Chapter 451

As far as Chad was concerned, it was all Catlin’s fault. She had failed to handle the conflict between Stephanie and Olivia, and that was why Stephanie had become the person she was today. The last thing Chad wanted now was for Catlin to cause him more trouble. He already had nowhere to vent his fury. He had just welcomed the birth of his son and daughter. If Sebastian’s blockade really left him with nothing, things would become a hell of a lot more complicated.

Catlin was still in the hospital at that moment. If it hadn’t been for the doctors’ timely intervention, she would probably be dead by now. She never imagined that, of all people, it would be Olivia—the daughter she trusted the most, the one she cherished like a precious jewel—who would betray her.

After hanging up on Chad, Catlin was shaking with fury. She let out a piercing scream. Her hysterical cries were filled with rage and sorrow. She couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way: “Why Olivia? Why is it Olivia who betrayed me?”

It was Olivia who had brought that woman into the company. “Why? Why would you do this to me?” Catlin pounded her fists against her chest over and over. Pain wracked her entire body, making her tremble uncontrollably.

She ran out of the hospital in a frenzy, rushing back to the Hart residence as fast as she could. On the way, the fury burning inside her had nowhere to go. It festered in her chest, threatening to consume her. But when she finally stood in front of the gates of the Hart residence, she suddenly went still. The cold wind brushed past her, lifting strands of her disheveled hair and chilling her to the bone.

Inside the villa, the butler brought the same stack of photos to Tyler. After going through them, Tyler remained calm and simply ordered the butler to take them to Olivia. Olivia had been on edge ever since she saw the photos. By the time Catlin returned home, Olivia’s fear had reached its breaking point.

Catlin stood at the door, silently staring at her. Her eyes were empty, hollow. “M–Mom…” Olivia was anxious. She opened her mouth, trembling as she tried to speak. But it had already been three hours since she first saw the photos, and she still hadn’t been able to come up with a single explanation.

“You’ve known everything from the start,” Catlin said. “And you were the one who brought that woman into the company. Tell me why! Why did you betray me?” Her voice, after being forcibly restrained for so long, suddenly erupted into a deafening roar, which echoed through the entire villa.

Hearing Catlin’s fury, Olivia completely panicked. Her whole body trembled. “Mom, I…”

Catlin was livid: “You knew she was with your father. You knew she was pregnant. You knew she gave birth to his child.” “You knew everything. You even helped them get together,” Catlin shouted, her voice breaking into a hysterical shriek. But then, she abruptly calmed down. Her tone became eerily quiet, almost unnatural.

After all the hysteria on her way back, Catlin was suddenly still. Olivia’s tears streamed down uncontrollably. She shook her head instinctively. “Why was it you?” Catlin asked. “Why? I even gave up my real daughter… all for you…” Her voice choked off as memories flooded back—everything she’d done to Stephanie, and that car accident.

“Even when the evidence was staring me in the face, I still chose to protect you,” Catlin murmured. “Tell me now, why the reason the Hart family is falling apart all traces back to you?”

Olivia had no answer. Catlin kept asking, “Why was it you? Tell me, why did it have to be you?” At that moment, Catlin was completely broken. With every question, her emotions spiraled further out of control. She could have accepted betrayal from anyone in the Hart family… anyone except Olivia. Olivia was the one she had truly loved as her own daughter. She had cherished her, spoiled her—only to end up like this.

Olivia’s tears blurred her vision. Faced with Catlin’s ferocious interrogation, her mind went completely blank. Seeing Olivia only cry without answering, Catlin fell even deeper into despair. “Tell me! Why? Was I ever cruel to you?”

“I’m sorry. Mom, I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry…” One apology after another poured out from Olivia’s lips, along with endless tears. But in this moment, it felt ridiculous, almost laughable.

Catlin closed her eyes, her whole body trembling violently. “I hate you. Olivia, I hate you.” As Catlin repeated those words again and again, Olivia felt as though she could hardly breathe anymore.