Chapter 2

Just as I finished speaking, Lucas's call came through.

His tone was as lazy as ever, yet laced with unmistakable irritation.

"Still alive? If you are, come by the villa. Vanessa and I ran out of the usual brand we use, and I can’t stand anything else. You know what I like, right? Bring it over. I’ll send you the address."

Before I could respond, he hung up. Moments later, my phone buzzed with a message—an address.

In the past, I would have swallowed every ounce of pain and humiliation, dragging myself to complete whatever task Lucas threw at me—out of guilt, out of some desperate attempt to lessen his resentment toward me.

But not anymore.

Without a thought, I opened a delivery app and hired a courier.

My best friend set down the bowl of porridge she’d been holding, her eyes red as she tucked the blanket around me.

"Lily, why are you still holding on to Lucas? How much more does he want? How long is he going to keep torturing you? Does he want to drive you to the edge?"

I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and forced a weak smile. She had been secretly wiping her own tears ever since she stepped into the room.

"Don’t worry. He can’t hurt me anymore."

Lucas was furious when I didn’t deliver the items myself.

In retaliation, he froze my bank account and had the doctor throw me out of the hospital.

After gathering my things, I made my way back to the Kingston estate.

The moment the housemaids saw me, their faces twisted with disdain.

"Look who’s back—the walking disaster. Take a good look, everyone. Once again, she’s got nothing left in that belly. What a disgrace."

"Exactly. How many times has it been now? She can’t even carry a child to term, yet she still dares to show her face here? If I were her, I’d have hidden away in shame long ago."

"What can we say? We’re just the hired help—we could never compete with a face as thick as hers. Otherwise, maybe we’d have what it takes to be a high-society wife too."

I walked through the front hall, unbothered. By now, I had learned to tune out their whispers.

Unfortunately, I walked straight into Lucas and Vanessa in the living room as they sat with Karen Kingston, Lucas's mother.

The moment she saw me, Karen slammed her teacup down, her voice laced with venom.

"Lily, come here immediately!"

I halted on the stairs. My guilt toward Grandma Eve had never faded.

Slowly, I turned and walked toward Karen.

Karen’s anger flared—she didn’t even bother offering me a cushion. I knelt on the cold floor, pain stabbing through my knees.

My body had yet to fully recover, and when the wooden ruler struck my back, a sharp cramp shot through my abdomen.

"Hmph. Tell me, how many times has this happened? Even a stray dog can give birth to a litter every year. But you? You’re not even as useful as a mutt!

"You should never have gotten pregnant in the first place! At least then, you wouldn’t have caused so much trouble.

"Look at yourself. Do you think this is what Grandma wanted? If she were still alive to see you fail for five years straight, she would’ve made Lucas divorce you long ago! And yet, you shamelessly cling to this family like a parasite!"

Their insults and scorn were a brutal reminder—I had overstayed my welcome. It was time to leave.

I raised my head and looked at the very person responsible for my repeated miscarriages.

The first pregnancy happened a month after our wedding. An entire month of relentless physical strain had left me hospitalized, my body battered beyond repair.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was overjoyed. I thought my child would mend the rift between Lucas and me.

I was wrong.

Lucas merely scoffed, a cold smirk tugging at his lips.

"You think you're worthy of carrying my child?"

Before I could react, he forced a handful of bitter abortion pills down my throat. Within half an hour, searing pain tore through my abdomen, and I lost my first baby.

The second pregnancy came just as Lucas started seeing Vanessa. To keep her happy, he made me drink ten bottles of champagne.

I refused.

So, he did it himself.

After two bottles, I began to bleed.

The third time, I suffered because I failed to deliver certain “toys” on time. As punishment, he made me kneel outside the estate all day.

That night, Lucas sought a new thrill—kissing Vanessa passionately in front of me, their laughter twisting like knives in my heart.

The overwhelming humiliation and heartbreak stole my third child from me.

At that time, I had been carrying twins.

The grief shattered me—so completely that my heart stopped beating. I barely survived.

The last pregnancy lasted the longest.

Seven months.

For the first time, I dared to hope. I thought, maybe this time, I’d finally give birth.

But fate had other plans.

…

Lucas sat there the entire time, utterly indifferent, as if the children I lost had nothing to do with him.

Beside him, Vanessa looked down at me, eyes glinting with triumph, her smirk filled with condescension.

Karen, exhausted from hurling insults, tossed the wooden ruler aside and collapsed onto the sofa with a frustrated sigh.

"If only I’d held firm against Mother’s wishes and never agreed to your marriage! Now look at this mess—bringing a cursed wretch into our family was the worst decision we ever made!"

I let out a bitter laugh as I sat on the cold floor.

