Mistakenly Married by You

"Don't worry, sister. From now on, you won't have anything for me to take," Larica declared with a smug smirk. Lucille paid little attention to her words, recognizing that Larica was referring to the fact that Lucille would soon be leaving the house she had shared with Lucas after the divorce. It no longer mattered to Lucille what her sister thought she could gain.

Despite the anger that had welled inside her earlier, seeing Larica's victorious smile oddly gave Lucille a sense of relief. She had successfully fulfilled Larica's demands over the years, and now, she no longer felt obligated to her sister after all this time. The decision to divorce Lucas didn't frighten her. Lucille knew she could support herself.

The weight of the past incident still burdened her, but Lucille believed that she had paid enough for her failure to protect her sister. She looked directly at Larica, who had a cunning smirk and reminded her, "Don't forget what we agreed upon. I hope you follow through with your words." The folder and pen in Lucille's hands felt heavy, but she knew she had to go through with it.

With trembling fingers, Lucille signed her name on the divorce agreement. She didn't allow her sister to witness any weakness, swiftly throwing the documents toward Larica. Walking out of the room, Lucille held her head high, refusing to falter even when she faced her now ex-husband, Lucas. He seemed uneasy, and Lucille felt suffocated, but she maintained her composure.

"I have signed the agreement. I hope you treat my sister well in the future," Lucille stated coldly. "Don't betray her as you did to me," she added before walking past Lucas without looking back.

Lucille appeared unfazed by the turn of events. There were no tears or traces of sadness in her eyes. It made one wonder if her love and care for Lucas during their marriage had been genuine or if she had been putting on an act all along. Could it be that Lucille had only pretended to care?

Lucas felt a pang of bewilderment as he watched her departing figure. His mother had prepared the divorce agreement without including any provisions for Lucille's entitlement to their property. He had anticipated Lucille would cry and plead with him not to let her go, but he never expected her to give up so easily.

A sense of guilt crept into Lucas' conscience as he clenched his fists, struggling to find the right words. "Lu... Lucy," he stammered, his voice filled with uncertainty.

Lucille held back the tears that threatened to escape and took a deep breath. Slowly, she turned around, her expression devoid of any emotion. When their eyes met, Lucille addressed him with a neutral tone devoid of lingering sentiment.

"Is there anything else you need, Mr. Reed?" she asked, maintaining her composure even in the face of their crumbling relationship.

Lucas felt uneasy witnessing the rapid change in the person who had cared for him in the past three years. It was as if he was facing a completely different person. However, he couldn't find a reason to argue against it. After all, they were on the brink of divorce, and there seemed to be no room for negotiation.

As he averted his gaze, Lucas made an offer, his voice filled with hesitation. "How many properties do you want? I-I can give them to you privately...."

Lucille nearly burst into laughter at his stammering and the absurdity of his offer. How could a well-known filial son in Asheville provide her with anything? His mother managed his entire financial affairs, and he couldn't even give her a penny without seeking his mother's approval. In reality, Lucille had to provide for herself. Now he was asking what she wanted in terms of alimony. She couldn't help but wonder how he intended to fulfill that request.

Lucas may now be the President of Reed Corp, but his private funds couldn't possibly support a quarter of the city's economic growth.

"How much are you prepared to give me, Mr. Reed?" Lucille blurted out with a bright smile, stunning Lucas.

The genuine warmth in Lucille's expression intensified Lucas' guilt, causing him to inadvertently add more zeros to his offer than he had intended. Her face betrayed no trace of anger or sadness. It was as if she was merely conversing with a friend.

"Fifty million," he finally uttered.

Lucille was taken aback upon hearing his offer. She believed Lucas could provide her with around a million from his private funds. However, she never anticipated that he would go the extra mile and offer such a substantial amount of money.

Just a few steps away, Larica had emerged, wondering why Lucas was taking so long. Overhearing his offer, she grew infuriated. She glared at Lucille with crossed arms, although Lucas remained oblivious to her reaction.

Larica approached Lucas, sensually taking his hand in hers. "Let me handle this," she pleaded, pouting and feigning tears.

