Chapter 3 The Broken Trophy

"What are you doing here?" Olivia asked, her voice turning cold.

"My caregiver went home on leave for a few days, so Theo had me stay here. He said you'd take care of me."

Those words hit harder than expected.

So this was the reason... Theo refused to divorce not out of anything meaningful, but so she could tend to Jennifer?

A quiet, hollow laugh left Olivia.

Then something caught her eye. In Jennifer's hands sat the one thing Olivia held closest. Her expression tightened at once, anger rising fast. "Who told you that you could touch that?"

"Oh?" Jennifer murmured, turning the trophy slowly in her hands. "It really is stunning." Her tone stayed soft, yet something darker crept beneath it. "This is the highest award an accordionist can receive, right?"

A faint pause followed. "Such a shame..."

Her gaze lowered, and the look in her eyes shifted.

Without thinking, Olivia stepped forward. "Jennifer, give it back!"

Her hand reached out, but Jennifer pulled the trophy closer to herself, refusing to let go.

"Olivia, you really haven't learned anything," Jennifer replied, her voice losing its softness as it sharpened. "You've stayed by Theo's side for years, yet he's never loved you. If you don't walk away soon, you'll end up just like this."

Her sentence hadn't even finished when Jennifer lifted the trophy overhead and hurled it down without hesitation.

A sharp crash split the room as the crystal burst apart, fragments scattering in every direction like shattered ice.

A tremor ran through Olivia, her body no longer steady.

That trophy... it wasn't just an object. For three long years, she had pushed herself without rest, practicing until her fingers ached just to earn a place at the International Accordion Championship. That trophy had marked the peak of everything she built, the one thing she placed above all else, kept carefully on display as if it held her entire journey.

Now, nothing remained but broken pieces across the floor.

The sight cut deeper than she expected, as if something inside her had been torn apart alongside it. Moisture filled her eyes, blurring everything. Without a word, she lowered herself to the floor, ignoring Jennifer completely. Her hands moved slowly, almost carefully, gathering the scattered shards as though putting them together might bring back what she had lost.

A smug curve lifted Jennifer's lips as she watched-but that expression faltered the moment she caught movement at the doorway.

Recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by something calculated. In an instant, she shifted, letting her body drop from the wheelchair as if she had lost all balance.

Right then, the door swung open. Stepping inside, Theo took in the scene at once.

Jennifer lay on the floor near Olivia, her legs cut by the shards of crystal beneath her, streaks of red standing out sharply.

What he saw made his expression harden in a heartbeat. "Olivia!" His voice broke through the room, sharp and furious. "What are you doing? What did Jennifer ever do for you to treat her like this?"

"I didn't do anything!" Olivia said, her voice breaking as she shook her head, tears clinging to her lashes. "She destroyed my trophy... and then she dropped herself on purpose!"

A harsh sound left Theo, his expression turning savage. "Your trophy?" he said, and before she could react, he shoved her aside and moved straight to Jennifer.

Carefully, he crouched beside her, his hands hovering near her injuries as if afraid to touch. "Does that thing matter more to you than her legs?"

From the floor, Olivia looked up at him. The man before her no longer felt like the one she married. His face twisted with fury, his eyes fixed on her with nothing but blame, as if she had become someone he couldn't stand.

Slowly, her gaze shifted. Jennifer leaned into Theo, her body trembling, yet the look she gave Olivia carried something entirely different.

That expression said everything. A bitter taste rose in Olivia's throat. She could no longer bear to watch this staged act.

"How moving," she said, a quiet laugh slipping through, though her voice trembled. "You really do look perfect together... like something out of a tragic romance." Her tone dropped, losing all warmth. "So tell me... has this been going on behind my back the whole time?"

The question hung heavy in the air. Theo's face darkened at her accusation.

Jennifer stiffened, the pain from her injuries still evident, yet those words struck deeper. Her breathing turned uneven as she clutched at Theo, pressing herself against him as if seeking protection. "T-Theo... How could she say something like that? We've never done anything wrong..."

At the sight of Jennifer in pain, something inside Theo snapped completely.

He turned sharply toward Olivia, anger spilling over as his hand lifted without restraint. "Say whatever you want about me, but don't drag her into your nonsense."

Instead of shrinking back, Olivia looked straight at them. Her chin rose, her gaze steady, filled with something darker than hurt.

That unyielding look made Theo hesitate. Mid-motion, his hand stopped. A breath left him, heavy and restrained, before he slowly lowered it.

When he spoke again, his tone had turned cold. "Olivia... what you did tonight won't go unanswered."

He didn't wait for anything more. Carefully, he lifted Jennifer into his arms, holding her as though she were something fragile, something irreplaceable, before walking out without a glance back.

Watching them leave, Olivia didn't move. A faint, empty smile touched her lips.

Silently, she lowered herself again and began picking up the broken pieces scattered across the floor, one by one. Each fragment went into a box, handled with care, as if there was still a chance to put everything back together, to restore what had once meant everything to her.

Once it was done, she stood. Without hesitation, she packed what she needed, held the box close, and walked out of the house she once called home.

Morning came soon after. Reaching for his suit as part of his usual routine, Theo stopped when he found the rack empty.

A crease formed between his brows. "Where's Olivia?"

He was used to everything being prepared for him.

Rushing forward, a maid spoke quickly, her voice tense. "Mr. Harvey... Mrs. Harvey gathered her things and left yesterday."

"Who said she could leave?" Theo asked, his voice turning cold.

Without waiting, he pulled out his phone and called Olivia. The moment the line connected, his tone sharpened. "Stop this nonsense. Come back immediately."

A light laugh came from the other end, but it held no warmth. "We'll live separately from now on," Olivia said. "Since you refuse to sign the papers, I'll handle the divorce myself. I don't need your approval."

Before he could respond, the call ended.

For a second, he stood there, staring at the screen. When he called again, the call didn't go through. She had blocked him.

"Good," he muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. "Olivia... if you walk away, then don't bother coming back."

Irritation lingered as he grabbed the same suit from the day before, barely caring about the creases. He threw it on without a second thought and headed out, the door slamming behind him with enough force to shake the room.