Chapter 1 Why Should I Trust You?

They were outside the operating room.

"It wasn't me, Trevor. It wasn't me! I didn't push Janice. It was Galina! She—" Olive Swanson gazed up at Trevor Horton, her face covered in blood. Her voice trembled violently as she looked into his icy eyes.

Before she could finish, Trevor grabbed her by her neck. Rage burned in his eyes as he snarled, "Galina pushed my mother? And then threw herself to her death just to frame you?"

Trevor's grip tightened. Olive tried to pry his hand away, but it was useless. Her face was flushed red from the lack of air, yet she laughed.

"What does it matter to me if she lives or dies? She was the one who pushed Janice. If Galina did fall to her death, then that's what she deserves!"

"Then, if I strangle you right now, is that your karma too?" Trevor asked coldly.

"Trevor, why won't you believe me?" Olive screamed.

Hearing that, Trevor's expression darkened even more. His whole presence turned menacing.

"Olive, why should I trust you?"

"Why should I trust you?"

Just a few short words, but they were enough to crush her like a death sentence.

She had loved Trevor for ten years, and he had been the one who said he wanted to marry her.

But why had he fallen for someone else after only three years?

And why did that someone have to be Galina Gagh? Why did it have to be that bastard daughter?

Olive bit her lip. It was getting harder to breathe.

Just when she thought Trevor was going to kill her, the operating room door swung open. Trevor finally let go and tossed her aside.

As her head hit the wall, blood streaked across her forehead.

When she managed to struggle to her feet, she heard the doctor say to everyone in a somber tone, "I'm sorry. Mrs. Horton suffered a severe brain hemorrhage when she fell from that great height and hit her head. She has passed away.

"As for Ms. Gagh, her surgery was successful, but she's not out of danger yet."

Hearing those words, Olive felt as if her whole world had collapsed, and all hope slipped away.

Then, the doctor handed Trevor a photo found clenched tightly in Janice Zanderbilt's hand.

"Mrs. Horton had this in her grip when she died."

Trevor took the crumpled photo and unfolded it.

Fury flashed in his eyes when he recognized the two people in the picture. He suddenly turned to Olive and growled, "Olive, you really are shameless!"

Olive's face turned deathly pale. Trevor tossed the crumpled photo, and it landed at her feet.

When she looked down at it, she froze in an instant. A chill swept over her, and she trembled.

It was her and Trevor's older brother, Luca Horton, in the photo!

But when was this photo even taken? Olive had absolutely no idea.

She had no clue at all!

Before she could react, Trevor grabbed her by the neck again. He let out a quiet, cold laugh. Then he asked, "So, is this why you killed my mother, Olive?"

"No! I didn't! I didn't push Janice. I don't even know where that photo came from. I don't—" Olive shouted. "You know I've only ever loved you!"

"Love?" Trevor sneered, eyes full of disgust. "You loved me so much that when my life was still hanging by a thread, you got together with Luca?"

"I didn't!" Olive's face turned even paler. But she held back her tears, refusing to show any weakness. "Did you forget I was the one who saved you three years ago? In that cabin in the mountain village, we—"

Chapter 2 A Life for a Life

Trevor suddenly laughed coldly.

"Looks like you got quite a lot out of Galina, didn't you? But after telling so many lies, have you started believing them yourself?"

"I'm not lying! It's Galina who lied! How could she be the one who saved you?" Olive looked up stubbornly and said, "Trevor, the person who rescued you was me—"

"You're still remorseless!" Before she could finish, Trevor cut her off in an icy tone. His eyes flared with anger. "Olive, someone as evil as you deserves the harshest punishment in life and death!"

Olive looked up at the man she had loved and protected with her life for ten years. Then she suddenly laughed, and an ironic smile played on her lips.

Before she could react, pain ripped through her scalp. Trevor had yanked her by the hair and dragged her to the doors of the operating room. Then he kicked her hard, forcing her to her knees.

Her knees felt like they had been shattered by the impact, but she stubbornly refused to make a sound.

Trevor stood in front of her, his presence as heavy as a death sentence.

"Olive, you'll pay a thousand times over for what you did to my mother and Galina!"

Olive remained on her knees, suddenly overcome by a chill so cold that it seemed to seep into her very soul.

"I want you to spend the rest of your life in a living hell!" Trevor roared.

