Chapter 20
688words
Luther finally took the envelope. He held it for a long time before summoning the courage to open it. Inside was a divorce certificate.
For days, Luther had avoided thinking about the document Callista had given him to sign the morning she left. He hadn't dared to consider what it might have been.
But now, the truth was laid bare. It crushed him completely. Wren caught sight of the divorce certificate and burst into laughter.
"Luther, she's so done with you. You deserve this! I can't wait to see what kind of ditch you'll end up in."
Luther didn't respond. He ignored her taunts as he stared blankly at the certificate. Seeing no point in staying, Wren turned and left.
Outside, the same face that had once connected her to Luther now drew scorn from strangers.
"That must be Wren. Looks like she's been kicked out. Serves her right for being the other woman."
"I heard she lost the baby too. Karma, huh?"
"Poor child, though, being born to a mother like that."
Wren froze at those words. She could feel the pain stabbing at her chest.
Her hand instinctively went to her stomach. The baby had been so innocent, but because he was hers, he never even got a chance to live.
Wren pulled out her phone and opened her chat with Callista. Though she had deleted every message, she could still vividly remember every cruel word she had sent to her.
The past year felt like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from, one in which she had become petty, venomous, and detestable.
She typed out a few simple words, "I'm sorry."
Even so, there was no response. Even if she realized her mistakes now, there was no going back. Wren collapsed to the ground while sobbing uncontrollably.
…
Luther stared at the divorce certificate in the nursery. He wanted to tear it up, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Seeing his and Callista's names side by side on the document—it was the closest they had been in a long time.
Every day, Luther posted on his socials, repeating his apologies over and over. He confessed his wrongdoings to the world, spending hours in the comments searching for any clues about Callista.
It was clear to everyone that he was genuinely remorseful and struggling.
He rarely left the nursery. When he did, it was only to follow up on leads from online users, hoping they would guide him to Callista. Each search ended in failure, and he would return feeling more broken than before.
Jane couldn't bring herself to ignore her only son.
"Luther, look at yourself. Do you even resemble a human being anymore? Are you going to stop living just because Callista isn't here?"
"Mom, I just can't," Luther croaked.
"She's all I can think about. I don't know how to go on without her."
Jane's eyes turned bloodshot from his words.
"Even if you want to find her, you need to pull yourself together first. She wouldn't want to see you like this.
"Luther, I won't stop you from looking for her. I'll help you if I can. But you can't keep living like this.
"Don't you remember what Callista loved about you?"
A glimmer of light returned to Luther's hollow gaze at the mention of Callista.
"Yes… Cally hated seeing me like this. She always said she liked me best in a suit."
In a flurry, Luther rushed to shave and change into clean clothes. Jane simply watched. Her heart was heavy with a mix of hope and sorrow.
After Seamus' affair was exposed, he had stopped coming home altogether. The Spencer family's reputation continued to decline, with Luther stepping down as CEO and their influence within the family eroding day by day.
The future seemed bleak and predictable. Callista would eventually be found, but there was no guarantee she would ever come back even if she was.
Jane swallowed her unease and made a call.
"Spare no expense in finding Callista Caldwell. Notify me the moment you hear anything."
