Chapter 2

When Lisa finally woke up, she was already in the hospital.

Her hands trembled as she touched her flat stomach. A wave of grief washed over her. The baby was gone. And she knew, deep down, that her marriage to Nick had ended too.

The door opened. She turned her head and saw Nick walk in, his fingers tightly interlaced with Susie’s.

Susie’s expression was icy, her eyes slightly red. She glared at Lisa with barely contained anger. “Mrs. Horden, I’ve already stayed away like you wanted. Why did you send people to threaten my parents? Can’t you control your husband, so you take it out on us instead?”

Lisa froze.

She didn’t even understand what was happening. Her first instinct was to look at Nick. But his gaze never once met hers. It rested fully on Susie, soft and admiring, as if she were something precious.

Lisa’s heart clenched. He used to look at her that way too, with warmth and tenderness that made her believe she was his whole world.

She could still hear his voice saying, “My dear wife, you’re the best. No one else compares to you.”

Now, he couldn’t even spare her a glance.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. She ignored Susie and asked quietly, “Nick, why didn’t you save our baby?”

“You should be asking yourself why you got pregnant without my permission,” he said coolly, his voice sharp enough to cut through the air.

“So in this marriage, I don’t even have the right to want a child?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Nick didn’t hesitate. “That’s right.” His tone carried the authority of a man who expected absolute obedience.

Tears blurred Lisa’s vision. Her chest felt heavy, her heart breaking all over again.

“I didn’t come here to talk about your baby,” Susie interrupted, crossing her arms. “Mr. Horden, you promised to handle this. I want an explanation.”

Nick gently patted her back to calm her, then turned to Lisa with a cold, chastising look. “Lisa, you pushed Susie away and threatened her parents. You owe her an apology.”

Lisa’s pulse quickened. “I didn’t do it. I won’t apologize.”

Nick’s eyes darkened. “Still causing trouble?”

“I really didn’t,” she insisted, shaking her head.

His expression turned even colder. Without another word, he waved toward the door. Two bodyguards stepped inside.

“Are you going to apologize yourself,” he asked, “or should they help you?”

Lisa’s heart stopped. She met his eyes, searching for even a trace of the man she once loved. There was none.

He turned slightly. “Help her,” he said flatly.

Cold terror ran through her. She had lost.

The bodyguards dragged her out of bed and forced her to bow her head. Her voice was hoarse and shaking. “I’m sorry.”

When it was over, she bit down on her lip until she tasted blood.

Nick looked at Susie, his tone suddenly soft again. “Will you accept her apology?”

Susie nodded but lifted her chin, her expression firm. “Mr. Horden, thank you for everything, but this is over. My parents would never let me be someone’s mistress, and I won’t let them suffer because of me.”

Nick’s lips curved faintly. “That’s easy to fix. Then you won’t be the mistress.”

He pulled her closer into his arms, took out his phone, and called his lawyer. “Draw up the divorce papers. Give Lisa one hundred million.”

Lisa stared at him in disbelief, her heart feeling like it was being torn apart piece by piece. The man who had once risked his life just to marry her was now divorcing her for his mistress.

Nick tilted Susie’s chin up possessively. “Once the divorce is finalized, you’ll be my only girlfriend.”

Susie wrapped her arms around him, her voice sweet and steady. “Then I’ll give you one chance. If you ever betray me, I’ll walk away without hesitation.”

As she said it, she glanced at Lisa from over Nick’s shoulder, a smug smirk flickering across her face.

Nick smiled softly, his eyes full of affection for the woman in his arms. Hand in hand, they left the room together, leaving Lisa sitting alone on the floor.

She watched them go and let out a quiet laugh. It started small, then grew until tears blurred her vision. She was laughing and crying all at once, the sound hollow and painful.

Not long after, Nick’s lawyer arrived with a folder in hand. “Mrs. Horden,” he said politely, “Mr. Horden asked me to have you sign the divorce papers. He also wanted me to tell you that this isn’t real. He says once he’s had enough fun, he’ll come back. You two will remarry and start over.”

He placed a black card and an envelope on the table. “There’s a hundred million in this account. Your wedding anniversary is in two weeks. Mr. Horden hopes you’ll take a short trip after that, give him some private space. But don’t worry, he said he’ll remarry you once you return.”

Lisa stared blankly at the papers. Did Nick really think she couldn’t live without him?

He was wrong. She once couldn’t leave because she loved him.

But now, she no longer wanted to.

Without a moment of hesitation, Lisa signed the divorce papers. Then she took the card and the plane ticket, ready to walk away for good.