James drove slowly and steadily, as if a part of him hoped he could keep going forever–just the two of them, heading toward a future that never ended.


    But roads end. So do rtionships.


    Eventually, his car rolled to a stop in front of the main house of the Luke family estate.


    “Lily, have you and James had breakfast? If.not, I’ll-”


    nc hadn’t gone to the office that day.


    Grace, Henry, and even Nancy were all sitting in the living room.


    When they saw Lily and James walk in together, Grace lit up with joy. She’d always thought they were a perfect match. Just as she was about to have the cook prepare something for them to eat, her eyes caught sight of what James was holding.


    A divorce certificate.


    “Divorce…”


    She didn’t even get the word out before her expression turned cold.


    That night at the theater, James had publicly defended Lily. He’d seemed so concerned about her, so protective, they had all assumed–hoped–he was finally falling for her.


    They’d been worried he might still go through with the divorce, but deep down, they thought he’d changed.


    Apparently not.


    Grace clung to onest shred of hope. “James, whose divorce certificate is that? Are you-”


    Before she could finish, she grabbed the certificate from James and opened it.


    There it was, ck and white.


    James and Lily.


    The names were right there.


    He’d really done it. He’d really divorced Lily.


    “What divorce certificate?” Henry’s voice <b>rose </b>with rm.


    12


    He strode over and nced at the certificate in Grace’s hands. When he saw the names, his vision went ck.


    “You really divorced her? <b>Have </b>you lost your mind? Lily’s a gem–what were you thinking?!”


    Even Ivan lost it.


    173


    He rushed up beside <b>Grace</b>, took one look, and his neck flushed red with fury. “You were so worried about her at the theater! Don’t tell me you don’t care about her–so why the hell would you divorce her?!”


    “You idiot!”


    nc snapped.


    He kicked James in the leg, yelling, “You forced Lily to divorce you, didn’t you? Always looking for trouble! Watch me beat some sense into you!”


    Their perfect daughter–inw–gone, thanks to this stubborn son of his.


    Too furious to care about appearances, nc kicked off his slippers and began smacking James with one.


    “Hey-


    Henry, Grace, even Nancy–all loved James deeply. But thinking about how he’d stubbornly clung to his “preferences” and ruined any chance of salvaging this marriage, they all agreed that he deserved it. None of them stepped in to stop nc.


    James stood frozen in ce, like the soul had been sucked out of him, epting every blow without a


    sound.


    He didn’t feel the pain.


    His heart already hurt too much. The physical pain barely registered.


    “Dad, stop hitting him!”


    Lily couldn’t stand to see James getting hit. She quickly stepped in, trying to shield him.


    “He didn’t force me to get a divorce. I… I was the one who wanted to marry Jackson. I made hime with me to the civil office.”


    As soon as Lily said that, nc and the others were even more furious.


    They didn’t believe for a second that Lily would choose Jackson over James.


    They’d all noticed the way she looked at Jackson during dinner. There was no familiarity in her eyes. It was obvious she didn’t see him that way.


    She must’ve been forced to say this–James must’ve made her.


    “You bastard! You bullied Lily again? I swear I’ll kill you!”


    “Dad, James really didn’t do anything. Please stop…”


    When she saw that the back of James’s hand had gone red from the hits, Lily’s heart clenched. She couldn’t watch nc hurt him anymore. She threw herself in front of James<b>, </b>shielding him with her body.


    “Lily, why are you protecting this idiot? He’s always acting like a fool–he needs <b>a </b>good beating!”


    nc <b>was </b>still furious, breathing heavily.


    “Dad, don’t be angry.


    Lily didn’t want James to get hit again after she left.


    She turned toward the family. “Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom… James is a good man. After we got married, he saved me more than once. I’ll always be grateful to him.”


    “But we’re not right for each other. The divorce was something we both thought through carefully. Please don’t let it ruin your mood.”


    Ivan, who had once joked about setting Lily up with someone else, had long since grown fond of her as his sister–inw. He didn’t want to give up hope just yet.


    His voice cracked a little as he looked again at the painful truth on that certificate and asked, “Lily… couldn’t you and James get back together?”