Chapter 11
746words
That image shattered the last shred of hope Luther had held onto. She had seen it all with her own eyes. How could he possibly explain it away now?
The lie he thought was flawless was laid bare. His claim that he had no feelings for Wren, that he only chose her because she reminded him of Callista—everything unraveled.
Every sign he had ignored in recent days suddenly became painfully clear.
Had Callista discovered the truth the day she returned to the Spencer residence for dinner? Or had she known even earlier?
And during all these days since, how much had she suffered?
He had sworn to love her forever and vowed never to let her feel sadness.
When did it all begin to change?
Luther's eyes turned red, and his vision blurred with tears. He thought back to their first child—the one lost at seven months, leading to an induced labor.
He knew the cause. It was the so-called "herbal tonic" Jane had brought over. Callista hadn't wanted to drink it, but he had coaxed her into it, thinking it might improve Jane's opinion of her.
When they lost the baby, Callista was devastated beyond words. Yet he hadn't even had the courage to admit his mistake, as he was terrified that Callista would blame him for it.
Over the next four years, Callista underwent six rounds of IVF. Every failure deepened his guilt and suffocated him further.
The constant smell of medication in their home became unbearable, and under Jane's relentless persuasion, a shameful thought crept into his mind.
Everything would turn out fine if they just had a child.
So, when Jane introduced Wren to him, he inexplicably accepted.
Wren's youthful energy reminded him of Callista's earlier years, briefly freeing him from his guilt. He indulged in it, letting it consume him.
He even planned to suggest adoption after Callista's next IVF failure, intending to bring his child with Wren into their home as a "solution."
However, he had forgotten something important: pretending something hadn't happened didn't mean it hadn't.
And Callista, who had raised her younger brother on her own from the age of 13, was never one to endure silently.
The truth was bound to surface, and Callista leaving him was only a matter of time. Panic overtook Luther, and he began spiraling out of control.
No. She wouldn't leave him, not when she was pregnant with his child. She had to forgive him, even if it was for the baby.
"Luther, are you even listening to me?" Jane's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
She raised her tone. "Get Callista to cooperate. Have her record a video and issue a statement through the company. I'll make sure Wren stays out of sight until the scandal blows over."
"Why should she cooperate?" Luther asked coldly.
Jane hesitated. "Because she can't have children. She—"
"Wasn't it your fault that we didn't have the baby?" Luther interrupted. His words cut off any retort Jane had prepared.
"Tell Wren to get rid of the baby."
"What? Are you insane?" Jane snapped.
"Callista's pregnant."
Jane fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Wren's baby is almost due. She can't terminate it now. The Spencer family can afford to raise more than one child.
"And let's not forget, it wasn't entirely my fault that Callista lost her first baby."
She continued. Her voice was dripping with suspicion. "Besides, if she's pregnant and didn't say anything, maybe there's something wrong with this pregnancy too."
"Haven't you said enough? She's…" Luther snapped. His voice faltered as cold sweat ran down his back.
A memory flashed in his mind. Callista had said something like, "The doctor suggested I try a new medication. It might improve the success rate of the next IVF attempt."
What medication had she switched to?
A wave of dread washed over Luther as he ran to the living room. He searched for the bag of medicine that had been left on the coffee table.
It had been there for days, but he hadn't bothered to look. Now, when he desperately wanted to, it was gone.
Frantically, he turned to Callista's medical records on his phone.
The word "pregnancy termination" seared his eyes. Luther felt a cold chill run from his head to his toes.
Callista had terminated the pregnancy. And she had left him, too.
