Chapter 12 She Could Not Stay Here Any Longer

"Dr. Ainsworth, want a quick crash course in the law? If you buy the place while you're married, even if you pay for it yourself, it still counts as marital property. You only own half," Thalia said. "So Lucien gets half, and that means you get to mess up my place too?" Thalia shrugged and said meaningfully, "If you buy it while you're single, then sure, that'd be yours alone. It'll have nothing to do with Lucien." "Are you trying to say I'll be single or divorced by then, Ms. Griffin?" "Either way, it doesn't make a difference when it comes to property rights. Don't twist my words, Dr. Ainsworth. I'm just giving you a quick rundown of marriage and property law." Talia let out a laugh and turned to Lucien. "See? She's arguing with me clearly and logically. That means she's just fine." Lucien's voice was low and apologetic. "Talia…" "Don't forget to send me that 15 dollars. I'm heading back to the bedroom. As for the living room… this is your place. Whether you clean it up or leave it the way it is, that's up to you." Lucien caught up and gently grabbed her hand. "Talia, don't be mad." "Oh, one more thing," Talia added. "The curtains, the sofa covers, and the stuffed animals were all bought with my money. I've got the receipts to prove it, so Ms. Griffin's paying for anything she's damaged. I do understand property law, after all." Lucien said softly, "Talia…" "I left the roses by the entryway. You paid for them, so they're yours. Make sure you take care of it yourself. It's really taking up space." Talia turned and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Lucien knocked on the door a few times and called her name, but she ignored him. She put on her headphones, started a random TV show, and shut out everything else. After finishing an episode, she felt a little thirsty and headed to the living room to grab a glass of water. As soon as she opened the door, she heard Thalia's voice. "Lucien, what happened to you? You used to be so arrogant, so untouchable. Now look at you. Marriage turned you into a complete pushover. You're nothing like the man you used to be." Lucien sat at the far end of the sofa, looking exhausted. He draped an arm over his eyes and muttered, "So you think I should've picked a fight with her?" "At the very least, don't be so pathetic. Marriage is supposed to go both ways. Why is it always you groveling to keep the peace?" Lucien sneered. "You sound like such an expert. Did your marriage work out?" Thalia's expression shifted. She turned to Lucien. "What's that supposed to mean?" "Your husband cheated while you were pregnant, so you got divorced and walked away with nothing. Did you really fly back just to celebrate my birthday? No, it's because you couldn't survive overseas. "Mom kept quiet because she didn't want to embarrass you. She's been protecting your pride. Do you really think we don't know what's going on?" Thalia bit her lip and lowered her head without saying a word. Lucien let out a sigh. "You couldn't even keep your own marriage together. Don't come here trying to lecture me about mine." "I'm doing this for your own good! I've learned a lot from my failed marriage. I'm just trying to help you see what's right and wrong so you don't end up like me." "My marriage is my business. Even my mom doesn't interfere, so neither should you." "I'm your best friend. If I don't say something, who will?" Thalia snapped. "I'm not saying Dr. Ainsworth is a bad person, but just look at her lately. She's either working nonstop or fighting with me. "And she's not even close with your mom; it's like there's this invisible wall between them. She doesn't get along with any of your friends or family. Maybe she should stop and ask herself why." "She gets along with my mom just fine." "It's all for show. She'll never be as close to Mrs. Reese as I am." Lucien shot to his feet. "Thalia, what do you even want from me? You wanted to go stargazing, so I lied to Talia and drove you all the way up the mountain in the middle of the night. "You said this apartment was closer to the hospital, so you wanted to stay at our place, and we agreed. What more do you want?" Thalia bit down on her lip, tears streaming down her face. "Fine. I get what you mean. I'll go." She stood up and started clattering around, throwing her things into a bag. Lucien looked completely drained. "Where are you even going at this hour?" "I'll just go stay at a hotel, alright? We're done. No good deed goes unpunished, I get it. From now on, I'm none of your business." Lucien grabbed the suitcase from her and set it down with a thud. "Thalia, can you stop? You're pregnant. How can I possibly let you go stay at a hotel by yourself?" "Why not? Let me tell you something, Lucien. As of today, we're no longer friends. Enjoy being on your wife's leash." Talia let out a loud, deliberate cough. Both of them turned to look at her. Lucien's expression was full of guilt. Thalia's stare was intense, and her eyes were genuinely brimming with tears. Talia knew she couldn't stay here any longer. There was no way she'd get any rest tonight if she stayed. She had several C-sections scheduled for tomorrow and needed a full night's sleep. "I just got a call. There's an emergency. I need to head to the hospital," she said. Lucien immediately reached for his keys. "I'll drive you." "No need. Ms. Griffin's not feeling well. Stay and take care of her. It's not far. I'll take a cab." Luckily, Talia hadn't changed out of her clothes from work, so heading out was easy. She grabbed her bag, slipped on her shoes, and walked out without hesitation. As she stepped out through the gate of the apartment complex, she thought she heard Lucien chasing after her, calling her name. "Talia…" Talia raised a hand and waved down a cab. "Take me to a hotel." "Isn't there a hotel just around the corner?" the driver asked. "Take me somewhere farther," she said. "The farther away, the better." The cab drove off into the traffic. The driver said, "Miss, it looks like someone's chasing us. Do you want me to pull over?" "No. Just go faster," Talia replied.