Chapter 15
739words
The rose garden? It was Wren who lured Callista there.
Callista had even known about Luther sneaking out at night to be with Wren. Even that day at the Caldwell residence—Callista had seen everything.
All the details Luther had ignored in the past few weeks came flooding back, and they were vividly clear.
Just before Callista blocked Jane's number, Jane had mocked her for being barren.
And what had he done? He'd assumed Callista wouldn't hear about it, so he chose to let it slide. Right after, he'd even scolded Callista for blocking Jane.
Luther clutched his chest as the pain tore through him, making it hard to breathe.
Every incident, and every moment that he inflicted upon her… If he had been in her place, he would have gone mad long ago.
He couldn't even imagine how Callista had endured those days—especially while carrying his child.
What had he done to her? Every wound, and every humiliation Callista endured, had come from him.
The ringing of his phone broke the silence. It was Wren.
Luther's eyes immediately burned with rage. Where did she get the audacity to call Callista now?
"Luther clearly doesn't want you anymore. How can you still have the nerve to come back?
"First, you lost one baby to an induced labor, then you miscarried the second. Both your children died because of him, yet you still come crawling back. Aren't you just pathetic?
"Are you waiting to die for him before you finally realize he doesn't love you anymore?
"Actually, you're probably incapable of having another child anyway. Took you four years to conceive one, and now that's gone too. What are you planning to do? Come back and be a nanny for my baby?"
Every word from Wren was a dagger. Her words were targeted at Callista's deepest wounds.
Luther's breathing grew heavier. If Callista had been the one listening to this, how devastated would she have been?
"What? Got nothing to say?" Wren waited a moment, then laughed mockingly.
"Finally learning to have some dignity, are you? Don't worry, I can be generous. I'll let my son call you 'Mom,' too. That should make up for your regrets about not being able to have children."
"Wren Kirk, you're courting death," Luther growled through clenched teeth.
There was a stunned silence on the other end. A few seconds later, Wren's trembling voice returned.
"Luther, it's not what you think. It's… it's Cally! She started it by cursing me out first. I— I'm the victim here…
"You know how much I care about the baby. She can insult or hit me all she wants, but I just couldn't take it anymore when she cursed the baby.
"You care about the baby too, don't you? You must understand how I feel, right?"
But there was no response from Luther.
The only sound Wren heard was Luther's increasingly heavy breathing, each one pulling her closer to the edge of panic.
"Luther…" Wren's voice cracked. She sounded desperate and tearful.
Then, the call abruptly ended.
Wren flinched, and her hand instinctively went to her belly. Luther only cared about the baby—he had chosen her for that reason alone.
As long as the baby was safe, Luther wouldn't harm her… right?
The room was warm, with the heater turned up. Yet Wren sat paralyzed for half an hour, drenched in cold sweat.
The sudden sound of the door opening made her whip around. Luther stood there at the door. His expression was icy and menacing.
"Luther, let me explain…" she started, and her voice was shaking.
"Wren Kirk, I told you from the very beginning: Callista is where I draw the line."
He stepped closer. Each step radiated an oppressive force that made it hard to breathe.
"She's the one I treasure, the person I hold closest to my heart. You? You're nothing but a diversion I paid for. What gave you the audacity to bully her like this?"
Wren tried to back away, but Luther grabbed her and dragged her toward him. His hand then closed around her neck. He pinned her to the couch as his grip tightened.
Wren's terror peaked—she could see it in his eyes. Luther was ready to kill her.
She struggled desperately. She groped for anything to defend herself with. Her fingers found an ashtray, which she swung at him with all her might.
