My Husband Had a Terminal Illness and a Secret Lover Chapter 02
After I calmed down, my biggest worry was that Lucas might suddenly regret it and try to come back.
Honestly, life without him was pure bliss.
I grew up in a super traditional family. My parents were old–school, and they raised me to follow the rules. My whole life up to now had been all about sticking to the script.
They always told me you had to do the right thing at the right age. So after I graduated and got a steady job, I ended up marrying Lucas, who was introduced to me by a relative back home.
Back then, my parents were really happy with him. He was a literature professor at a local university, good–looking, had a respectable job, and made a decent living.
My parents were all for us getting married, and honestly, I figured Lucas was probably a good choice. So I went along with it and married him, not really thinking too much about it.
We never even talked about love. It was like we both hit that point in life where marriage was the next step, so we settled into it together, almost by default.
I never thought there was anything wrong with that. After all, that’s how my parents did it. They got introduced, got married, had me, and went through life together. That was what I thought love was for ordinary folks like us.
Just when I thought my life would stay calm and predictable, Lucas was suddenly diagnosed with late–stage cancer. It felt like everything was over.
I thought it was because I loved him and couldn’t stand the idea of losing him, but after the divorce, I realized it was the fear and helplessness of facing such a huge change in my life.
When I found out Lucas’s late–stage cancer was a misdiagnosis, I was over the moon. That sense of relief washed over me, as if my life were finally back on track.
But now, my life is nothing like the “normal” track I always pictured, and instead of freaking out, I actually feel kind of liberated.
I took stock of everything Lucas and I had built up over the years. I was set for life..
While waiting for the divorce to finalize, I finally started to enjoy life on my own terms.
I took some vacation days and traveled to all the places I’d always dreamed about. Without the label of wife holding me back, I felt truly free for once.
Then, during my trip, I stumbled upon a short video of Lucas. And right there with him was his beloved Emily.
The woman in the video looked to be under thirty, attractive, with long, curly hair pulled back with a hair tie, her curls falling softly beside her face. When she smiled, faint dimples appeared on her cheeks.
So her name was Emily Grant.
Emily’s videos had an artsy and serene vibe. Her captions and filming style were gentle and literary. She didn’t post often.
At first, she shared literary works on her own, but then a man started appearing in her videos, and together they discussed their different perspectives on literature.
Lucas looked like he always had, wearing a soft knit sweater, those gold–rimmed glasses making him. look refined, almost ascetic.
When they started talking about love, Lucas got all sentimental. “Love is totally irrational. When it hits, nobody can resist it. No matter how society tries to tie you down, love happens. There’s no stopping it.”
As he spoke, he looked at Emily with a gentle, unmistakable affection in his eyes. Emily lowered her head, a few wisps of hair falling by her ear, her cheeks flushed.
I scrolled through the comments. Everyone was saying the same thing.
[I’m shipping them so hard. This is a fairy–tale romance.]
[Oh my god, they’re such a perfect couple, like a match made in heaven.]
[Literature people really do romance on another level.]
As I scrolled through the comments, I didn’t feel even a hint of pain.
Watching him look at someone else with that kind of devotion, I finally realized that I never loved him at all.
I smiled, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders, and turned off my phone.
Once the cooling–off period was over, Lucas and I went to get our divorce certificate.
Emily was right there with him, giving me a guarded look, as if she was worried I might lose it. But honestly, I was totally chill, maybe even a little happy.
Lucas was still acting all high and mighty. “Our marriage was a mistake from the start. Now
everything’s back on track. I hope you find your own happiness.”
I smiled and waved the divorce certificate. “Thanks, I will. But I won’t be finding it by cheating on my spouse.”
With that, I walked out without looking back. When I got home, I made sure all the paperwork for the
assets was finalized, then sent the misdiagnosis report to Lucas’s new address.