Chapter 2

Claire's mind went blank. It was a while later before she could feel her fingers again, and only then did she open the document.

Luke had already signed the last page of the divorce agreement. All that was missing was her signature.

He had clearly prepared it some time ago.

He was leaving her a generous share of the assets, and his only demand was custody of Stella.

So he had wanted to divorce her for a long time.

Had he already grown tired of her and decided to marry Bella instead?

But Bella was considered his cousin, and was he aware of the bad blood between Bella's family and hers?

Did he have any idea how cruel and humiliating this was for his wife?

Looking at the agreement now, Claire realized he probably knew everything. Maybe he had known exactly what he wanted since the second year of their marriage, when he started losing interest in her and falling for Bella.

She felt cold all over, as though she'd been doused with ice water, but the hurt went far deeper than that.

The truth was, she might never have married Luke if the man she'd loved before him hadn't left without a word to join the military, only to end up with someone else later.

Luke had appeared at exactly that point in her life. He pursued her passionately, treated her with warmth, and helped her through one of her darkest periods.

Otherwise, she might never have chosen him.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.

Another message from Luke.

Luke: [Something came up. I won't be coming home.]

The message was as detached as ever. He clearly wasn't thinking about her or her parents at all.

Then again, he had already signed the divorce agreement. Why would he still care?

Claire gave a bitter smile and fought back her tears. Still clutching the papers, she left the study.

No matter what happened between her and Luke, she was still Stella's mother.

If Stella wanted to live with her, Claire would fight for custody no matter what it took.

But when she went downstairs, the only person in the dining room was the housekeeper, Margaret Jones.

"Where's Stella? Didn't she come down for breakfast?"

Mrs. Jones was clearing the table. She hesitated before answering, "She didn't eat. She left with her backpack..."

Claire stared at her.

She left?

Maybe it was intuition, or maybe she already knew the answer, but Claire immediately felt that Stella had gone to see Bella.

And Luke was probably with Bella too.

Her heart sank.

This was the man she had loved enough to leave her parents and move far away for.

And Stella was the daughter she'd nearly lost her life giving birth to. She had been premature and sickly, and Claire had given up her future to stay home and care for her.

"Mrs. Holt..."

Mrs. Jones looked at Claire's pale face and felt sorry for her.

Even as an outsider, she thought Stella was being terribly ungrateful. It was bad enough that Claire no longer had her husband's love, but now even her own daughter treated her this way.

Claire waved a hand and walked away.

She knew what Mrs. Jones was thinking.

Claire had raised Stella herself, and when Stella was younger, they had been incredibly close. Stella used to cling to her and depend on her for everything. She had been such a sweet, affectionate little girl.

It was only over the past year, after Luke started taking Stella out more often, that things began to change. Stella went from being attached to Claire to brushing her off, then gradually pushing her away.

Looking back now, Claire realized everything had changed long before she'd noticed.

She had been the only one left in the dark, blaming herself and wondering over and over what she'd done wrong.

Claire let out a shaky breath.

She went back to the study, picked up a pen, and signed the divorce agreement.

It was only her name, but her hand shook so badly that she had to steady herself several times. By the time she finished, the signature was crooked and uneven.

Once it was done, all her strength seemed to leave her at once.

She closed the document and put it back in the drawer, still feeling numb.

Luke would see it as soon as he came home.

Maybe that would be her surprise for him.

Claire smiled bitterly, left the study, and went to pack her own things, ready to return to Riverford alone.

She had just finished packing when her phone rang.

Claire glanced at the caller ID, and her expression shifted slightly.

It was Julian Rivers.

She answered. "Hello?"

His deep voice came through the phone. "I've got some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want first?"

"Good news."

"Your architect's license finally came through. And Southridge Development sent you an invitation. They want you to put together a design proposal for their new industrial park."

For the first time that day, Claire felt a spark of hope. She was so relieved and excited that tears nearly came to her eyes.

