Chapter 2

Just when I envisioned a rosy future ahead, tragedy struck. Andrew was in a bad car crash.

He lingered in a coma for two weeks before breathing his last, leaving behind Claire, eight months pregnant.

Understandably, Lucas lent a hand to Claire, a grieving widow with a baby on the way.

I knew Claire was the woman Lucas had once pined for, but I had unwavering faith in his love for me.

After all, she was his brother's wife. Morality and common sense told me there was no way they'd be together.

The time we'd spent rescuing each other from our emotional pits made me certain we were inseparable.

But my confidence was misplaced. Little did I know how hard I'd be smacked in the face later.

When Andrew was alive, Claire was a pampered wife living the dream. Lucas might have had a twinge of regret, but there was no obsessive hold.

Then Andrew's death happened. Overnight, the woman who was supposed to be the happiest in the world lost her husband and the father of her child.

She became a pitiful sight. At the sight of Claire's tears and her swollen belly, Lucas' usual carefree demeanor started to crumble.

He began to keep tabs on Claire and her baby-to-be. Anytime there was an issue at Claire's, Lucas would dash over.

Claire, used to being spoiled at home and then doted on by her husband, found herself alone after her parents and husband passed.

She started relying on Lucas. One night, she called, sobbing that she just wanted a bowl of pasta because she couldn't cook and had messed up the kitchen.

How could Lucas turn a deaf ear to the woman he once adored?

That was the first time he bailed on me in the middle of an intimate moment, leaving me alone in an empty room.

Once it started, it didn't stop. Whether it was a busted TV, a broken balcony window, or unpaid bills, Claire would call, sniveling for help, and Lucas couldn't say no.

Night after night, I was jolted awake by that ringtone, watching my husband rush out to see another woman.

At first, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. After all, we'd saved each other, and he'd promised in front of everyone to love me and make up for my family woes.

I believed him, just as he'd believed in me when my parents spewed those cruel lies at our wedding.

I thought our love was built on mutual trust. But Claire got more and more pushy, and Lucas kept bending his rules.

Lucas and I were gearing up to start a family of three. But Claire caught wind of our plans. Before long, her tear-soaked call came through.

"If you have a baby, Benji, my little one with Andrew, will be left in the cold. He's already an orphan before even knowing his dad. It's so sad. And if there's another kid around, I don't think I can go on living."

Right after that emotional call, in the dead of night, she took off with baby Benji Summers.

Lucas wasn't happy with me. "You shouldn't be in such a rush to have a baby," he grumbled.

Then he pulled me out of bed and into the frigid winter night to search for Claire. "If something happens to them, it'll be on you," he warned.

But what did I even do? All I wanted was a child of my own, a piece of our love with Lucas.

But there I was, dragged out into the cold, scouring the nearby streets for hours.

With the winter chill in full swing, it was a real risk for Claire and the baby out there.

I knew some things needed sorting out, but finding them was the main thing.

So, I stayed up all night, not a wink of sleep, but still, no sign of them.

When morning rolled around, I trudged back home.

To my shock, there was Claire, sound asleep in my bed with the baby, and Lucas was bustling around in the kitchen, making them breakfast.

Lucas looked startled when he saw me. Then he stepped forward with an apologetic smile and tried to hug me.

"We found them late last night. It was too late to send them home, so I let them stay," he explained.

I let out a sarcastic laugh and pushed him away. "Then why didn't you tell me you found them?"

Lucas looked even more sheepish. He fumbled with his words for a bit and finally mumbled, "I forgot."

How crazy was that? The man who promised to take care of me for life made me freeze outside all night for another woman.

I lost it and slapped him right then. The noise must have been too much because Claire had woken up.

Then she shoved me aside and shielded Lucas, as if I were a heinous criminal.

"It's all my fault. Hit me instead," she pleaded, all weak-looking.

Lucas' eyes softened with pity for her. His guilt towards me started to fade.

He bent down, took off his slippers, and handed them to Claire.

"Emily, you're overreacting," he said.