Dear Ex, No More Second Chances

Chapter2

Leah made her way towards the penthouse upon arriving at the Grand estate of the Castillos—the place Lucas had gone to meet Harper the previous night.

She had long dismissed her weird feelings from her encounter with the stranger—Elias Logan—earlier, as she took in the gigantic building stretched before her, her nerves unraveling with perplexity.

The sound of her heels clicking on the marbled pathway as she walked head-on matched the rhythm of her pounding heart, recalling the very situation that had brought her there—Lucas and Harper. She still couldn't shake off the disturbing images she had received earlier. Harper's ecstatic moans replayed in her mind incessantly, making it difficult to push past her unease even if she wanted to.

Nonetheless, Leah silently hoped there was a reasonable explanation Lucas had kept in store for her regarding the situation, because cheating was something she just wouldn't overlook.

***

Inside the Castillos' living room, a video was playing on the big TV screen, capturing the attention of the individuals in the room. Amongst these individuals were Lola and Jacob Castillo, the Moores, Harper Moore, and lastly, Lucas Castillo, whose expression was etched with disgust and revulsion as he watched the footage of the supposed crime he had committed in an inebriated state the previous night.

"So, what the f**k you all are telling me right now is, that's me?" Lucas questioned derisively, pointing at the blurry footage that barely captured his face or that of whoever was in the video. However, the wolf tattoo on his arm was vivid in the footage.

"Hush now and watch, Son." Lola, Lucas's mother urged, her eyes glued to the screen.

Lucas's jaws clenched, his grip on the armrest tightening as he struggled to control his growing rage. He caught Harper's eye, but she nervously and quickly averted her gaze in time, turning her focus back to the video. Lucas skeptically did the same thing.

The footage showed Harper on a bed, while a man, who appeared drunk and who was believed to be Lucas, was settling himself between her legs.

'Lucas...' Harper whispered, but Lucas tried to silence her with a kiss. Harper turned her head away before he could succeed.

'Lucas, we can't... Please, you're drunk.' Harper pleaded softly, trying to push him off her, but he restrained her by lifting her hands above her head, pinning her wrists to the bed with one hand.

His voice was rough as he murmured, 'I love you, Harps.'

'What about Leah? What about your wife, Lucas?'

But he didn't respond as he lowered himself to claim Harper's lips. Harper gave in to the kiss, and the moment got heated. The video continued to play, showing their intimate moment until Mrs. Castillo paused it.

"Do you now see what's going on, Lucas?" Melissa Moore, Harper's mother, asked as she turned to face Lucas.

Lucas's expression was filled with contempt, and his whole demeanor radiated raw anger.

Nonetheless, Melissa persisted, her tone calm yet resolute. "I wouldn't say you took advantage of my daughter last night, but what happened did occur. And that's the evidence you just saw, so Harper isn't lying."

Lucas shook his head vehemently, his gaze stoic as he asserted. "There's no way in hell that's me!"

"But it is, Son," Lola chimed in calmly, gesturing towards his arm. "Your tattoo. Your hair. Even though the video was somewhat fuzzy, all other features were clear; it's you in the footage."

Lucas scoffed. "That can't be true! I don't recall doing such a thing with Harper last night... I could never even—"

"You hardly remember anything from last night since you had been extremely intoxicated," Melissa cut in.

"With all due respect, Mrs Moore, I won't have you try to gaslight me. I said I didn't do it. I could never cheat on my wife. No matter how much I've had to drink..."

"But you did... You've already done it!" Melissa shot back.

Lucas slammed his fist on the table in frustration, roaring. "Tell them the f*****g truth, Harps! I didn't do anything! That's not me!"

But Harper's gaze and voice were teary as she sniffled, turning to him. "Lucas... I'm sorry but there's evidence. I tried to talk you out of it, but you wouldn't back down. I thought... I thought you wanted me so I gave in."

"Bullshit!" Lucas retorted. "You're lying, Harps. And I will never forgive you for this. You set this up! Was that the reason you called me to come over last night? So I could walk right into your trap? Was that your plan all along?"

But Harper's face contorted with anguish as she shook her head. "No. No, Lucas..." Tears leaked from her eyes. "You know that's not true."

"Save the crocodile tears for someone else." Lucas sneered, his blood coursing with disdain. "I think I've seen you for who you really are now. I should've listened to Leah's warning about you. I never should've come here last night."

"Bold of you to put all the blame on her when you were the one who clearly initiated the act, Mr. Castillo." Mr. Moore snapped as he intervened. "She didn't seduce you, you r***d her!"

