Agreement Behind Her Marriage

After lunch, Lily returned to the bedroom where they were staying to check for any messages. Indeed, Danica had texted her.

Danica: Why didn’t you tell me, Lily? Are you really treating me like a friend? Brian told me everything because the police arrested him after being implicated by his friend in the kidnapping of you and another child.

In the next message, she read:Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Danica: I thought you were my friend! I always suspected you and Brian had a history, but I didn’t anticipate it being this bad!

Danica: I broke up with Brian.

Lily placed her phone back in the drawer. Whenever someone got to know her, bad things always seemed to happen. These were things that Kenneth had been telling her for a while. She silently cried, then lay down on the bed, revealing how broken and miserable she felt.

She felt the opposite side of the bed sink, followed by Drew’s kisses on her hair and his delicate touch on her skin. “Everything will be fine, babe,” he whispered.

When night fell, she made love with Drew almost every night.

Whenever his hand touched her skin or his lips met hers, she felt alive and secure. He held her as delicately as if she were a fragile piece of crystal, requiring careful handling of every word and touch, which contrasted with the way he had made love to her in the past months.

Drew moved with care, his eyes filled with passion, gazing deeply into hers as he moved his hips to connect with the deepest part of her body.

While there was still time, she could have tried to make the most of her remaining days with him, knowing that their time together was limited. She was conscious of Drew’s anxiety about her. His kisses were tender and sweet, leaving behind beautiful memories that lingered on her lips.

During their stay at Lauren and Finn’s retreat, it was always like this. However, with each passing morning, the pain deepened as she was increasingly aware that this dream would soon come to an end.

***

After a couple of days at the private beach, Lauren and Kori arrived, each with their respective children.

They sat beneath a large tree, observing the blue, gently waving water, bathed in sunlight. Felix, along with his one-year-old baby brother, and Davi, Kori’s daughter, played on the beach, building a sandcastle.

“We came to check on you and see how you’re feeling,” Lauren murmured.

“Thank you, I’m okay.”

Kori followed, asking, “How have you been? Drew told me that you’ve been going through a tough time lately. I’m sorry I haven’t been around much; I’ve been busy with my business and my kids. But now, I’m glad to see Drew happy.”

“I’m alright. We’re sorry if my husband troubled you by asking you to come here.”

“My brother Kael is also apologizing for his behavior during our previous encounter. That brat!” Shaking her head, Lauren recalled her first meeting with Kael.

Davi began crying out of the blue after tripping while running back from inside the house. She came with a pail. Lily observed Drew rushing over to the young child to assist her, followed by Kori checking on her daughter.

Lily became envious as she noticed the unusual attention Drew was giving to the mother and daughter. Drew chuckled as he teased Davi and Kori. The three of them looked like a family of three.

She was aware. How many times had she heard the claim that Kori was the one woman Drew had ever truly loved? He would never love anyone else, and it would be selfish of her to urge him to stay by her side.

Lauren saw the anguish in Lily’s eyes and said, “Did you know that I also felt jealous of Kori before?”

She turned her gaze to the woman. “Drew, Finn, and Kori have known each other since they were young. Even my best friend Brett, Kori’s husband, had ended his relationship with Kori because of Drew. We used to call them ‘the three musketeers’ during high school… There won’t be any issues with Kori and Drew’s relationship, Lily.”

Lauren may have wanted to ease her mind, which prompted Lily to smile.

“I know,” she replied, forming only a few words with her fingers.

As their friend was leaving, Drew informed Lily that he had to return to the city to check some paperwork in the office, leaving Orion with her to stay at the beach house.

Master Walton paid her a surprise visit while Drew was away.

Forcing a smile, she said, “Grandpa, why did you come to see me here? Drew and I are going back home tomorrow.”

“Lily, would you like me to help you with locking up Kenneth and his friends?”

The old man’s tone suggested that he might be familiar with some aspects of her background, which astonished her.

