CHAPTER 4

The words came out without hesitation.

Rachael studied her face. “Are you sure?”

Lydia gave a small, bitter smile. “I've never been more certain of anything.”

“Good.” Rachael reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Then we'll do it properly. I'll help you find a lawyer, and we'll make sure they don't take advantage of you.”

“Thank you.”

“Stop thanking me for doing what any decent friend would do.” Rachael brushed a tear from Lydia's cheek. “You don't have to face this alone.”

Lydia leaned back against the cushions, closing her eyes for a moment. The exhaustion was beginning to catch up with her. Her body needed rest, but her mind refused to settle. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the hospital room, Williams's cold expression, and Clara standing beside him with that innocent smile.

She had loved that man.

She had loved him enough to convince herself that his indifference was temporary, that his family's cruelty was something she could endure, and that one day he would finally understand what she had sacrificed for him.

Now, she couldn't even look back at those years without feeling ashamed.

Rachael remained beside her, holding her hand without forcing her to speak. The silence stretched between them, broken only by the occasional sound of a passing vehicle outside.

After a while, Rachael drew in a deep breath.

“Lydia, there's something I've been meaning to tell you.”

Lydia opened her eyes and turned towards her.

“What is it?”

“It's time you went back home.”

A faint crease appeared between Lydia's brows. “What home?”

“Your home, Lydia. The one you've been avoiding for years.”

For a moment, Lydia said nothing. Then her gaze drifted towards the window.

Rachael knew exactly what she was referring to.

The Osborne family had never made much effort to understand Lydia. They had mistaken her patience for weakness, her silence for ignorance, and her modest lifestyle for a lack of means. Even Williams had grown accustomed to treating her as though she had nowhere else to go.

But there was a part of Lydia's life he had never bothered to understand.

“You've spent seven years trying to prove yourself to people who never intended to accept you,” Rachael continued, gently rubbing her knuckles. “You've allowed them to treat you like someone who should be grateful simply because they gave you a place in their family. But you don't have to keep doing that.”

Lydia looked down at their joined hands.

“I'm tired, Rachael.”

“I know.” Her friend softened her voice. “And I'm not asking you to fight them today. But I think it's time they found out who they've been dealing with all these years.”

Lydia's expression changed slightly.

For the first time since leaving the hospital, her thoughts moved away from Williams and Clara. Somewhere beneath the hurt and exhaustion, a memory stirred. A life she had deliberately kept at a distance, a name she had stopped using, and a family she had convinced herself she no longer needed.

Perhaps Rachael was right.

Perhaps it was finally time to stop hiding.

***

At the Osborne manor, the atmosphere was considerably different.

Clara sat comfortably on the large sofa in the family lounge, cradling the newborn in her arms. Matilda Osborne occupied the seat beside her, watching the baby with an affection she rarely extended to anyone else.

“Oh, look at those little fingers!” Matilda cooed, gently touching the baby's palm. “He has Williams's hands. Just look at how tightly he's holding your finger.”

Clara smiled, adjusting the blanket around the infant.

“He's been sleeping quite well, Mother. I think he only cries when he's hungry.”

“That's because you're taking such good care of him.” Matilda leaned closer, brushing her lips against the baby's forehead. “My grandson. Finally, someone to carry the Osborne name forward.”

Williams sat opposite them, scrolling through something on his phone. He occasionally glanced towards the baby, but his attention was elsewhere.

Matilda eventually looked up.

“By the way, what about Lydia? Has the hospital discharged her?”

Williams placed his phone on the coffee table. “She should be discharged soon. I spoke to the hospital administrator this morning.”

“And you haven't gone to see her?”

“I have more important things to handle here.” He leaned back, looking towards Clara. “Besides, she needs some time to get over what happened.”

Clara lowered her gaze to the baby, carefully adjusting his cap.

“I hope she isn't too upset with me,” she murmured. “I know she has every reason to be angry, but I never wanted things to become this ugly. I sometimes wonder if I should have refused the whole arrangement.”

Matilda immediately reached for her hand.

“Don't start that again, Clara. You've done nothing wrong.”

“But what if Lydia decides to take legal action against us?” Clara asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “She was so angry when I saw her at the hospital. I'm frightened she might try to make trouble for the baby.”

Williams's jaw tightened.

“Let her try.”

Clara looked up at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

“Williams…”

“I said don't worry.” He leaned forward, his gaze settling firmly on her. “I promised my brother before he died that I would protect you and take care of his family. I'm not going to allow anyone to threaten you or this child. Not even Lydia.”

Clara's fingers tightened around the blanket.

“Thank you. I don't know what I would have done without you.”

Williams gave her a reassuring nod.

Matilda watched them with approval before returning her attention to the baby.

“You have always been a good brother, Williams. Your brother would be proud of you.”

Williams said nothing, but the words seemed to settle his mind.

Clara lowered her face towards the infant, hiding the small smile that crept across her lips.

Lydia was a bigger obstacle than she had anticipated, but that didn't matter anymore. The baby was here, and the Osborne family had already accepted her as his mother. All that remained was to remove the one person standing between her and the life she wanted.

Williams.

She had spent years watching him remain tied to Lydia by marriage, and she was done waiting. She would do whatever it took to finally push that woman out of his life and take her rightful place beside him.

This was only the beginning.

“Have you spoken to the doctors?” Matilda suddenly asked, drawing Williams's attention. “I don't want any loose ends. The last thing we need is for someone from that hospital to start talking.”

Williams picked up his phone again, checking the screen before answering.

“Everything has been handled. The doctor who supervised the insemination has already left the country.”

Matilda's eyebrows lifted. “You've sent him away?”

“I arranged for him to relocate immediately after the delivery. He's been given enough money to stay out of trouble, and he knows better than to return.”

“Good.” Matilda nodded approvingly. “We cannot afford a scandal. The family name is too important.”

“There's nothing to worry about.” Williams slipped his phone into his pocket. “Lydia can't do anything. I know how she behaves. All I need to do is speak to her calmly, and she'll eventually let this go.”

Clara glanced at him.

“Are you sure she'll forgive you?”

Williams gave a dismissive wave. “You don't know Lydia the way I do. She gets emotional, makes a scene, and then comes around when she realizes she's going nowhere. She has nowhere else to go.”

Matilda chuckled softly.

“Then perhaps you should visit her when she gets home. You know how stubborn women can be after childbirth.”

Williams nodded, already convinced the matter would soon be forgotten.

At that moment, the butler entered the lounge.

“Good afternoon, sir. Madam.”

The three occupants turned towards him.

“What is it?” Williams asked, his attention returning to his phone.

The butler approached with a large brown envelope in his hand.

“A parcel was delivered for you, sir. It came from Madam Lydia.”

Williams frowned.

“From Lydia?”

“Yes, sir. The courier said it was urgent.”

He took the envelope from the butler and turned it over. His wife's name was written neatly across the front, with the Osborne manor listed as the delivery address.

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Perhaps she's finally come to her senses.”

Clara looked up from the baby. “What did she send?”

“I'm about to find out.”

Williams tore open the envelope and pulled out the documents inside. His eyes moved casually over the first page, but the smile gradually disappeared.

He stopped turning the pages.

For several seconds, he remained motionless, staring at the document in his hands.

Matilda noticed his expression.

“Williams? What is it?”

He didn't answer.

“Son?” She leaned forward, her forehead creasing. “What's wrong?”

Williams slowly lowered the document, revealing the bold heading at the top.

**PETITION FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE.**