Chapter 2
By some miracle, I got to start my life all over again.
I quietly pushed James away and started putting my clothes back on.
James paused for a moment, then smiled and leaned in closer.
He asked, "What's wrong, Quinn?"
I stood up and deliberately moved away from him.
Even one more second near him made me feel sick, dirty, and disgusted.
I stared at him, expressionless, and asked coldly, "James, does that mean if we never have a child, you can't treat me well for the rest of my life?"
James thought I was just overreacting and let out a laugh.
He reached out to pull me back.
He said, "Quinn, that's not what I meant.
"You love kids, don't you? How about we have one of our own?
"Trust me, even if we never have a child, I'll be good to you for the rest of my life.
"You know me, keeping my word means everything to me."
I scoffed and pulled away from James.
James really meant it when he made a promise.
He gave Claire his word, so right before our wedding, he actually went and got snipped.
He promised he'd treat me right for a lifetime, and after he hit it big in the previous life, he made sure I never lacked for anything.
He really did stay with me till the end.
He only told me the whole truth when I was on my deathbed.
If it weren't for him, I never would've had to go through any of this.
He just stood by, watching coldly as his mother tormented me because of his selfishness.
He watched me torture myself, trying all sorts of crazy things just to get pregnant with our child.
He watched as people mocked me, watched me grow old, and watched me give everything to raising his and Claire's child.
All of this, every single thing, happened because of him.
I took a deep breath, trying to keep my hands from shaking. I smiled at James and said, "Let's get a divorce.
"James, I regret it."
James instantly panicked when he heard me mention divorce.
He hurriedly got out of bed and pulled me into his arms.
He said, "Quinn, we just had our wedding today. Why? Why are you saying this?
"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry, okay? Marriage isn't something to take lightly. Please don't say things like that out of anger.
"We've already had the wedding, and all our friends and family have given us their blessings. How can we just get divorced like this? How would that even look if word got out?
"My mom finally got to show off a little in front of the family, finally got to feel proud. If we end up getting divorced the day after the wedding, how do you think she'll handle it?
"Quinn, can you just be reasonable? Let's not say things we'll regret later, okay? If you feel like my asking you to have a baby is too much, we can take our time, okay?"
James kept trying to talk me out of it, listing all the pros and cons, hoping I'd change my mind.
But I didn't react at all.
Seeing me like that, his expression hardened, and he shoved me aside.
He demanded, "Quinn, did your friends say something to you at the wedding today?
"Is it that you look down on me now?
"Yeah, I know I don't have any money right now, and I can't give you the life you deserve. But it won't always be like this. I'll make it, I swear. I'll give you a good life.
"I know your parents aren't happy with me, and you've had to put up with a lot because of it. But my family's super traditional.
"You know how things are: my dad passed away early, and my mom's been hoping I'd settle down and give the family a child. Can't you even get that?"
Seeing James so hysterical, I couldn't help but think of Lucas visiting me in the hospital in my previous life.