"I'm sorry. You can hit me or yell at me. Just don't cry," Luther pleaded as he pulled Callista into his arms.

"I was spouting nonsense. I deserve whatever punishment you give me."

Callista couldn't free herself from his embrace, and her tears continued to fall. But deep down, she knew the truth.

Luther hadn't simply misspoken; he was trying to shift all the blame onto her, to justify his infidelity as something inevitable.

Luther grew increasingly remorseful as he said, "I'll make everything clear to my mom. You can consider unblocking her once she learns to respect you, okay?"

Tears streamed down Callista's face, but she smiled bitterly. Little did he know, there was no future for them anymore.

For the next two days, Luther stayed home to keep her company. Even though Callista barely acknowledged him, he busied himself with cooking all her favorite dishes.

Meanwhile, Wren's social media was filled with updates.

Baby supplies Luther ordered for Wren had arrived. He had booked a top-tier postpartum care center for her.

There were even specially prepared meals for expectant mothers, delivered personally by Luther. And he had left a "like" under every post.

That evening, as Luther brought her water for a foot soak, his phone rang.

"It's your brother," he said, putting it on speaker. "He said he just landed a big client and is celebrating. He wants us to join."

Kai's voice came through the line. "Hey, Cally, it's been ages since I've seen you. Come with Luther, okay?"

With only two days left before she planned to leave, Callista didn't know when she might see her brother again. Hence, she couldn't refuse him.

"Okay."

Kai had arranged a small barbecue gathering in the Caldwell residence's backyard.

When Callista and Luther arrived, Kai greeted them warmly.

"Cally, I know you don't like the smell of smoke, so I had them put all the cigarettes away. Pretty thoughtful of me, right?"

Before Callista could reply, someone nearby exposed him. "Liar! It was Luther who reminded everyone to put the cigarettes away."

"Luther truly treats Callista like a queen," another teased.

"He has to! Otherwise, why would I accept him as my brother-in-law?" Kai laughed.

Luther rolled up his sleeves and started grilling Callista's favorite meat.

"My wife deserves everything good in life," he declared.

"Honey, sit here. Don't let the smoke bother you. Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll grill it for you."

Callista stayed silent as she was not in the mood to play along.

Suddenly, Kai spoke up. "Luther, we're out of drinks. Come help me grab a few cases from the basement."

Luther patted Callista's head gently. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

As soon as they left, Callista's phone buzzed with a location pin from Wren. She was at the Caldwell residence too.

Callista's heart clenched. Fearing Kai might act impulsively, she got up and followed them. But the tense confrontation she had imagined didn't happen.

Instead, she saw the three of them standing together, chatting and laughing.

Wren looped her finger around Luther's, and her tone was playful as she said, "Your son's been kicking me a lot. He must miss his dad."

"Luther, I'll leave you two to it. I'll grab the drinks myself." Kai grinned mischievously, and he walked off to give them space.

As soon as he walked away, Luther pulled Wren into his arms. "So, only my son misses me?"

"You already know the answer to that," Wren teased.

Luther chuckled, kissing her as they headed into a room—Callista's childhood bedroom.

Callista's blood ran cold, and her legs nearly gave out beneath her.

She thought back to when her parents passed away in an accident. She had only been 13, and she had begun juggling school and multiple jobs to support Kai.

For her brother, she had taken on every dirty, exhausting task imaginable.

Kai had cried so hard as he walked her down the aisle on her wedding day. He was barely able to speak through his sobs.

"If Luther ever bullies you, come home, Cally. Your room will always be here for you."

But now, the two people she loved most had joined forces to deliver the cruelest blow.

When she came to her senses, she was already back in the yard. Kai had just returned with the drinks, and their eyes met.

Callista forced a faint smile. "Where's Luther?"

"Luther went to warm some milk for you. He said you can't drink anything cold. Honestly, where else would you find a husband this good?" Kai said.

"I'm not done moving the drinks yet. I'll go check on him," he added casually.

Callista's eyes turned red as her nails dug into her palms. How many lies had he told her over the years to get to the point where he could lie so effortlessly?

She couldn't bear to stay another moment.

"I'm tired. I'm heading home," she said flatly.

"Should I ask Luther to take you?" Kai asked. He was a bit uncertain.

Callista stared at him for a long moment. "There's no need. I wouldn't want to ruin his fun."

Kai seemed uneasy under her gaze. "Then, I'll call you a car."

Before getting in, Callista turned back to look at the brother she had raised herself.

Kai's eyes darted away. "What is it, Cally?"

Callista turned and shut the car door without answering. When she got home, Luther's call came almost immediately.

"Why didn't you let me take you home? It's so late. I got so worried about you being alone."

At the same time, a message from Wren lit up her phone.

"Was your first time on this bed too? He said you're too conservative. You always use the same moves.

"It's no wonder he's been so pent up after two days with you. He nearly broke me apart tonight."

Callista thought back to their wedding night. Luther had sensed her nerves immediately.

Instead of staying in their bridal suite, he brought her back to the Caldwell residence, to her familiar childhood room.

That first time, Luther was as restrained as he could be. He was careful with every movement as he put her comfort above all else.

He had been gentle, and tender. When she cried, he cried with her.

"Cally, I love you. I'll make sure you never regret marrying me," he had promised.

But now, she regretted it completely.

Luther called her name again on the phone, testing the silence. At that moment, Callista pressed her hand tightly over her mouth. She was unable to speak through her sobs.

"Is the signal bad? Don't worry, Luther. I booked the car, and the app shows my sister got home safely," Kai's voice cut in.

