His biggest regret

CHAPTER 2

Lizzy looked down at little Lou, whose tiny body trembled with fear. The child clung tightly to her mother's neck, still too frightened to understand why her father had behaved so cruelly.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Lizzy whispered, gently stroking her hair. "Mummy is here. No one will ever hurt you again."

She rocked Lou in her arms, humming a soft lullaby until the little girl finally drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Carefully, Lizzy laid her on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.

Only then did she allow herself to breathe.

Everything around her felt empty.

The home that had once been filled with laughter now felt like a prison of broken promises.

Desperate to clear her mind, Lizzy walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Soon, the bathtub filled with cool, fragrant water.

She stepped inside and leaned back, allowing the warmth to wash over her.

For the first time since Nicholas left, silence surrounded her.

Her mind wandered to happier days.

She remembered dancing in the kitchen while preparing dinner together. She remembered the nights they tucked Lou into bed, taking turns reading fairy tales until she fell asleep.

Those memories now felt like cruel lies.

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

How could the man she loved destroy their family without a second thought?

How would she explain to Lou that her father had chosen another woman over them?

Exhausted from crying, Lizzy unknowingly fell asleep in the bathtub.

---

"Ma'am? Ma'am!"

Anastasia's worried voice echoed through the house.

"Ma'am, where are you?"

Lizzy's eyes flew open.

For a brief moment, she was confused before realizing she had spent the entire night in the bathtub.

She hurriedly got out, wrapped herself in a towel, brushed her teeth, changed into fresh clothes, and went downstairs.

"Good morning, ma'am," Anastasia greeted with a smile. "How was your night?"

Lizzy forced a weak smile.

"It... it was fine."

The lie barely left her lips before tears rolled down her face.

Anastasia immediately rushed over.

"Ma'am... you're crying. What happened?"

Lizzy could no longer hold herself together.

"It's Nicholas," she sobbed.

"Yesterday, after you left, I went upstairs with Lou to surprise him..."

She paused, struggling to speak.

"I found him... with my personal assistant."

Anastasia gasped.

"What?"

Lizzy nodded.

"He handed me divorce papers and demanded I sign them."

She swallowed hard.

"When I refused... he grabbed Lou..."

Her voice cracked.

"He held our daughter out of the bedroom window and threatened to drop her if I didn't sign."

"Oh my God..." Anastasia whispered, horrified.

"I had no choice."

Lizzy buried her face in Anastasia's shoulder and cried.

"He left immediately after I signed. He said he was moving in with another woman."

Anastasia hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Lizzy wiped her tears.

"No... I have to be strong."

She glanced upstairs toward Lou's bedroom.

"I have a daughter who still needs me."

---

The Following Morning

Lizzy had barely slept.

Lou had developed a high fever during the night, her asthma had flared up too and Lizzy spent every hour placing cold towels on her forehead and praying it would break.

Suddenly—

"Cough! Cough!"

Lou began coughing violently.

Then she started choking.

"Mummy..." she cried weakly.

Lizzy's heart stopped.

Without wasting another second, she wrapped Lou in a blanket, rushed outside in her pajamas, and sped toward the nearest hospital.

"Help!" she screamed as she burst through the emergency entrance.

"My daughter can't breathe!"

Doctors and nurses rushed over, placing Lou on a stretcher before disappearing through the ICU doors.

The waiting room suddenly felt unbearably quiet.

Lizzy paced back and forth.

Every second felt like an hour.

She folded her hands together and whispered countless prayers.

"Please, God... don't take her away from me.

She's all I have left."

Nearly an hour later, the ICU doors slowly opened.

The doctor walked toward her.

His face revealed the answer before he spoke.

Lizzy's knees weakened.

"Doctor..."

Her voice trembled.

"My daughter... is she okay?"

The doctor lowered his head.

"I'm very sorry."

"We did everything we could..."

"But she didn't make it, she suffered a cardiac arrest due to shock and stress too and she had an undiagnosed underlying heart condition, and something shocking must have triggered it but you got here late."

The world went silent as every word struck her.

"No, I'm a doctor! I should have known if my daughter had a f*****g heart problem..."

Lizzy whispered.

"No... no... no..."

She stumbled backward before collapsing onto the hospital floor.

"My baby..."

"My Lou..."

"My little girl..."

Her heartbreaking cries echoed throughout the corridor.

Everything she had lived for...

Everything she had fought to protect...

Was gone.

---

Later that evening, Lizzy stood before two graves.

One belonged to her mother.

The other...

To little Lou.

She gently placed a bouquet of white lilies on the fresh mound of earth.

Tears streamed endlessly down her face.

"Mum," she whispered.

"Please... take care of Lou for me."

"I couldn't protect her..."

A cold breeze swept across the cemetery.

Lizzy closed her eyes.

"I don't know how to keep living without her."

With one last look at her daughter's grave, she slowly walked away.

---

That night, Lizzy returned to an empty house.

No tiny footsteps.

No cheerful laughter.

Only silence.

She collapsed onto the living room floor.

Her entire world had crumbled in less than forty-eight hours.

First, her husband betrayed and abandoned her.

Then, death stole the only person who had ever loved her unconditionally.

She stared blankly at the ceiling.

For a fleeting moment, she wondered if life was worth living....she wondered how she could ever start again because she never imagined what life would be like without her sweet daughter and Nicholas!!

He had to pay dearly!

No!! he would have to suffer...

Nicholas would not get to destroy her and walk away happily.

If she survived this...

He would one day regret ever crossing her.

Her eyes slowly closed as exhaustion finally claimed her.

Ding... Dong...

The doorbell rang.

Lizzy's eyes snapped open.

She frowned.

Who could possibly be visiting at a time like this?

The bell rang again.

Ding... Dong...

Using the last of her strength, she staggered toward the door and unlocked it.

As the door creaked open, she froze.

Standing on her doorstep was a tall man dressed in an expensive black suit.

His piercing gray eyes met hers without emotion.

"I've finally found you, Mrs. Scroff."

Lizzy stared at the stranger in confusion.

"Who... are you?"

The man slipped one hand into his pocket before replying in a calm, commanding voice.

"My name is Ethan Blackwood."

"The CEO of Blackwood Global."

"And I have a proposal that will change your life forever that is if you are interested."