As Lucas nodded, Larica wiped away her imaginary tears and stepped towards Lucille. "Lucille, I know you've always considered money to be worth less than dirt, and accepting it would undoubtedly humiliate you, but...." she started, attempting to convince her sister to decline the offer.

Larica sobbed, her voice filled with desperation. "Please, accept this money. Lucas and I are truly sorry for what happened. If you take it, it will bring peace to our hearts."

Once again, Lucas fell for Larica's act of selling misery. He found it heartwarming to see Larica embracing Lucille, convinced that his beloved Rica genuinely felt remorse for her sister. Unbeknownst to him, Larica's expression turned ugly as she whispered under her breath, "Don't you dare accept that money, Lucy."

Lucille gently broke away from Larica's embrace and locked eyes with her sister. Larica sensed that Lucille had already decided and confidently expected her to decline the offer.

"Since accepting the money will bring peace to your heart, who am I to refuse?" Lucille said with a genuine smile, cupping Larica's cheek. She then turned her attention to Lucas. "Mr. Reed, would you prefer to transfer the money directly to my account or provide me with a check?"

Lucille couldn't hide her satisfaction upon seeing the bitter expression on Larica's face. Lucille stood her ground and resisted Larica's demands for the first time in ten years. Larica seethed and badly wanted to grab Lucille's hair and yank it until she went bald, but she knew she couldn't do it with Lucas around.

The thought of losing fifty million dollars made Larica feel sick. Her stomach cramped, and she fell forward.

"Rica!" Lucas exclaimed, concerned for her well-being.

Fortunately, Lucille caught Larica before she hit the floor, whispering in her ear, "I already told you I will never let you steal from me again."

Larica shot Lucille a murderous glare and clenched her arm tightly before losing consciousness.

"It seems more than just normal stomach pain. It could be gastroenteritis. It would be best if you took her to the hospital right away," Lucille urged with a hint of urgency. However, Lucas just stood there, seemingly at a loss.

"Aren't you a doctor? Why don't you examine her?" he asked.

Lucille rolled her eyes before responding, "I'm a surgeon, not a physician. As for the money, transfer it to my account when you can. I'll send you my card number."

She glanced at Larica once more and added, "Hurry up. If you delay, it could become life-threatening."

Larica's pale complexion finally convinced Lucas that Lucille wasn't exaggerating, and he immediately scooped Larica into his arms and rushed out, heading for the hospital.

Left alone at last, Lucille's carefully constructed facade crumbled, and she collapsed to her knees. Suppressing her emotions had taken an immense toll on her, but she couldn't let them see her pain. She had to pretend it didn't matter, so they wouldn't derive satisfaction from hurting her.

Deep down, Lucille had truly loved Lucas and had invested herself in their three-year marriage, striving for harmony. Yet, he betrayed her by sleeping with her sister behind her back. Worse, their marriage was a sham, and he called her a dirty slut.

Throughout her life, Lucille had grown accustomed to putting on a tough front, facing her battles alone without anyone extending a helping hand. Now, in the eerie silence of the corridor, she could hear her heart pounding painfully in her chest. The weight of it all suffocated her, and she wept in solitude.

Suddenly, a searing pain shot through the back of her head, reminding her of the earlier injury she had sustained. She reached up to touch the area and found blood on her fingertips, a physical manifestation of her defeat.

Just then, her phone rang from her pocket, and the timing couldn't have been worse.

"The most romantic thing I can think of is growing old with you…."

Was the universe taunting her with the lyrics from a random song, mocking her in this moment of despair?

Lucille knew she had to maintain her composure despite the flood of emotions. As a doctor, she had been trained to remain rational in the face of adversity. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her thoughts aside and swiped to answer the call.

"Oh, thank goodness you picked up, Doctor! Do you remember the patient you treated earlier? He's scheduled for surgery today, and he specifically requested your presence in the operating room," the caller rushed to explain before letting out a sigh.

"We informed him that you had taken leave, but he insisted—"

Lucille interrupted, her professional instincts kicking in. "It's alright. I'll be there soon!"