Then Trevor had someone bring over divorce papers. He threw them on the floor and told Olive to sign them.

"You want a divorce?" All color drained from Olive's face.

She had to be the only bride to ever be divorced on her wedding day.

"Sign them!" Trevor said coldly.

Still on her knees, Olive looked up at him. There was a stubborn edge in her voice when she asked, "Trevor, have you ever loved me in these ten years?"

Trevor's sneer deepened at her question.

"Never!"

That was when Olive realized the cruelest weapon in the world could just be one cold, simple word.

She spent ten years loving him and guarding him with her life, but all she got in return was that he had never loved her.

Still kneeling, Olive grabbed the pen and signed the divorce papers.

Then suddenly, she threw her head back and laughed. The sound of it was jarring in the empty space outside the operating room. Somehow, she sounded brazen and proud.

"Trevor, I loved you for ten years, but now I finally see it. My life during that time was a joke! From now on, we have nothing to do with each other!"

Trevor sneered but said nothing. He made a phone call instead.

Before long, the police arrived and asked, "Who's Olive Swanson?"

Kneeling, Olive looked up as the police approached and snapped handcuffs on her wrists. Behind them stood a group of reporters who kept taking photos.

Such a commotion naturally alarmed everyone in the hospital.

"Rumor is the eldest daughter of the Swanson family killed her mother-in-law and Mr. Horton's lover!"

"It's not a rumor. It pretty much did happen! Mrs. Horton's body is still in the operating room."

"She's such a heartless, wicked woman!"

Olive stayed silent despite the insults. She looked up at Trevor and asked quietly, "Do you hate me this much?"

Trevor merely smiled.

"A life for a life. It's only right."

"I didn't! I didn't kill anyone!" Olive screamed and struggled, but she couldn't break free from the police's grip.

Trevor looked at her, still tightly held by the police. He said, "Olive, you'll never be able to atone for the sins you've committed in this lifetime!"

At his words, she suddenly threw her head back and laughed loudly again. She shouted angrily at Trevor, "I didn't kill anyone, so why should I atone? The one who deserves to pay for it and rot in hell is Galina!"

Trevor raised his hand and slapped Olive hard. He yelled, "Olive, I hope you die!"

"Even if I die, I'll drag Galina down with me!" Olive burst into loud laughter. "Trevor, I hoped you would never find out the truth. But if you ever do, you'll realize it was you who wronged me and betrayed me. You betrayed my—"

The police held Olive down and gave Trevor a small nod. As they dragged her away, camera flashes exploded all around, capturing her at her lowest.

Trevor stood still in place. He wanted to say something, but when he met Olive's bloodshot gaze, he fell silent.

Yet, she smiled. Her smile was beautiful, and she said quietly, "Trevor, the thing I regret the most in my life is loving you. But if I could start all over again, I would never want to see you again!"

She had loved him blindly for ten years, only to realize it had all been one-sided. As he never gave her even a shred of trust, he hadn't even bothered to look into the truth before condemning her.

Everything she did for him over the years had meant nothing to anyone but her.

Trevor owed her far too much in this lifetime!

That final, bloodstained smile from Olive was breathtaking. It was as if all her youth and grace had burned away in that moment, etched into everyone's memory.

The crowd thinned, and a gust of cold wind blew. Trevor walked to the window and watched Olive being shoved into the police car. His eyes darkened, carrying a complicated mix of emotions.

He told himself that this was her punishment and what she deserved.

But when he had heard her last words, he suddenly felt as if something had vanished.

It felt like something that would never return.

Chapter 3 Nothing's the Same After Five Years

Five years had passed.

The gates of Torsville Prison slowly opened. A thin, skeletal woman slowly stepped out. Olive's dull black hair barely reached her ears. If anyone looked closely, they could see a long, ugly scar across her pale forehead.

The sunlight touched her face for the first time in years, and she felt rather uncomfortable.

She raised a hand to shield her eyes.

She was no longer the Olive she used to be. This kind of sunlight was too bright for her now.

"Ms. Swanson, congratulations on your release. Take this as a lesson and start over," Ceri Green said softly as she stepped forward. Then, she handed Olive her belongings along with a hundred dollars in cash.

"Thank you, Officer Green!" Olive took the things with a small smile and left.

