Chapter 4

The film festival was held at the Starlight Grand Theater in the city center.

When I arrived, the red carpet was already nearing its end, the perimeter packed with frenzied fans and media outlets of all kinds. Security was extremely tight; the red carpet stretched from the plaza all the way into the theater's main hall, flanked by flashing lights and fan signs.

On the most prominent massive LED fan truck, Genevieve's stunning posters scrolled continuously, with the caption:

[Exclusively sponsored by Mr. Ethan.]

Genevieve was standing in the interview area at the end of the red carpet, her voice sickeningly sweet.

“This necklace holds profound meaning for me. I want to thank all my fans for their support, and especially this most important person beside me. Without his unwavering support, I might not be standing here today.”

As she spoke, her eyes, brimming with affection, gazed at Ethan.

Ethan thoughtfully adjusted the hem of her gown.

The live comments on the big screen scrolled wildly.

[Ahhh, Gen is so beautiful! That pink diamond is absolutely breathtaking!]

[Who's the handsome guy next to her? Giving off rich CEO vibes, totally shippable!]

[Their eyes were practically glued together, just get married already!]

I stood outside the barricade, watching Ethan shield her from the blinding camera flashes. That motion was so practiced, it was as if they were the loving couple.

Clutching the payment slip and the critical condition notice, I took a deep breath, then pushed past the security guard and walked, step by determined step, toward the interview area.

The security guard gasped in alarm: “Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't come in here!”

I ignored him, rushing forward like a madwoman.

Genevieve saw me first, her perfect smile freezing for an instant, but quickly returning to her innocent, vulnerable facade.

“Olivia? Why are you here looking like that?”

Ethan turned, saw my disheveled state, with my mother-in-law's blood still on my clothes, and his brows furrowed tightly. He lowered his voice, furious: “What are you doing, making a scene here? Aren't you ashamed? Did you take care of things at the hospital?”

I raised my hand and slapped the critical condition notice hard against his chest.

“Your mother is charred and lying in the ICU, with a $420,000 deficit waiting to be filled, and you're asking me if I took care of things?!”

Nearby journalists, always alert, quickly caught the words “intensive care unit” and pointed their cameras at us.

Ethan's face instantly changed. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it almost crushed my bones.

“Shut up! Don't cause trouble here, come outside with me!”

I struggled with all my might to shake off his hand, pointing at the pink diamond necklace on Genevieve's neck, my voice sharp with anguish.

“I'm causing trouble? Ethan, that $500,000 in our matured savings was waiting to save your mother's life. Why didn't the hospital receive a single penny?!”

Genevieve's eyes immediately reddened, and tears streamed down her face.

“Olivia, don't misunderstand Ethan. That money was just temporarily lent to me for the necklace's deposit. Tonight's red carpet is too important to me. If I didn't have this necklace, the brand would blacklist me. I can write you an IOU. I'll pay you back as soon as I get my payment.”

“Pay back?”

I looked at her performative display, laughing bitterly in my fury.

“My mother-in-law is hanging on by a thread, kept alive by a ventilator and a dialysis machine. Are you gambling her life for your career?!”

Genevieve bit her lip, swaying as if about to collapse, as if she were the one suffering some immense injustice: “I couldn't help it! This is my only chance to make it big. If I mess up today, all my years of effort will be wasted.”

Ethan immediately shielded her behind him, looking at me like an enemy, his voice incredibly cold.

“Enough! Olivia! Genevieve is going through enough already, do you have to destroy her at the most important moment of her life?”

I looked at this man I had shared a bed with for five years, and felt like my chest had been hollowed out, cold wind whistling through it.

“*She's* going through enough? So your mother should just be burned alive and left to die?!”

Genevieve suddenly poked her head out from behind Ethan, her eyes red-rimmed, but her words were like poisoned daggers, stabbing straight into my heart.

“Olivia, I know you're always jealous of how well Ethan treats me. But Eleanor is Ethan's biological mother, and even Ethan can weigh the pros and cons and agree to postpone treatment. You're not her biological daughter, so why are you pretending to care more than her own son? Are you trying to use this as an excuse to get a share of the family assets?”