Chapter 166 - State of Catatonia (1/2)
Their meal service continued without a glitch, the group sending jabs on Ollie's way each time they could. By the time dessert came, Ava had to be the knight in shining armor, shielding her husband from the bullies in the room, threatening them with her beady eyes and her fork.
It was enough to silence some, except Maxen who had more ammunition against the rest after spending more time with Oliver.
”I think Maxen forgot about that thing you shared with me, sweetie,” Ava c.a.r.e.s.sed Ollie's ears. She glanced at Oliver, enlarging her eyes as if telling him to narrate a random story just to get back at Maxen.
Across the table, Emily and Olivia snickered in their seats. They saw how Ava tried her best to coach her husband but Oliver was ignorant of her nuance, scratching the back of his head.
The two gal pals clank their glasses.
”Ava's learning,” Olivia commented.
”Only from the best, of course.”
”So this is what you've been teaching my wife? No wonder she's been pulling tricks left and right lately.” Oliver threw a carrot at Emily and Olivia's way which Maxen caught with his hand, throwing it back on Ollie. It landed in a thud on his forehead.
The room burst with roaring laughter upon seeing the shocked expression of Oliver.
Eventually, their dinner ended on a positive note.
”Hey, let's take a group photo. We'll never know when the next one will happen… or if it will happen again,” Wyatt remarked, taking his phone out of his b.r.e.a.s.t pocket and passing it to their host. They stood by the wall adorned with vintage photos of Nisia.
Wyatt stood in the center with Maxen and Oliver on either of his sides. The two men side hugging their ladies, while Emily stood at the left, beside Olivia.
”Say cheese!” the host said, cl.i.c.k.i.n.g the camera button.
The camera's flash surprised everyone in the room, their faces ended up contorted or squinted at the assault of brightness.
”Sorry, sir. Let me take one more photo.”
”Nah, that's perfect,” Wyatt said and smiled, receiving his phone back. ”This is precious,” he added, seeing the less than stellar photo. He sent a copy to the Four Clovers' dead chat group, smiling when he pocketed his phone.
As the group walked out of the restaurant, Oliver chatted with Olivia.
”I'll pick you up tomorrow.”
”Do I have a choice? We're a team now,” Olivia deadpanned.
Tomorrow, their parents' divorce would be finalized, and they had to show a united front for their mother who would not get a single dime from the separation.
The siblings never talked about their parents' divorce since Finn's birthday, but she guessed that Oliver didn't sign the annexes which Henry demanded them to sign. It was obvious when Henry Lin changed the divorce settlement agreement tipping the scales to his advantage.
If it was up to Olivia, she would make sure her mother gets properly compensated for all the abuse Amelia received at the clutches of Henry Lin, but she was too tired fighting with her DNA donor.
He could keep all his money. At the end of the day, the thought of Henry Lin growing old alone, and dying alone, was Olivia's consolation.
The next day, Olivia's body ached so much she could barely move an inch without crying out in pain.