Mean? Next to him, taking my boy’s heart, what does this mean?

I stepped forward and tore the pendant off Calliope’s neck, my tone cold.

"Why are you in such a rush? Is she pregnant with your child?"

"What nonsense are you saying! It’s just a house. If you want more, I’ll hand you another one."

Worry flashed across Luther’s face, then it quickly turned to anger. He waved at the guards behind him.

Soon, I was pushed to the floor, my hands held down tight.

"If you like slapping people so much, you can do without your hands. And because you hit Calliope, your punishment is a hundred slaps."

Luther calmly put his foot on my hands, ignoring my struggles and crushed my bones. Then he gently picked up Calliope and hurried her to the hospital.

"Luther, you're insane!"

I heard my bones break and cold sweat rushed down my face.

The pain shot from my fingers to my chest. It was overwhelming. I bit my lip hard, tasting blood spreading in my mouth.

I watched Luther’s retreating figure, the last bits of feeling in my heart crushed by that one stomp.

Then, the bodyguards lifted me up, my face burning with pain.

The first slap, the second… By the eightieth slap, my face was badly swollen, blood falling from the corner of my mouth onto the floor.

The hate in my heart grew with each slap.

“The hundredth slap.” The last slap hit and my mind slowly blurred as I passed out.

When I woke again, a plain white ceiling came into view. I found my hands wrapped in thick bandages and my face covered in ointment.

"Miss Roberts, all the bones in your hand are broken. We've done our best to treat you, but you won't be able to lift heavy things or do any small motor work anymore." The doctor’s words rang in my ears. I stared blankly at my hand.

The hospital room door opened and Luther slowly walked to my bedside, carrying fruit. He took out a mango and held it toward me.

"Lyra, I was worried about Calliope’s baby back then. As a mom, you can get that, right?"

"I’ve already given that house to Calliope. It’s not easy to take it back. I’ll buy you the one you like in the city center tomorrow."

"Okay." I looked at the mango in front of me, a cold hint in my eyes. I gave a short reply and turned my head away from him.

I was allergic to mangoes, something he had never noticed.

The divorce will be in two days.

At that time, I would not let either Luther or Calliope walk off clean!

My cold mood somehow angered Luther. He threw the mango down and pushed himself onto me.

"What are you acting for? I’ve already said sorry! You’re just upset that Calliope has a kid, aren’t you? I’ll give it to you right now!"

My arms were trapped by him and I felt a wet touch on my neck. I fought back.

How disgusting.

"Luther! Don’t touch me!"

I bit his shoulder, pushing him away hard, tears running down my face.

He saw my tears and smiled, "Didn’t you want an end to marriage? Lyra, stop making a scene. You can’t live without me unless I kill you myself."

With that, he turned and left.

My hands shook as I kept wiping my body with tissues until my skin went red and sore.

It was disgusting.

It felt like a wild dog had bitten me; the smell stayed.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Attorney Evans.

"Miss Roberts, the divorce agreement has been drafted."

"Good, bring it to the hospital tomorrow."

The next day, Attorney Evans brought the contract to me.

"Miss Roberts, there are some talks going around online. Yesterday, paparazzi captured Mr. Edwards going in and out of your old marriage home with a woman in a white dress."

I looked down at the divorce agreement and nodded.

"Gather the evidence; it will be useful later."

At that time, my assistant told me they had made a deal with the stock owners who were unhappy with Luther and they were ready to back my return.

"Vale, send someone to Grandpa’s old home and dig out the box under the second tree on the right in the yard and bring it to me."

"Also, watch the company’s stock market for now and grab some shares if the chance arises."

I looked at the divorce papers and told the orders.

As a wedding gift, I gave Luther twenty percent of the company’s shares. Right now, he holds the most shares, while I only hold fifteen percent.

Since we were ending the marriage, let him spit out everything he took!

After my assistant and lawyer left, the hospital room door opened again and Luther slowly led Calliope, whose eyes were red and swollen, into the room.

His face sank the moment he saw me and his voice turned cold.

"Lyra! Have you been spreading rumors everywhere? Can’t you stop being so jealous! Calliope and I are just like brother and sister, what nonsense are you saying outside?"

Hearing his quick blame, I frowned and spoke back, "I didn’t."

Calliope hid her face in Luther’s arms, crying and said in a hurt tone.

