Chapter 2

I distinctly recalled skimming through the list, and Lucas wasn't on it. Then, like a flash of lightning, it suddenly came back to me—one of the models had gotten into an accident, so Lucas had been brought in as a last-minute replacement.

Yet, judging by the time, I lifted my wristwatch and said flatly, "You should be heading backstage to prepare right about now."

Lucas' expression stiffened, as if he had been offended by my tone. "Don't pretend like you know what you're talking about! What do you know? It's nowhere near time yet!"

After hearing that, my brows knitted together. With such a blithely unprofessional demeanor, no wonder he hadn't made a splash all these years.

Noticing I was all on my own, he suddenly wrapped his arm around Talia's shoulders and probed, "Have you run into some kind of trouble, Justin? It's not easy to get onto this cruise ship. I heard some people secretly buy scalped tickets just to get on board and look for wealthy wives or heiresses."

I could tell there was more to what he said.

Talia eyed me with an unreadable look before glancing at my clothes. For some reason, her voice actually sounded tinged with sadness. "I know you can't afford to wear these kinds of clothes, Justin. Did you rent them or borrow them?"

Having said her piece, she pulled out a debit card and held it out to me. "There's 200 grand on this card. At the end of the day, you're the father of my child. I can't just stand by and watch you stray down the wrong path.

"I thought you left me so decisively because you'd found somewhere better to go. I never expected you to end up like this..." Her final words were coated with patronizing sympathy.

Lucas covered his mouth and giggled. "Maybe he's wearing a knockoff. There's no need to be embarrassed, Justin. That amount of money is pocket change to us, but it ought to keep you from living in total squalor."

Yet, as soon as his words fell, a young man's voice suddenly rang out. "That's no knockoff; one can tell from the craftsmanship and the fabric. It's also one of Corvinus' latest designs. It's nearly impossible to get your hands on."

Lucas' expression stiffened. He spun around and was about to snap, only to realize the young man was an acquaintance of his, Keane Rutherford.

Keane was pleasantly surprised and immediately pulled him into a hug. "What a surprise to run into you here, Lucas! How are you doing? I couldn't get ahold of you after you got married back then."

With that, he glanced at Joyce and inquired, "Is this your daughter? The math doesn't quite add up, though?"

Lucas' expression hardened slightly. He forced a smile and choked out, "Something came up… and we lost our baby."

Part of me was surprised, but another part of me had seen it coming, because Talia had an underdeveloped uterus. I had kept it from her to protect her self-esteem.

I had taken her for numerous injections, coaxing and reassuring her through it all while telling her it was perfectly normal and nothing to worry about. Yet, she had gotten the wrong idea; she spent her entire pregnancy berating me for caring more about the baby than her life.

Even after bringing Joyce into the world, Talia continued to paint me as the villain in her ears. I had no way to defend myself and was constantly reduced to tears of frustration until my eyesight suddenly deteriorated, and I realized I had to dry my tears.

The past was like a long, tattered, foul-smelling rag. I sighed inwardly and forced it out of my mind.

Keane chuckled awkwardly, offered a few hollow condolences, and turned on his heel. I checked the time and was about to take my leave as well.

To my surprise, Lucas seized my arm, burying his nails right into my flesh. His face contorted with pure, unadulterated hatred. "Are you happy now that our baby is gone? This is all your fault!

"Talia was constantly away from home because she was out searching for you. In the end, she got so worked up that she miscarried. You're a murderer!"

The pain made me instinctively shove him away. Then, I went rigid.

Talia had actually been looking for me all this time? Why? Wasn't she the one who had insisted on getting a divorce in my previous life?

Besides, what did her miscarriage have to do with me? Her health had been poor to begin with.

Talia had also been on a strict diet. In other words, she brought the miscarriage on herself.

I looked at the marks on my arm where the skin had broken, oozing a fine line of blood.

Since I had alabaster skin, Sonya would definitely notice them at a glance. Knowing how fiercely protective she was of me, I was genuinely afraid things would blow up.