Chapter 2

Zoey's POV

Lyra glared at us, looking like she wanted to tear us apart.

I instinctively tried to run with Tommy, but one of her bodyguards grabbed me roughly by the arm and yanked the boy out of my embrace.

Lyra turned on the boy. "After everything I've done for you, you won't even call me Mom! But you're willing to call some stranger your mom! You ungrateful little brat! You're looking for a beating!"

She raised her hand to slap him.

"Don't you dare!" I screamed. "He's just a child! Lyra Gould, have you lost your mind?"

She stopped, her hand hovering in midair. She let out a cold laugh, released her grip on Tommy's shirt, and walked toward me.

"You think you have the right to lecture me?"

Without hesitation, she struck me hard across the face. The force snapped my head to the side, and the copper taste of blood instantly flooded my mouth.

Before I could react, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and slapped me again. My ears rang as the corner of my mouth split open, blood trickling down my chin.

Tommy turned pale. He rushed over and wrapped his arms around Lyra's leg, sobbing. "Stop! I promise I'll be a good boy! I'll call you Mom! Please don't hit her! Please, Mom!"

Lyra glanced down at him, shoved him away with utter disgust, and coldly ordered the bodyguards, "Get him out of my way!"

Pinned down by the bodyguards, Tommy could only whimper helplessly.

Lyra finally let go of my hair. She pulled a document from her bag and tossed it onto the floor in front of me along with a pen.

"This is the divorce agreement. Divorce Justin, give up custody of Tommy, and then you can get the hell out of here."

I grabbed the agreement and tore it to pieces. There was no way I'd agree to give up Tommy.

Lyra scoffed. "Fine. If you won't do it the easy way, we'll do it the hard way."

She kicked me in the knee. A searing pain shot through me, and I collapsed to my knees.

She shoved another copy of the agreement at me. Her bodyguards immediately stepped forward and grabbed my hand, forcing a pen between my fingers.

I fought back with everything I had, but the more I resisted, the harder Lyra and her bodyguards beat me. I cried out in pain.

In the end, I signed the agreement in blood.

Lyra tucked away the bloodstained agreement with a satisfied smile. She was just about to order her bodyguards to throw me out when the front door suddenly swung open.

Justin walked in. His eyes swept over the mess before landing on me, battered and covered in bruises.

He frowned at Lyra, his voice sharp with irritation. "I thought you said you were going to talk things through. How did it end up like this?"

The vicious look on Lyra's face vanished instantly. She put on a sweet smile and hurried toward him, reaching for a hug.

"I got a little carried away. But at least she signed the agreement. Justin, when are we going to get married?"

Justin stepped aside and dodged her embrace. He walked over to me and helped me up as he said to Lyra, "She already signed the agreement. There's no rush. I'm taking her to the bedroom. Don't pull a stunt like this again."

Every inch of my body throbbed with pain. I could barely stand without leaning against Justin. He helped me onto the bed before turning to get the first-aid kit.

He dipped a cotton swab in antiseptic and reached toward my face, but I jerked my head away.

"I already signed the divorce papers. I'll divorce you, but I'm taking Tommy with me. Lyra has no business raising a child. She even tried to hit Tommy just now!"

Justin turned my face back toward him and insistently dabbed medicine onto the cut at the corner of my mouth.

"No," he said flatly.

I slapped his hand away. Tears of rage and betrayal stung my eyes as I snapped, "Then what do you want? If you never loved me, why did you marry me in the first place?

"I chased you for three years, only to end up in a marriage where you gave me the cold shoulder, took my child, and cheated on me with your foster sister. Is this some kind of sick game to you?

"If we get divorced, you can finally marry Lyra. Isn't that what you want?"

Justin pulled his hand back and looked at me coldly.

"I'm not divorcing you. Even though Lyra and I aren't related by blood, and my parents never formally adopted her, people would still talk if we got married. Let Tommy stay with her. If you really want a child, we can always have another one."

I stared into his eyes in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind? Are you trying to use me to hide your relationship with Lyra? I'm not some tool you can use however you please!"

When Justin remained silent, I forced myself to calm down. I knew I wouldn't get anywhere by fighting a battle I couldn't win.

I turned my back to him and closed my eyes, pretending to sleep while I thought about how I could get Tommy away from them.

After a long while, the mattress sank slightly behind me. Justin loosely wrapped his arms around me from behind and murmured, "Zoey, don't be like this. I care about you."