"Fine."
Olivia was stunned for a moment, but then agreed without hesitation.
I saw a flash of anger on her face and instantly understood her thoughts.
She probably thought I was just using another way to threaten her.
"Alright, I'll bring back the divorce papers this afternoon."
After saying this, I changed clothes and left.
It turns out, saying it out loud wasn't difficult.
I thought I would feel reluctant, angry, or unwilling to let go.
But the moment I actually said it, I felt relieved.
Olivia just sat on the couch playing with her phone, not responding to me at all.
She just treated it as one of my usual tantrums.
After leaving, I bought breakfast and went to the nearest hospital.
My father-in-law was currently hospitalized there, and for this period, my mother-in-law and I had been taking turns caring for him.
Coincidentally, my company had been particularly busy lately. Every day, besides working overtime, I had to go to the hospital after work to relieve my exhausted mother-in-law.
It was non-stop.
This routine had continued for a month.
Olivia remained indifferent.
Not only that, but I was also paying for the expensive medical bills.
Olivia's entire salary was spent on finding psychologists for Ethan. She never had any money left over, and it was good enough that she didn't ask me for more.
I had talked to her about her father's medical expenses, but she thought I was threatening her.
Last night it rained, and to save some money on a taxi, I trudged home in the rain.
Combined with the continuous fatigue, my body finally gave in to illness.
"Having a son-in-law like you is truly our blessing."
"My wife and I have discussed it. We've seen all you've done these past days. You're a good kid, much better than Olivia. We've decided to entrust our savings to you."
Hearing my father-in-law say this, I paused while peeling an apple, and quickly refused.
In the past, if I could get the support of my in-laws, I would have been overjoyed and unable to sleep.
Would their approval improve my relationship with Olivia?
I thought about it carefully, but this hypothesis didn't make me feel joyful.
Strangely, I only felt pressure.
"Little Ning isn't really busy, is she? You've been lying to us all along. Is she at the hospital looking after that guy again?"
Suddenly, my father-in-law sighed.
I remained silent, not knowing how to answer.
The day my father-in-law was hospitalized, I told Olivia, but she said Ethan was at a critical point and she couldn't leave. She asked me to take care of her father more.
"Look, her own father is sick and she doesn't care, but she's looking after some other man!"
"How can I trust her with money?"
Seeing that I didn't speak, my father-in-law gave a bitter smile.
In the end, I still refused and didn't mention the divorce.
As I was leaving the hospital, I saw Olivia's social media post.
The photo showed two hands tightly clasped in front of a green plant, with the caption "If we persevere together, we can surely thrive like this plant and overcome all difficulties."
I knew those were her and Ethan's hands.
In the past, I would have angrily called her and questioned her.
Then she would describe me with words like petty and narrow-minded.
Back then, seeing me angry and frustrated, she must have found it laughable, like a child fighting for attention, childish and annoying.
But now I didn't feel anything.
I even found it a bit funny.
Come to think of it, they really do look like a couple now. Since I'm so redundant, I might as well step out.
