Chapter 2

2

Caspian's hands jerked forward as if to catch me, but he stopped himself. He pulled back, his face returning to a mask of cold indifference.

"There's no need for violence, Mr. Zhao," Caspian said smoothly. "Just make her apologize."

He turned to me, his voice dripping with fake pity. "Lyra, I didn't think you'd fall this far. I thought you had some self-respect left. To think you've degraded yourself like this."

"I know you're kneeling there because you want my forgiveness. But I have Talia now. Don't flatter yourself by thinking you can crawl back to me."

Talia chimed in, "Look at her! She's so manipulative. She even brought a cake. And wait, is that a pack of condoms in the bag? Were you planning to seduce my man?"

"She's probably been with everyone in the building by now. How disgusting."

Caspian remained silent, clearly agreeing with her.

The cake was for Gideon. The condoms were also carefully chosen for Gideon.

My ex-husband was so delusional he actually thought his pathetic self could fit into a size large.

I ignored the throbbing in my knees and slowly stood up.

"Don't get it twisted. None of this was for you. You're part of my past, and nobody misses the trash they threw out."

I needed to get away from them before Gideon found out. If he saw this, he'd keep me in bed for three days as punishment for getting hurt.

But my words struck a nerve. Caspian grabbed my jaw, his brow furrowed in anger.

"What kind of game are you playing? So what if I was a little cold to you? I'm not saying you can't come back. If you please me right here in front of everyone, I'll let you be Talia's little pet."

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Are you out of your mind?"

He sat back on the plush leather sofa, acting as if he were a king waiting for a servant.

"I'm dead serious. Isn't this what you wanted? I'm being generous because I feel sorry for you."

Talia bit her lip, whining to him. "Honey, she's been with so many men. You'd bring that filth into our home?"

"She's just a gold-digger using her fake luck powers to stay relevant. She's a jinx, Caspian."

I had reached my limit. I looked at her with pure ice in my eyes.

"If I hadn't exhausted my spirit to save Caspian, he would have died in that car wreck three years ago. You wouldn't even have a man to cling to."

"The real jinx is you, Talia. I haven't forgotten how he ended up in the hospital with a broken pelvis because he was cheating with you. Who's the real gold-digger here?"

Back then, I had already saved him a hundred times. I felt a sudden, massive danger approaching him. I used every drop of my divine power to ensure he survived that crash. It left me as a normal human.

A few days later, I went home to get him some things. I found him in bed with Talia. The room smelled like a cheap motel.

I was so shocked I dropped a vase. He panicked so much he actually injured himself in the middle of the act.

Talia told him I was a curse. She said I had been lying for years and that all his bad luck started with me.

He believed her. He screamed at me.

He beat me until I couldn't move while Talia watched, kissing him as I bled.

In that moment of agony, I let go of him forever.

Even during the divorce, I never told him that Talia was the source of the darkness following him.

Now, Talia was making that same pathetic face, trying to get Caspian to defend her.

Caspian narrowed his eyes at me. "Lyra, you used to worship the ground I walked on. I'm giving you a chance to be near me again. Don't be ungrateful."

I just shook my head. "I told you, I'm with someone else now. The cake and the extras were for him."

"Stop living in a fantasy world."

His face contorted. He looked like he wanted to explode.

"Liar!"

"You could never love anyone else! You're buying cakes for another man? Who is he?"