Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 88: Chapter 88

Olivia furrowed her brow when she couldn’t get a hold of Ethan. She dialed his number again, but just like the first time, the call wouldn’t go through.

She wasn’t sure if his battery had died, but Ethan was never the type to let his phone run low. That meant he’d turned it off on purpose. Why would he do that?

Was he dodging her? She’d noticed that lately whenever she called, he took forever to answer as if he were hesitating to pick up.

Sometimes he didn’t answer at all, and it would be hours before he finally bothered to return her call.

That was exactly why she often coached Tyler on what to say if Ethan actually picked up or called them back.

Ethan’s go-to excuse for why he was dodging them was always that he was *busy*, but Olivia didn’t buy it for a second. She knew he just didn’t want to talk to her. She knew the real reason was Lane.

Ever since that woman came back, Ethan started ghosting her. The mere thought made her grit her teeth in sheer annoyance.

Why did she have to come back? Why couldn’t she have stayed hidden wherever she’d been? If she hadn’t returned, they could have had Ethan’s attention all to themselves.

Her cousin had been a thorn in her side since they were kids, and apparently, nothing had changed.

But like Olivia had told her father, she wasn’t about to let Lane and Ethan end up together. She wasn’t going to stand by and watch Lane and her kid benefit from everything Ethan owned.

Olivia took a deep breath, frustrated that she still couldn’t reach him. She turned her attention to her son, who was preoccupied with a phone in his hand. She snatched it away, forcing him to look up at her.

"Mommy, I’m playing!" Tyler protested when she grabbed the phone.

She gave him a sharp look. After a moment, he bit his lower lip, and she saw his eyes start to well up.

"Did you do what I told you while you were with your Daddy, Tyler?"

"Huh?"

"Did you try to get his attention? Did you make sure he was focused on you?"

She saw Tyler’s lips quiver. "Daddy said he loves me."

"It’s not enough for your Daddy to just love you, Tyler. If he really loved you, all his time and attention would be on you. If he loved you, he’d be right here by your side. But look, your Daddy isn’t answering my calls again," she pushed.

"Do you know what that means, Tyler? It means your father doesn’t love you because he always puts his work first. Your Daddy doesn’t love you," she repeated, driving the point home.

Tyler’s eyes grew redder until he finally burst into tears. "Daddy loves me, Mommy!" he sobbed.

Olivia pulled him into a hug.

"Then do whatever it takes to get his attention, Tyler. Cry in front of him if he doesn’t want to see you. If he says he’s busy, tell him it’s because he doesn’t love you,"

she instructed him.

Olivia felt a secret sense of satisfaction when she saw him nod. She knew he’d do exactly what she said.

They were still sitting there when her phone started ringing. She let go of the boy to check the screen and frowned when she saw it was her father calling.

She hesitated for a second, but eventually, she picked up.

"Olivia," he said the moment she answered.

"Why are you calling, Dad?"

"Olivia, do you have any cash on you?"

"What?"

"I need a million," he said bluntly.

She scowled. "What do you need a million for, Dad?"

"Don’t ask questions. If you’ve got the money, just give it to me," he snapped.

"I don’t have a million, Dad."

"Doesn’t Ethan give Tyler an allowance?"

"Dad, Tyler’s allowance isn’t that huge," she said. Ethan was generous, but he wasn’t throwing that kind of money around.

"Ask Ethan for it. Use Tyler as leverage," he told her.

"Dad, as if Ethan would just hand over that kind of cash. He isn’t stupid enough to give us a million dollars for no reason."

"Ethan is stupid, Olivia," her father countered. "If he weren’t, why wouldn’t he know the truth by now? Why doesn’t he know that Tyler isn’t even his son?"

Olivia’s fists clenched at her father’s words.

"You think I don’t know the truth?" her father added when she didn’t say anything.

"You probably didn’t even know that when Tyler was a year old, Ethan secretly took a hair sample for a DNA test."

Olivia’s eyes went wide. She was completely blindsided. She had no idea he’d done that. If Ethan had run a DNA test, did that mean he knew the truth? If he knew, why hadn’t he said anything?

Why was he still treating Tyler like his own son? Could it be possible?

"Yes, Olivia. Ethan had a DNA test done. And do you want to know why he never found out the truth? Because I had the results faked. I paid off the doctor to make sure the result came back positive," he continued.

