By the time Brenda and Judy came to find Lucia in her room, she had already cried to her heart's content and hidden her puffy face beneath layers of cosmetics.
She obediently followed the two women, trying on various outfits until she thought she was going to faint. She obliged them, knowing they weren't their philanderer of a boss. But her mind remained heavy with thoughts, each one more painful than the last.
The memory of Malcolm's arms wrapped around Stephanie kept replaying in her mind like a broken record. She hated how it gnawed at her, how it made her feel like the ground beneath her was crumbling.
When they reached the cashier, Lucia tossed her personal credit card to the lady behind the counter. She wasn't going to spend his money. Never.
He couldn't even buy her a wedding ring but could change her wardrobe because he claimed she was a "temptress" and didn't want other men looking at her. Yet, where was the physical evidence of their so-called marriage?
Lost in her thoughts, Lucia didn't notice the terrified expression on the two women's faces until Brenda spoke softly.
"Mrs. Sterling," Brenda said gently. "It's wrong to pay for yourself."
Lucia scoffed, crossing her arms. "Call me Lucia," she commanded coldly. The name Sterling made her stomach churn.
The cashier looked confused, glancing between the two cards—one from Brenda and the other from Lucia.
"Mrs. Sterling, please be reasonable," Judy's voice rang out. "You don't want Mr. Sterling to get angry again."
Lucia turned to face them, her patience wearing thin. "Then let him get mad, even crazy. I. Do. Not. Care," she said harshly. "Is there a law that says a woman can't pay her own bills? Don't you work hard to pay yours, despite all the nonsense that egocentric man throws at you? So why are you interfering in my life?"
Her voice carried across the store, drawing the attention of other shoppers. But she was too angry to notice.
"And for the last time," she continued, her voice cutting like ice, "my name is Lucia Scott, not Mrs. Sterling."
The sound of a deep, familiar voice behind her froze her in place.
"I never knew the name Sterling disgusted you that much."
Lucia spun around, her heart pounding. Malcolm stood there, his face a mask of barely contained fury. But it wasn't just him. In his arms was a pale, frail-looking Stephanie Young. When did he-- No! They. When did they arrive.
Reality hit her like a sledgehammer. Stephanie—the woman plastered across countless tabloids with Malcolm years ago, the one rumored to be his great love—was here in flesh and blood.
Lucia swallowed the lump in her throat, her emotions threatening to choke her. She turned away from him, shoving her card toward the cashier. "Do you want your money or not?" she snapped, her voice trembling.
The cashier stood frozen, caught in the crossfire of what felt like a brewing storm.
"Oi, mate, take the darn card already!" Lucia barked, her frustration boiling over.
Before the cashier could move, a sweet, coquettish voice chimed in.
"Mal," Stephanie said, her tone dripping with feigned innocence. "Mrs. Sterling doesn't seem happy to see me."
Lucia's back stiffened, her hands trembling at her sides. The woman had the audacity to speak. Right there. She even gave him a nickname. Mal!!.
"Lucia Sterling," Malcolm growled, stepping forward and grabbing her arm. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."
Lucia jerked her arm away, refusing to meet his gaze. If she looked into his eyes now, she would break. And she wasn't going to give either of them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
"I said, suit yourselves," she hissed to the cashier, Brenda, and Judy before storming off, leaving Malcolm standing there.
As she pushed through the glass doors and stepped outside, the cool breeze hit her face, but it did little to calm the storm raging inside her. Her heels clacked furiously against the pavement as she reached the curb and raised her hand to hail a taxi.
A cab pulled up, and she climbed inside, slamming the door shut behind her. "To the park, please," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror but said nothing, sensing her distress.
Lucia leaned her head against the window, blinking back the tears threatening to spill. The streets passed by in a blur, but her mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
Why did it hurt this much?
The morning had been a lie. Every touch, every whisper—she'd let herself believe for a fleeting moment that maybe there was something real between them. But Malcolm had proven, once again, that she was nothing more than a pawn in his twisted games.
Her fingers clenched into fists as her breaths grew shallow. She wouldn't cry. Not again.
When the cab pulled up at the park, she paid the driver and stepped out. The serene surroundings did little to soothe her aching heart.
Finding an empty bench, Lucia sat down, her hands trembling in her lap. She stared at the people passing by, parents with children, couples holding hands, and elderly pairs walking arm in arm. All of it reminded her of everything she'd lost, everything she'd never had with Malcolm.
The sound of her phone vibrating broke her thoughts. She pulled it out of her purse, seeing Celine's name flashing on the screen. For a moment, she considered ignoring it, but then she pressed answer.
"Lucia?" Celine's voice came through, hesitant but concerned.
"I'm fine," Lucia said, her voice hoarse.
"No, you're not," Celine countered. "I just saw the news. Stephanie Young is back, isn't she?"
Lucia's silence was all the confirmation Celine needed.
"That man is a monster," Celine spat. "You don't deserve this, Lucia. You don't have to stay with him."
Lucia swallowed the lump in her throat. "It's not that simple, Celine."
"Yes, it is!" Celine argued. "You're stronger than this. Walk away, Lucia. You deserve better."
Lucia closed her eyes, letting Celine's words wash over her. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to stop fighting a battle she'd already lost.
As she ended the call, a single tear slid down her cheek. For the first time in a long time, Lucia allowed herself to dream of a life without Malcolm Sterling.