Chapter 4

The call came from my assistant's number, but the voice on the other end belonged to Sandra.

"Sorry, Lucas," she said. "When I woke up and didn't see you, I got scared. I told him to stop the car, but he insisted on taking me to the hospital. I don't want to go to the hospital—I can't go..."

While Sandra and my assistant wrestled for the steering wheel, they crashed.

My assistant was knocked unconscious. A passerby called the police.

Not knowing what else to do, she phoned Lucas.

The tenderness on Lucas's face vanished the instant he heard Sandra's voice.

Her words were soon drowned out by the wail of ambulance sirens.

The next time we heard a voice, it was a paramedic informing us Sandra had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and fallen into a coma. They urged the family to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Lucas's brows furrowed tight. When he turned to me, hesitation filled his face.

I took his hand. "I'll go with you."

He pressed his lips together, then said, "Alright. Thank you, Jessica."

He had never once used a nickname for me.

He said it was out of respect—because I was a decisive, strong businesswoman, names like Jessie or Jess didn't suit me.

But when we got to the hospital room and he saw Sandra lying there, pale as a ghost from blood loss, what he blurted out stopped me from following him.

He rushed straight to her side, his expression openly panicked.

"Sandy? Sandy!" he cried.

That single nickname, repeated over and over, froze my entire body in an instant.

Sandra's eyes fluttered open, and in an instant they grew red, brimming with tears.

Before any tears could fall, she urged Lucas to leave.

She shouted, "Go away! I don't want you here with me.

"Lucas, just go!

"Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Get out!"

Lucas furrowed his brows but didn't move.

But I sensed something was off.

Just as I expected, a woman burst into the room, crying loudly, holding the hand of a boy who looked about seven.

"Sandy? Sandy, are you okay?" the woman cried.

The boy beside her shouted, "Mom? Mom!"

He was wearing an elementary school uniform, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Beneath his short bangs, his eyes sparkled brilliantly.

I couldn't help but think of Lucas's eyes.

My heart clenched tight.

Lucas stared at the child, stunned.

Sandra yanked the boy close, covering his head tightly with her arms.

Her frail body shook as tears streamed down her face.

"Go," she said to Lucas. "M-my family is here. I don't need you here anymore..."

The boy, however, fixed those star-bright eyes on Lucas, examining him over and over.

Finally, he blurted out, "Mom, isn't this guy Dad?"

Sandra sharply interrupted him. "Don't talk nonsense! This isn't your dad."

But the boy wouldn't give up. He stomped his foot and yelled, "Yes, he is! You cry every night holding his picture."

He ran up to Lucas, pointing at him, yelling, "Where have you been all these years? Do you know how much mom and I have suffered?"

He cried and shouted as he spoke.

Sandra glared at the boy, her eyes red. She even slapped him. "Shut up!

"I told you, this isn't your dad. Absolutely not!"

Lucas stood rigidly to the side.

A cold chill ran through me. I didn't know what to say.

What could I even say? That all of this was Sandra's deliberate act? That her acting was clumsy and obvious?

But if I could see through it, couldn't Lucas see it too?

I sniffled, unwilling to witness this supposed family reunion.

Just as I was about to walk away, Lucas suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I kept my head down and said quietly, "Let's just call off the wedding. I'll have someone let everyone know I'm not feeling well, so nobody loses face."

But Lucas shook his head firmly. "No. We're not canceling. This is our wedding, and it's going to happen."

I lifted my head to meet his gaze, my eyes shining with tear stains.

He held my hands, sounding so serious it made my heart ache. "I'll take care of everything with the kid, I promise. But no matter what, I'm marrying you. I love you, Jessica. Only you. No one will ever take your place in my heart."

Of course, his words reached Sandra as she lay there in the hospital bed.

I noticed her whole body trembling, beyond her control.

When I looked into her eyes, I saw them glimmering with resentment—a hatred meant just for me.

For a split second, I felt the urge to make a gamble.

I wanted to see if, in Lucas's heart, I could ever outweigh Sandra—his old flame.

I spoke to Lucas slowly, "Our wedding will go on as planned. I'll be waiting for you there. If you don't show up, then there's no chance for us ever again."

He gave me a firm nod. "Don't worry. I'll be there, I promise."

As I left the hospital room, the woman who had come to see Sandra couldn't hold back any longer and began sobbing loudly.

I heard her say, "Lucas, you've misunderstood Sandy for seven years! She never betrayed you back then—she married someone else for your sake..."