"So, you owe me, Olivia. If it weren’t for me, Ethan would have kicked both of you out a long time ago. Now, find a way to get me that money."

Her father didn’t even wait for her to respond before hanging up. Olivia sat there, her fists trembling with rage, processing everything she’d just heard.

________________

"Mommy?"

Lane stopped brushing her hair when she heard Calvin calling her.

"Yes, sweetheart?" she asked as their eyes met.

"Are you going to work?" he asked, stepping closer and looking up to meet her gaze.

She nodded. "Why do you ask?"

She saw him shake his head, but she could tell from his expression that he was holding something back.

She knelt down to his level. Looking into his eyes, she was suddenly reminded of Ethan, specifically how he’d answered Calvin when the boy asked if he liked her and wanted to court her.

"Not just like, Calvin. I really, truly love her,"

she remembered him saying. When Ethan told that to her son, he had been staring intently at her, as if he were desperate for her to believe he was telling the truth.

Lane’s heart had raced at that answer. She’d barely slept that night just thinking about it. Why would Ethan say that to Calvin? Was he actually serious? She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Given her history with Ethan, it was hard to take anything he said at face value.

She took a deep breath and focused back on her son. "Is there something you want to tell me, Calvin? You can tell Mommy anything, okay?" she said gently.

He gave a small nod. "Okay, Mommy."

"So, what’s on your mind?"

"Um... Mommy, can I go to work with you?"

he asked. He raised one hand as if he were taking an oath.

"I promise I won’t be a bother. If you take me, I’ll bring my coloring book to keep me busy. When Mommy is working, Calvin will be busy coloring," he told her.

"But if it’s not allowed, that’s okay. I’ll just stay here and wait for you to come home."

She stared at her son for a moment before breaking into a smile. "Okay," she said.

"Really?"

"I’ll take you with me," she agreed.

Lane saw her son’s eyes light up. Her smile widened when he threw his arms around her. "Thank you, Mommy! I love you!" he cheered, clearly thrilled.

She hugged him back tightly. "I love you more, my Calvin," she replied.

"Now, let’s get you dressed so we can get moving."

She got him ready, packing some extra clothes and milk just in case. Once they were all set, she told him it was time to go.

She said goodbye to Mae and mentioned she was bringing Calvin to the office.

Lane held Calvin’s hand as they walked out of the condo. As they stepped into the hallway, she was shocked to see Ethan leaning against the wall, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a bouquet of flowers.

The moment he saw them, he straightened up.

"Uncle Ethan!"

Lane watched in surprise as Calvin let go of her hand. Her mouth dropped open when her son ran straight to Ethan and hugged his legs.

She looked at Ethan and couldn’t look away. He looked genuinely happy, with a heartfelt smile that reached his eyes.

He returned the hug, holding Calvin close for a long moment.

Calvin looked up, still clinging to Ethan’s leg.

"Uncle Ethan, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he told Calvin, though he immediately looked up at Lane.

She bit her lip as his gaze locked onto her, making it clear he was there for her, too. She quickly let go of her lip when she saw his eyes drop to her mouth.

She watched his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed. He stared at her lips for a split second before looking back into her eyes.

"And I’m here to pick up your Mommy," he added, turning back to the boy.

"Why are you picking up Mommy?"

"Well, aren’t I courting her?" Ethan said.

Lane’s breath hitched at his boldness. "And when you’re courting someone, you have to put in the effort," he added.

"I... I never said you could court me," she stammered, silently cursing herself for the stutter.

Her breath caught again when he looked up and their eyes met.

"Whether you agree or not, nobody is going to stop me from pursuing you, Lane. How am I supposed to prove myself if I don’t try?" he asked.

"Just because you said no doesn’t mean I’m giving up. How can I show you I’m serious if I quit after one rejection? So, even if you’re against it, I’m going to keep chasing you. I’ll keep going until you accept me again, until you give me a second chance, and until I can prove that I’m worthy of you."

As Ethan spoke, Lane’s heart went wild. She quickly looked away to hide the heat rising in her face, but she couldn’t hide it from her son.

"Mommy? Are you sick? Why is your face so red?" Calvin asked when he noticed her blushing.

Lane stole a glance at Ethan, and her cheeks turned even redder when she saw the mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he watched her.

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