Chapter 50
“Come in, come in! I made all your favorite dishes!“. His ex–wife–my sister’s mother–clutched Luke’s arm with one hand, while the other held onto my sister.}
The four of them. Smiling. Laughing. Like a real family. And me? I stood at the threshold. An abandoned orphan. It was then that I realized the cruelest truth of all. Dad had known all along. He had known about Luke and my sister. And he had never once thought to tell me.
Everyone knew. Everyone except me. I was the only fool left in the dark, the only one who didn’t see the joke–the cruel, twisted joke that was my life. I turned to leave, swallowing down the humiliation clawing at my throat.”
“Lyra, you came all this way. Stay for dinner, at least.“}
My sister’s voice was as gentle as ever, as if she hadn’t just shattered my world.”
“Yes, Lyra,” Dad chimed in, though his tone felt more like an empty gesture than genuine care. “You’re already here. You might as well eat before you go.”
Eat? I wasn’t sure I could even breathe properly, let alone swallow food. But I stayed. Because I wasn’t done. Not yet. I needed to hear it from Luke’s own lips. The dining table was set with an array of dishes, a feast laid out like a celebration. Braised pork. Steamed fish. Sweet and sour spare ribs. Every dish–my sister’s favorite. Not a single thing I liked.}
Luke sat beside her, his every movement filled with tenderness as he piled food onto her plate.”
“Smiley, eat more. You’re too thin,” he murmured, his voice dripping with affection.”
She smiled sweetly, picking up a piece of braised pork and placing it in his bowl.
“You eat too, Luke. You’ve been working so hard.”
They acted as if I weren’t even there. As if I were nothing more than a shadow in the background. Then my sister pulled out her phone, scrolling through her photo album before turning the screen toward me.”
“Lyra, look! This was taken at the snowy mountains. Isn’t it beautiful?“\
In the photo, Luke had his arm around her, his smile beaming as they stood against a backdrop of snow–capped peaks. So breathtaking. So blinding. I felt something twist violently inside me. My stomach lurched. I bolted from the table, barely making it to the bathroom before collapsing to my knees. I retched, but there was nothing left inside me to throw up–only empty, gut–wrenching heaves that wracked my body.
Tears streamed down my face, mixing with the bitter bile in my throat. A shadow loomed at the doorway. Luke. His expression was unreadable as he stared at me, hesitation flickering in his eyes.
1
“What’s wrong?” His voice was softer than before. Almost… cautious. “Are you pregnant?“}
Pregnant? The word sent a shudder through me. I hadn’t had my period in a long time.
My heart sank, cold dread creeping into my veins. Could I really be…? I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to feel
