Chapter 7

Everyone's face fell silent, their eyes wide with shock. Even Olivia looked stunned, her eyes darting between Lucas and Maddie. 'What baby are you talking about, Lucas?' Olivia asked, her voice laced with confusion.

Lucas's gaze never wavered from Olivia's face. 'Don't play dumb, Olivia,' he said, his voice cold. 'You know exactly what I'm talking about.'

Olivia’s brow furrowed. 'No, Lucas, I don't. What are you accusing me of?'

Maddie’s eyes were fixed on Lucas, her face pale. 'Lucas, what's going on? What baby are you talking about?' she asked, her voice shaking.

The reporters leaned in, their pens poised over their notebooks. 'This is getting good,' one of them whispered to another.

Lucas's eyes blazed with accusation as he confronted Olivia, his voice dripping with venom. "You terminated my pregnancy because you were fed up with our marriage, isn't that why you wanted a divorce?" he demanded, his voice cracking with fake emotion.

Olivia's face contorted in distress as she shook her head vigorously. "No, Lucas, that's not true! I didn't do what you're accusing me of. What evidence do you have?" she pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

With a triumphant smile, Lucas pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Doctor, please come now," he said before hanging up. Minutes later, a doctor appeared, holding a file and a recording device. The doctor's expression was somber as he nodded at Lucas.

The doctor played the recording, and Olivia's voice was heard, distraught and desperate, asking for help with a pregnancy termination. The crowd gasped in shock, their faces twisted in disgust. Lucas brandished the papers, his eyes flashing with vindication.

The onlookers erupted into a frenzy of condemnation. "What kind of person would do such a thing?" someone shouted. "Evil wife!" others chimed in. Some even started throwing eggs and stones at Olivia, while others kicked and beat her. The scene was chaotic, with people shouting and screaming.

As the chaos escalated, Olivia cried out, "I didn't do it! You have to believe me!" But her words fell on deaf ears.

Lucas watched, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, knowing his plan had worked perfectly. He had orchestrated the entire scene with the doctor, anticipating Olivia's request for a divorce. The voice recording was perfectly edited, and even the papers were forged.

The crowd continued to berate Olivia, their anger and hatred palpable. Some people even started calling for her to be arrested, claiming she was a danger to society.

Lucas stood back, watching with a smug expression, as Olivia was left to face the consequences of his manipulation.

Lucas's voice echoed through the now-silent street. "Enough's enough. Let her be, you've made your point. Let her leave with what's left of her dignity." The crowd hesitated, then dispersed, their anger dissipating as quickly as it had flared up.

The reporters packed up their equipment, their cameras and microphones silenced as they rushed to post the sensational story online.

As the last of the onlookers retreated into their homes, the doctor slipped away, unnoticed. Only Maddie and Lucas remained, their faces set in cruel smiles. Lucas's laughter was like a knife, cutting through the air, mocking Olivia's misery.

"Let's see how you plan to pick up the pieces of your shattered life," Lucas sneered, his eyes glinting with triumph. Olivia's eyes widened as the truth dawned on her – he had orchestrated the entire scene, manipulating her like a puppet on strings.

"You monster!" Olivia's voice was hoarse from shouting, her body trembling with rage and pain. "You stole my assets, blackmailed me with a fake video, and now this... the edited recording, the forged papers... you're a devil, Lucas!" She sobbed uncontrollably, her body wracked with pain from the beating.

Maddie's laughter was like a slap in the face, cold and merciless. "You should have thought of that before you decided to divorce him," she said, her voice dripping with malice. Lucas hissed, his eyes flashing with contempt, as they turned to leave Olivia lying in the dust.

"You've got nothing now, Olivia. No assets, no reputation... nothing," Lucas called out over his shoulder, his voice echoing through the empty street. The gate slammed shut behind them, leaving Olivia to face the ruins of her life.

Olivia's body felt heavy, weighed down by the physical and emotional toll of the ordeal. She knew she couldn't stay in New York City any longer; the streets that once held so much promise now seemed hostile and unforgiving.

Her thoughts turned to her bank account, where she had saved a huge fortune for emergencies. She would be able to collect the money and leave New York City. She had always been responsible with her finances, setting aside a safety net in case of unexpected events.

But now, she had no money for transportation to go to the bank to withdraw the cash. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks – she was stranded in the city with no way to access her own money. Despair crept in, and Olivia felt like she was running out of options.

Just as she felt like giving up, Maltilda emerged from the house, a look of urgency on her face. She thrust a purse and a nose mask into Olivia's hands. "Please, you have to leave," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Lucas is planning to call the police on you. Take this money and take care of yourself."

Maltilda handed Olivia the purse and quickly explained, "There's some cash in here, enough to get you started. I'm sorry it's not more." With that, she turned and ran back into the house, leaving Olivia stunned and grateful.

Olivia quickly put on the face mask and struggled to her feet. She couldn't thank Maltilda enough for her kindness. Olivia made her way to a nearby store, where she bought a change of clothes and quickly swapped out of her battered outfit.

Next, she found a sauna where she could clean up, paying for a bath and lockers to store her belongings. As she soaked in the warm water, Olivia felt some of her tension ease.

She knew she still had a long way to go, but for the first time in hours, she felt a glimmer of hope. When she finished, she collected her belongings and checked the purse for her change.

But her heart sank as she realized the purse was empty – her money was gone. "Where is my money?" she demanded, hot tears streaming down her face. She felt like she'd been punched in the gut all over again.