The Pearl That Ended Us

That night, fever burned through me like fire, the ache in my body spreading until it became unbearable.

My vision blurred, and in my dazed state, I instinctively reached for my phone and dialed Sylus.

After all, I had been his wife for three years, how could I suddenly stop depending on him? Surely, he would care, wouldn't he?

When the call connected, I expected concern, but instead, his voice came through, sharp and impatient. "Stop calling me all the time. You are an adult. Can't you solve your own problems?"

His words struck me like a punch to the gut, my breath catching as though I were drowning. I tried to speak, each word feeling like a struggle. "Sylus, I... I feel really uncomfortable. Can you…."

Before I could finish, a soft voice interrupted from the background.

"Lily, do not bother him anymore," the woman’s voice, unmistakably Charlotte's, chimed in. "He has been taking care of me all day, and he is already tired. As his current wife, you should understand him, okay?"

The call ended with a click, cutting off the last shred of hope I had clung to. It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over me, freezing me in place.

Of course, how could I have forgotten? Sylus had never loved me from the beginning. I had been a substitute for Charlotte all along, a mere shadow in their story.

With trembling hands, I called Julius, the one person in the manor I could still rely on.

I never knew when it started, but I had always been independent, ever since my parents died.

It seemed three years of being Sylus’s wife had changed me. I had grown accustomed to the idea of having someone to lean on, even if that person never truly cared.

Julius arrived in my room quickly, his eyes widening in alarm when he saw me drenched in sweat, as if I had just been pulled from the ocean.

Without a word, he moved to call Sylus, but I shook my head weakly, stopping him. "I already called," I whispered.

Understanding washed over Julius’s face.

He did not push further, knowing Sylus would not come. Instead, he offered a simple solution, "I will call a doctor to the house."

But I shook my head again, desperate. "No, Julius. I need to go to the hospital."

With that, he scooped me up and rushed me to the car.

Looking at the road, I felt like they were going to take me to a hospital funded by Fuentez, so I begged him again to go to another hospital.

He hesitated, torn between his concern and my request. "But the other hospital is farther away, and I am afraid you will not make it in time."

"I will hold on. Just take me to the one I mentioned. Please," I pleaded, barely able to keep my eyes open.

The reason why I did not want to go to Fuentez was my fear of the surgery I did not want that day.

I was just an ordinary commoner with no power or influence. If I went to their hospital again, I did not know what crazy actions Sylus would take to me.

Reluctantly, Julius agreed. "Okay, but you must hold on. I will drive as fast as I can."

By the time we arrived at the hospital, my vision was fading, and I was barely conscious. The last thing I remembered was the concerned face of the doctor I knew well, someone I trusted.

The relief of knowing I was in safe hands was the only thing that kept me from spiraling into complete darkness.

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, an IV in my arm, and Julius sitting dutifully beside me. His face, usually so calm, was etched with worry.

Seeing me awake, Julius immediately called the doctor, and they hurried in to examine me. After ensuring I was stable, the doctor let out a long sigh of relief.

"You’re lucky, Lily," he said softly. "The wound was not completely sterile, and it became infected. If you had come any later, it could have led to severe organ damage."

His words hit me like a blow. I had been so close to losing everything just for the pearl owned by my man’s fiancée.

The doctor, sensing my distress, tried to reassure me. "But everything is under control now. You just need to rest for a few days. And please, don’t go home too soon. It is better for you to stay here where we can take care of you."

I nodded weakly, managing a small smile. "Thank you. Of course, I will enjoy my time here as long as possible."

The doctor left, and Julius approached, his worry easing slightly.

“Thank you, Julius," I said quietly, my voice still weak. "Thank you for listening to me and for bringing me here."

"It’s my pleasure, Madam," he replied with a bow. "It is my duty to serve you."

I smiled, though it did not reach my eyes. "You can go home now, Julius."

But Julius shook his head. "No, Madam. I will stay and take care of you. Mr. and Mrs. Fuentez’s last request was for me to look after you, and I intend to keep that promise."

His loyalty touched me, but I knew how difficult his position was.

Sylus, as the head of the Fuentez family, held power over him. I had seen Julius scolded many times by Sylus and his brother Xavier, just for being kind to me.

Yet, he remained steadfast, caring for me when no one else would.