"I know you don’t like me, but how could you say… how could you say I’m the mistress? And that the kid in my belly is illegitimate…"

Seeing his loved one in pain, Luther lifted his eyes, his look cold as he looked at me.

"Other than you, who else would send out this news? Sign in to your account and clear things up online that this has nothing to do with Calliope, saying that Calliope was only a guest in our home."

A cold smile pulled at my lips, my tone with sarcasm. "Why should I? Isn’t it true that you two stay together?"

"Because this thing has upset Calliope and hurt her pregnancy." Luther’s voice was cold and hard. "Do as told right now."

"I won’t post it!"

I stood strong against Luther.

Luther’s face sank all the way, his eyes showing cold anger. He lifted his hand and ordered the guards.

"Take my wife to the storage room and lock her in. Don’t give her a drop of water or food during this time. Let her out only when she’s ready to post it."

My blood went cold at once, my body shaking as I tried to fight back.

But the next moment, the guards forcefully pulled the needle from my hand, dragged me up roughly and threw me onto the storage room floor.

I feared the dark most of all.

After my company grew, I was kidnapped by thugs hired by the competitor and kept in a dark room for a week, during which I took countless beatings.

I wasn’t saved by the police until the eighth day.

From then on, I gained a fear of dark places.

I told Luther about this event. I recall one time when the power went out at home, I was shaking and crouched in a corner.

Luther held me tight, gently patting my back. "I’ll always stay with you from now on, don’t be scared.”

But now, he was punishing me with my worst fear, pushing me to speak for the woman who took my boy’s heart.

At the last moment, the door closed and even the last line of light was shut out.

Only endless dark stayed.

I curled in a corner, shaking, hugging my shoulders. I hid my face in my knees, holding back sobs.

Fear took hold of my heart. My nails scratched my wrapped hands until the light smell of blood told me I was still alive, slightly easing the huge panic in my chest.

Time moved slowly in the dark, after what felt like forever, the storage room door finally opened.

I awkwardly and slowly looked up, seeing Luther standing in the shadows. For a moment, I thought I saw hurt in his eyes, but it faded fast.

He gently carried me out, his voice soft, as if we had gone back to the start of our love.

"Lyra, are you willing to leave now?"

I felt the warmth of his touch, yet my body remained cold. I turned my eyes away, a forced smile on my lips.

"And if I still don’t want to?"

The next moment, he threw me onto the floor. Pain rushed through my body and my face became even paler.

He held my chin, forcing me to look him in the eye.

His eyes were dark with anger, a silent weight pressing on me. "You don’t want to?"

Seeing the cold in his eyes, my heart fully died.

"I’ll send it."

I calmly met his eyes, slowly moving my hand away.

"I’ll watch you send it."

The cold look in Luther’s eyes faded and he pushed the phone into my hand.

I signed in to my page, typed my clarification message and sent it.

Luther nodded in ease, getting ready to leave. I grabbed his sleeve, my voice calm. "I have a document here for you to sign. Sign it before you go."

He looked at me with doubt, then picked me up with an annoyed tone and carried me back to the ward. "What document?"

I nervously took out the endpapers, handing them to him, but before I could speak, his assistant interrupted me.

"Mr. Edwards, Miss Collins just saw the negative comments online and passed out from crying."

Luther’s face changed. Without even looking at the documents in his hand, not knowing what he had signed, he simply signed his name and rushed away.

I forced a small smile, lowered my head and signed my name too. The divorce papers were now in use.

Tomorrow, I could leave this place.

I showed the divorce agreement to my lawyer. "Help me finish the steps and move all assets. Withdraw all investments I made in Luther."

But before I leave, I will make those two pay!

After the doctor treated my wounds, I went back with no change of mood to the villa that was no longer mine.

I walked in after typing Calliope’s birth date and opened the door.

Inside the villa, almost all my things had gone and the room had been changed to Calliope’s style.

The only thing that had not changed was the small cloth piece I had made myself, hanging on the wall.

This was from a trip Luther and I took. I had heard that wall cloths could show words we never said.

So, I poured my love for Luther into it and worked on it for half a month.

But Luther never saw it.

I laughed at myself, took a lighter and lit a corner of the wall cloth. The fire spread fast and thick smoke rolled through the room.

Now that we were divorced, there was no need for the marital home anymore.

What first belonged to me, even if I would not want it, Calliope could not take it.

I turned and left the villa, stopped a taxi and said, "Driver, to Dobbie Group."