Realizing it had been ages since she returned to China without properly catching up with Mia and Olivia, Emma decided to set her work aside for now. She planned to bring Charlie along when the three of them were free to have a proper dinner together.
The last time Olivia and Liam made that bet, Charlie's words had stuck in Olivia's mind. But the bet was a secret—she couldn't breathe a word about it.
Olivia stared at Charlie sitting next to Emma, itching to pinch his chubby cheeks to vent her frustration.
"Life abroad is nice. The houses have fresher colors than the ones here, and there aren't as many tall buildings. Everything looks clean and refreshing. But I'm still used to China. After all, I've lived here for so many years," Emma said in response to Mia's question, sharing her feelings about living overseas. She was interrupted by Charlie's childish voice.
"Godmother Olivia, why do you keep staring at me with such an unhappy face? Did Charlie do something to upset you?" Charlie tilted his head, biting his chopsticks as he looked at Olivia.
Olivia hadn't expected the little rascal to catch her staring.
"Oh..." Charlie suddenly realized something. "Was it last time..."
Before Charlie could finish his sentence, Olivia rushed over from across the table and covered his mouth.
Mia and Emma, who had been deep in conversation, were startled by Olivia's sudden move. Their mouths fell open slightly.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked.
"Nothing, nothing..." Olivia forced an awkward smile, then reached out to touch Charlie's smooth face, taking the chance to sneak a pinch. "It's just that Charlie is so adorable, I can't help but want to touch him."
"Uh..." The two women were speechless at Olivia's behavior. "Olivia, you should find someone to marry soon."
Hearing Mia's words, Emma couldn't help but snicker. "I'm afraid you don't need to change anything. After all these years together, it should be about time."
Emma's remark made Olivia blush, but she quickly remembered something serious. "The day after tomorrow is Ethan's birthday. I almost forgot to tell you."
As she said this, Olivia suddenly remembered that Liam would definitely be there. She asked Emma, "Are you going?"
"That depends on who's treating me," Emma said jokingly, though her heart was still heavy.
After all, judging by how close Ethan and Olivia were getting, they'd probably end up together eventually. And Ethan wasn't a bad guy, so she was optimistic about them.
She couldn't keep avoiding every party involving Olivia just because of Liam.
Sooner or later, she had to face this hurdle herself. But right now, Emma wasn't sure whether to go or not.
"Emma, you don't have to feel awkward," Mia said, looking at Emma's troubled expression with concern.
She had thought it was a happy marriage, but she never expected it to end so quickly—and to have been a conspiracy from the very beginning. No matter who it was, she didn't think anyone could accept something like that.
Emma smiled and shook her head. "I have to face this myself eventually. Mia, you don't need to comfort me. I'm fine."
Mia knew Emma was putting on a brave face, but she didn't know what else to say.
What Emma said was true—they really couldn't help her.
No matter how much comfort they offered, it probably wouldn't do any good.
"Emma, if you don't want to go, then don't. Don't worry about me. And you really need time to adjust," Olivia said. She might not be the most careful person, but she understood that Emma needed time to get used to things after being away for so long.
"I'll go," Emma said firmly.
Before the other two could react to what was happening, Emma had suddenly changed her mind and made her decision.
"I've already thought it through. Sooner or later, I have to face it. It's better to get used to it sooner," Emma said, pursing her lips into a smile.
Olivia almost choked on her food. How could this woman be so perfect? Even at twenty-seven, she was still so beautiful. After watching her for so many years, Olivia could still be amazed by her smile. It was truly enviable.
But seeing Emma willing to face things head-on still made Olivia happy.
...
This whole situation wasn't bad for the three women, but for Charlie, it was terrible news.
"Mom, can I not go?"