Chapter 500
“We’ll take Naomi back to her room,” Hillary said gently. “She’s been worrying about Olivia so much, I’m afraid she might collapse if this continues.”
Tyler gave a noncommittal hum in response. He seemed indifferent, his gaze distant.
“Come on,” Hillary urged.
Naomi said nothing. Quiet and withdrawn, she let her parents guide her out of the corridor.
Tyler watched them go with an unreadable expression, his gaze cool and unmoved.
Back in Naomi’s ward, Hillary turned to Darren and said softly, “Give us a moment. I need to speak with Naomi alone.”
Darren didn’t question her. His mind was elsewhere, overwhelmed with concern for Olivia. Even as he stepped outside, the worry etched on his face said everything.
Once he was gone, Naomi glanced at her mother and spoke, her voice low. “Mom, could you stop being so hard on him? Olivia’s still his daughter. He’s allowed to care.”
“Care?” Hillary scoffed. “He only has Olivia because he couldn’t control himself back then.”
Naomi sighed. This was one argument she knew would never have a solution. Her parents had always carried this deep, unspoken rift, and Olivia’s situation only brought it to the surface again.
Hillary sat beside Naomi and took her hand. “Listen to me. It doesn’t matter what happens to Olivia now. Even if she’s lost her mind—as long as her baby is safe, you’ll be fine.”
Naomi couldn’t help but find that statement painfully naive. If only things were really that simple.
“She’s no threat to you now, Naomi,” Hillary added. “She’s not in her right mind. That means she can’t fight back.”
Naomi stared at her mother in disbelief. “And how do you expect her to divorce Tyler if she’s not mentally competent? It won’t happen, Mom. The only way would be through a court case. And when that happens, it won’t stay quiet. The media will find out. Everyone will know we made her carry that baby for me. How am I supposed to face anyone after that?”
Hillary’s face lost all color. “But the Harrises… surely they wouldn’t allow something like that to go public?”
“They won’t,” Naomi replied coldly. “That’s the problem. They’ll hide everything—lock her away, maybe even keep her married to Tyler. If they can maintain their image and keep the scandal buried, they’ll do it. And where would that leave me?”
Hillary was stunned into silence.
“We have no advantage anymore, Mom. Not moral, not legal, not emotional. You really think Olivia losing her mind somehow helps me? It’s the opposite. I’m more trapped than ever.”
Hillary slowly sat back down. The shock was finally sinking in.
“Well… if she doesn’t divorce him…”
“Then I’ll be Tyler’s mistress for the rest of my life,” Naomi said, her voice breaking.
The words hit Hillary like a thunderclap. Her vision blurred. This wasn’t what she had envisioned. Not at all.
“This can’t be,” she murmured. “You were supposed to be Mrs. Harris. That was the plan. You’re the one he loves…”
Naomi’s voice cracked. “We shouldn’t have gone down this path. I told you I didn’t want that IVF plan. And now look at what happened.”
“I didn’t know it would come to this,” Hillary whispered. “Please, calm down—”
“Why?” Naomi cried. Her tears streamed freely now, her expression twisted with anguish. “Why am I the one being punished? I only wanted to live a little longer. Is that so wrong?”