Chapter 2

I knew about Addison. Lucas had mentioned her once in passing, though he assured me that they hadn't spoken in years.

Because everyone had a past, I never gave Addison much thought. Lucas had been so open about it that I trusted him and saw no reason to be suspicious.

Yet now, Addison had appeared at the wedding without warning.

One of her hands rested lightly on the noticeable bump on her stomach. She remained by the entrance, her eyes red as she stared at Lucas from across the ballroom.

The wineglass slipped from Lucas' hand and shattered on the floor.

Wine splashed across the hem of my dress, but he didn't seem to notice. His horrified gaze remained fixed on Addison's stomach.

All of a sudden, he sprang to his feet and strode toward the exit.

As I watched him hurry away, my stomach twisted with dread. I drew a deep breath, rose from my seat, and followed him out.

The moment I reached the corner, I heard Lucas' voice.

"Have you lost your mind? What are you doing here? Katherine and my entire family are right inside!"

Addison's voice choked with emotion. "I didn't want to come here either, but I didn't know where else to turn. The doctor said my uterine lining is too thin. If I terminate the pregnancy, I might never be able to conceive again."

Pregnancy?

My mind went blank. I bit down hard on my lower lip, too terrified to make a sound.

"You shouldn't have come here!" Lucas shouted, his voice strained with panic. "We were both drunk at the class reunion. It happened once. How could you have gotten pregnant?

"What am I supposed to do? I'm about to marry Katherine! You can't show up here pregnant and expect me to explain this to her!"

I remembered the reunion.

Three months ago, Lucas had attended a reunion with his former high school classmates. Late that night, he video-called me and explained that everyone had too much to drink, so they had booked several hotel rooms and planned to stay until morning.

I was worried he would wake up feeling sick, so I ordered a hangover remedy and had it delivered to the front desk.

Lucas never mentioned that Addison had also attended the reunion, let alone that they had spent the night together and even slept with one another.

We had been together for seven years.

Whenever we came close to taking our relationship further, Lucas would force himself to stop. Covered in sweat, he would retreat to the bathroom and take a cold shower.

Then, he would hold me and say, "I want to save everything for our wedding night."

I had always believed his restraint was proof of how deeply he loved and respected me, but reality had shown me otherwise.

His supposed devotion didn't even survive a few drinks, and that had been enough for him to end up in his ex-girlfriend's bed.

The seven years of restraint I had once treasured now felt like a cruel joke.

Lucas had always asked for my permission before doing something as simple as kissing my forehead. With another woman, however, he had cast aside every boundary he claimed to value.

Even the hangover remedy I had ordered because I was worried about him had ended up helping him recover after sleeping with Addison.

The thought of it made me sick.

Now, I finally understood why Lucas had adamantly refused to take part in the blessing the day before.

His stomach hadn't been acting up. He had refused because he was no longer a virgin.

Addison began sobbing harder and grabbed the hem of Lucas' shirt. "Lucas, I'm not asking you to take responsibility for us.

"I'm just scared, and I didn't know who else to turn to. I'll raise the baby on my own. I promise I won't come between you and Katherine."

"How can you say that?"

Lucas dragged an agitated hand through his hair. "This baby is mine. Do you really expect me to stand by while you struggle to raise our child alone? It's just… Katherine…"