Chapter 10

"From the moment you married Anne, you sealed our fate, Lennox! Don’t give me that ‘I did it out of responsibility’ crap. There are a million ways to help someone that don’t involve marriage,” I snapped, my frustration bubbling over.

“Kelly,” he pleaded, his voice thick with desperation. “I didn’t have a choice. My brother’s gone, and her baby would’ve been born fatherless. People would’ve ridiculed him. Anne’s an orphan—she has no one to turn to. How could I just leave her to raise a child alone?”

I almost wanted to laugh at how pathetic his excuse sounded, but I couldn’t.

“So she deserves your protection and sacrifice, huh? Did you ever stop to think about me? If we’d gotten married and had a child, what would we be to you? Just another family you have to deal with? While you were busy saving her, did it ever occur to you that maybe I needed saving too?” I asked, my voice thick with unshed tears.

"Lennox, your so-called love? It's worthless to me now. Please, just let me go," I begged, every word tasting like acid.

I had given up our child, not just to protect him from the stigma of being born out of wedlock, but to save him from the inevitable question that would one day haunt him: Why does Dad have two families?

Lennox’s eyes filled with tears, his bloodshot gaze locked on me. He was torn between me and his widowed sister-in-law, caught in a web of his own making. But I couldn’t be part of that anymore.

I turned, not even looking back.

The investigation into the incident moved fast. It wasn’t long before a tall, burly man stormed into Anne’s hospital room, his fury palpable. Ignoring her gasps, he slapped her across the face twice, each strike like a slap of reality.

“You shameless woman! Do you really think you can report me to the police for assault? Do you remember how you threw yourself at me? Now you’re playing the victim?” he shouted, venom dripping from every word. "You think marrying Lennox makes you untouchable? Guess what? That kid you’re carrying... it's mine. Let’s see how Lennox protects you now!"

Anne stood frozen, trying to speak, but the man was too far gone in his rage to listen. “Think Lennox’s last name will save you? That kid isn’t even his. It’s mine!” he shouted, his voice like thunder.

Anne’s face drained of all color. She started begging him to stop, but it was already too late. Outside the room, Lennox and his mother had heard everything.

Mrs. Green stormed in, fury etched into every line of her face. Without a word, she slapped Anne hard, the impact reverberating through the room. “You vile woman! I lost my real grandson because of you, and now you’re telling me this child isn’t even from our family?” Her voice cracked with rage and heartbreak.

The shock was too much. Mrs. Green’s knees gave way, and she collapsed, her eyes fluttering closed as her body crumpled to the floor.

Lennox, ready to go after Anne and the man, froze when he saw his mother faint. He rushed to call for help, and medical staff flooded in. After a flurry of tests, it was confirmed—Mrs. Green had suffered an acute stroke. She would be confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

When Mrs. Green learned of her diagnosis, silent tears slid down her face. Regret, deep and gnawing, took root inside her.

Lennox didn’t hesitate. He filed for divorce immediately, but Anne, desperate to hold onto her marriage, clung to him like a lifeline. This time, though, Lennox wasn’t playing along. He gathered the evidence of her infidelity, filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery, and made sure she left the marriage with nothing.

When I heard about the divorce, a faint sadness settled in my chest. But what else could I expect? We were adults. We made our own choices. And there were consequences—no exceptions.

(The End)