"Please, Mom. Just stop it," Sandra said softly. "That's all in the past."

I didn't listen to anything else they said after that.

Because honestly, I didn't have much time left.

I still had a wedding to prepare for.

Chapter 4

The call came from my assistant's number, but the voice on the other end belonged to Sandra.

While Sandra and my assistant wrestled for the steering wheel, they crashed.

My assistant was knocked unconscious. A passerby called the police.

Not knowing what else to do, she phoned Lucas.

The tenderness on Lucas's face vanished the instant he heard Sandra's voice.

Her words were soon drowned out by the wail of ambulance sirens.

The next time we heard a voice, it was a paramedic informing us Sandra had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and fallen into a coma. They urged the family to get to the hospital as soon as possible.

Lucas's brows furrowed tight. When he turned to me, hesitation filled his face.

I took his hand. "I'll go with you."

He pressed his lips together, then said, "Alright. Thank you, Jessica."

He had never once used a nickname for me.

He said it was out of respect—because I was a decisive, strong businesswoman, names like Jessie or Jess didn't suit me.

But when we got to the hospital room and he saw Sandra lying there, pale as a ghost from blood loss, what he blurted out stopped me from following him.

He rushed straight to her side, his expression openly panicked.

"Sandy? Sandy!" he cried.

That single nickname, repeated over and over, froze my entire body in an instant.

Sandra's eyes fluttered open, and in an instant they grew red, brimming with tears.

Before any tears could fall, she urged Lucas to leave.

She shouted, "Go away! I don't want you here with me.

"Lucas, just go!

"Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you. Get out!"

Lucas furrowed his brows but didn't move.

But I sensed something was off.

Just as I expected, a woman burst into the room, crying loudly, holding the hand of a boy who looked about seven.

"Sandy? Sandy, are you okay?" the woman cried.

The boy beside her shouted, "Mom? Mom!"

He was wearing an elementary school uniform, a backpack slung over his shoulder. Beneath his short bangs, his eyes sparkled brilliantly.

I couldn't help but think of Lucas's eyes.

My heart clenched tight.

Lucas stared at the child, stunned.

Sandra yanked the boy close, covering his head tightly with her arms.

Her frail body shook as tears streamed down her face.

"Go," she said to Lucas. "M-my family is here. I don't need you here anymore..."

The boy, however, fixed those star-bright eyes on Lucas, examining him over and over.

Finally, he blurted out, "Mom, isn't this guy Dad?"

Sandra sharply interrupted him. "Don't talk nonsense! This isn't your dad."

But the boy wouldn't give up. He stomped his foot and yelled, "Yes, he is! You cry every night holding his picture."

He ran up to Lucas, pointing at him, yelling, "Where have you been all these years? Do you know how much mom and I have suffered?"

He cried and shouted as he spoke.

Sandra glared at the boy, her eyes red. She even slapped him. "Shut up!

"I told you, this isn't your dad. Absolutely not!"

Lucas stood rigidly to the side.

A cold chill ran through me. I didn't know what to say.

What could I even say? That all of this was Sandra's deliberate act? That her acting was clumsy and obvious?

But if I could see through it, couldn't Lucas see it too?

I sniffled, unwilling to witness this supposed family reunion.

Just as I was about to walk away, Lucas suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I kept my head down and said quietly, "Let's just call off the wedding. I'll have someone let everyone know I'm not feeling well, so nobody loses face."

But Lucas shook his head firmly. "No. We're not canceling. This is our wedding, and it's going to happen."

I lifted my head to meet his gaze, my eyes shining with tear stains.

Of course, his words reached Sandra as she lay there in the hospital bed.

I noticed her whole body trembling, beyond her control.

When I looked into her eyes, I saw them glimmering with resentment—a hatred meant just for me.

For a split second, I felt the urge to make a gamble.

I wanted to see if, in Lucas's heart, I could ever outweigh Sandra—his old flame.

I spoke to Lucas slowly, "Our wedding will go on as planned. I'll be waiting for you there. If you don't show up, then there's no chance for us ever again."

He gave me a firm nod. "Don't worry. I'll be there, I promise."

As I left the hospital room, the woman who had come to see Sandra couldn't hold back any longer and began sobbing loudly.

I heard her say, "Lucas, you've misunderstood Sandy for seven years! She never betrayed you back then—she married someone else for your sake..."

"Please, Mom. Just stop it," Sandra said softly. "That's all in the past."

I didn't listen to anything else they said after that.

Because honestly, I didn't have much time left.

I still had a wedding to prepare for.