Chapter 2

"What kind of family leaves a pregnant woman home alone?"

"If she had been brought in any later, you would've lost your life!"

When I opened my eyes, the doctor was flipping through my medical records and looking at me with complaint and regret.

I stared blankly at the ceiling, touched my lower abdomen, and felt as if a piece of my stomach was empty.

I asked the doctor in a hoarse voice.

"The baby…"

The doctor stared at my lips, which were so pale they were cracked, and sighed.

"If you had been brought in earlier, the baby might have been saved, but don't be too sad, there will be another chance…"

I touched my belly, and my tears finally burst out uncontrollably.

I took out my phone and sent my dad a message.

【Dad, I don't want to wait anymore, come pick me up today.】

I completed the discharge procedures, called a cab, and went back to get my luggage.

As soon as I reached the door of my home, I saw Lucas getting out of a car.

When he saw me, his brows knitted tightly, and he strode over and grabbed my wrist.

"Where did you go? I've been looking for you all morning."

"Do you know that this makes people worry?"

The Strawberry Bear bracelet on Lucas's wrist jingled with his movements.

I looked at the worry for me written all over his face, and I thought of the Lucas who had abandoned me to care about Sophie.

Suddenly, I could not tell which one was the real Lucas.

"I'm fine."

I pulled my hand free from his and walked into the house with no expression.

Lucas froze, and his face darkened.

"Nina Sterling, it's been a whole night, and you're still throwing a tantrum?"

He seemed to have run out of patience, walked over, and grabbed my shoulders.

"I already said that other than the title of wife, I can give you anything you want."

"You don't need to fight Sophie over this, because it's just a marriage license."

"Having two wives isn't impossible."

I looked at his certain face.

He had decided that all my unhappiness was because he did not marry me.

He thought I was just being jealous.

He believed that after so many years of feelings between us, I would never bear to leave him.

My phone rang once, and it was Dad.

I lowered my head and looked.

【Nina, Mr. Finch will pick you up in an hour.】

I looked at his face and laughed softly in calm.

"Okay."

I was leaving anyway.

I did not care about any of this anymore, and I did not want to waste words arguing with him.

When Lucas saw my smile, he let out a breath of relief.

He thought I had finally figured it out.

He kissed my forehead gently.

"That's my good girl, and the coach from the boxing match has arranged a celebration party for me tonight, so stay home like a good girl."

"I'll take Sophie with me, and I'll come back once the socializing is over."

Lucas nodded with satisfaction.

He got into the car, and the exhaust sprayed all over my face.

A call came into my phone from Attorney Carter.

4

"Hello, Miss Sterling, I have a lead regarding the matter about your mother that you asked me to investigate last time."

"I'm at the coffee shop, and I'll send you the address."

"Really? I'll head over right now."

My dad was a giant in the business world, and countless rivals watched him closely.

They could not do anything to my dad, so they turned their aim toward my mom.

They bought smear stories claiming that my mom was the mistress who seduced my dad, and they even released evidence.

Public opinion online turned completely against my mom.

She was born into a scholarly family, and after being cyberbullied until her mind fell apart, she could not take it anymore and finally took her own life.

Even now, the real person behind it all had never been found.

This had always been the thorn in my heart, and five years ago, I contacted Attorney Carter.

Now, there was finally a lead.

I walked toward the coffee shop full of hope.

But as soon as I walked into the coffee shop, I saw Lucas and Sophie on the couch in the corner.

His group of friends was there too.

"We drank too much, so we came out for some air."

"Hey, Sophie, I heard Lucas say that Nina's mom used to be a mistress?"

"Isn't her family super poor? If she lives off Lucas, how could her dad have money to keep a mistress?"

One of Lucas's friends asked.

Sophie let out a soft scoff, as if she was too embarrassed to say it.

"I'm not sure, but that's what Lucas told me too, and I heard she ended up jumping off a building…"

Laughter broke out all around them.

"Then doesn't that mean Nina inherited her mom's legacy, hahaha!"

"Hey, Lucas, isn't that right?"

A wave of teasing surged over.

I looked at Lucas, expecting to hear his explanation.

But Lucas had his arm around Sophie's shoulders, and when he heard that, he only gave a soft laugh.

He did not deny it.

That heart-rending rage surged into my chest.

I still remembered when I cried and told Lucas about all of this, and he held me with heartache and swore.

"Nina, from now on, I'll protect you in your mother's place."

"I believe your mom was definitely not that kind of person, and we'll investigate together and find the truth for your mom."

The vows from the past were still vivid in my mind.

But now, he had actually taken the deepest thorn in my heart and told it to others as a joke.

Sophie was even laughing at my mom without restraint with everyone else over there.

A sky-high rage surged up inside me.

I picked up a cup of coffee and rushed straight over.

Then I splashed it hard in her face.

"Ah!"

Sophie screamed and threw herself into Lucas's arms.

Before I could raise my hand to hit Lucas, he suddenly stood up and shoved me hard.

My waist hit the corner of the table behind me, and the wound that had not yet healed began bleeding again.

"Nina Sterling, what the hell is wrong with you?"

He looked at me angrily.

I lay on the floor and felt as if my whole body had been torn apart.

With red eyes, I gritted my teeth and asked him.

"Why did you slander my mom with them?"

When he noticed my pale face, he froze for a moment, and guilt flashed through his eyes.

"I…"

Just as he was about to say something, Sophie cried out from his arms.

"Lucas, my eyes hurt, and I think coffee got in them, so am I going to go blind…"

Lucas could no longer care about me, and he picked her up in his arms and went to the hospital.

His friends looked at me with sneers.

"A mistress still wants to hit the real girlfriend, how shameless!"

When I came out of the coffee shop, it was pouring rain outside.

The Sterling family car had stopped at the entrance according to the location I sent.

A bodyguard got out and opened the car door.

"Miss, please get in."

……

After Lucas accompanied Sophie through the examination and confirmed that nothing was wrong with her eyes, he thought of my pale face at the coffee shop and could not help feeling a little worried.

"What happened this afternoon was too impulsive of you, and since you only hurt Sophie because you were jealous, I won't hold it against you."

"Are you feeling unwell? I'll go with you for a checkup when I get home."

He hung up the phone and was just about to go home.

Then several of his friends called.

"Lucas, we saw Nina get picked up by a luxury car."

Lucas froze and spoke in shock.

"What?"