"Go back to Wren. I'll text my sister in a bit and let her know," he added casually.

"Be careful not to let anything slip," Luther warned.

Kai chuckled. "My sister would never suspect me. Besides, she can't have kids, so what's wrong with someone else having one?"

"Kai!" Luther snapped.

"Don't talk about your sister like that!"

"Alright, alright. I won't say it again."

The call ended, and Kai's promised message soon followed.

"Luther rarely gets a chance to relax. He promised to have a few more drinks with me, so I'll have him stay the night at our place. Don't worry, Cally. I've got him covered."

Then, she received a message from Luther.

"Honey, if you're tired, go to bed early.

"Kai got his first big client today. I'm celebrating with him for both of us. Don't wait up for me."

Callista didn't reply to either message.

In that moment, the storm of emotions in her chest suddenly settled into stillness, and Callista wiped her tears away.

She wasn't going to wait anymore. People who weren't worth it didn't deserve her patience.

That included Luther and Kai.

She got up, went to her room, and left all the heartbreak behind for a peaceful night's sleep.

…

On the morning of their wedding anniversary, Luther prepared her a special breakfast with heart-shaped decorations.

"Honey, tonight you'll finally see the fireworks I've been planning for you," he said with a warm smile.

Callista smiled faintly but didn't say a word.

"I'm heading to the office now. Tonight, we'll watch them together," he said as he stood up.

Just as he was about to leave, Callista opened the drawer. She pulled out the divorce papers she had prepared and slid them across the table.

"Sign them," she said calmly.

The divorce papers were already flipped to the last page. Luther took them and signed without hesitation.

"Aren't you going to read the contents?" Callista asked.

"Isn't it just about adjusting the IVF plan? Honey, whatever you think is best, I'll go along with it," he said.

Callista watched him leave and couldn't help but let out a bitter, mocking laugh. He was still claiming to do everything for her, even now.

She picked up the medicine that had been sitting on the coffee table for six days and swallowed it.

Her throat tightened with emotion as she gently placed a hand on her stomach.

"I'm sorry, my darling."

She had given Luther so many chances, and he had failed to grasp even one. After packing her bags, Callista went to the hospital alone.

"You're four weeks pregnant. The baby's heartbeat is strong, and development is normal. Are you sure you don't want to keep it?" the doctor, Eve Lowle, asked.

"No," Callista replied after a long pause.

"It's such a shame. You went through so much after losing the last baby due to the wrong herbal medicine.

"You endured so much pain to conceive again—and now you're giving up. It will be even harder to have children in the future," Eve said with a sigh.

Callista froze, and her head snapped up. Her voice was hoarse as she forced the words out. "The last miscarriage… was because of herbal medicine?"

Eve frowned. "Yes, didn't Mr. Spencer ever tell you?"

So, he had known all along. A buzzing sound filled Callista's ears.

During her first pregnancy, Jane had sent herbal tonics every week, claiming they were for a healthy pregnancy.

The bitter concoctions were so hard to swallow that Luther had coaxed her through each dose, one spoonful at a time.

When the miscarriage happened, her body was so damaged that IVF became the only option. She had always thought the miscarriage was an unfortunate accident.

For five years, through six rounds of IVF and five failed attempts, Luther had watched her torment herself with guilt and self-blame.

He had told her it wasn't her fault. But not once had he told her the truth: that the fault wasn't hers.

"Ms. Caldwell, are you alright?" Eve asked while handing her a tissue, and Callista realized her face was streaked with tears.

"If you're feeling unwell, perhaps take some time to think it over—"

"No need," Callista said firmly while wiping her tears away.

"I'll proceed with it."

Before the anesthesia took full effect, Callista mumbled to Eve in a daze, "Will the baby feel pain?"

Eve was stunned by the question, and she remained silent. After that, Callista drifted into unconsciousness.

When she woke, hours had passed. She got out of bed and walked toward the exit after regaining some strength.

As she passed the obstetrics department, she froze. Luther was walking out of a consultation room with Wren not far away.

"Can you feel it? The baby's saying hello to you. Thank you for protecting both of us," Wren said while placing Luther's hand on her belly. Her eyes were red with emotion.

"Luther, I was so scared earlier when my stomach started hurting," she said softly.

"Don't be silly," Luther said as he kissed her forehead.

"I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

Wren leaned into his arms. Then, as her gaze met Callista's, she showed her a smug, triumphant smile.

Raising her voice deliberately, Wren added, "So, will you stay with me tonight?"

Luther hesitated for a moment before Wren continued, "You can watch fireworks with her any other night, but our baby is about to be born. What if I feel pain again tonight? Luther, I'm really scared."

After a long silence, Luther sighed. "Alright."

"I knew you cared about me the most," Wren said.

Callista stood frozen. Her gaze was icy as she watched their backs disappear down the hall.

The city had buzzed with anticipation for 22 whole days, waiting for the grand fireworks display Luther had planned for her that evening at 7:00 pm.

Luther knew this, but he still chose to leave her alone.

Callista took out her phone and sent Luther one final message. "The surprise I prepared for you is ready."

Then, she booked a car and headed straight to the airport.

Before boarding, she turned off her phone and handed it to a courier. She instructed them to send it to the Spencer residence's address.

Blue fireworks lit up the sky at 7:00 pm sharp. They were brilliant and dazzling as they illuminated half the city. Cheers erupted across the crowd.

Meanwhile, Callista was dragging her suitcase, and she boarded her flight without looking back.