Agreement Behind Her Marriage

“You were lying!” Drew yelled at his father. How could his wife accept that if it were the true reason he married Lily?

“Why would I lie?”

“To hurt me! You’ve done nothing but harm me.”

His father chuckled. “Drew, between me and your grandfather, he’s the one who truly wanted to harm you. He doesn’t like Cristina’s daughter. For your grandfather, the company’s reputation is paramount. Remember, you’re my son! And don’t act miserably because I know you don’t love Lily. You’ve made up your mind to end your relationship with her.”

Drew remained silent as Mr. Walton Sr. spoke. He was afraid he might become just like his father, known as a womanizer. He was so afraid that he didn’t want to hurt Lily or force her to stay with him just to start a family. Instead of hurting his wife and taking on mistresses like his father, he would rather live alone for the rest of his life.

His chest clenched. Had he done the right thing?

“I love Lily! I won’t treat her the way you treated my mother!” Drew declared.

Mr. Walton Sr. chuckled. “You and I are not the same, Drew! Now, I shared these things because I want to meet Cristina’s daughter.”

“You’ll never get anything from me! Stay away from Lily and return to wherever you came from. I’ve already severed ties with you, so don’t approach my wife, or I’ll obtain a restraining order against you!”

With a heavy heart, Drew left his father’s hotel suite.

As he walked toward the elevator, his phone rang, and he noticed Orion’s caller ID on the screen.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“Hello!”

“Drew, something happened here. Master Walton came over to the beach house. I had to give them space, so I left with the rest of your grandfather’s bodyguards. When everyone departed, Lily broke down in tears. Your grandfather must have said something to cause her such pain.”

Frustration coursed through him.

He hastily left the hotel and headed to his car.

On the highway, he drove faster than usual, desperate to reach his wife and anxiously hoping for her well-being.

Within minutes, he arrived, and before even switching off the car’s engine, he rushed into the beach house.

Why did it always end up like this?

On the sofa, Lily clutched herself, her expression filled with hopelessness, and tears welled up in her eyes. Orion watched over her. Drew, too, felt the urge to cry with his wife. Tenderly, he lifted her in his arms, carrying her to their room.

“Ssshh… everything will be fine,” he whispered, his voice breaking. Would everything truly be all right? “I promised to protect you, yet I keep failing.”

Drew kept the room in darkness, with only the faint glow of the hallway’s fluorescent light.

Choosing a nearby couch in the room, he sat down while his wife curled up in his embrace, softly murmuring into her ear, desperately trying to reach her soul.

“Lily, I’m here…”

“Everything is alright, babe.”

“Tomorrow, no more pain…”

Drew’s heart clenched. He does not want to see Lily like that. His flower…

They fell asleep together in that position.

***

When Lily woke up, she found herself already in bed. Drew, who had also just awakened, caught her gaze as soon as her eyes opened. He forced a smile and gently caressed her cheek.

“Good morning!”

She was in too much pain to respond.

Numerous obstacles stood in the way of her being able to keep Drew by her side, despite her desire to reach his heart.

“I’ll help you freshen up,” he said softly, assisting her in getting up.

A while later, Drew washed her, combed her hair, and helped her change into clean clothes. She was too despondent and lost to realize that he, too, was broken.

In the afternoon, they returned to their home.

As soon as she entered their home, Lily summoned all her courage, determined to share her thoughts and feelings with Drew.

“Drew?”

Drew stayed silent, wearing a mournful expression as he looked at her, as if sensing her intentions.

Lily whispered, “Let’s terminate this agreement. Let’s put an end to this marriage.”

She noticed the anguish on her husband’s face.

“Hmm,” Drew nodded, his gaze fixed on the floor. He couldn’t answer with a clear yes or please don’t, leaving his response ambiguous.

He appeared calm but was clearly torn inside, like the deep and serene blue sea, making his reaction seem all the more devastating.

He maintained a calm exterior, but underneath his skin, it felt like an erupting volcano had formed and was poised to shatter the world-this was what Drew felt upon hearing Lily’s request.

Even though it was tearing him apart, he wanted what was best for Lily. A thousand shards of his heart fell out of his chest.

His flower had finally been plucked from his life…

***

“You’ll get the house, Lily,” Drew said, mustering strength despite the crushing weight in his chest; that was all he could say.

“But the house is yours, Drew. It was yours before I entered your life.”

If Lily stayed in this house rather than moving elsewhere, he would feel more secure. It would be easier for him to locate her if he ever wished to visit. Besides, Lily had left her mark in every part of the house, from the kitchen to the pool, the vibrantly painted walls, and even the colorful couch.

Every corner was infused with Lily’s presence. His heart couldn’t find peace in this house, so it would be better if he gave it to her.

“You’ll be staying here because this is your home, Lily. This is part of my gift in our agreement.”

“But…”

Drew’s fist clenched tightly. He feared that if he reached out with his hands, they might betray him and draw Lily closer to his chest.

The tip of his tongue almost wanted to whisper, pleading with her to stay with him and take back what she had said. But Lily was too broken, and he didn’t want to worsen her already painful situation.

“I’m going,” he said, unable to conceal the crack in his voice.

Lily nodded. Not a single syllable could escape their lips, both of them silenced by their throats constricted with desperation.

Drew couldn’t bear the weight in his chest as he prepared to leave the relationship behind and turned to head out the door. His one year with Lily had been a unique experience, the most beautiful yet dark and painful.

After he closed the door, he heard her sobbing. Drew, too, struggled to hold back his tears. The pain was overwhelming. What would happen to them next was uncertain, but in his mind, he wasn’t what Lily needed at this moment.

He didn’t know how he ended up beside his car.

“Boss?” Mark asked with concern.

He kept reaching for the car door handle. “To Kori’s playhouse.”

Before he could get in, he heard Orion’s voice from behind. “Drew, beyond the boss and bodyguard relationship, we’re friends.”

He turned to face Orion, who was taken aback by his appearance.

“You love Lily! I don’t understand what’s going on, but whatever Master Walton did, please don’t let this affect the two of you!”

“No. I don’t love her,” Drew denied.

Orion growled, clearly unhappy with Drew’s plans. “You’re not like your father! I understand that you’re behaving this way because you’re afraid Lily might suffer the same fate as your father did to his family!”

Lowering his tone, Orion continued, “You’re worried that Lily might lose her mind entirely, given how unstable she’s been these past few days, but you’re not like Uncle Andrew!”

“I was like my father, Orion. Have you ever counted how many women I’ve been with in the past?”

“But-”

“Please, look after Lily.”

Drew ultimately retreated to his car, his heart heavy, and drove away, uncertain about how to restart his life.