CHAPTER THREE TITLE: I Finally Understood

Emma's POV

My fingers trembled as I picked up the notebook and slowly opened it.

The first page held a carefully drawn sketch of a beautiful seaside house with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, a wide balcony, and a garden overflowing with flowers. Beneath it, in Lucas's familiar handwriting, were the words: 

Our forever home. Sophy will love watching the sunset from here. 

My breath caught. Swallowing hard, I turned the page. More sketches filled the notebook—a cozy nursery, a warm family living room, and a spacious backyard with swings. Beside one drawing, he had written, First son… Alexander. On another, our daughter… Isabelle. She'll have Sophy's smile. 

My vision blurred as tears moistened in my eyes, but I couldn't stop. I kept turning the pages, each one revealing another piece of the future he had dreamed of.

There were honeymoon plans for Italy, Paris, and Santorini, restaurant recommendations, hotel reservations, and little reminders to surprise Sophia with flowers. One page was titled, Things I'll do to make Sophy smile every day. Another simply read, Tell her every morning that she's my forever. 

I stared at the words until they blurred behind my tears. Every dream. Every plan. Every hope he had ever written down had been built around Sophia. I was nothing more than the woman he married out of obligation—a contract he had fulfilled. The only mistake was mine. Somewhere along the way, I had fallen hopelessly in love with a man whose heart had never belonged to me.

My knees gave out beneath me, and I sank into Lucas's chair with the notebook resting heavily on my lap. For three years, I had blamed myself. I thought I wasn't patient enough, pretty enough, or interesting enough. I kept believing that if I loved him a little more, sacrificed a little more, became the perfect wife... one day, he would finally choose me.

But the truth was far crueler. Lucas had already chosen someone else long before I ever walked into his life. I had never been the woman in his dreams. I had only been living in the space meant for Sophia Bennett. 

A tear fell onto the page, followed by another, and I hurriedly wiped them away.

My mind drifted back three years to the acceptance letter from the most prestigious architecture school in Europe. It had been the dream I'd chased since I was sixteen, yet I turned it down without a second thought because Lucas needed a wife to fulfill his grandfather's dying wish. I had convinced myself another opportunity would come. Looking back now, I realized I had been the only one making sacrifices.

Footsteps echoed from the hallway, jolting me back to reality. 

My heart lurched. 

I quickly closed the notebook, slid it back into the drawer exactly as I'd found it, then hurried out of the office, quietly shutting the door behind me.

By the time I reached the kitchen, I had almost convinced myself that I wasn't going to cry. I forced myself to breathe, swallowing the lump in my throat as I tried to pull myself together.

Lily sat on one of the island stools, happily swinging her little legs while playing with a beautiful doll. Its long golden hair shimmered beneath the lights, and the tiny dress looked very expensive.

Sophia sat beside Lily, gently brushing the doll's long golden hair as Lily watched with delighted giggles.

"There," Sophia said with a warm smile. "Now she's even prettier."

Lily's face lit up. "Thank you, Aunt Sophia!"

The words stopped me in my tracks.

"Mommy!" Lily looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she waved me over. "Come and see! Aunt Sophia bought her for me.”

I forced a smile. "It's beautiful, sweetheart."

Sophia smiled back as though we were old friends. "I hope you don't mind," she said sweetly. "We passed a toy store this morning, and Lily couldn't stop looking through the window."

"It was very thoughtful of you," I said quietly.

"Oh, that's not all!" Lily chirped excitedly. "Aunt Sophia said she'll take me to the biggest toy store in New York next weekend." She clapped her hands, unable to contain her excitement. "And Daddy said maybe he'll come too!"

My gaze shifted to Sophia. She smiled softly as she ran a gentle hand through Lily's hair. "It'll be a nice family day," she said.

Family. The word struck me like a knife. Once again, I was reminded that everyone around me seemed to know exactly where I belonged—outside of it. 

Lily looked from Sophia to me, her innocent face glowing with excitement. "Mommy..." 

I smiled despite the ache in my chest. "Yes, sweetheart?" 

She paused for a moment before saying the words that shattered what little remained of my heart. "I wish Aunt Sophia was my real mommy." 

The kitchen fell into a heavy, suffocating silence. Lily looked at me with those innocent eyes, completely unaware of what she had just done.

"My friends said Aunt Sophia matches Daddy better," she continued softly. "And Aunt Claire said Daddy smiles more when she's around."

Every word felt like another crack splintering through my heart. Even so, I smiled, the same gentle smile I’d worn for the past three years, the one that hid every hurt I refused to let anyone see.

I walked over, knelt beside Lily, and kissed her forehead. "Sweetheart," I said softly, "why don't you take your doll upstairs for a little while? Mommy needs to talk to Aunt Sophia."

Lily looked from me to Sophia with wide, uncertain eyes. "Am I in trouble?"

I gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shook my head. "No, sweetheart. Go on." 

She hugged the doll to her chest, nodded, and skipped happily out of the kitchen. The moment she disappeared around the corner, I slowly turned to Sophia.

The warm smile she'd been wearing all morning vanished. She folded her arms across her chest and held my gaze with visible cold amusement.

"Don't you think you're overstepping your boundaries?" I asked curtly. 

Sophia let out a soft laugh. "Boundaries?" she echoed, her tone dripping with mockery. "Oh, Emma... don't be ridiculous." She tilted her head, studying my face before a knowing smile spread across her lips. "You found the notebook, didn't you?"

Every drop of blood drained from my face, and she noticed immediately. 

She took one slow step toward me, then another, and whispered, "I wondered how long it would take, before you realized you've been living the life Lucas planne

d for me." 

I bit the inside of my cheek until it hurt as the truth settled deeper.