child? Please," she pleaded. Olivia's expression remained unchanged. She had seen this act too many times before; it was all too familiar. Ironically, back when they were friends, Olivia had never seen through Abigail's hypocrisy. Concerned about Abigail's disadvantaged background, Olivia had even entrusted her to Steven's care during a summer camp. That summer, Steven "looked after" Abigail for the entire duration of the camp. But when the camp ended, Steven, who had sworn eternal love to Olivia, suddenly declared his true love was Abigail! Olivia couldn't comprehend the dual betrayal of her boyfriend and her friend. To make matters worse, she discovered she wasn't the Brown family's biological daughter. She was merely an imposter, a thief of another girl's happiness. Devastated, Olivia attempted suicide. In the hospital, no one paid her any mind. She was alone, while Steven was busy with Abigail, and the Browns were preoccupied with their newly returned biological daughter, Mia Brown. Only the Walkers, who had treated Olivia like a family for several years, visited her in the hospital. Nicholas Walker, Steven's grandfather, even threatened Steven with the family's shares, forcing him to marry Olivia to provide her a safe haven. Since then, Steven had been harboring resentment toward her. Olivia still remembered his brutal words on their wedding night three years prior. "Olivia, I have no feelings for you. My heart belongs to Abigail, and her only. If it weren't for Grandfather's coercion, I would never have married you. Therefore, the only thing I can offer you is this marriage, the title of Mrs. Walker. If you can't bear the loneliness, feel free to find a lover—I won't interfere. Of course, you must also stay out of my relationship with Abigail." And then, two months after their marriage, Steven left with Abigail to study at the University of St Andrews, vanishing for three years without a trace. It wasn't until today, when Nicholas demanded Steven choose between the family fortune and Abigail, that he reluctantly returned to the country. Olivia looked at Abigail, whose face was a picture of grievance, and felt a rare sense of calm. Had it not been for Nicholas summoning her to pick up Steven, she wouldn't have wanted to lay eyes on this despicable pair ever again. Olivia still smiled pleasantly. "Come to think of it, I haven't had the chance to congratulate you two on your impending parenthood." Abigail's face paled further, as if Olivia had committed some unforgivable sin by merely offering her congratulations. Steven immediately darkened his expression and shot Olivia a fierce glare. "Abigail, there's no need to apologize. This is our child—why should we seek her permission?" Olivia chuckled. "Don't worry, Abigail. Of course, you can deliver the baby. However, once it arrives, if you don't want it to be a bastard, it had better call me 'Mom,' don't you think, my dear?" "Olivia, what are you ranting about?!" Steven bellowed in uncontrollable fury. Olivia waved a hand dismissively, her smile widening. "Come on, it's just a joke. Grandfather sent me here to bring you back to his place. Are you joining me, or are you planning to elope with Abigail?" Steven fell silent for a few seconds before loading their suitcases into the trunk of Olivia's car. "Take us to the Relance Hotel first," he said. Olivia complied, driving the couple to the hotel entrance without a word. It took Steven a full half-hour to settle Abigail comfortably. When he returned to the car, he remained in the backseat, as if he was determined to keep his distance. Olivia glanced at him in the rearview mirror but said nothing, simply pressing the accelerator. There was little she could say to a husband who was never around. The two rode in silence. Ding! The sound of incoming messages rang out one after another. Olivia didn't unlock her phone, but it continued to ring insistently until it finally fell silent after seven or eight attempts. Was there an emergency at the office? During the wait at the traffic light, Olivia quickly glanced at it. There were texts from "Pretty Boy" flashed on her screen. Pretty Boy: What's the five million and the villa you gave me? A breakup fee? Pretty Boy: Was what you said last night true? Are you really breaking up with me? Is your husband back? Pretty Boy: You'd better not regret this. "Pretty Boy" was the male model she had kept for three years. Since her husband could frolic abroad with his mistress, she wouldn't waste her prime in a marriage in name only, left to loneliness. Not to mention when Steven had left the country, he mentioned nothing about when he'd return. It was a pity that with Steven's reappearance today, she had to hastily break up with Pretty Boy last night, even after a passionate bout of lovemaking. "Who's been messaging you nonstop?" Olivia almost jumped at Steven's sudden voice and quickly dimmed her phone. "It's just work," Olivia said, changing the subject. "By the way, if you adore Abigail so much, why let a pregnant woman stay alone in a hotel? You should at least gift her a few villas and hire a couple of maternity nurses." Steven's voice was icy, laced with suppressed anger. "Olivia, are you deliberately trying to provoke me?" Olivia laughed. "I'm sorry, truly, I forgot you don't own a single property." Olivia's name was on no fewer than a hundred properties, including over a dozen villas and countless commercial shops. The Walkers, from the moment Olivia was born, had regarded her as the future daughter-in-law, so all the properties they'd bought for Steven were registered under Olivia's name. Steven, as the Walkers' only son, had nothing but shares in Walker Group. Since their meeting at the airport, Steven had been observing Olivia. She seemed different from three years ago. Once the picture of innocence, she now wore sophisticated makeup, her hair styled in loose waves, dressed head-to-toe in designer labels—a picture of maturity. Growing up with Olivia, Steven knew all too well how vindictive she could be. He assumed Olivia, enraged by Abigail's pregnancy today, had taken to taunting him under the guise of jokes. But her tactics were as transparent as ever; she tried to threaten him with the Walkers' fortune. Steven's gaze toward Olivia deepened with disgust. "Olivia, leave Abigail alone. And don't even dream of me coming back to you. The properties my family gave you are my compensation. But if you're greedy for more, I'll take even the title of Mrs. Walker away from you." The title of Mrs. Walker? How worthless. Olivia smiled. Where the hell did he get the idea that she needed him? Guess it was time to end this loveless marriage. "Steven, let's divorce."