Chapter 3

Adrian sneered first.

"I thought you weren't coming back."

Lucas glared at me coldly.

Emily looked tense and entirely flustered. "Claire, hi. I just... I just came over to keep Lucas company."

I smiled.

"It's fine. You can come over whenever you want from now on."

I paused and looked at Adrian.

"Have you made a decision about the divorce?"

His face darkened, and he stared at me for a long time.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Or do you want Emily to just awkwardly hover between us forever?"

Emily's face instantly went pale.

Adrian's smile vanished completely.

I met his gaze with absolute calm.

This time, I knew for a fact he would agree.

I knew exactly how much Emily meant to him.

They had grown up together and dated for two years.

When Emily's family went through a crisis, she moved overseas, and they lost touch.

Adrian searched for her for a long time before finally giving up in bitter resignation.

Then he met me.

We fell in love, got married, and everything was perfect.

Until one day, I found out he was secretly keeping photos of Emily.

I broke down and we had a massive fight.

That was when he mocked me and said:

"You think I would've looked twice at you if you didn't look like her? If Emily were here, you wouldn't even be allowed in the same room as me."

And then, Emily actually came back.

I didn't end up completely unable to touch him, like he had claimed.

But he did grow colder to me with every passing day.

He started seeing Emily more and more.

I didn't know exactly how far they had gone.

In the past, I thought that for Lucas's sake, I could endure my husband's betrayal. I could pretend I didn't see what was happening with Emily. I just wanted to give my son a complete family.

It was only later I realized how pathetic that thought was. My son didn't give a damn about me as a mother.

He accepted Emily almost immediately, treating her with more respect than he ever showed his own biological mother.

Of course he did. Emily came from a respectable background, returned from abroad, and was the woman Adrian truly loved. She was sweet and gentle with Lucas and never disciplined him.

And Lucas had always worshipped wealth and status.

I should have seen it clearly the moment he looked down on my parents' old apartment and complained that Robert's spaghetti was tasteless.

In this house, Adrian was the one who could satisfy his vanity.

So wherever Adrian's heart went, Lucas's followed.

I had only come back today to pack my personal belongings.

Divorce wasn't a small matter.

Adrian cared deeply about his public image; he wouldn't agree easily.

He was also entirely used to ignoring my feelings.

But with Emily here, things were actually much easier.

Adrian stayed silent for a long time, giving me a warning glare.

I pushed harder, deliberately provoking him. "What? Is Emily not good enough to be your wife? Or are you about to confess you actually love me more?"

"Because if you do, I won't give up my title as Mrs. Gray for anything."

Emily bit her lip until it turned white, lowering her head as tears started hitting the floor one by one. She looked incredibly pitiful.

Lucas immediately panicked, grabbing a tissue and handing it to her.

"Emily, don't cry."

As he said it, he shot me a vicious glare.

As if Emily were his real mother.

"Dad, just divorce her! She's just throwing a tantrum. She'll come crawling back to beg you anyway."