Luke shot to his feet, his voice sharp with suppressed fury. "What did you say?"

His subordinate, pale as a sheet, stammered out the words again. "Crowds were gathering by the riverbank just now. They said the yacht that Mrs. Graham was on suddenly struck an undercurrent and capsized.

"Everyone's trying to salvage it, but the flood upstream has made the current too strong. If someone went under, there'd be no finding them…"

Luke's heart plummeted. His vision went dark for a moment. "Impossible. Scarlett, she…"

He didn't finish the sentence before rushing for the door.

Susan grabbed his arm, panicked. "Luke, don't go! The river's too dangerous!"

Jenny rose to her feet as well, her tone icy. "Stop him! She insisted on going out on the river out of spite. If something happens to her, shouldn't she have no one to blame but herself?"

Luke tore Susan's hand away, his eyes bloodshot. "To

At that moment, looking at the two documents, Luke remembered everything. That day, when I asked if he still remembered his promise, this was what I meant.

He sank to his knees, gripping his hair, pulling at it with frantic force. He couldn't understand how everything had come to this. We had loved each other so deeply, and we've been so happy. When had it all gone wrong?

Was it the moment he agreed to Jenny's request to take care of Susan? The first time he entered Susan's room? Or the day Susan announced her pregnancy, and he fastened the diamond necklace around her neck?

Covering his face, muffled sobs escaped through Luke's fingers. "Scarlett, I'm sorry… Did I really lose you?"

By then, I was already on the speedboat I had arranged in advance, gliding down a tributary toward another city. 

I had used the pretense of a birthday solo cruise to stage a meticulously planned "acciden

Susan pulled Luke's hand to her belly and pressed it gently against her. "Feel it."

The words had barely left her mouth when the baby gave a sudden kick.

Luke straightened in excitement. "It moved? The baby's responding to me!"

Susan leaned into his arms. "You have no idea how lively our baby is. It's always kicking around all day long. You should touch more, talk to him. The doctor said the more you interact with the baby now, the closer he'll feel to you after he's born."

Luke's voice brimmed with anticipation as he helped her toward the door. "Really? Then, I'll talk to the baby every day and let it know my voice from the start."

I couldn't hold back anymore. "Luke."

He turned at the sound of my voice, a flicker of guilt crossing his face as if he had just remembered it was my birthday. "Scarlett, why don't you take Amy and the others out on the yacht tonight? I'll make it up to you another day."

It felt like something heavy had dropped straight into my chest, sinking deeper and deeper. 

Susan turned her head just enough for me to catch the triumphant smile tugging at her lips.

"Fine," I said softly.

However, there would be no other day. Tonight was the end. 

I let the Graham family's driver take me to the river. With their eyes on me, I boarded the yacht and watched as it drifted slowly into the current.

Standing at the bow, I pulled out my phone and dialed. "Mr. Ramsay, please send the second copy of the divorce papers to the Graham estate. I'll text you the address. The recipient is Luke Graham. Thank you."

Luke, it was completely over.

…

That night at dinner, Susan stroked her stomach with a look of feigned worry. "Scarlett seemed upset today, didn't she? It's my fault for clinging to you all the time. She must be angry with me. It's already dark, and she still hasn't come back."

Jenny slapped the table sharply. "Scarlett has gotten far too bold, letting her elders sit here waiting! She can't even bear a child, and now she doesn't fulfill her duties as a wife? What use is she?"

She turned to Luke. "Good thing I insisted you take care of both households. Otherwise, the Graham family line might have ended with her. Susan's dependable. She can give us more children, unlike a certain barren woman clinging to the title of Mrs. Graham without delivering anything."

Susan quickly soothed her. "Don't worry, Jenny. I'll give you plenty of grandchildren. Our children will grow up strong and capable, just like Luke."

Her easy flattery made Jenny beam.

However, Luke's brow furrowed as he asked the servants. "Has anyone checked the river yet? Why isn't the yacht back? Any word from Scarlett?"

The servants shook their heads.

Jenny scoffed. "Good. If she doesn't return tonight, let her pack up and get out for good."

Yet, unease gnawed at Luke. 

Since my parents died three years ago, I have had no family left in this city. I had never once stayed out overnight. "Send more men to the riverbank. The moment you hear anything, tell me at once."

Susan's voice trembled. "She wouldn't really leave just because I'm pregnant, would she?"

Luke's gaze dropped to her belly, then drifted to her wrist. The emerald bracelet she wore was mine. The diamond headband glittering in her hair was mine too. It was his birthday gift to me years ago. Yet, now Susan was the one wearing them.

His voice darkened as he pointed at the headband. "Why do you have the headband? It belongs to Scarlett."

Susan touched the headband lightly and said with a shrug, "She left boxes of jewelry on her vanity when she moved out. I just happened to keep this one."

Luke's unease deepened. Why would I abandon all my jewelry? Why take nothing with me?

Before he could think further, one of Luke's men rushed in, drenched in sweat and trembling. "Mr. Graham… bad news. The yacht that Mrs. Graham took had capsized in the middle of the river. Not a single person came back… They're all gone!"

Luke shot to his feet, his voice sharp with suppressed fury. "What did you say?"

His subordinate, pale as a sheet, stammered out the words again. "Crowds were gathering by the riverbank just now. They said the yacht that Mrs. Graham was on suddenly struck an undercurrent and capsized.

"Everyone's trying to salvage it, but the flood upstream has made the current too strong. If someone went under, there'd be no finding them…"

Luke's heart plummeted. His vision went dark for a moment. "Impossible. Scarlett, she…"

He didn't finish the sentence before rushing for the door.

Susan grabbed his arm, panicked. "Luke, don't go! The river's too dangerous!"

Jenny rose to her feet as well, her tone icy. "Stop him! She insisted on going out on the river out of spite. If something happens to her, shouldn't she have no one to blame but herself?"

Luke tore Susan's hand away, his eyes bloodshot. "Today's her birthday! I should've been with her. It's my fault I left her alone!"

Jenny let out a moc

Chapter 5