Marrying her Ex-husband's Uncle

"Sign it." Barbara Ferrer's eyes widened as her hands turned ice-cold. She stared at the document her husband had just tossed onto the table. Divorce Papers. "D—Divorce?" She whispered, barely able to find her voice. "Yes." Luke Stavros answered without hesitation. His eyes were cold. Empty. Merciless. Barbara could hardly recognize the man standing before her. They had been married for three years. Three years of love, laughter, and promises of forever. Luke had always treated her like she was the center of his world. She had even fallen in love with him because he had once saved her life when she nearly drowned. He had been her hero. But now... It felt like she was drowning all over again. "Luke..." Her lips trembled. "What kind of joke is this? Are you... pranking me? Is there some surprise you're hiding?" She forced a smile, desperately searching his face for even the smallest hint that this was all a cruel prank. But there was none. "I'm not joking, Barbara." His voice remained emotionless. "Sign the papers. Let's end this marriage." The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over. "W—Why?" She cried. "I thought we loved each other." Luke slipped one hand into his pocket and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. "That was before," he said without looking at her. "I've changed. I don't love you anymore. I'm tired of you." Every word sliced through Barbara's heart. "Please..." she begged. "At least tell me why. Give me one reason, Luke." He finally turned around. "Celine is pregnant with my child. I have to take responsibility." Barbara felt the ground disappear beneath her feet. Celine... Her stepsister. Her husband... They had betrayed her! "You bastard!" Consumed by rage, Barbara rushed toward Luke, ready to slap him. But someone stepped between them. Smack! The slap landed across Celine's face instead. "Celine!" Luke immediately wrapped his arms around the pregnant woman, shielding her like she was the most precious person in the world. "Don't you ever touch her again!" he roared. "If anything happens to my child, I'll make sure you pay for it, Barbara." Barbara stood frozen. Celine had only returned from overseas four months ago. Had they already been together behind her back? While she loved them... They had been betraying her all along! "D—Don't yell at my sister, Luke..." Celine sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "She's hurting. This is all my fault. I'm such a terrible sister..." "No." Luke gently wiped away her tears. "None of this is your fault." His icy gaze shifted back to Barbara. "I won't let anyone hurt you." Barbara's blood boiled as Celine slowly dropped to her knees in front of her. "I'm sorry, Sis," she cried, one hand resting protectively over her small baby bump. "I didn't mean for this to happen... I just realized I love Luke. We're having a baby now... and becoming a father has always been his dream." "Please… Let him go." Barbara slowly looked away. Now she understood. Was this why Luke had abandoned her? Because she couldn't give him a child? He knew how desperately she had tried. Countless hospital visits. Endless treatments. Heartbreaking disappointments. Every time she apologized, he would hold her close and tell her that children didn't matter. That she was enough. So why... Why had he gotten her stepsister pregnant? "And what exactly is going on here?" A familiar voice cut through the suffocating silence. Barbara turned to see her mother-in-law, Madam Sofia, entering the room with Barbara's stepmother, Esmeralda. Both women hurried straight to Celine. "Why are you kneeling?" Madam Sofia gasped. "What if something happens to my grandchild?" Then she glared at Barbara with undisguised hatred. "And you! Just because you can't have children doesn't give you the right to endanger someone who can." "Celine, sweetheart..." Esmeralda fussed over her daughter. "Are you alright? Did Barbara hurt you?" Barbara looked at the four people standing before her. The pain inside her slowly transformed into something colder. "Fine." She wiped away her tears. "I'll sign the divorce papers." Everyone relaxed. "But on one condition." Her eyes locked onto Luke's. "I'm taking back everything you own." "And first… My mother's company." Luke's expression darkened instantly. "You can't do that." Barbara let out a bitter laugh. "And why not? Oceana Shipping Lines belongs to me. I only entrusted it to you because I loved you." "But now… I'm taking it back." Madam Sofia laughed. She pulled a thick envelope from her designer handbag before throwing its contents onto the table. "Take a look." Barbara picked up the documents. Her face turned pale. Financial records. Audit reports. Evidence accusing her late mother of embezzling company funds by cutting safety inspection costs. The alleged corruption... Had supposedly caused the tragic shipping disaster years ago. "T—This..." Her hands trembled. "This isn't true." "Oh, but it is," Madam Sofia said with a smug smile. "Your mother wasn't the saint everyone believed she was. Because of her greed, countless innocent people died." "My mother would never do something like this!" Barbara's voice echoed through the room. "You forged these documents!" "Evidence doesn't lie," Luke said coldly. "Imagine what will happen if these become public." Madam Sofia slowly walked toward Barbara. With terrifying gentleness, she brushed away the tears on Barbara's face. "Choose wisely. You can sign those divorce papers and leave Oceana with us..." "...or refuse. And I'll make sure your precious mother's reputation is destroyed before the entire country." Barbara's entire body shook with rage. Her mother had spent her whole life building an honorable name. After being abandoned by Barbara's father for Esmeralda... Her reputation was all she had left. Barbara couldn't allow them to destroy even that. "Besides," Madam Sofia continued smoothly, "you love my son, don't you? He once saved your life. Consider Oceana your payment for that debt." Barbara stared at the divorce papers one last time. Then... With trembling hands... She signed. Without another word, she walked out of the mansion with nothing left but herself.