Chapter 4

"Don't be too upset. Just focus on getting better. And make sure you sign the divorce papers soon, don't hold Lucien back. Sophia's pregnant, so they need to get married quickly. Otherwise, the baby will be born without a proper name," Madeleine said.

Douglas nodded.

"Yeah, we should get this done. Michelle, you and Lucien should part ways peacefully. We won't shortchange you when it comes to money. We'll give you 1.5 million dollars, that should be enough for you to live on," he said.

Lucien finally spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Michelle, I... I'm sorry for what I've done to you and Lorenzo. But Sophia... she's carrying my child, and I need to do right by her. Can you... can you understand?" he said.

I slowly lifted my head and looked at them.

I looked at the man I'd been married to for four years, the in-laws I'd called Mom and Dad for four years, and the woman who'd taken over my bed, slipped into my pajamas, and was now pregnant with my husband's child.

My eyes were dry, not a single tear.

So this was what it felt like when the pain was so intense that crying was impossible.

I just felt cold, a chill seeping from deep within my bones.

I opened my mouth and heard my own voice, quiet, detached, like I was talking about something that had nothing to do with me.

"Alright," I said.

Just one word.

I said it: "Alright."

Madeleine looked pleased and grabbed Sophia's hand.

"Come on, Sophia, let's get you home. Mrs. Carter will make you some chicken soup to help you recover. You're eating for two now, so you need to take care of yourself," she said.

Douglas turned to Lucien.

"You stay here and handle the rest of the paperwork. Come back as soon as you're done," he said.

They left.

Lucien stood there, watching me, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something.

But I didn't give him the chance.

I held Lorenzo close, turned around, and walked out of the hospital, slowly, step by step.

The hallway seemed endless, the harsh white lights making everything feel even colder.

I heard Lucien calling out to me from behind, but I never looked back.

Lorenzo was dead.

He died in the bathtub while his father was sleeping with another woman.

And when his grandparents learned the other woman was pregnant, they just said, "Dead is dead."

Alright then.

Wonderful.

As I stepped out of the hospital, the night breeze brushed past me. I clutched Lorenzo to my chest and pressed a gentle kiss to his icy forehead.

"Don't be afraid, Lorenzo," I murmured.

"Mommy's here."

"The ones who made you suffer, who left you in the cold? Mommy will make sure they feel a cold a thousand, ten thousand times worse than we ever did."

The day Lorenzo was buried, the sky was gray and gloomy.

I didn't invite anyone from the Carter family, and none of them asked to come either.

Madeleine called me once, not to ask about Lorenzo's funeral, but to push me to sign the divorce papers.

She said Sophia was having terrible morning sickness and they needed to make things official soon, otherwise it might upset the baby.

I said, "Alright. I'll come to your place in three days to talk."

I picked the burial spot myself, a small plot tucked beneath a sweet osmanthus tree.

In autumn, the tree will bloom with fragrant yellow flowers. Lorenzo loved bright colors, so he'd probably love those little yellow blossoms.

I laid him to rest there, placing his favorite toy car and a lock of my hair beside him.

"Lorenzo, Mommy has something she needs to take care of," I whispered.

I knelt in front of the tombstone, brushing the dust off his photo with my fingertip.

"I might be away for a while and won't be able to visit you as often. Don't be upset with Mommy, okay? Once I'm done, I'll come back and be with you every day, alright?"

The picture showed Lorenzo smiling, his eyes curved into little crescents.

I smiled back, but as I kept smiling, tears finally rolled down my cheeks.

"Mommy loves you," I whispered softly. "Forever and always."

From the cemetery, I went straight to the law firm.

Joseph Rey had referred me to Arthur Charles, a well-known lawyer who specialized in divorce and equity disputes.

I briefly explained my situation. Arthur pushed up his glasses and asked,

"Ms. Turner, what do you want out of this?"

"I want a divorce. I don't want anything, no money, no property. I'll leave with nothing," I said.

Arthur was taken aback.

"Leave empty-handed? Ms. Turner, by law, you're entitled to at least half of everything you and Lucien built together. And those equity rewards from the profits you brought to Carter Group, even if they're under Lucien's name, are still marital property. You absolutely have the right to ask for your share," he said.

"I don't want half," I said.

I looked out the window at the city skyline, where Carter Group's headquarters stood out among the skyscrapers.

"I just want what's rightfully mine, the apartment I owned before we got married, the trust fund my parents left me, and the shares I earned as CFO over the past four years," I said.

"That's worth a lot. The Carter family won't give it up without a fight," Arthur said.

"They will. Trust me," I replied.

I turned to look at Arthur.