Ethan shook his head, his expression hardened. “A mistake is forgetting an anniversary, Olivia. This…this is assault. Against my mother. There’s no coming back from this.”

The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by the sound of Margaret’s uneven breathing. Ethan’s heart ached, but not for Olivia—for the life he thought they had. The realization was a bitter pill to swallow; that the woman he loved was capable of such harm.

He watched as Olivia, now understanding the gravity of her actions, lowered her head in defeat. Her once-proud posture was now hunched, the enormity of what she’d done crashing down upon her.