Chapter 2

Lucas Sinclair and I had been childhood sweethearts, and Zoe was the girl next door. My dad once saved Mr. Sinclair's life. So, when my dad died and my mom fell ill, the Sinclairs took me in. Mrs. Sinclair, ever the matchmaker, pushed Lucas and me to marry.

At first, it was perfect. Lucas loved me, really loved me. He'd hug me from behind while I cooked, his arms warm and safe around me. He'd whisper in the dark, "Marrying you has always been my dream," and I believed him. I felt like I was everything he ever wanted.

But then Zoe came back from studying abroad, and everything changed.

It started with the kidnapping. Zoe and I were taken, used as leverage against Lucas. I was terrified, but Zoe? She was calm, brave, everything I wasn't. When Lucas rushed to save us, he went straight to her. "This is what I owe Zoe," he said, which confused me.

From that day on, he changed. The man I loved, the one who'd promised me forever, started slipping away. He ignored me, distanced himself. Every promise he made was broken, like a cruel joke. I begged him to stay, my heart shattering as the tears flowed, but he just brushed me off with that cold, dismissive look. "You're overthinking it," he said, as if I were crazy for wanting his attention, his love.

And then came the divorce papers. I couldn't do it. I couldn't sign them. Not after everything. I loved him too much. But it didn't matter, because he was already gone. I realized that now, he had left me long before he even put the papers in front of me.

Now, as a ghost, I watched him with Zoe in our home. His hands all over her, her laughter filling the empty spaces that used to be ours. It was like a knife twisting in my chest, but I couldn't look away.

Then the phone rang. Lucas answered, annoyed. "Hello, Mr. Sinclair. This is Dr. Harris. I'm sorry to inform you that your wife, Ava Bennett, passed away from cancer just now."

Lucas froze. "What?!"

The room fell deathly quiet after the call ended.

Zoe had clearly heard everything, her eyes flickering with some unspoken knowledge. But instead of showing any concern, she wrapped her arms around Lucas's neck, her voice soft and almost soothing as she whispered in his ear.

"Ava's really gone off the deep end, hasn't she? First, she uses her cancer to reel you in, then she won't stop calling this morning, and now she's claiming she's dead. Do you really think she's gone this far?"

Lucas didn't hesitate. His expression hardened, and all doubt vanished from his eyes. Gently, he brushed a lock of hair from Zoe's face.

"Of course not. She's just playing some game to avoid the divorce. She isn't afraid of the consequences."

I hovered in the room, my chest tightening with a sharp, bitter ache. I'd never lied to him. It was always him who couldn't bring himself to trust me. If death was the price I had to pay for loving him, then so be it.

Lucas's gaze shifted to the wedding photo hanging on the living room wall. He studied it for a long moment, his brow furrowing. Then, with a deep sigh, he spoke, his tone heavy.

"How did she end up like this? So manipulative, so cold. It's nothing like the woman I married... the woman she used to be."

He pulled out his phone and dialed my number. I watched the screen light up with each call he made, but no one answered. He tried again and again, his impatience growing with each unanswered ring.

He was convinced now, convinced I was just playing some sick game to avoid the divorce. The look on his face told me he was ready to send someone after me, drag me back, and force me to sign the papers.

But instead, Zoe wrapped her arms around him and whispered, her voice soft but determined.

"Luke, we just need to let Ava realize her mistakes. You know the one thing she really cares about is her mom. If you stop paying her medical bills, I bet she'll come crawling back, begging for forgiveness."