The phone screen dimmed automatically. Luther didn't pay much attention to it and pulled Callista into his arms. He gently patted her back.

"Shh, don't cry. It hurts me to see you like this.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought you here just to upset you. She's my mother—you don't have to put up with her for my sake.

"You can yell at me or hit me if it makes you feel better."

On the way home, Luther spent the entire ride trying to comfort her. Callista simply closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

Occasionally, the sound of message notifications echoed in the car. Luther was busy replying to them for the second half of the drive.

When they arrived home, Luther stroked her head.

"Honey, there's an urgent matter at work that I need to handle. Wait for me here, and I'll come back early tonight, okay?"

Callista quietly got out of the car.

After Luther left, she accepted Wren's friend request and opened her social media feed. Pinned at the top of her profile were two photos.

The first was of Luther's back as he planted roses. The second was a sea of blue roses.

The caption read, "Considering someone took the time to plant my favorite blue roses, I'll forgive you this once. Come and make it up to me."

Callista's chest tightened at the sight. So Wren was the one who loved blue. Even the roses he planted for their anniversary weren't for her.

She hailed a cab and went straight to the estate. As soon as she arrived, she saw Luther's black Bentley parked nearby.

In the distance, Luther stood with his back to her in front of the sea of roses. He was unaware of her presence.

"If Callista could have children, I wouldn't have needed you. She's where I draw my line. How dare you show up in front of her and throw a tantrum?"

Wren's eyes brimmed with tears. "Then why come to me at all? Just leave me alone!"

"Don't cry," Luther said. His tone softened. "As long as you behave, I'll take care of you for life."

Wren wiped her tears and smiled before throwing herself into his arms. "I can be even better if that's what you want."

"I cleared an entire afternoon for this. Do you really not know what I want?" Luther's voice was hoarse as he scooped Wren into his arms and carried her toward the estate.

Just then, Wren glanced back and smirked at Callista. She had seen Callista standing there the whole time.

Through the windows, shadows of their entangled figures swayed and flickered. Callista stood frozen on the roadside. Her chest was heaving with every labored breath.

It felt like a barbed hook had torn into her heart, and each pull left behind a fresh, bleeding wound.

"Are you here to take pictures too? Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Spencer still have such a loving relationship after all these years. It's really enviable," a woman nearby remarked with a smile as she snapped some photos.

"Mrs. Spencer must have saved the galaxy in her past life. Every woman dreams of having a husband like Mr. Spencer."

Callista laughed bitterly as tears streamed down her face. "But she doesn't want him anymore."

This so-called estate Luther gave her, symbolizing his devotion, was nothing more than a place where he slept with another woman.

The woman then stared at Callista and became somewhat stunned. It wasn't surprising she'd mistaken Wren for Callista.

After all, Wren bore an uncanny resemblance to Callista at 24, the year she first met Luther.

"I guess men are all the same," the woman murmured. Her tone turned despondent.

"At least Mr. Spencer is somewhat decent. He probably just wants a child too badly, even going so far as to find someone who looks just like you.

"Why not let it go? Pretend you don't know. Life will go on as usual."

"It wouldn't be the same," Callista said quietly.

The fact that Luther sought out a woman who resembled her didn't make her feel grateful; it only made her feel disgusted.

After leaving the rose garden, Callista went to the hospital and collected pre-procedure medication for an abortion.

She placed the medicine on the coffee table and stared at it for a long time. She was still overwhelmed by a suffocating ache.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Luther rushed in with his shirt buttoned unevenly. He tripped and nearly knocked over a chair in his haste.

He scanned her from head to toe with a pale face. "Honey, why did you go to the hospital?"

Callista's medical card was linked to Luther's phone number, so the notification about her visit and prescription was sent to him.

"Honey, say something! You're scaring me," Luther pleaded anxiously.

Callista handed him the bag of medicine, and she lied, "The doctor suggested I try a new medication. It might improve the success rate of the next IVF attempt."

"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters. You scared me to death."

Luther didn't even glance at the bag and casually placed it on the coffee table.

Callista let out a cold laugh.

In the past, he would always meticulously read the instructions no matter what medication she was prescribed as he was worried about potential side effects.

He used to say he couldn't bear the physical pain of IVF for her, but he needed to remind himself that she was suffering for his sake.

Now, she had personally handed him the pre-procedure medication for an abortion, and he didn't even bother to look at it.

The unfamiliar scent of perfume mixed with the aroma of roses in the air made Callista feel nauseous, and soon, her stomach began to cramp. She clutched her abdomen in discomfort.

"Is it your period?" Luther leaned in, trying to warm her stomach with his hands.

Callista swatted his hand away.

"The smell on you is disgusting," she said bluntly.

Luther sniffed himself and chuckled.

"It's probably the scent of roses. I've been going to the rose garden several times a day, trying to make sure everything is perfect for our fifth anniversary. I'll go shower and change my clothes."

But earlier, he'd said he was going to the office.

Callista couldn't be bothered to expose his lie and simply replied, "Alright."

After Luther left, Callista picked up her phone.

For the past five years, her social circle revolved entirely around Luther, leaving her with no close friends of her own.

If she were to leave him, there weren't many people she needed to inform, except for her younger brother, Kai Caldwell. Kai was also her only remaining family member.

But as she stared at his number, she couldn't bring herself to call.

Kai held Luther in high regard as his brother-in-law, and she worried it would complicate things. It was better to wait until she was ready to leave.

That night, Luther lay beside her while gently massaging her stomach.

"Honey, I've delegated all my work for the next two days. Your first couple of days on your period are always the worst, and I can't leave you alone."

