He Left Me In Labor, I Asked For Divorce

Chapter 2

I sat on the couch with the divorce papers in hand, waiting a full day and night. When Lucian finally came home, his eyes landed on the papers on the table. His face went cold, and his voice dripped with annoyance.

"What's your deal now?"

I let out a dry laugh and looked him dead in the eye. "My deal? You're the one who's been pushing me. From day one, your eyes have been on her. Fine. I'll give you what you want."

Lucian's jaw tightened. "You know Grandma's dying for a grandkid. I'm not divorcing you."

His answer never changed. When he said no, it stayed no.

So I stopped arguing and told him what I wanted. "You keep calling this a contract marriage. Fine. I'll treat it like one. I want the best the industry has. A-list projects, all of them. You say no, we're done, and the baby has nothing to do with your family. Ever."

Lucian looked at me like I'd crawled out of something. "You're using a baby to get what you want."

I smiled and let it go past me. "I know. I'll never be as clean as Naomi. This is what you married. If you don't like it, say no."

His face twisted with contempt. "Don't you dare say her name. Your mouth doesn't deserve to speak it. You make me sick."

Funny thing is, as far as I was concerned, Lucian had been rotten for years. Next to him I was practically a saint.

Scarlett was over the moon when she heard and came to pick me up. Once we were in the car she smiled at me. "Gemma. I think he still has something for you."

I laughed at that. "Scarlett. Don't. Everything I just got, I got because of this baby. I'm going to work while I can, put enough away, and get out of this city. I'm not raising a kid who has to scrape by. I just want to make enough to give her a decent life."

Scarlett looked relieved. "I wish you'd figured this out years ago, Gemma. You never fought for anything. That's why you've been stuck at B-list this whole time, and Naomi's been walking all over you—"

At the jewelry shoot, Naomi had just wrapped her session when they told her she'd been replaced. She came apart. "I'm a star. I'm Lucian Grey's girlfriend. You don't get to drop me like this. Who do you people think you are?"

The brand rep was under pressure but held firm. "Ms. Cross, this came from above. Nothing we can do. The original choice from the start was Ms. Frost. It's only natural they swapped back."

Meaning, in this industry, getting replaced was just part of the game.

The rep turned away from her and came up to me with a warm smile. "Ms. Frost, right this way to the dressing room."

Scarlett shot Naomi a smug look. "See? What's stolen never lasts."

Naomi was so furious she stepped forward and slapped Scarlett right across the face.

"Who do you think you are? Some nobody agent for a B-list actress. How dare you talk to me like that?"

I frowned and shoved her back. "You can dish it but you can't take it? Enough, Naomi. A superstar assaulting a civilian. If this gets out, you're gonna have a lot more than bad press."

Naomi looked at me with pure disdain. "You're threatening me? Don't forget, Lucian has only ever loved me. You're just a tool he used to get back at me. You're not even a stand-in. You're nothing. And you're giving me a lecture?

"All of this? It's just charity from Lucian. He already promised me that once you pop that kid out, he's forcing you out of the industry. I don't want kids. Too much pain. You really think he gives a damn about that little thing in your belly?"

My face went pale. I was shaking. "Get out."

Naomi saw she'd hit a nerve and grinned. She casually pulled off her pearl earrings and bracelet, tossing them on the floor. "Cheap trash like this? Only reason I took the job was the paycheck. Gemma, you're only good for scraps I don't want."

Then she strutted out with her entourage.

I turned to Scarlett, worried. "You okay?"