Chasing What Can't Be Had

"Vivian, don't you want to know whose child I'm carrying?" Anna asked.

I remained silent, quietly sipping my coffee.

"It's Luke's."

I still showed no reaction.

"He told me that once I have the baby, he'll throw you out of our home! He's even bought me a ring already." As she spoke, she flashed the diamond ring on her finger.

My heart stung. In the two years I'd been with Lucas, he had only ever bought me a ten-dollar ring. I cried with joy when he gave it to me.

I truly believed he wanted to be with me, so much so that I wore that ring for two years, never taking it off. Now, I realized that I was probably worth just ten dollars in his eyes.

The next evening, I received a call from Lucas' friend, Adam Montgomery.

"Vivian, Lucas is drunk. Aren't you coming to pick him up? Don't you want to marry him tomorrow?"

What nonsense! They thought the wedding was for Lucas and me?

Looking at the ring Lucas had once placed on my finger, I thought about returning it to him and simply replied, "I'll be there."

But as soon as I arrived at the bar, I overheard his friends teasing Lucas about me.

"Lucas, you really are charming. You've got a national swimming team prospect completely devoted to you. If Vivian hadn't injured her leg, she'd probably be a national champion by now, right?"

"National champion? What a joke! I saw her working part-time teaching kids to swim recently. Looks like she hasn't given up swimming, but she fell because her leg got inflamed.

"The parents even filed a complaint against her! Vivian's just useless now!"

Lucas sneered. "She likes doing those menial jobs. She could only earn a few hundred dollars as a swimming instructor!"

After being forced out of the swimming team, I had grown accustomed to all kinds of mockery. But Lucas, of all people, had no right to talk about me like that.

Had he forgotten that I left the swimming team because I saved his life?

"Lucas, are you really going to marry Vivian tomorrow? Married men can't go out and have fun anymore!"

"No way! Lucas doesn't even like Vivian!"

"Vivian is just Lucas' lapdog. If Lucas didn't pity her, he would have kicked her out long ago!"

"Speaking of which, why hasn't Vivian arrived yet? Usually, she'd be here within 15 minutes to help Lucas with his drinks. She's so slow this time—should we punish her by making her bark like a dog while drinking?"

Upon hearing this, I gave the ring to a server to deliver to Lucas and left. Shortly after I departed, Lucas' expression grew serious as he looked at the group.

"Don't talk nonsense in front of her! And from now on, none of you are allowed to insult her, or I'll be the first to deal with you!

"Just let her join us for drinks and enjoy ourselves tonight. After all, once I marry her, I won't have the chance to go out drinking anymore.

"She knows about my stomach problems and is very strict with me. She'll definitely forbid me from drinking altogether after we get married."

As Lucas spoke, he broke into a smile. His friends were shocked by the look of happiness on his face.

"Lucas, you haven't fallen for Vivian, have you?"

Lucas said nothing. He just smiled with a blush on his face and continued drinking.

When they were all quite drunk, the server brought over the ring. Seeing that Lucas was completely intoxicated, she handed it to someone who seemed slightly more sober.

"This is from someone called Ms. West for Mr. Yearwood. Please give it to him when he sobers up."

Adam was too drunk to think clearly. He acknowledged with a grunt and stuffed the ring into his pocket.

Tomorrow would be the wedding. I went back, packed up all my belongings, and left the villa I'd lived in for two years.

Goodbye, my former home. Goodbye, Lucas.