Chapter 2
1246 Words
By the time the entire Devereux family came back from the hospital, it was already raining.
Peggy sat frozen on the sofa in the massive living room, still trying to wrap her head around the fact that Lucien had betrayed her.
How could he?
She remembered when he had proposed to her and told her he would love her for the rest of his life.
Where was the love now?
Ever since Calista had stepped into their home, it was one problem after another, and for some reason, Lucien would always believe it was her fault.
It was never the fault of his ex, who had abandoned him for her career abroad, but she who stayed with Lucian throughout his heartbreak and helped him mend his broken heart.
Lucien came in first. His face was pale and exhausted, his tie loosened. Behind him walked Alistair and Evangeline.
But they weren't alone.
Terry Moreau, the family’s longtime lawyer, walked in carrying a leather briefcase. Behind him stood two uniformed police officers.
Peggy stood up quickly, her heart pounding against her ribs. She didn't even know what to say.
Lucian stopped a few feet away from her and spoke up, without even looking at her.
"You are a monster, Peggy. You pushed a pregnant woman into a table. How could you do such a thing? I always thought you were a good woman. When did you become this evil?”
Peggy couldn't believe her ears. No one asked her what happened or cared for her side of the story. They simply believed what they wanted to believe.
He even brought in police officers to arrest her for a crime she did not commit?”
Peggy turned to the two police officers. "There are cameras in the conservatory. Check them, and you'll see that I'm innocent!"
Terry Moreau, the lawyer, sighed and opened his briefcase. He looked Peggy straight in the eye as he said. "Mrs. Devereux, the camera was checked by security. It was disabled earlier this afternoon due to a technical glitch. There is no footage."
Peggy felt the air leave her lungs. She stumbled backward against the sofa.
How convenient that the Cameras were suddenly not working this afternoon.
"Mrs. Devereux, Ms. Calista Laurent has filed formal charges against you for aggravated assault. Given the severity of the victim's condition and the eyewitness statement, we have a warrant to take you into custody."
"Lucien! Are you really going to let them lock me up? You've known me for eight years, we've been married for five years, and yet, you honestly believe I am capable of trying to kill a baby?"
Lucien finally raised his head, but there was no pity in his eyes. Even without saying anything, his stance was clear.
"The evidence is against you, Peggy," Lucien said quietly. "You pushed Calista. Everyone knows you've been bitter since you lost our baby. You took your anger out on Calista."
Peggy could only stand there helplessly as Lucian said those words.
"You have two choices right now, Peggy," Terry Moreau cut in, sliding a thick stack of papers onto the glass coffee table. "Ms. Laurent has agreed to a condition. If you cooperate, the family will convince her to drop the criminal charges. If you do not cooperate, the officers will take you to jail right now. And with the Devereux family pushing the case, you will go to prison for a very long time."
Peggy looked down at the table through her tears. Ironically, the papers on the table were divorce documents.
She reached out with a trembling hand and turned to the front page. Her eyes blurred, but she could clearly see the date written at the top.
The papers were dated two weeks ago.
The realization hit her like a physical blow.
Lucien hadn't decided to leave her because of the accident; he had already decided that a long time ago.
He seemed like he was just waiting for a good enough reason to get rid of her.
"You..." Peggy whispered, looking up at Lucien, her heart shattering into a thousand pieces.
"You already planned this."
Lucien remained silent, crossing his arms and turning his face away from her.
"Sign them, Peggy," Terry Moreau said, pushing a sleek black pen toward her. "Sign, and the case goes away. If you refuse, the officers will take you into custody tonight."
Peggy looked at the metal handcuffs dangling from the officer's belt. Then she looked at Lucien. He still wouldn't look back at her.
With a shaking hand, Peggy picked up the pen and signed her name on the divorce papers.
She dropped the pen, and it rolled across the glass table and fell to the floor.
"It's done," Terry said, gathering the documents quickly. The two police officers nodded, stepped back, and left the room without another word.
"I'll go upstairs and pack my things," Peggy announced. She had finally accepted the truth.
Lucian no longer loved her.
Lucian cheated on her with his childhood sweetheart.
She was no longer welcome here.
"Pack what things? What exactly do you think belongs to you in this house?" Evangeline blocked Peggy's path.
"Everything in this house was paid for by the Devereux family, you won't leave this place with anything," Alistair said from the corner, his voice cold as ice.
Lucien finally looked at her and said. "They’re not lying.”
The betrayal cut so deep that Peggy didn't even feel the anger. She just felt numb. She reached up and unclipped her diamond earrings, dropping them onto the coffee table.
"The dress, too," Evangeline snapped, pointing a sharp finger at Peggy.
Peggy froze. Her blood ran completely cold.
"What?"
"That designer dress was bought with my son’s credit card," Evangeline said, her eyes gleaming with malice. "The high heels on your feet were a birthday gift from him. Even the handbag on the chair is ours. Strip it all off. You don't leave this house with a single thing we paid for."
Peggy looked at Lucien, her eyes begging for a shred of humanity. "Lucien…” Even if he didn't love her anymore, at least they were once married.
Lucien looked away.
Humiliation washed over Peggy as she reached for the zipper of her dress. With trembling fingers, she slid it down. She stepped out of the expensive fabric, leaving it in a pile on the floor, then unbuckled the heels she was wearing and kicked them to the side.
She stood there in the center of the grand living room, shivering in nothing but her simple underwear.
Holding her head up with the last ounce of dignity, she walked barefoot out of the living room.
The rain poured down, soaking her instantly.
The sharp gravel of the long driveway cut into the soles of her bare feet, but she barely felt the physical pain. Her mind was completely blank.
She had no money, no phone, no shoes, no friends, and nowhere to go.
She walked out onto the main road. It was pitch black, lit only by the occasional flash of lightning.
She was crying, but the rain washed away any tears before they could form.
Suddenly, a pair of blindingly bright headlights rounded the corner ahead.
Peggy was too numb to move out of the way. The headlights grew larger, illuminating the pouring rain.
Suddenly, tires screeched loudly against the wet road as a heavy luxury car tried to swerve away from Peggy.
- Writer