Ceri watched the woman walk away and couldn't help but sigh. Olive had spent five years in prison, and she was no longer the queen of Torsville's high society.

Olive's hands were ruined, and so were her feet.

They said she used to play the piano beautifully and dance just as well. But unfortunately, she would probably never play or dance again.

After five years of knowing Olive, Ceri felt that the woman wasn't as vile as the newspapers made her out to be.

What exactly had happened during that time?

Ceri was very puzzled.

…

Olive used the money Ceri gave her to ride the four-hour bus to White Ridge, a town in Torsville.

She found Annie Plinkton's childhood home. The woman next door gave her a bundle of things, along with a little girl who was around four years old.

The child was adorable, with a round, pretty face. Her dark eyes looked a little like Olive's.

After thanking the woman, Olive took the little girl back to the city and went straight to the cemetery.

When Olive saw her grandfather's photo on the tombstone, she struggled to her knees. Tears immediately poured down her face.

"Grandpa, I'm such a disgrace!"

Liam Swanson, her grandfather, died of a heart attack when he found out she had been sentenced to five years in prison. She never got to see him one last time, and that became the greatest regret of her life.

As for her father, he kicked her out of the Swanson family and stripped her of her inheritance.

After she placed some flowers by the tombstone, Olive dug a small hole next to Liam's grave. She buried the bundle of things from earlier, then smoothed the ground back over.

She had planned to visit Janice's grave after saying goodbye to Liam's, but couldn't find it. Olive supposed Janice had been buried in the Hortons' family plot.

"Mommy, where are we going?" the little girl holding Olive's hand asked shyly.

Olive paused for a second, then smiled and replied, "Lana, I'm taking you somewhere with no sadness, okay?"

"Lana? Is that my name?" The little girl giggled and said, "Mrs. Waltz always called me Silly Girl!"

Olive didn't know what to say. Still, it wasn't something within her control back then.

"No. From now on, your name is Lana. Solana Swanson!"

Olive hoped Solana would live up to her name, a life filled with sunshine, never clouded by sorrow.

"Yay! I have a real name now! Mrs. Waltz didn't lie. She said my mommy would give me a pretty name!" Solana beamed.

Olive looked at Solana's innocent grin and found herself smiling as well.

At that moment, all she wanted was to leave this place with Solana. She wanted to leave Torsville behind and maybe forget everything that happened.

But Olive had no money. When she was arrested, all she had on her was the ring on her finger and her ID.

The ring was the wedding ring she wore when she married Trevor.

Olive stared at the large diamond in her palm, but her eyes remained calm and empty.

Chapter 4 They Are Worlds Apart

"Lana, let's go."

Olive left the cemetery with Solana and went to the city center. She found a store that bought second-hand diamond rings and sold hers, surprised by how much it was worth.

It could sell for 40 thousand dollars!

"Miss, this diamond's color and cut are both top quality. Are you sure you want to sell it?" the shop assistant asked.

Olive frowned a little at the question but smiled lightly and said, "Yes. Please go ahead."

She had already lost all hope and love, so what was the point of holding onto something so cold? After selling the ring, there was truly nothing left between her and Trevor.

With the money, Olive bought some clothes for herself and Solana. Then she took her child's hand and walked out of the mall.

Just then, a Rolls-Royce Phantom drove past. The driver slammed on the brakes when someone suddenly stepped onto the road.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Horton! Some people rushed out, and I didn't see them," the driver apologized.

The man in the backseat looked up from his laptop, his sharp eyes cold. The driver shrank back, unsure of what to say.

Just as Trevor was about to speak, he thought he saw a familiar figure. When he put down the laptop to look again, the person was already gone.

"Drive!" he ordered.

The driver obeyed at once and started driving, not daring to waste even a second.

But Trevor couldn't calm down in the back seat as a strange frustration stirred in his chest.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting shadows across his chiseled features. His eyes were as dark as ink.

It has already been five years. So, why did Olive still haunt him after all this time?

He rested his head on one hand, lost in thought. Suddenly, his phone rang and pulled him back to reality.

He glanced at the caller ID, and the tight line of his lips softened into a small smile.

"Galina, what is it?" he answered the call and asked gently.

"Trevor, my legs are much better now. I'll be able to come back next month and even hold my own cello concert!" Galina said.

