Chapter 1

After I got pregnant, Lucas Carter forgot about our marriage registration for the seventh time.

Right outside the marriage registration office, I got into a car accident. When I'd lost all hope, I barely held it together through the pain of losing the baby and texted him that it was over.

But Lucas's assistant, Charlotte Evans, ran into his arms, crying. "It's all my fault. I kept begging you to stay with me, and that's why Nina got upset."

Lucas gently comforted her, saying he never really wanted to marry me anyway, and that losing the baby didn't matter at all.

Charlotte smugly sent me the recording, taunting me with it.

Lucas shrugged and said, "As long as Charlotte's happy."

But on the day I truly walked away, Lucas was desperate, bowing at every step, begging me to come back.

*****

"Why didn't you cook?" Lucas snapped.

When Lucas pushed open the door, reeking of alcohol, I was lying on the couch, watching my favorite drama.

Normally, as soon as he got home, I'd rush over to greet him, serving water, and taking his coat.

But today, I just glanced up at him and went right back to scrolling through my phone.

Lucas paused, then suddenly remembered something, rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out a necklace with no box.

"Anniversary gift. I didn't forget. I only had to drink a lot for work today. Could you make dinner? I'm starving," he said.

As he got closer, the air reeked of alcohol, with a faint trace of perfume mixed in.

I knew instantly whose perfume it was.

Honestly, it was kind of hilarious; Lucas had been out messing around, and now he came home acting hungry.

"Did you hear me?" Lucas frowned, pulled out his phone, and sent me 60,000 dollars.

This was how we operated; our conversation was nothing but endless money transfers.

After six years together, we went from talking about everything to formulaic replies, and finally, money transfers.

Lucas couldn't even spare the time to pretend anymore.

"I asked someone to pick out this necklace for you. If you don't like it, you can choose something else. I've already transferred the money." Lucas's voice was softer as he tried to explain.

I couldn't be bothered to look at him. My thumbs kept scrolling as I seriously enjoyed the video on my phone.

Maybe Lucas picked up on my mood, because he stopped talking and let out an annoyed sigh.

He was making a point to remind me he was still here. I thought for a second, looked at him, and asked, "So, when do you want me to move out?"

"Move out?" Lucas turned to face me, locking eyes with mine.

Before he could look relieved for a second, I shot back without hesitation, "I'll move out so your little assistant can move in."

Even though my voice was calm, one could still hear the pain in my words.

I was really, really hurting.

"What are you trying to pull now? I already told you; today was a business dinner, I lost track of time, and I got you your gift. This has nothing to do with Charlotte. Go make dinner, okay? Don't go overboard," Lucas snapped.

With that, he tossed his coat onto the chair and headed straight for the bathroom.

It was always like this. No matter how messy the place got, as soon as Lucas took a nap or a shower, I'd clean everything up so he'd have a nice meal waiting for him.

After a while, cooking dinner basically became our unspoken truce.

No matter how bad the fight was or how awkward things got, as long as I was willing to cook for him, that was our sign we'd made up.

The sound of water running in the bathroom filled the room, and Lucas's phone on the table lit up, showing a happy photo of him and Charlotte together.

It wasn't the first time I'd seen a picture of the two of them, but I never expected he'd actually use it as his lock screen.

We had been together for six years. At first, Lucas would proudly post about us on social media, but as time went on, he'd brush me off, saying it wasn't appropriate.

Who would've thought that even someone like him would end up setting a couple's photo as his lock screen?

The girl in the photo was Charlotte. Her family and the Carters went way back.

When they first started hanging out, things were pretty rocky. Charlotte's parents didn't want their precious daughter getting mixed up with Lucas, the Carter family's outcast.

But everything flipped after Lucas found success in business. His parents made up with him, and the Evans family even sent their little princess to be his assistant, saying it was for her to gain experience.

Back then, she was a stranger hanging around, but over time, they went from barely knowing each other to inseparable lovers.

I wasn't angry at Charlotte for getting involved. Flies only showed up when there was something rotten.

If it wasn't Charlotte, it would've been someone else, maybe a Jane or a Lisa.

If Lucas were a good man, everyone wouldn't be talking about him and his side chick.

Twenty minutes later, Lucas came out of the bathroom, the fresh scent of body wash covering up that sickening smell he'd brought home.

I was still sitting on the couch, watching his face go from hopeful to cold.

The dinner he was expecting never showed up, and his coat, shoes, and socks were still tossed all over the floor, like they were laughing at how he thought he mattered so much.

After six years of giving everything and taking care of him, I couldn't get a single kind word.

But the moment I didn't do anything, he shot me a look full of disgust. "Nina, I seriously have no clue what's going on in your head. Tomorrow's the family dinner, and Charlotte's coming too. Don't make things difficult for her."

Lucas reluctantly gave up arguing with me, grumpily grabbed his phone, and ordered takeout.

I acted like I didn't see him or his glare, and kept scrolling on my phone.

If he'd actually looked, he'd have seen the tears in my eyes.

My love for him had died long ago, silent and unnoticed.

"Did you hear me?" Lucas called out again, sounding even more irritated after placing the order.

I didn't bother to look up, muttered a low "Mm," my heart feeling hollow and desolate.

A family dinner was supposed to be for the family. Outsiders weren't meant to be there.

But every time, Lucas would throw the whole our families went way back thing in my face. To him, Charlotte might as well be his mom's favorite daughter.

He forgot that his parents never liked me anyway.

Whenever Charlotte was around, I ended up feeling like a total joke, left to fade into the background, like I didn't exist.

The worst was when I cooked up a whole feast and brought it out, only for Lucas's mother, Angela Carter, to send me right back to the kitchen, saying I wasn't good enough to sit at the table.

She pulled Charlotte close and introduced her to everyone as her future daughter-in-law.

I lost it and caused a scene, but Lucas snapped at me, saying I was being rude and making a fuss over nothing.

From beginning to end, I was the outsider in that family.