All Chapters of You Had This Divorce Coming: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Holding her swaddled daughter, Lucille Sandwell kept her voice steady, though a hint of hope slipped through. "Gideon, today is our daughter's one-month milestone. Can you come pick us up?"On the other end, Gideon Prescott's voice remained even and unreadable. "Something came up. I'll have the driver bring you and the baby home."He was always busy with work. He had missed the birth and her entire first month postpartum. Now the baby was finally a month old, and he still could not make it.A dull ache spread through Lucille's chest, but she fought back her tears. "All right. I understand.""Lucy, you've always been independent. I'm sure you can handle something as small as giving birth on your own. Keep it up. You're the best mom." Then Gideon hung up.His encouraging, managerial tone stung like a needle.Just then, Howard Quinn, one of Gideon's close friends, called. "Lucy, something came up tonight, so I can't make it to the baby's one-month party at Starcrest Hotel. Sorry about th

Lucille drove back to Blossom Court, the villa she shared with Gideon.When she pushed open the front door, Grace Lewis, the elderly housekeeper, and Nancy Wells, the maternity nanny Lucille had hired, were playing with the baby.The moment they saw how pale she looked, both women were startled."Ma'am, what happened to you?"Lucille forced a faint smile. "I'm fine. I'm hungry. Please make me something warm."She took the baby from Nancy's arms. The turmoil inside her eased as she looked down at the soft pink face.She kissed the baby's cheek, then gestured for Nancy to carry her back to the nursery for a nap.Grace soon brought the soup.Lucille had barely taken a sip of the hot broth when several new photos appeared in her work email.The anger she had just suppressed surged back.The sender was anonymous.The images showed Gideon at Rayne's side, from pregnancy through childbirth. The proof was unmistakable: clear shots, intimate angles, taken in parks, hospitals, and restaurants. E

After the examination, Lucille remained asleep.The doctor stood in the hospital room and explained her condition to Gwen. "The patient's body is severely depleted after childbirth. She has already suffered a major hemorrhage and undergone emergency treatment, so she is highly prone to hypoglycemia and fainting. Make sure she receives adequate nutrition, and do not expose her to intense emotional stress."Nancy sighed from the side. "Ma’am never truly recovered after the baby came. In the first half of the month, her breasts were so swollen and painful that she barely dared to eat. In the second half, the baby kept waking up at night crying from an upset stomach, and Ma'am insisted on nursing her herself."She hasn't had a single full night of sleep. During the day, she was still working. Her body never had the chance to recover."Gwen nearly lost her temper. She called Gideon again and again, but he never answered. In the end, she snapped a photo of Lucille lying in the hospital bed a

Gideon sat amid the wreckage of his living room and lit a cigarette. "Grace, haven't I treated my wife well enough? Did she really have to lose her temper like this?"Grace continued sweeping as she tried to soothe him. "You've treated her well, Mr. Prescott. In five years of marriage, I've never seen either of you raise your voices. But women often go through emotional swings after giving birth. Postpartum depression is common. More than anything, she needs her husband to be there for her."Gideon frowned. "You're saying this is postpartum depression? Other women have children and don't change this much. They stay gentle and considerate."Grace paused. "Other women?"He realized he had misspoken and averted his gaze. "I mean, my cousin gave birth recently too, but her temperament hasn't changed at all. She's still mild and never acts this unreasonably."A thoughtful look crossed Grace's face. "Well. I imagine she has her husband's full attention. Unlike Ma'am, who has carried eve

Gideon was just about to snap at Gwen."Gwen—" He broke off mid-sentence.His gaze shifted. He saw Lucille walking toward them and noticed the strip of tape over the IV mark on the back of her hand. His lips parted, as if he meant to speak.Before he could, Rayne suddenly cried out, "Giddy, I think a shard got stuck in my leg. It hurts so bad."She lifted her skirt. A piece of glass no bigger than a bean was embedded in her pale calf, blood already seeping around it.Gideon's eyes sharpened. He tore his gaze away from Lucille without hesitation and crouched to examine the wound."It’s in deep. That needs to come out immediately. You’ll probably need a tetanus shot, too." He grabbed Rayne's wheelchair and pushed it toward the ER without a second thought.The nannies gathered the baby and followed close behind.Lucille tugged at the corner of her mouth in a silent, mocking smile, her face etched with ridicule. By then, she felt numb, as if she had lost the ability to feel anythin