Callista gave a nonchalant response, not taking his words to heart.

Then, a notification sound woke her up in the middle of the night.

"Sorry, did I wake you? There's some work I need to take care of. I'll put my phone on silent. Go back to sleep, honey," Luther said softly.

Callista kept her eyes closed, but she was no longer sleepy.

Luther's left hand continued massaging her stomach, while his right hand was free to reply to messages. The warmth of his touch and the occasional low chuckles he couldn't suppress felt like a dull blade cutting into her, one stroke at a time.

"Honey?" he whispered, testing the waters.

As he hoped, Callista didn't respond.

Luther withdrew his hand, quietly got out of bed, and tiptoed out of the room. Even as he moved silently, his eagerness was palpable.

"How dare you send those kinds of pictures over? Just wait—I'll make sure you can't get out of bed tomorrow," he muttered before the door clicked shut.

Moments later, Callista's phone buzzed several times. It was a message from Wren.

"Are you getting old and unattractive, Cally? Luther's been so pent up that he couldn't get enough of me this afternoon.

"He even said he wanted to try something new with me tonight. Can you believe it? He has no consideration for this poor pregnant woman.

"Honestly, I feel bad for you. Luther did plenty of the work to make me pregnant. Meanwhile, you're stuck with sterile IVF procedures, and you still can't conceive."

Even in the bedroom that was warmed by the heater, Callista felt frozen to the core.

She got up, retrieved a hot water bottle, and climbed back into bed.

For five years, she'd believed she had met Luther too late in life and that their time together would be too short.

But now, with only five days left, she found the time to be unbearably long.

Callista went to bed late and woke up late as well. As she stepped out of the bedroom, Luther came through the door while holding a bag in his hands.

"Honey, I bought your favorite honey garlic prawns," he announced while presenting the package as if it were a treasure.

"I rushed back to keep them warm for you. Eat them while they're hot."

In the past, whenever Luther upset her, he would buy honey garlic prawns to cheer her up.

Callista never particularly liked them, but she always forgave him—not because of the prawns, but because she loved him.

What was this gesture for today? Was it to ease his guilt after spending the whole night with another woman?

"Honey, did you see the message I sent before I went out? When did you wake up?"

For some reason, Luther felt a vague unease over Callista's recent demeanor.

"No, I just woke up," Callista replied as she picked up her fork. She wouldn't let herself go hungry because of him.

When he saw her calm expression that seemed to have no trace of anger, Luther finally relaxed. "I'll take care of some work first. When you're done eating, I'll join you for a walk."

Callista continued eating while opening her phone.

Wren had just posted a new update.

"He spoils me so much. I casually mentioned wanting honey garlic prawns, and he immediately went out to get them for me."

Attached to the post was a photo of a bag of the honey garlic prawns—the same ones Callista was eating out of.

Meanwhile, Luther let out a soft laugh across the table. Seconds later, a new comment appeared under Wren's post.

Luther replied, "It's good that you're self-aware."

Not long after, Jane chimed in with her own comment.

"Of course, he should spoil you. Just tell us whatever you want. You're a hero—not like someone else who takes up space but can't even conceive."

Jane's comment was visible to Luther as well.

Callista glanced up. She was curious to see his reaction. He didn't seem bothered at all. In fact, he was wearing a smile. His expression was filled with warmth and contentment.

Callista chuckled to herself. She pulled up Jane's profile and blocked her on all platforms in one swift move. She had been wanting to do that for a long time.

Before Callista could finish breakfast, Luther's phone rang. It was Jane.

Her sharp voice practically burst through the speaker, and Luther frowned as he looked at Callista.

"Mom said she wants to bring you some herbal medicine. Did you block her?"

"There's no need. I'm not drinking it."

Jane had a habit of sending her strange, bitter herbal remedies, none of which were helpful. Callista had forced herself to choke them down over the years, only to endure Jane's passive-aggressive remarks about wasting her kindness.

"But you can't just—"

Even if Jane couldn't send her messages anymore, the old ones were still there. Callista slid her phone across the table toward Luther.

The most recent message from Jane read, "A woman who can't have children is worthless. You couldn't even keep the one you managed to conceive.

"You're such a failure. I won't allow the Spencer family lineage to end with you."

Callista had been pregnant once in their first year of marriage.

But the baby's heartbeat suddenly stopped at seven months, and she was forced to undergo an induced labor.

Jane had made countless remarks blaming her over the years.

Callista, however, knew Luther had always tried to mediate and spoke up for her in front of his mother. Not wanting to make things harder for him, she had never brought it up.

But this time, Luther frowned at Callista.

"She's still my mom. You should try to understand her a little," he said.

"And who's supposed to understand me?"

Callista retorted with a cold laugh. "Luther, you know how devastated I was back then."

"But have you ever considered that there might have been a reason for the miscarriage?" Luther sighed.

"Maybe you ate something you shouldn't have, or perhaps you used the wrong cosmetics…"

Tears spilled down Callista's face instantly.

"Don't cry," Luther said. He realized that he had said the wrong thing. "I'm sorry. That's not what I meant."

During her first pregnancy, Callista had been more careful than anyone else. She hadn't worn makeup even once, avoided eating out entirely, and refused to travel anywhere far.

When she lost the baby, her entire world collapsed. Luther stayed by her side every moment, never leaving her alone, and took care of her 24/7.

He had reassured her over and over. "Honey, it's not your fault. Even if we never have children, it doesn't matter. You're all I care about."

Luther was there for an entire month. He had pulled her back out of the abyss.

But now, she finally understood. He also believed it was her fault the baby didn't survive.