Chapter 138

Steven let out a rough cough and struggled to swallow a few sips of water. He

was burning up, his fever making him look completely out of it-his cheeks were bright red, his skin hot to the touch.

"You're running a high fever. I'm calling someone to take you to the hospital," Lucie said.

"No, I don't want to go anywhere. I just want you to hold me." Steven tried to move closer to her, looking so weak and desperate it almost broke her.

Lucie felt a sharp pain in her chest, but she still pushed his arm away. He had vanished for half a month to be with his mistress. She couldn't stop thinking about how he was probably just as wild in bed with her. For all she knew, he went back to see her every six months. The thought made her want to throw up. She just couldn't forgive him.

"Who is she?" Lucie's voice was trembling. "How long have you two been together?"

Steven's face darkened, and he didn't answer.

Her heart clenched even tighter. "Even if you don't tell me, I'll find out. I just need

to know how long. Did you start seeing her right after we got married?"

"No."

"Then when did it start?" Lucie never wanted to ask, but now she needed the truth.

Steven's brow furrowed, his face clouded with pain. "Lucie, you still don't trust me.

I said I'd never betray our marriage, and I meant it. Since we got married, I haven't touched another woman."

Lucie laughed coldly. "Who's going to believe that?"

Men always thought that as long as you weren't caught red-handed, it didn't count. As long as you never admitted it, it was like it never even happened.

Steven's voice was flat, tired. "Believe me or don't, I'm done explaining. If I'd done it, I wouldn't bother hiding it."

Lucie lost her grip on her emotions. "Stop lying, Steven. Just stop. You have a child with her, and you expect me to believe you two never slept together? Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Steven took a deep, shaky breath. "I said since we got married, I haven't slept with anyone else."

Lucie froze, her heart sinking like a stone. “So... she's your ex?"

"You could

say

that."

Lucie couldn't hold back her tears anymore. "Steven, you're unbelievable. Just shameless. Before we got married, I asked if there was anyone else, if there were any loose ends. What did you tell me? Why did you lie?"

Steven closed his eyes, refusing to answer. If he'd told her the truth, she never would have married him. He'd had no choice but to lie.

"You've been unfair to both of us. If you loved your ex so much, why didn't you just marry her? Why did you drag me into this? Why should I be the one to get hurt?" Lucie's heart throbbed painfully. The thing she hated most was someone who couldn't be loyal, what he'd done felt like a scam; he'd Tied to her about everything.

Steven felt a dull ache in his own chest. For the past two weeks, he'd been torn up, unable to face what was happening.

"Lucie, my head's a mess right now. I feel terrible. Can you just give me a little time? Let me handle this."

"How are you going to handle it?" she demanded, her voice cracking.

Steven said nothing, just clenched his jaw.

"Forget it. Let's just get divorced and be done with it. You won't have to sneak around with her anymore. You can be together out in the open.”

Steven squeezed his eyes shut, his face twisted in pain. "Lucie, it's not what you think. I... I still love you. I can't let go of our marriage. I can't let go of you."

She yanked her hand away. "Don't touch me. You disgust me."

"Lucie, just give me some more time. I—"

She cut him off with a bitter laugh. "Time for what? So you think the three of us can just coexist? That's never going to happen. Don't kid yourself."

Steven fell silent, looking lost. He honestly didn't know what to do. He couldn't give up his marriage, but he couldn't abandon her, either. That girl had given him everything fisken her fife for him over and over How could he just walk away from that? If there was anyone in the world who'd never betray him, it was her.

“Say something! Don't just stand there!" Lucie snapped.

Right in the middle of their fight, Steven's phone started buzzing on the nightstand. He stiffened, reaching for it, but Lucie was faster. She grabbed the phone and glanced at the screen-someone was calling from Switzerland.

Steven's face went pale. "Lucie, give me the phone." He lunged for it, panic in his voice.

Lucie dodged and hit the answer button.

A soft, gentle voice came through the speaker. "Hello, Steven..."