Chapter 2
That evening, a photo suddenly popped up in the group chat. Curious, I clicked on it. My heart sank as I saw the image. Luke was cradling Liora in his arms, his face filled with concern as a doctor carefully treated the scratches on her palms.
I recognized the doctor. It was Kieran, one of Luke‘ s close friends. The group quickly buzzed with excitement.
One person commented, [I see you‘ ver rekindled things with your first love. But our boy is pretending to be a big shot again!]
Another chimed in, [I thought the marriage. certificate was fake, but you actually got her back. Congrats, mate! Here’s hoping for a baby soon!]
Someone else added, [So, the whole ‘no marriage‘ thing was just because you were waiting for your first love, huh? Phew! So
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loyal and devoted. Man, you deserve a wife like her!]
Then, Kieran joined in, saying, [I’ve been saying it for years. Luke and Liora are perfect for each other. After missing out for so long, they’ve finally come together. I’d suggest any other losers have some self–respect and stop interfering.]
The chat kept rolling with jokes, one more crass than the next.
Someone even suggested, [Calista has a pretty face and a nice figure. She should be kept as a lover. Why waste her? It would be such a shame to throw her away just like that.]
Another person laughed at the chat. [Luke, whenever you get tired of playing with her, just send her my way. I’ve already got three and one more won‘ t hurt!]
I watched the conversation unfold, my stomach twisting. They had no idea who I really was. I had joined this group months
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ago, pretending to be a playboy, fitting into their world without revealing my true.
identity. But as I read their words, I learned something even more important. I saw Luke’s true color.
He finally responded in the chat, acting as if he was defending me, [Hey! Even if Calista isn’t as good as Liora in every way, she’s still my woman. Shut your filthy mouths up, jerks!]
Kieran shifted the conversation with a teasing remark, [Since you‘ ve already got the certificate, try hitting the road early and tying down your first love with a baby!]
Luke playfully replied, [Keep talking and I’ll make you regret it!]
But just a few minutes later, Luke‘ s show- off nature came to the surface. He sent a picture of a red sheet sprinkled with red petals of roses. The caption simply read, [Tonight.]
The group immediately erupted, with all
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the guys chiming in, offering crass advice. on how to hit the “target” on the first try. Their words were too vulgar, so I closed my eyes, refusing to read any more of the obscene messages flooding the screen.
An hour later, another message from Luke appeared. He just casually sent, [Mission completed.]
At that moment, my heart shattered into pieces.
Without thinking, I posted a picture of a pregnancy test showing two lines along with the abortion slip to my Instagram close friends. The caption I added was brief: [No luck, see you in heaven.]
The first person to like my post was Liora, using her secondary account. Not long after, she posted a quote, [Knowing your place is the first step toward meaningful growth.]
It was clear, like a victorious rooster, she was eager to flaunt her win, relishing in the
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pain she knew I was feeling.
Not long after, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and found that it was Luke. My hand hovered for a second before I clicked the button to hang up.
I expected him to call again, maybe even try to explain or chase after me. However, as the minutes ticked by, there was nothing. No follow–up calls. Just silence.
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head.
“What are you thinking, Calista Hale?” I muttered to myself. “Tonight is the wedding night he’s been dreaming of for years with his first love. Did you really expect him to walk away from that and come back to you?”
The last thread of hope snapped. I turned away from my phone and began to pack my things. I tossed out the couple’s mug we used to share. I cut up the tie I had given him, the one he never seemed to wear anyway. I gathered all the jewelry he had
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given me, the ones I had not bought myself and locked them away in the safe.
In the end, I had packed less than two suitcases. Two suitcases were all that
remained of three years of love and sacrifice.
It was just the crack of dawn when I stood at the door, waiting for the bus. I had barely begun to process everything when an unexpected guest showed up.
Luke stepped out of his Mercedes Maybach, fury radiating off him. Without warning, he kicked over the suitcase sitting
next to me.
His voice boomed, “Calista Hale, are you insane? That’s my child and you had no right to abort it without my permission!”
He glared at me, his voice rising again, “Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? That’s my flesh and blood!”
I could not help but laugh at his sudden burst of righteousness, his newfound sense
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of moral outrage. It was almost comedic, given how absent he had been in everything that mattered to me before.
I bent down to pick up my suitcase, determined to leave, but he grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to face him.
“The marriage certificate really is just a piece of paper! I told you, you’re still the one and only Mrs. Grayson. I can give you anything you want, you name it. A house? A car? More money than you can spend? Why are you being so stubborn?”
Slap!
With a sharp sound, my hand flew across his face, turning his head to the side. My voice was cold, laced with anger I had held in for far too long.
“You’re still lying to me? Even now?”
I glared at him, feeling the weight of betrayal pressing on my chest. “What? Are you waiting until you and Liora have a child before you finally admit to your affair
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with her?”
His pupils dilated in shock and he stammered, his voice barely a whisper, “I… I didn‘ t…”
The sight of him was so hesitant, so weak and it filled me with disgust. I looked at him with nothing but disdain.
“What a coward.”
Without saying anything else, I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and started walking. This time, Luke did not stop me. However, as I moved farther away, his voice rose. behind me, filled with frustration and
anger:
“Without me, you’ll never be the wife of a rich man again in your life!”
Who cares?
That was not what I was looking for
anyway.
