The Doctor's Genius Ex-wife

Chapter 5

Tears streamed down Ivy's face, but she made no effort to wipe them away. Her heart was shattered, her grip on her bag tight as if it were her only anchor in a world where she no longer felt she belonged. A thief. That’s what they called her, and it stung because she couldn't even recall stepping into the manager's office, let alone stealing anything.

She steadied herself, pushing her emotions aside, and rose from where she’d crouched. She was determined to leave before anyone else could humiliate her further. But as she neared the road to hail a cab, a familiar voice called her name.

"Ms. Ivy! Ms. Ivy!" It was her male colleague, his footsteps quick as he ran after her. She didn’t turn around. What was the point? She was too ashamed, too broken. People will always judge you without knowing the truth, she thought. She didn’t want to see the pity—or worse, judgment—in his eyes.

"I'm talking to you." He said, now breathless beside her. "I know you didn’t do it. Come with me, I’m sure there’s a way out of this."

He reached out as if to guide her back, but she pulled away. Her tear-filled eyes met his, raw with pain.

"Why are you so sure I didn’t do it? The manager said this has never happened before—not until today." Her voice wavered, every word drenched in sorrow.

"Listen, that doesn’t matter. We can sort this out." He urged, his tone gentle but insistent. "Come with me. I’ll speak to the manager on your behalf."

She hesitated, staring at him. Could he really help? He was one of the senior employees, well-respected, but she wasn’t sure if even that could change what had just happened. Still, his belief in her stirred something in her—an ember of hope in the midst of her despair.

"I'm sorry, but I will take my leave." Ivy said, yanking her hands away from him. "I’d rather not get security involved. I’m glad he didn’t call the cops—I don’t want to go back." With that, she turned toward the road, determined to leave the entire situation behind her.

What good would it do to return? If he changed his mind, she might find herself facing the police again, and she certainly didn’t want to revisit that nightmare.

"If you leave, it’ll give everyone the impression that you did it!" He called after her, desperation creeping into his voice. "Let’s go back and settle this. There’s no way you did it; someone must be behind this!"

But Ivy didn’t stop. Unbeknownst to her, Xavier was in his car, watching the entire exchange unfold. As Ivy halted a cab, he instructed his assistant to follow her at a distance.

Fifteen minutes later, Ivy's cab came to a stop in front of a house. Xavier’s assistant parked a bit further away, keeping an eye on her as she stepped out and walked inside, closing the door behind her.

"Is that where she lives?" Xavier inquired, his interest piqued as he observed the house. "That’s not the place I followed her to earlier today. I think she’s here to see someone."

"Find out what happened at the bar." Xavier commanded, a sense of urgency in his tone. "She was accused wrongly. Someone must have framed her." His assistant nodded, ready to uncover the truth behind Ivy’s unexpected troubles.

As soon as Ivy walked into the house, the warm, sweet scent of cakes wafted from the kitchen, wrapping around her like a comforting embrace. Mrs. Emma, the kind-hearted owner of the bakery, often turned to baking when she felt bored or needed to lift her spirits.

Ivy walked to the kitchen and stood in the doorway. "Hello, Mrs. Emma." She called, her voice trembling as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

Emma turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. Without hesitation, she hurried over and enveloped Ivy in a warm hug.

"Why are you crying? You’ve been released! Why are you still hurt about the past?" Emma gently patted Ivy's hair, trying to comfort her.

Ivy couldn't bring herself to tell Emma that she had been out looking for a job to support herself and her baby. She had promised to take care of her daughter once she was free, and now she felt the weight of that promise pressing down on her.

"I'm sorry!" Ivy blurted out, unsure of why she was apologizing. Emma led her into the cozy living room and sat her down on the couch.

"I've been waiting for you." Emma said, her voice softening. "I got bored, so I decided to make cakes. I’ll serve you dinner; you must be exhausted."

Before Emma could leave the room, Ivy reached out and held her hands, stopping her. Emma looked at her, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"How's my daughter?" Ivy asked, her heart racing as she waited for the answer.

Emma smiled, her expression shifting to one of warmth. "She’s asleep. She wanted to wait up for you, but I insisted she go to bed."

Ivy let out a relieved sigh, She felt a wave of gratitude wash over her, knowing Emma had taken such good care of her child.

For the past four years, Emma had always made sure to visit Ivy, bringing her daughter along each time. She took great care to introduce Ivy as her biological mother while calling herself the grandma, forging a bond that would remain strong despite the years apart.

Ivy didn't want her daughter to grow up believing that Emma was her mother, especially when she feared her days were numbered. Emma had always taken care of her, and Ivy felt a deep sense of gratitude for the love and support she provided. It was important to her that Emilia knew who her real mother was, and that bond had to be nurtured.

"But why are you just getting here?" Emma asked, concern etched across her face. "I thought you were supposed to be released earlier this morning. What happened?"

"I went hunting for jobs. I wanted to get something to do." Ivy replied, carefully skipping over the part about getting a job only to be framed.

"You shouldn't have! You just got released! Besides, why hunt for a job when I have a bakery?" Emma insisted, hoping to keep Ivy close until she was ready to face the world again.

Ivy smiled, feeling a mix of appreciation and guilt. She didn’t want to be a burden anymore. Emma had done enough for her, and she was grateful for every moment.

"I’ll quickly get you something to eat. We can discuss that later." Emma said, standing up and heading out of the room.

The house was cozy, a two-bedroom flat with a simple parlor and kitchen, and Ivy familiarized herself with each corner as she wandered around.

When she approached a door, she assumed it led to the bedroom. With a gentle push, she stepped inside and found her daughter, Emilia, sleeping peacefully on the bed.

A smile spread across Ivy's face; she couldn't hide her happiness at seeing her child. Just as she was about to step closer, Emma walked in.

"She’s grown into a cute, lovely girl." Emma mused, her thoughts drifting back to the day she had first brought Emilia home.

"I’m so happy I can be with her again after all these years. Thank you, Mrs. Emma. I wouldn’t have been able to raise her without you." Ivy said, her voice filled with emotion.

"It’s okay. Now let’s head back to the living room before your food gets cold." Emma replied, gently ushering Ivy out of the bedroom.

As they settled into the living room, Emma shared, "There’s an art exhibition anniversary party coming up in two days. I want you to attend; it will be a great opportunity for you to put yourself out there."

"What do you mean? An art exhibition anniversary? I saw the news, but how do I even get there?" Ivy asked, curiosity and apprehension mingling in her voice as they sat down together.

"That shouldn’t be a problem. First, let’s get you a dress for the event. Eat up; tomorrow might be hectic." Emma encouraged, opening the meal she had prepared for Ivy.

Ivy nodded and began to dig into her food, feeling a sense of warmth and hope for the future as she sat across from Emma, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.