Chapter 3

I couldn't bear to listen to another word and stepped around the corner.

"Katherine? D-Did you hear us?"

Lucas jerked away from Addison as though he had been burned, the color draining from his face. He instinctively moved toward me and reached for my hand, but I stepped back before he could touch me.

My gaze dropped to the hand that had held mine through countless streets over the years. Now, the mere sight of it made my stomach turn.

"Don't touch me. You're disgusting."

Lucas' hand froze in midair. His eyes reddened as he stared at me.

"Katherine, I made a mistake. I was really drunk that night. Everyone kept pushing me to drink, and I don't even remember how I got to the hotel, much less what happened afterward."

He hurriedly raised a hand as though taking an oath.

"I swear you're the only woman I love. That night was an accident. Please forgive me just this once, Katherine. Think about everything we've shared over the past seven years. We're supposed to get married next year!

"I'll take Addison to the hospital right now and have her end the pregnancy. I promise you'll never have to see her again!"

At those words, Addison's face went white as she looked at Lucas in disbelief.

"Enough."

I looked him dead in the eye. "You've betrayed me, and that's a fact. If you're so worried about Addison, you can marry her instead. I'm not marrying you."

With that, I turned and headed for the exit.

All of a sudden, Addison rushed in front of me, dropped to her knees, and clung tightly to the hem of my dress.

"Katherine, this is all my fault. Please don't call off the wedding! I was the one who didn't stop him that night, so please don't blame Lucas. If I ruin your relationship, I'll never be able to forgive myself!"

She sobbed so hard that she could barely catch her breath. The sudden movement also left her face deathly pale.

Upon seeing this, Lucas immediately hurried over and helped her up.

"Stop moving around like that! You're pregnant, and you can't work yourself up!"

Then, he turned to me with a hint of reproach in his eyes. "Katherine, I'm the one who screwed up. If you need to lash out at someone, lash out at me. Addison is carrying a baby. Can you please stop upsetting her?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

How had he managed to make me the villain?

Just then, footsteps approached from the end of the hallway. Beatrice and several relatives had come looking for us.

"Lucas, Katherine, what are you two doing out here? They're about to cut the cake—"

Beatrice cut herself off midsentence. Her gaze moved from Addison, who was crying beside Lucas, to Lucas supporting her, and finally to my icy expression.

"W-What on earth is going on here?" she stammered.

There was no hiding the truth anymore.

Back in the ballroom, Lucas told the family everything from beginning to end.

His father, Peter Harlow, trembled with rage, so much so that he grabbed a cup from the table and hurled it at Lucas.

"You bastard! How could you do this to Katherine?"

The cup struck Lucas in the forehead, leaving a cut. Nevertheless, he remained on his knees without saying a word.

Beatrice burst into tears as well. She pounded her fists against Lucas and repeatedly called him a disgrace.

Then, she turned toward Addison, who sat quietly crying in the corner. More specifically, Beatrice's attention settled on Addison's stomach.

"You said you're pregnant. How far along are you?" she demanded.

"It's been three months," Addison answered softly, keeping her head lowered. "The doctor said it's a boy. My health is fragile. If I terminate the pregnancy, I might never be able to conceive again."

A complicated look crossed Beatrice's face. She appeared torn, but beneath her uncertainty was a faint glimmer of hope.

For several generations, the Harlow family had produced only one son, and Beatrice had always dreamed of having a grandson. In the past, she often hinted that Lucas and I should start thinking about having children.

Within moments, Beatrice's stance shifted. She walked over, took my hand, and began to cry.

"Oh, Katherine… I know how badly this has hurt you. Lucas is a complete bastard, and I promise he'll pay for what he did. But the baby didn't do anything wrong."

She sighed before cautiously suggesting, "What if we let Addison have the baby, then give her enough money to leave and stay out of your lives?

"Afterward, you can adopt the boy and raise him as your own. He'll grow up knowing you as his mother. Lucas will never dare cheat on you again. We'll all keep an eye on him and make sure of it. How does that sound?"

A chill ran down my spine as I listened to her.

For seven years, Beatrice had constantly checked on me and claimed to love me like her own. Yet, the moment a potential grandson entered the picture, she didn't hesitate for a second.

"Are you asking me to raise the child my husband had with another woman?" I asked.

Beatrice looked uncomfortable, but she continued to persuade me, saying, "Every marriage has its rough patches, Katherine. Lucas made one terrible mistake, but you're still the woman he truly loves. You've been together for seven years. Are you really going to throw all of that away over one mistake?"

"One mistake?" I couldn't help laughing.

I pulled my hand free and rose to my feet. "Yes. I won't allow even a single mistake."

With that, I opened the door and walked out of the hotel without a single backward glance.