"Julius," I murmured, "I will be fine here, I know some doctor here, so you can rest easy. You still have some work on the Manor, right?”

As a result, Julius could only give up and return to the Manor, after promising to visit me every day.

In the days that followed, Sylus did not come to see me. It was as though I had faded from his world entirely, replaced by the warmth and comfort he found in Charlotte.

Julius, however, fulfilled his promise by visiting me every day, his loyalty unwavering, making sure I had everything I needed.

Each time he returned from the manor, Julius would gently mention that he had tried to speak with Sylus about my condition, only to be dismissed with cold indifference.

Sylus’s disgust was clear; he did not want to hear anything about me.

But a week later, something stirred in Sylus, and he remembered my existence. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe it was simply the looming need to sever ties.

It turned out, he came to the hospital to discuss our divorce. He brought Charlotte with him, her presence like a cruel punctuation to our shattered relationship.

I was still packing my belongings, preparing for my discharge, when they arrived.

The moment Sylus entered the room, a rare flicker of guilt crossed his usually stoic face. His voice, though still distant, held a trace of something softer.

“Why didn't you tell me you were in the hospital?”

Before I could respond, Charlotte cut in smoothly, slipping her arm around his and pulling him closer.

“Oh, Sylus has been with me these past few days. He did not have time to check on you,” she smiled sweetly, through her eyes dancing with triumph. “You know how it is. We have been together since childhood. Our bond is unbreakable.”

She tightened her grip on his arm, her chest pressed provocatively against him, as if daring me to object.

But I did not give her the satisfaction. Instead, I forced a smile, even if my heart was aching even as I feigned indifference.

“It is fine. I am okay now. I was just about to go home,” I said, my voice steady even though my insides felt hollow.

“So, what business brings you here today? Oh, right. Julius mentioned the divorce. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

The words came out calmly, but inside, I was breaking. The pain I had buried deep within me swelled, but I would not let it show. I could not let either of them see how much it still hurt.

Sylus’s eyes flickered briefly with something. Was it regret? Maybe, but it was fleeting, quickly replaced by the familiar, unreadable coldness.

“This is not the right place to discuss it,” Sylus said after a pause, his tone more commanding. “Come home with us. We will talk at the manor.”

Charlotte’s smile faltered for a split second, surprise flickering in her eyes. She had not expected Sylus to care about me at all, not even enough to bring me back to the manor.

But she quickly recovered, her smile widening as she clung tighter to him. “Yes, Lily. We do have dinner plans, but we can take you home first.”

I shook my head, the weariness of the last few weeks weighing heavily on me. “No need. We are getting divorced anyway. You don’t have to change your plans for me.”

Sylus’s jaw tightened at my casual tone, and with an annoyed sigh, he pulled away from Charlotte, taking a step toward me. “No. I have canceled the plans. I am taking you home, and we are discussing this now.”

Charlotte’s smile vanished completely, replaced by a tight-lipped expression. Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms, clearly displeased by the change in their evening.

She remained silent, though, her frustration visible in every stiff movement as she climbed into the car behind us.

The ride back to the manor was tense. But I just stared out the window, my thoughts spinning.

Even though I had spent the entire week in the hospital thinking about life after Sylus, after the Fuentez family, but the truth was, I still did not know what that life would look like.

Would I be safe, free from their grasp? Or would the shadow of Sylus and his powerful family linger over me forever?

When we finally arrived at the manor, Sylus wasted no time. In the living room, he laid everything out with the precision of a business transaction.

“Charlotte and I are getting married soon,” he said bluntly, not even pausing to see how those words might affect me.

"I will make sure you are well-compensated," he continued, his tone matter-of-fact. "You will not have to worry about anything after the divorce."

Charlotte, sitting beside him with her arms crossed, watched me with a smug smile.

For a moment, the room fell silent. Sylus stared at me, and I could see something flicker behind his eyes.

Charlotte was the first to break the tension, leaning forward with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

"Well, you will get a villa too, Lily.” Then she looked to Sylus before continuing, “Right, Sylus?”

Sylus cleared his throat, standing up from the couch and straightening his suit. "Yeah. The divorce agreement is in your room. Once everything is signed, you will be free to go."

"Sure," I replied, though the words tasted bitter on my tongue.

He turned to leave with Charlotte at his side, and for a moment, it felt as if I was not important anymore in his life.