Chapter 2

02.

The next morning, the sound of Lucien leaving woke me before dawn.

Today was the day his first love was flying back to the States. He couldn't wait to go pick her up.

They were childhood sweethearts. Their families had basically arranged their marriage since they were kids.

But after college, Sommer insisted on going to London to study, and she cut off all contact with him.

Lucien had flown to the UK and searched for her for three months, only to find her leaning happily against another man in a chapel, swearing her life to someone else.

He came back and drowned his sorrows in a dive bar, eventually passing out on the sidewalk.

I was the one who found him and took him to the hospital. When he woke up, he offered me ten million dollars to marry him.

I needed the money for my mother's medical bills, so I agreed. I didn't realize our marriage was just a weapon he used to spite Sommer.

Even after we had a child, he remained as cold as ice. He wouldn't even pick out a name for the baby.

Years of this had destroyed every ounce of hope I ever had for him.

I wasn't as naive as my daughter. I knew there was no place for us in Lucien's life.

After dropping her off at preschool, I went to the principal's office to submit her withdrawal papers.

I tried to stay composed while saying my goodbyes, but before I could even leave the building, I ran into Lucien and Sommer.

He was looking at her with such intense focus. He was showing her the school's facilities, his voice dripping with a tenderness I had never heard.

"This place is great. I'm a major donor here. If your son enrolls, there won't be any issues."

Lucien stiffened the moment he spotted me.

His gaze instantly turned cold, a thick layer of frost coating his expression. It was a warning. He was telling me to keep my mouth shut and stay away from Sommer.

For a second, it felt like someone had grabbed my heart and twisted it.

I was his legal wife, yet I was expected to act like a ghost in front of the woman he actually loved.

Once he saw that I was staying quiet and moving away, he relaxed.

He reached out and gently took Sommer's hand. Even as they brushed past me, I could see the overwhelming adoration in his eyes.

They walked further into the hallway just as the school bell rang for recess.

Lucien actually knelt on the floor to tie Sommer's shoelace. He was so meticulous, so devoted.

I realized my daughter was about to come around the corner and see them. I turned around, desperate to stop her.

I could handle Lucien not loving me. But I couldn't stand the thought of my daughter seeing her father being that gentle with someone else.

I was also terrified of what he would do if she approached him in front of Sommer. He would be furious.

But before I could move, my daughter's small figure appeared at the end of the hall.

She froze. The excitement on her face crumbled into a look of pure heartbreak. She opened her mouth to call for her dad, but the sound died in her throat.

She probably never imagined that her distant, untouchable father could ever look that kind.

When Lucien finally looked up, he noticed her standing there. He hesitated for a fraction of a second.

But it was only a moment. He stood up and pulled Sommer close, using his body to shield Sommer from the sight of our daughter. He didn't give the poor girl a second glance.

I rushed over to pick her up, trying to comfort her. But then I heard her whisper.

"Mommy, Daddy likes that lady. Is she... is she Daddy's Sommer？"

I shook my head, lacking the courage to explain any further.

My daughter found the answer in my silence. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small paper flower she had made. With tears streaming down her face, she tossed it into a nearby trash can.

I held her and sobbed quietly.

Lucien, you have two chances left. Then you lose us forever.