Lucas's father, Jacob, chimed in. "r**e is a strong word now, Mr. Moore. And totally unnecessary. Can we not?"

"But your son is trying to deny what happened between them last night even though there's evidence! You're a prosecutor, Jacob, you know how this works." Mr. Moore retorted, effectively silencing Jacob Castillo.

Breaking the tension, Lola tried to reason with her son. "It's possible you acted that way because you were drunk to stupor last night, Lucas. We all know how much you’ve wanted Harper in the past. That could have stirred—"

"No, don't f*****g tell me that, Mother," Lucas shot at her.

"Lucas... Language,"

Lola implored. "Please, if not for anything, but for the sake of this family's reputation. Just sign the papers and end all of this. Spare us the disgrace. You can sort out what happened later, on your own, but for now, just go along with the divorce agreement. Since that's what the Moores want..."

Bile rose to Lucas's throat, once again recalling what was at stake as his focus zeroed in on the divorce paperwork sprawled on the table before him.

The Moores were wielding the video evidence as a threat against his family. They had offered him an ultimatum—Marry Harper as she's likely to get pregnant from the intercourse, and they wouldn't condone their daughter giving birth outside of wedlock. Or Lucas and his family faced the consequences of not complying with their demands. Which was, the Moores had simply threatened that they would post the video online. And that alone could not destroy Lucas's reputation, but also tarnish Lucas's father's, Jacob, who was a renowned, principled prosecutor.

Now, the Castillos had pleaded a financial settlement, but the Moores, especially Harper, had refused the offer, insisting she wanted a marriage with Lucas instead.

Before now, Lucas thought Harper was innocent, but her refusal to defend him or persuade her family to accept the settlement made him suspect foul play. It was either that she had deliberately set him up or was just taking advantage of the situation since she had desperately wanted him ever since she returned to the Country. The accusations were bullshit, but what could he really do?

"And what about Leah? What about my wife, Mother? How do you think she will feel about all of this?" Lucas questioned, his orbs tight with fury as he looked at Lola.

"You don't have to explain anything to her," Lola replied.

"Why's that?"

"Because she doesn't deserve to know. We can't risk our affairs getting to outsiders." Jacob interjected.

"Outsiders?" Lucas turned to Jacob, his brows furrowing in annoyance. "Leah is my wife, Father! You can't expect me to cut her out and not f*****g explain why I’m suddenly divorcing her."

"I know, Son, but we can't risk it. This is a crucial matter." Jacob said. "I'm sorry, but if this gets out, I'm done for. My career, this family's reputation including yours. We can't let that happen. It's better if you don't explain anything to her."

Lucas clenched his fists as he wrestled with his frustration.

Even though he knew he had no choice but to comply, he was still deeply reluctant to give in to their demands. He was probably trying to imagine his future without Leah in it—his heart tightened painfully. As he sat there seething with fury, several emotions coursed through him, but the one that overwhelmed him the most was regret.

Had he known Harper was up to something this sinister, he never would've answered her call for help the prior night. He should have listened to Leah's warnings; she had basically begged him not to see Harper that evening too. She had tried to stop him, but Harper’s pleas had been hard for him to ignore.

Well, now he was faced with the consequences. There was no way he could prove his innocence—not with the evidence stacked against him. Not with the incriminating video of him and Harper currently playing on the TV screen for him to watch. He was fully convinced Harper had set the whole thing up. She f*****g did this because she couldn't deal with the reality that he had moved on from her.

Even as Lola continued pressing him to sign the divorce papers, he remained unmoved by their arguments. He just sat there, lost in thought—more like trying to piece together the memories from the previous night.

Yet, those memories were hazy no matter how hard he tried, as he had blacked out after having a drink with Harper. He now suspected she must have slipped something into his drink. It was probably in his intoxicated state that she had set everything up, capturing the moment with hidden cameras.

At least, that’s how it appeared from the footage on the screen. Even though his face was a bit blurry, his shiny dark hair and the tattoo on his left arm were hard to miss. Those were the features that confirmed his identity. However, he still couldn't recall a single moment. At this point, he was uncertain of what to believe.

"Lucas?" Lola's voice broke through his deep thoughts.

Lucas glanced at them individually.

"Sign the papers already, Lucas, so we can proceed with the wedding arrangements for you and my daughter." Melissa Moore insisted, her tone pressing.

A surge of annoyance coursed through Lucas, his expression twisting with disdain as he turned his attention to Harper, who was seated across the table with her family. She appeared sorrowful, her face strained with unshed tears as she fumbled with her fingers, acting like she was the victim—like she wasn't the one who had f*****g framed him.

