Olivia immediately shut down the livestream. James bombarded my phone with incessant calls, but I rejected each one and blocked him without hesitation.

The scandal surrounding Olivia caused an uproar. Netizens demanded that she return the donations and livestream tips she had received. Given Sophia’s considerable medical expenses and Olivia’s lavish spending on luxury items funded by her streaming earnings, she had no recourse but to turn to James.

James’s salary had long been supporting Olivia and her daughter, while my liquid assets had been transferred elsewhere. Now, he was unable to come up with the funds. I arranged for lawyers to sue Olivia for fraud on behalf of the...