Chapter 8
Liam Roland stared at me with a wild, obsessive intensity.
He repeated the same words over and over.
"It's impossible. You're lying to me."
"You just want revenge, don't you?"
"How could this beโฆ This absolutely cannot be trueโฆ"
My heart felt like it was being crushed.
That was the deepest scar in my soul.
He had pierced it with his own hands, leaving it bleeding and raw.
Back then, he was completely consumed by company matters, overwhelmed every single day.
I endured everything alone, not wanting to add to his burdens.
For two whole years, I believed the problem was with me.
I never imagined the real culprit was him.
Liam suddenly grabbed my wrist.
His grip was so tight it felt like he would crush the bone.
"Say it! Tell me you were lying just now!"
"If you refuse to believe, nothing I say will matter."
I forcefully shook off his hand.
"Just assume I was lying to you."
The press conference ended here.
Reporters gradually left, and the venue slowly emptied.
Liam remained standing in place, muttering to himself.
"Impossibleโฆ It must be fakeโฆ"
Isabella Roland and my father-in-law tried pulling him away, but he wouldn't budge.
Finally, my father-in-law had enough and slapped him across the face.
"Liam Roland! How dare you embarrass yourself here!"
"Get yourself home right now!"
Liam's scandal quickly topped the trending searches.
The entire internet was condemning his despicable actions.
Paparazzi camped day and night outside the Roland family home.
They captured the entire scene of Isabella being thrown out of the house.
Olivia followed behind her, crying hysterically.
The truth about the orphanage was completely exposed.
Olivia was never a child from Hope's Harbor Orphanage.
It was all a scheme fabricated by Liam and Isabella.
They staged this entire act to make me adopt Olivia.
In the end, they suffered the consequences of their own actions.
Liam stubbornly refused to divorce, pestering me relentlessly.
I had no choice but to file a lawsuit.
I brought solid evidence to court.
This was the last time I saw Liam.
After more than a month apart, he had become gaunt and emaciated.
He looked like a strong wind could blow him over.
He stood in the defendant's box, remaining silent throughout.
The court proceedings went surprisingly smoothly.
As the at-fault party, Liam ended up leaving with nothing.
Once the trial concluded, a fierce wind howled outside the window.
His voice was almost swallowed by the wind.
"This is a giftโฆ for our child."
He handed me a handmade stuffed toy bear.
It looked exactly like the one from all those years ago.
I stared coldly at the bear.
"The manufacturer went out of business long ago. You can't buy the original."
"So Iโฆ made one myself."
After a long silence, I spoke softly.
"That won't be necessary. You keep it."
Those were the last words I ever said to Liam.
Later, the Roland Group, unable to withstand public pressure, declared bankruptcy.
The Roland family moved from their luxury villa into an old, cramped apartment.
Neighbors often heard loud arguments coming from their home.
Sometimes it even escalated into physical fights.
But none of that had anything to do with me anymore.
My company grew larger and more successful.
My career was flourishing.
A brand new life was waving to me on the horizon.