Chapter 2
981words
Luther's mother, Jane Dawson, never liked Callista. She didn't even bother to show up on their wedding day.
After the marriage, Luther moved out with Callista, only visiting his family at the end of each month.
"Honey, whatever it is that my mom says later, don't take it to heart. I'm always on your side. We'll leave right after lunch," Luther reassured Callista while holding her hand.
The moment they stepped through the door, Callista heard Jane's laughter.
"Oh, such a sweet baby! Those tiny hands and feet just melt my heart."
Callista turned pale, and her feet were rooted to the ground. She recognized the woman sitting next to Jane—it was the same woman from the pregnancy photo.
"This is my friend's daughter, Wren Kirk," Jane introduced.
"She's pregnant, and her family's overseas, so they asked me to take care of her. I just took her to her prenatal checkup this morning."
Jane linked arms with Wren and approached them. She handed Luther an ultrasound photo with a meaningful glance.
"Take a good look. Doesn't the baby resemble the parents?"
A flicker of panic crossed Luther's face as he responded with a faint warning in his tone, "Mom, stop joking around. How would I know? This is my first time meeting Wren."
Jane cast a glance at Callista and then pushed Wren forward. "Well then, let me properly introduce you. Wren, this Luther."
Wren's cheeks turned pink as she said, "Hey, Luther."
Luther gave a slight nod, then pulled Callista closer with one arm. "And this is my wife. Callista."
"Nice to meet you, Callista," Wren said softly.
Callista felt utterly numb. Her hands that were hanging by her sides began to tremble uncontrollably.
So, the entire Spencer family knew about Wren. She was the only one kept in the dark.
"What's wrong?" Luther immediately grew concerned.
"Are you feeling faint from low blood sugar?"
He quickly retrieved some candy he always carried with him, unwrapped one, and brought it to her lips.
Callista opened her mouth mechanically. Though it was candy, all she could taste was bitterness.
Luther instructed the housekeeper to start serving the meal. He was still holding her hand as they sat down.
"You barely ate breakfast. Have more for lunch," he said gently.
Callista silently picked up her glass of water, but Luther swapped it out for a warm one.
"Your period's coming soon. You shouldn't drink anything cold, or your stomach will hurt again.
"The prawns today look good. Let me peel some for you."
Luther barely ate throughout the meal as he was constantly tending to Callista and ensuring her plate was never empty.
"Luther is so good to his wife. I'm honestly jealous of Callista," Wren suddenly remarked. "I love prawns too. Luther, could you peel some for me as well?"
Wren slid her plate toward him, but Luther acted as if he didn't see it.
"If you want prawns, peel them yourself. I only peel them for my wife," he replied.
Callista took a sip of the warm water while suppressing the urge to retch. "Give them to her. I don't want any."
Luther froze for a moment, then playfully pouted like a child.
"Fine, I'll eat them myself. Cally, how could you give away the prawns I peeled for you?"
Callista's eyes glinted with sarcasm. They'd already slept together, yet they still pretended otherwise.
Jane set her utensils down with a dark expression. "Callista, wasn't this your sixth IVF failure? Since Wren is here, why don't you get some tips from her?"
"Mrs. Spencer, I don't really have much experience myself," Wren replied. She blushed as she shook her head.
"My boyfriend and I conceived on the first try. It just happened to be my birthday, so maybe being in a good mood helped."
"Well, my daughter-in-law here is ten years older than you. She's not really comparable to you," Jane said with a mocking tone.
"I'm planning to let Wren move into the house so I can take better care of her. Plus, maybe her luck will rub off, and I'll have a house full of grandchildren soon."
The moment she finished speaking, Luther cut her off firmly. "I don't agree."
Jane's gaze turned even colder as she looked at Callista. "Why not? Just because someone here can't conceive, they just can't bear to see others succeed either?"
"Are you done?" Luther's voice was icy.
"Mom, if you're determined to make me stop coming here altogether, then by all means, keep going."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble." Wren stood up with teary eyes and hurried away.
Luther instinctively took a step forward as if to chase her but stopped himself, realizing how inappropriate it would be.
"I'm done," Callista said coldly as she watched the drama unfold. She stood and left without hesitation.
The moment she walked out of the Spencer residence's gates, a notification appeared on her phone—a verification message from Wren.
"March 5th is my birthday. That was our first time. He didn't let me leave the bed all day."
That day, Callista had suffered her fifth IVF failure. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything and had locked herself in her room for an entire day and night.
When she finally gathered the strength to open the door, she'd found Luther disheveled while sitting outside her room. She had even pitied him and comforted him.
As it turned out, Luther had just rushed home from Wren's bed.
How ridiculous. How tragic.
She endured endless injections without complaint for five years. Yet now, the pain in her chest was unbearable, making it hard to breathe.
"Why are you crying, honey?"
Luther had followed her out. Seeing that her face was streaked with tears, he panicked and instinctively glanced at her phone.