Years ago, she had given up a promising career to take care of Stella, but she had never given up architecture. She had continued studying and working toward the qualifications she needed all these years.

At least her efforts hadn't been wasted.

"When am I supposed to meet with Southridge?"

"Not so fast. I haven't told you the bad news yet."

Julian sighed.

"Someone took your spot. I asked around, and apparently it was Bella Young. Your husband helped set it up for her."

He gave a dry laugh.

"He really does look out for that cousin of his."

The news hit Claire like a bolt of lightning.

Julian continued, "I looked at Bella's résumé. She's definitely impressive. She earned a doctorate in architecture from a top-ranked university overseas, and she's only twenty-five."

That was impressive by any standard.

But no matter how qualified Bella was, she still had no right to take an opportunity that had already been offered to someone else.

Besides, Julian didn't think Bella was half as talented as Claire.

Claire had been the real prodigy. Back when she was still an undergraduate, Edwin Hart, a renowned fellow of the National Academy of Engineering, had personally tried to recruit her.

Unfortunately, Claire never went on to graduate school. She got married and had a child right after college.

Claire listened quietly, then gave a bitter smile as a cold look entered her eyes.

"Claire..."

Julian's voice softened.

Most people didn't know about the history between Claire's family and Bella's, but Julian had known Claire for years. He knew exactly how complicated things were between them.

And the person who had helped Bella take Claire's place was Claire's own husband.

It was like rubbing salt in her wounds.

"I'm fine," Claire said. "We're getting divorced anyway."

"What?"

Claire wiped at the corner of her eye.

"I'll tell you about it when I see you. My dad is sick, so I'm heading to Riverford in a little while."

Julian didn't press her after that. He only told her to call him if she needed anything.

His concern warmed her, but it also left her feeling strangely bitter.

A friend could care enough to ask if she was all right, yet the husband she had once loved couldn't.

Neither could the daughter she'd devoted herself to.

How ironic.

After hanging up, Claire grabbed her suitcase and headed downstairs.

When Mrs. Jones saw her leaving with luggage, she hurried over.

"Mrs. Holt, are you..."

Claire stopped and said calmly, "I'm going to Riverford for a few days. Please take care of Stella for me. And when Luke gets back, tell him to call me."

She needed to talk to him about finalizing the divorce.

Mrs. Jones looked like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only nodded.

"All right..."

...

The plane soared through the sky.

Claire leaned back in her seat and looked out the window. Her face was pale, and her eyes were still red from everything she'd been holding in.

The last time she had gone home, things between her and Luke had still been good.

It was during the first year of their marriage, when they were still deeply in love. They had brought Stella with them, and the three of them had been a happy family.

Now...

Claire gave a bitter smile and turned away from the window.

By the time the plane landed in Riverford, it was a little after three in the afternoon.

Claire went straight to the hospital.

She had just reached the inpatient floor and was heading toward her parents' room when three familiar figures passed through the far end of the hallway.

Stella was holding Bella's hand, looking up at her and speaking softly to comfort her.

Bella smiled and stroked Stella's cheek.

Luke walked on Bella's other side, his gaze fixed on her with obvious concern, as though no one else mattered.

Claire knew that look.

When Luke had loved her, he used to look at her the same way.

But somewhere along the way, all of that tenderness had disappeared.

Claire stood where she was, slowly tightening her grip on the strap of her bag until her fingers turned pale.

Before this, she had only suspected how Luke and Stella felt about Bella.

Now it was clear as day.

A humorless smile touched Claire's lips.

As though he sensed her watching, Luke looked over.

Claire's eyes trembled, and a chill swept through her.

Luke, however, didn't look the least bit guilty. He gave her a brief glance, then calmly looked away and continued down the hall with Bella and Stella.

Claire wasn't surprised.

A moment later, her phone vibrated inside her bag.

She already had a feeling who it was.

She pulled it out and checked the message.

Luke: [I need to talk to you about something later.]

Claire tightened her grip on the phone.

She could already guess what he wanted to talk about.

The divorce.