“I can help you, but if your reputation as Drew’s wife is damaged, the Walton Family will also suffer, including my grandson.”

Clenching her palm, she said, “What is the actual reason you came here, Master Walton?”

Because she believed he had already strained their family relationship, Lily could no longer bring herself to refer to him as “grandpa.”

“I want you to annul your marriage with Drew so that the Walton Group won’t have to make any concessions. One day, I’ll hand over the Walton Group to him, and you’ll tarnish his good reputation.”

Lily’s tears flowed continuously. This anguish resurfaced once more. With a victim like her, was society truly this unforgiving? Why couldn’t she fight without being subjected to judgment from others?

As a victim, if she were to testify in court, would she end up being ridiculed in the end?

“I’ll do that,” Lily said, not realizing what a significant decision it was. But she reasoned that there was nothing to lose because the day of her agreement with Drew was drawing near.

“However, I’d like to know if it’s true that the late Mrs. Walton used to write me letters and, if so, if that had anything to do with your decision to choose me to become Drew’s wife.”

“Yes.”

“W-why?”

Lily wept upon learning the truth, her soul utterly shattered.

***

Sarah called Drew. His father had requested his presence upon his return to the country. To avoid disturbing him at home, Drew went to his father’s hotel suite and excused himself to Lily by saying he had to go to the office for something.

Given that Lily had been through a lot and was currently not doing well, Drew didn’t want his irresponsible father to see his wife.

Upon entering his father’s suite and seeing him smoking and sipping rum at one end, Drew wasted no time and asked, “What else do you need?”

His dad had done nothing but squander Walton’s money. Due to his mistress ‘committing’ suicide right in his private office, he not only failed to contribute to the business but also seriously damaged the Walton Group’s reputation. As a result, Master Walton had forced him to leave for a distant country, where he was living the kind of life every slacker desired, something Drew knew wasn’t a small sum. “I came here because I overheard the funniest thing. I shouldn’t have cared, but you called and disturbed my peaceful world.”

Seeing his dad irritated Drew, not just because of his presence, but because he looked exactly like his father. He couldn’t deny that his father was largely responsible for his physical appearance, reminding him of the biological connection between them.

“Was there anything funnier than you coming back to this country? As far as I know, you shouldn’t come near me,” Drew said icily.

“You came here on your own, son?”

Drew restrained the anger in his heart.

‘Son?’

“I don’t want you to mess up my life. That’s why I’m here! Now, what’s that ‘funniest thing’?” Drew said sarcastically, mocking his father.

“That you married Cristina’s daughter,” his dad replied, lifting the corner of his lips.

“Cristina? Cristina Martin?” There was no doubt that his dad was referring to Lily.

“Yes,” Mr. Walton Sr. grinned mischievously and continued, “You know your mother pushed my mistress out of the window of my private office, right?”

Drew clenched his jaw. He was aware of it and had no desire to learn more. It would only intensify his anguish. That incident led to his mother’s mental instability, and his father, a notorious womanizer, was to blame for everything.

The next words from Mr. Walton Sr. sent shockwaves through Drew’s world. “Cristina is that mistress!”

“Your grandfather complied with the Martins’ demand after they found out about it. Everyone thinks Cristina committed suicide, but the truth is, your mentally unstable mother pushed her from my office! Your mom, not in her right mind, was writing letters intended for Cristina’s daughter, confessing her actions. That scheming Martin used them to his advantage!

“To conceal all of your mother’s sins and protect the reputation of the Walton Group, you became the solution! He ensured that Lily would fall in love with you and then shattered her delicate heart afterward! Do you truly believe your grandfather chose Lily of his own accord? He orchestrated this entire plan!”

Drew shuddered at the revelation. He had believed he could protect Lily until the end, but he was wrong.

What he didn’t know was that Master Walton had shared the same information with his wife, effectively and utterly breaking Lily’s spirit.