Lucy stood there, mouth agape, for a long moment. She couldn’t comprehend the whirlwind of events unfolding today. First, the overwhelming joy of discovering she was pregnant. Then, her ex-best friend suddenly appearing in her home with a baby — Marcus’s baby. And now, she was being asked to vacate her own bedroom.
“No,” Lucy said firmly, standing her ground. “She is not taking over our room, Marcus. There are plenty of large guest rooms she can choose from.”
“Don’t make a fuss, Lucy. That’s the biggest room in the house, and she needs it for herself and the baby.”
“She can take any other room. I’m not giving up my matrimonial bedroom to her.”
“Marcus, there’s no need for you two to argue,” Clara interjected, her voice dripping with self-pity. “It seems Lucy is still holding onto old grudges. I’ll just take the baby and leave.”
Her words were innocent but they carried an underlying threat — if she didn’t get the room, she would take the baby with her.
“That’s exactly why you couldn’t give my son a child,” Stella’s sharp voice cut through. “The baby belongs to Marcus, so Clara has every right to take over your room. After all, she succeeded where you failed.”
“Lucy, stop making a fool of yourself. You’re being a wicked stepmother right now,” Jaycee added.
Their words sliced through Lucy’s heart like a blade. The worst part was Marcus’s silence. He sat there peeling crabs onto Clara’s plate, saying nothing as his mother and son insulted her.
“Marcus, you—”
“Pack your belongings and move to another room,” Marcus said calmly, not even looking up. “Don’t make things difficult for the baby.”
Seeing that even Marcus wouldn’t defend her, Lucy clutched the pregnancy report tightly and headed upstairs. Everything was falling apart. She was losing her husband and her place in the family to another woman, and she felt powerless to stop it.
She pushed open the door to their master bedroom and stared in disbelief. She had personally decorated every inch of this room — from the curtains to the bedside lamps. Everything had been chosen with love. Her gaze lingered on the bed where she and Marcus had slept together for ten years.
A knock sounded at the door. “Ma’am, Mr. Hayes sent us to move your belongings.”
Lucy opened the door and sat on the edge of the bed, numb, as the guards efficiently packed her clothes, bags, shoes, and even her toiletries.
“There’s no need to remove the curtains too,” she said quietly.
The guards exchanged glances. One of them finally spoke. “Ma’am, the mistress said to remove everything.”
“What about Marcus’s belongings?” she asked, noticing none of his things had been touched.
“They will remain here, ma’am.”
Her mind reeled. Did that mean they planned to sleep together in this room? No — she couldn’t allow that. Lucy stormed downstairs immediately.
The lively chatter downstairs died the moment she entered the room.
“Marcus, can I have a word with you?”
The silence was deafening. “Is it important right now?” he asked. “I’m kind of busy.”
“It is,” Lucy replied firmly.
Marcus stood up and followed her out of earshot.
“What is going on?” Lucy demanded the second they were alone.
Marcus gave her a flat, annoyed look. “You’re the one who called me out here.”
“Don’t act dumb. What is Clara doing here after everything she did?”
“You’re still holding onto that?” Marcus asked, exasperated. “It’s been ten years, Lucy. Move on.”
Lucy’s mouth fell open. She couldn’t believe this was the same Marcus who had once hated Clara.
“Is that all you wanted to talk about?” he asked impatiently. “If not, I’d like to go back.”
Lucy swallowed hard. In all their years together, Marcus had never spoken to her in such a cold tone. He might not have loved her romantically, but he had always shown her respect.
“Is that baby really yours?” she asked, the question burning in her chest.
Marcus opened and closed his mouth several times before finally nodding.
Tears slipped down Lucy’s cheeks. “So you’ve been cheating on me,” she said, her voice breaking. “And everyone knows — your mom, even Jaycee.”
Marcus stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. She struggled against his grip, but he held firm.
“Leave me alone, you cheater!” she screamed, trying to break free. “How could you do this to me? You said you didn’t want another baby. You said Jaycee was enough. Why did you go to her?”
“Calm down!” Marcus shouted, startling her.
Lucy froze. In ten years of marriage, Marcus had never once raised his voice at her. Today, everything was changing drastically.
“I didn’t lie when I said I didn’t want more children,” he continued. “Clara came to me pleading. She wanted a baby but wasn’t married and didn’t trust anyone else. You’ve always wanted a child, and I knew my mother’s constant pressure was getting to you. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone.”
Lucy stared at him in confusion. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I didn’t have sex with her. At least trust me a little,” he said, gripping her shoulders tighter. “The baby was conceived through IVF.”
