Chapter 4

When I woke up the next morning, Lucas was already gone. I gathered my documents and headed to the office to settle my resignation paperwork.

While I was packing up my desk, the receptionist mentioned someone was looking for me. The moment I stepped out of the elevator, Alison came rushing toward me in a frenzy.

“Mrs. Karev, you–”

A slap across my face left my cheek stinging.

Before I could react, she shoved me back roughly and shouted, “Lucas is marrying your best friend! How dare you have the nerve to cling to him?”

Her piercing voice echoed down the hall, drawing a crowd of colleagues who gathered to watch. Their judgmental glares felt like needles piercing my skin.

I said, my voice trembling, “Mrs. Karev, Lucas and Tate are just putting on an act. I’m the one who’s been his girlfriend from the very beginning.”

“Nonsense! You’re nothing but a homewrecker! Lucas and Tate registered their marriage long ago. Where do you even fit into this?”

The next second, she pulled out her phone and shoved a picture of a marriage certificate in front of my face. My body froze as I stared at the names printed on the certificate: Lucas Karev and Tate Hale.

Alison even held her phone up toward the bystanders around us.

“Everyone, judge for yourselves! My son and her best friend are legally married. If she isn’t a homewrecker, then what is she?”

I shook with sheer anger.

By the time Lucas arrived, the situation was already completely out of hand.

He grabbed Alison’s arm and said, “Mom, let’s go home and discuss this–”

“I’m going to say it right here and expose this shameless woman for who she is!”

Alison broke free from his grip and lunged toward me again, but Lucas immediately stepped in front of me, shielding me.

He turned his head and whispered, “Lily, don’t blame her. I’ll make this up to you.”

Unable to reach me, Alison screamed hysterically, like she was on the verge of a breakdown. “Lucas, if you don’t break things off with this homewrecker right now, I’ll kill myself!”

Lucas turned pale and instantly let go of me, rushing forward to support her. “Mom, Lily really isn’t–”

“Then who is she?”

I looked at Lucas, desperately waiting for him to set the record straight. All it would take was a single word from him.

Just then, Tate arrived at the scene. She looked hesitant, with tears in her eyes.

Lucas opened his mouth but hesitated to speak. In the end, I only heard him speak as if it meant nothing at all.

“Mom, I’ll break things off with her right now.”

I stood frozen, my mind blank.

The crowd erupted into murmurs.

“So she really is the homewrecker!”

“No wonder she’s resigning and packing her things. She’s feeling guilty…”

Alison fainted from the distress. Without sparing another glance at me, Lucas and Tate frantically dialed for an ambulance.

Meanwhile, I stood paralyzed on the spot. It took a long time before I finally walked out of the building.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Lucas.

“Lily, please come to the hospital and apologize to Mom, okay? The doctor said she can’t handle any more stress…”

I replied, “What did I do wrong?”

Yet, Lucas wouldn’t drop it, begging me to come to the hospital. “Lily, this is the last time, I promise.”

When I arrived, Alison was lying on the hospital bed, her face pale. Seeing her, my heart softened despite everything.

“Mrs. Karev, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have fallen for Lucas, and I certainly shouldn’t have been with him.”

Alison glared at me. “I don’t ever want to see you again.”

I let out a self-deprecating smile. They truly were never going to see me again anyway.

As I walked out of the ward, Tate rushed up to comfort me. “Lily, I know you’ve been through a lot. Once this last wedding act is over, I’ll give Lucas right back to you.”

I pushed her away gently. “There’s no need to return him. You two suit each other pretty well.”

Tate looked momentarily taken aback. She dropped to her knees and cried, “Lily, there’s really nothing going on between him and me…”

Yet, the subtle, intimate marks on her collarbone stung me.

Lucas happened to witness that moment. Assuming I was giving her a hard time, he pulled her up to her feet first.

“Don’t take it out on her,” he told me.

Tate tried to explain, “It’s not like that!”

Lucas was only more convinced that I was making things difficult for her.

He looked at me indifferently. “Aren't you leaving for your business trip? Let me drive you–”

I shook my head. “It’s fine.”

As I got into the car, a text message came from Tate.

[Lily, I promise you, I’ll stay far away from Lucas.]

Instead of replying, I blocked her number.

Lucas had said to me earlier, “Lily, I didn’t handle things too well today. When you get back from your trip, we’ll get married…”

Lucas still had no idea that I had bought a one-way ticket. This time, there would be no turning back.