Chapter 3

I had just finished packing my suitcase when I noticed a figure standing in the doorway.

"I advise you not to embarrass yourself. If you're smart, you'll divorce Lucas."

"Stolen love will never last."

"You probably don't know this, but I've known Lucas for longer than you have."

She slowly approached me, her contemptuous gaze making me extremely uncomfortable.

"You don't think I secretly filmed that video I sent you, do you?"

"There's a folder named 'ERO' on Lucas's computer E drive. It's full of videos he recorded himself. He says they're all proof of his love for me."

I looked at Evelyn's superior expression and let out a scornful laugh.

"If he loves you so much, why didn't he marry you?"

"As long as I'm here, you're nothing but a mistress who can't see the light of day."

Evelyn seemed to be angered by the word 'mistress'. She grabbed my hair violently.

"Are you proud of being Lucas's shield?"

"So what if you're Lucas's wife? Has he touched you in the two years you've been married?"

"You think you're worthy of competing with me for Lucas?"

She slammed my head against the bedside table. My eyes were covered in blood, and I was in too much pain to fight back.

Just when I thought she was going to continue assaulting me, she grabbed my hand and suddenly slapped herself with it.

"What are you doing?!"

Lucas's angry shout came from the doorway.

He pushed me away and, upon seeing the handprint on Evelyn's face, he turned to glare at me fiercely.

"Is this how you show you can't accept Evelyn?"

"At first, I really thought you had changed and become sensible. I didn't expect you to pull these tricks behind my back."

"How many times do I have to explain to you that Evelyn and I are just friends? Can you stop being so paranoid?"

My face was covered in tears and blood. Faced with his fury, every muscle in my body tensed up.

Evelyn fell weakly into Lucas's arms.

"Lucas, don't blame Aria. This is all my fault."

"I shouldn't have come here to bother her... I'll leave right now if it means you two can make up!"

Evelyn shot me a triumphant smile from Lucas's arms.

When I met Lucas's angry eyes, my heart sank to the bottom.

"I didn't hit her..."

"Enough!"

Lucas slapped me to the ground. "You vicious woman, how dare you lie!"

"I've been too lenient with you!"

He dragged me up from the floor, ignoring my bleeding forehead, and locked me in the stairwell.

"Stay in there and reflect on what you've done wrong. I'll let you out when you've figured it out!"

The stairwell was dark and cramped, without a hint of light.

I have claustrophobia and am terrified of being alone in enclosed, dark spaces.

But even though I shouted until my throat was raw and scratched the door until my fingers bled, Lucas showed no signs of softening.

After what seemed like an eternity, the housekeeper finally opened the door from the outside.

She threw a bag at my head.

"Mr. Graham has taken Miss Rose to a gala. The temperature's dropping tonight, and he's worried Miss Rose might catch cold. He wants you to bring this coat to her."

I opened the bag. The coat was a limited edition from last month's Paris Fashion Week. Just one of its cufflinks was worth over a million dollars.

"Alright."

I took the bag and went back to my room to get my packed suitcase and documents.

Then I went to the study to find the file Evelyn had mentioned, copying all its contents.

As I passed the housekeeper on my way downstairs, I said quietly,

"When Lucas returns, tell him I've left him a big surprise in the study."

Then, without looking back, I took a taxi straight to the airport.

Only when I was seated on the plane did I dare to let out the frustration I had been holding in my heart.

Three years. It was time to end this dysfunctional love.

At the gala, Lucas waited for over an hour but didn't see me.

He called me countless times, but every call went straight to voicemail.

He drove home and frantically questioned the housekeeper.

"Where did my wife go?"

"Did she act strange before she left?"

Scared by Lucas's behavior, the housekeeper answered truthfully.

"Mrs. Graham went to your study before she left."

"She also said... she left you a gift."