"Okay, good," Trevor said mildly. "I was supposed to stay with you, but something suddenly came up at Horton Group."

"It's fine. I understand." Galina's voice on the other end was soft. "Trevor, I'm doing much better now, so you don't have to worry. Just don't forget to pick me up, alright?"

"Yeah." Trevor gave another mild response, then hung up. He leaned back in his seat, resting his head, and let his eyes fall shut.

Yet lately, whenever he did, he saw Olive. She was always covered in blood, crying as she swore she hadn't hurt Janice or Galina.

He had to be losing it. He was completely out of his mind!

…

Olive brought Solana to Stratusville, a beautiful city by the sea.

She rented a small place near the seaside. It was only a little under 600 square feet, but it was enough for her and Solana. There was a kindergarten nearby too, perfect for Solana to start school.

Even though she had 40 thousand dollars in her account from selling the ring, it wouldn't last. She would have to find a job.

But as she had been in prison and had a record, every job hunt ended in rejection. She was already at her wits' end when the kindergarten called.

Solana had fainted.

Chapter 5 Olive's Fall From Grace

Olive rushed to the hospital, and the doctor told her Solana's condition didn't look good.

On the third day, the results came out. Solana had a serious congenital heart disease and needed to stay in the hospital long-term for treatment.

She needed a heart transplant as soon as possible. Otherwise, the older Solana got, the more her life would be at risk.

The 40 thousand dollars Olive had wasn't nearly enough to cover Solana's treatment.

…

In the children's ward, Solana looked at Olive and asked softly, "Mommy, am I sick?"

Olive looked at Solana's innocent smile and returned it. "You're fine. You'll be better soon, and we can go home in a couple of days!"

"Really?" Solana looked at Olive with bright, curious eyes.

"Yeah!" Olive pulled Solana into her arms, a faint, bitter smile appearing on her lips.

The child in her arms was all she had left, and Olive couldn't lose her.

She couldn't allow anything to happen to Solana. She just couldn't.

The next day, Olive went to look for Sylvie Zedd, who lived downstairs and worked at Reign selling drinks. Olive asked the latter to introduce her to be a singer at Reign.

It was Stratusville's biggest and most lavish nightclub. Here, people drowned in pleasure, and fortunes vanished overnight.

Olive sang three sets a night here, and the pay was great. It gave her more time to spend with Solana. Most importantly, no one here cared about her past—not even the boss, Louis Dickmite.

At Reign, Olive had a new name.

It was Snowdrop.

As one of the first flowers of spring, it stood for new beginnings, rebirth, and the quiet strength to rise again.

It was her hope for a kinder, brighter future.

"Snowdrop, Mr. Dickmite wants you to sing another set tonight!" Sylvie rushed in. She hadn't expected Olive to be so popular.

"I can't tonight. It's late, and I need to go take care of my daughter. She's waiting for me," Olive said while taking off her makeup, but Sylvie stopped her.

"Snowdrop, sometimes you have to go along with how things are when you're relying on others. Remember, you need this job to support your daughter," Sylvie said.

Olive went pale the moment she heard that, because what Sylvie said was true. Olive was no longer the heiress of the Swansons.

She had long since fallen from grace, and now, she lived only for Solana.

"Okay, I understand," Olive replied.

In the end, she had no choice but to go back on stage and sing another song.

While Olive was singing on stage, a man sat in the corner watching her. His eyes held a scornful amusement.

He hadn't expected to run into her on this business trip.

What shocked him most was how far Olive had fallen. She used to be the proud, high and mighty Swanson heiress, queen of Torsville's high society.

Who knew how Trevor would react if he found out?

With that thought, the man pulled out his phone with a chuckle. He took a photo of Olive standing center stage and sent it to Trevor on WhatsApp.

…

Back in Torsville, Trevor was in the study in his mansion. He was going through some documents when his phone suddenly buzzed. Frowning slightly, he checked the name on the WhatsApp notification.

It was from Connor Zanderbilt.

He opened the chat and saw the photo Connor had sent along with a message that said, "She used to be such a sight to behold. Look at her now—ruined and pitiful. Are you happy now, Mr. Horton?"

When Trevor saw the image of Olive, his eyes turned sharp and cold. His fingers tightened around the phone until his knuckles turned white.