Chapter 4

“Please leave me, mum”, Daisy cried in pain as Josephine's nails dug into her skin.

But the older lady was not having any of it. 

Daisy looked at Lucas but he looked away. 

She kept crying, while trying to resist Josephine's force. 

“I don't want to sign them. I still love my husband. Please leave me.”

“But I don't love you!” Lucas shot back. 

She stood frozen. 

“You heard me right. I don't love you! And I don't want this marriage. I married you because of that stupid bet I made but you couldn't produce a child for me.” 

“For five years”, he continued with anger in his eyes, “For five years, I've tolerated you. I've tried to accommodate your low style but what's it all for? 

You couldn't give me an heir. But I'm done with this!

Nina is in my life now and I want to do right by her and my unborn baby. So just sign the papers and set me free.” 

Daisy sniffed, unable to process what Lucas had just said. 

She had always thought he married her out of love or he was just fond of her.

Now she realized that she was wrong.

With blurry eyes and a broken heart, she signed the divorce papers. 

What is the point of fighting for someone who doesn't love you? 

“Now there's progress”, Josephine smiled, finally letting go of Daisy's arm.

But the younger lady seemed too mortified to even walk away. 

“You can stay the night”, Josephine added, 

“But you won't get a single penny from us.” 

Daisy looked at her, too crushed to speak. 

“You heard me right. You won't get anything from us.” 

“Look up”, she said, pointing to the ceiling. 

“Can you see the little camera? There's another here and there too”, pointing to different locations. 

Daisy followed her fingers, looking at several tiny cameras in their different locations. 

“They’ve captured everything we wanted over the past few days…we ate with you, and treated you well…we'll edit the other parts…

so if the need ever arises, we can prove to the judge through the footage that we treated you right.”

Daisy looked at Lucas who stared back at her, coldly.

“My mum's right. This was just an additional step to the postnup I made you sign some days back.” 

He chuckled before he continued, “how could you even be so stupid? 

You signed documents without reading.”

“Anyway, now that this drama is over with, you can leave tomorrow. That'll be enough time to pack up your things.” 

After those words landed, they walked away.

She went numb, unblinking.

Before she realized, she was already outside the building with no luggage, no money…not even her phone. 

She turned back to look at the mansion.

The driveway had a gravel crunch and lined with lamps, the glass doors were floor to ceiling and the pretty plants had the same warm ambience. 

This was the place she accepted as her home.

Wanting to grow old here and nurture the house became her biggest goal. 

Until now.

She kept walking down the road, without direction…not knowing where or who to go to.

Her family were in another city but even if they were here, they would be the last people to take her in. 

After her dad passed, her mother and sister treated her badly.

She had to work double jobs to complete the university and after school, she managed to secure a job as a sales rep for an insurance company. 

But that didn't last. 

Her younger sister created a scene in her office and the boss had no choice than to fire her. 

That's when she picked up the job as a waitress in a club.

Lucas and his friends often frequented The club and they would stay for long hours.

They tried to get her attention but she was too focused on earning to survive rather than engaging with drunk rich folks.

Then one day, Lucas approached her…he said he wanted to be friends with her. 

He would stay back, wipe down tables with her and walk her home. 

That was the loveliest thing anyone had ever done for her since her father's demise. 

After a few weeks passed, he popped the question, ‘‘Will you marry me?’’

She was a bit hesitant because she did not know him too well but she promised to think about it. 

Her mother told her to back off so her sister could marry Lucas but she refused.

It was the first time she refused her mother and that was the last straw that broke the camel's back. 

‘Leave my house and never return, you selfish girl! I never want to see you again!’ 

Daisy pleaded with tears but her mother had already made up her mind. 

She kicked her daughter out with all her clothes and at that time, the only person she could turn to was Lucas. 

Fast forward to today, she found out that the man she loved never loved her. 

It was all a sham.

She was mid-step, far off from the Miller mansion and its neighborhood. 

Then a shriek of brakes sounded and her legs weakened. 

She lay on the ground, helpless.

The sky was too bright.

The driver's door opened and a man run out, 

“Oh my God, I didn't see you. I didn't –” 

He didn't finish…

He just lifted her carefully with his strong arms into the backseat of the car and drove to the hospital.

The last thing she saw was the car's ceiling. 

Meanwhile, in the Miller mansion, Josephine and her son were having a toast to getting rid of Daisy from their lives.

“This is the best day of my life”, Josephine beamed with pleasure as she savoured the wine. 

They did not care after finding out that Daisy had left. 

“But tell me something”, Josephine said, fixing her posture, “why didn't you tell me all this while that your marriage to Daisy was the result of a bet?”

Her son lifted his glass, spiralling the red liquid in it. 

“I really didn't think it was necessary. The boys and I made that brainless bet when we visited Victoria. She played hard to get so we made a 5 million dollar bet. 

If I convinced her to marry me, I'd get the money but if I lost, they'd have my money.” 

“That makes sense now,” Josephine laughed, “my son never leaves money on the table.”