Lucas couldn't comprehend her act. He couldn't help but think back to the stunt Harper had pulled on the night of his mother's birthday. He regretted not listening to Leah when she had told him Harper was behind it. He had thought Leah had accused Harper out of jealousy. Well, now he knew better.

Having no options whatsoever left, Lucas promised himself he would get to the bottom of what really happened the previous night, but for now, he needed to save face. He needed to maintain his dignity and protect his family's reputation. Hence, he reached for the pen across the table and scrawled his signature on the divorce papers.

Just after he finished signing the paperwork and pushing it aside, Leah walked into the room, causing Lucas's heart to leap as he locked eyes with her instantly.

Silence immediately ensued as everyone acknowledged Leah's arrival.

Lucas felt his heart twist with despair as he took in Leah's fazed expression as she looked from him to the Moores

"What's going on, Lucas?" Leah asked, returning her gaze to the only man she was familiar with in the room.

She noticed the hint of remorse that veiled Lucas's deadpan expression, but she couldn't quite make sense of it. Not with her gaze already drawn to the TV Screen still displaying the video of Lucas's betrayal. Leah's heart fell.

She turned back to Lucas, but before she could say anything more, Melissa Moore beat her to it. "I believe you're Leah Milton..."

"Leah Castillo," Leah corrected firmly, facing the unfamiliar, elderly woman around the age of fifty, who had the same color of hair as hers—silver.

"I doubt that's correct, Leah." Melissa said with a slight smile, waving the divorce agreement documents in the air. "Considering your husband just signed the divorce papers."

Leah's heart skipped a beat as she registered Melissa's words. "What?" She muttered.

"As you can see..."

"Allow me, please." Lola interrupted, stepping in to clarify matters for Leah while Melissa stepped back with a curt nod.

Lola started firmly. "Your marriage to my son is over, Leah. He's getting married to Harper next week, end of story. You're not entitled to any further explanations. All you just have to do is sign the document over there," She gestured towards the paperwork on the table.

"What?"

Leah felt a wave of confusion swell within her as she shifted her gaze between the Moores and the Castillos. She knew her in-laws and she didn't always get along, but this betrayal stung, especially given the circumstances.

Nonetheless, confusion eating her up, Leah darted her gaze to Lucas, seeking clarity.

"Lucas?—"

But Lola cut her off again. "Lucas has no say in this, Leah. The deed has already been done. He slept with Harper last night, and they didn't use protection, so there's a strong possibility she could get pregnant unless she's also a barren vessel like yourself," Lola smiled apologetically at the Moores before redirecting her serious gaze to Leah.

"We cannot take any risks, Leah. The Moores are a prestigious, upright and principled family. They have threatened to release this video on the Internet if Lucas doesn't comply with their wish for him to marry their daughter. I trust you understand what that means, Leah. Lucas's reputation as well as our families' are on the line here. Besides, you won’t be able to stop this since he has already consented to the divorce and signed the papers on your behalf. I suggest you do the same."

A wave of heartbreak and bewilderment washed over Leah as she processed this flood of information. She blinked weakly, turning to Lucas, hoping for reassurance that none of it was true. That he wasn't seriously divorcing her after cheating on her. However, his expression was only filled with guilt and remorse as they locked eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice thick with regret, causing a tear to slip down Leah's cheek as her eyes flickered between his.

"You did this?" Leah's heart twisted painfully, her voice strained with emotions. "You promised. You reassured me that none of this was ever going to happen. You—You betrayed me," she whispered, the bitterness of the words lingering in her mouth.

Lucas's heart broke, his veins coursing with frustration. He wished there was a way he could explain things to her. He wanted to. But he knew it was pointless. She wasn't going to believe him. Not with the video evidence present. Not when she already believed he really betrayed her. And not when he already knew how she felt about Cheaters. She would never believe him.

Overwhelmed with frustration and despair, he rose to his feet and left the room, leaving Leah behind without any explanation still. He hated himself for it. He hated himself for abandoning her in that moment. But he couldn't bear watching her cry and not burning the world for it. So walking out felt like the saner option.

Soon after Lucas left, Lola and the Moores coerced Leah to sign the agreement, completely disregarding her emotional state. Having no support and no Lucas by her side, Leah had no choice but to heed their coercion reluctantly, since it was already a done deal anyway.

Meanwhile, Harper watched the scene from where she sat, a sly smirk—oblivious to everyone—spreading across her face.

"It worked." She thought to herself victoriously. "Lucas will officially be mine soon. You've had enough of my man, Leah Milton. Glad I finally got rid of you with ease.”