I had endured too much heartbreak in this house—Grandma’s passing, Lucas’s affairs, and in five years, I had lost five children…

"If that’s how you feel, then I’ll do as you wish," I said. "I’ll divorce Lucas. That way, the Kingstons can finally be rid of me."

For the first time, Lucas hesitated. His gaze flickered toward me, a fleeting moment of uncertainty in his cold eyes.

Then, a sharp laugh cut through the silence.

"Hah. You think you can just say the word ‘divorce’ and walk away?"

Before I could react, Lucas’s hand shot out, seizing me by the throat and slamming me onto the table.

His grip was crushing, suffocating, as if he truly meant to strangle me.

"You think your debt is repaid? That you can just kill someone and walk free?" His voice was ice, laced with fury.

"The world doesn’t work that way, Lily!"

He finally let go, but the force sent me reeling backward into the wall behind me. A sharp pain exploded in the back of my skull, followed by a warm trickle of liquid seeping down my neck.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

When I came to, I found myself back in the villa where Lucas and I had spent our early days as newlyweds.

Lucas was there, his expression unreadable as he handed me a glass of water.

I drank it without a word. Drowsiness crept in almost immediately, and I sank back into the bed, my body surrendering to exhaustion.

Half-conscious, I caught the sharp scent of alcohol and felt someone fumbling with my clothes.

As I struggled to resist, Lucas—drunk beyond reason—grew irritated.

"Oh? Playing the chaste woman now?" he sneered. "Weren’t you desperate to carry my child before? Now that I’m giving you the chance, you’re acting all coy. What’s that supposed to mean?"

His words sent a shiver down my spine. Anger surged through me, and before I could stop myself, I slapped him across the face.

"Lucas Kingston! I just had a miscarriage!" My voice trembled with fury. "The doctor said I need rest—there’s no way I can go through this right now!"

For once, my defiance gave him pause. He held my gaze, his dark eyes searching mine as if trying to see past my words, past my pain.

Then, with a scoff, he stepped back, shaking his head.

"You really know how to put on a show," he said coldly.

"Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. How else could you have fooled me into loving you five years ago?" His voice dropped, dripping with contempt.

"You’re the reason Grandma died."

The words struck me like a dagger to the chest, hollowing me out with pain.

Just like that, the moment was over. He straightened, his usual careless smirk returning as if nothing had happened.

"Recovery?" He let out a low chuckle. "You didn’t give birth—why should you get to rest?"

Then, as if I were nothing more than a household servant, he turned away.

"My mother hasn’t been feeling well these past few days," he added casually. "Starting tomorrow, you’ll be moving in to take care of her."

…

Karen delighted in tormenting me over the pettiest matters, and Lucas knew it well.

The next morning, before the bodyguards escorted me to her, Vanessa found me first.

She rested a gentle hand on her stomach, her expression soft and content. The sight was a cruel reminder of who I used to be before I lost everything.

Seeing my hollowed-out gaze seemed to satisfy her.

"You’d better mean it when you say you want a divorce," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

"Don’t try any of those pathetic tricks—letting go only to cling back harder. Lucas won’t fall for it."

She tilted her chin smugly. "You’re barely holding onto the title of Karen as it is. You should just give up now. Everyone knows I’m the better choice."

My face went pale, but I only gave a small, indifferent nod before following the bodyguards.

I was unprepared for the surprise that awaited me.

In the past, meeting Karen meant standing outside in the scorching sun or pouring rain for hours. Today, I was led straight through without delay.

She sat leisurely, sipping her tea, two identical divorce agreements placed neatly before her.

But the amusement in her eyes told me she didn’t believe for a second that I would actually leave.

She was waiting for me to break—to get down on my knees and beg.

"Are you sure you won’t regret this?" she asked.

I picked up the agreement and skimmed through it. It was hastily put together, thrown together carelessly—because she never imagined I would go through with it.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a set of papers, the ones my friend had helped me prepare in advance.

Without hesitation, I slid them across the table.

"No. I won’t."

Karen’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the document in front of her.

"You planned to divorce Lucas all along?"

I didn’t answer immediately.

Karen took a slow sip of tea as she composed herself.

"Does Lucas know about this?"

I thought for a moment before shaking my head.

"He doesn’t need to. He just has to sign the papers."

To sever ties as quickly as possible, I had willingly forfeited all assets—walking away with nothing.

Karen was visibly shocked. But since she had never liked me to begin with, my willingness to leave without a single demand seemed to satisfy her.

She didn’t press further and simply agreed to have Lucas sign the documents.

From that moment on, I would be free. Lucas, his family, and everything tied to them—gone from my life forever.

I nodded and turned to leave.

But just as I reached the door, Karen’s voice stopped me cold.

"Wait."

Her sharp gaze locked onto me, a chilling weight in her words.

"There’s still one matter left unsettled."

She set down her teacup with deliberate precision.

"My mother’s death."