Chapter 7 Uninvited Guest

The campus of the city university was bustling with students holding schedules, buying textbooks, and rushing between buildings. Lillian stood in the administrative office, holding a folder containing her old transcripts. It had been nearly three years since she last walked through these halls, and the familiar smell of floor wax and old books brought a sudden rush of nostalgia.

“Everything seems to be in order, Miss Harper,” the academic advisor said, looking up from his computer screen with a pleasant smile. “Since you completed your first two years with excellent grades, we can reinstate you into the clinical program starting next week. You’ll have to make up a few updated laboratory modules, but you can easily graduate within two years.”

Lillian felt a massive weight lift from her shoulders. “Thank you, Dr. Evans. You have no idea what this means to me.”

“We are glad to have you back,” he said, handing her a printed schedule. “Welcome back to the nursing department.”

Lillian walked out of the building, holding the schedule tightly against her chest. For the first time in years, she felt a genuine sense of accomplishment that had nothing to do with being Nathaniel Brooks’s wife. She was Lillian Harper again, a student with a future and a purpose.

She decided to walk to a small café near the edge of the campus to grab a sandwich before heading home. She chose a corner table by the window, enjoying the conversation around her. She was just about to take a bite of her lunch when the bell above the door chimed, and a familiar fragrance filled the air.

Lillian looked up and felt her stomach tighten.

Vanessa Clarke stood in the doorway, looking entirely out of place in her designer sunglasses, a tailored silk blouse, and five-inch stiletto heels. She scanned the café with a look of clear disgust before her eyes landed on Lillian. Without hesitation, she marched over to the table and pulled out the chair opposite her.

“We need to talk,” Vanessa said without greeting, removing her sunglasses and dropping them onto the wooden table.

Lillian set her sandwich down and wiped her hands with a napkin, refusing to let the other woman see her tremble. “I thought I told you never to contact me again, Vanessa. Does that include stalking me to a college campus?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Vanessa sneered, leaning forward. “Nathaniel told me what happened at the lawyer’s office yesterday. I know about the will.”

“Ah,” Lillian said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. “So the golden boy went crying to his mistress the moment his inheritance was threatened. How predictable.”

“Listen to me, you little bitch,” Vanessa hissed, her perfect manicured nails digging into the edge of the table. “You think you’ve won something because a dying old man had a soft spot for you? You don’t belong in Nathaniel’s world. You never did. You’re just a temporary hurdle.”

“If I am just a hurdle, why do you look so terrified?” Lillian asked, her voice calm and steady. “You were very confident yesterday when you offered me fifty thousand dollars to walk away. What happened, Vanessa? Did you realize that your future billionaire boyfriend might end up penniless if I decide to sign those papers?”

Vanessa’s eyes flared with rage, but she quickly masked it with a cold, triumphant smile. “Nathaniel loves me, Lillian. He has loved me since before he was forced into that ridiculous contract with you. Do you really think a piece of paper is going to keep him away from me? We are still together. He was at my apartment last night, sleeping in my bed, while you were hiding out at your mother’s little house.”

The words stung, but Lillian didn't let the hurt show on her face. She had spent three years enduring this pain; she was numb to it now.

“Good for you,” Lillian said smoothly. “He can sleep wherever he wants. But as long as my name is on that marriage certificate, you are nothing more than his side chick, Vanessa. If he marries you this year, he loses the Brooks Group. If he publicly flaunts you, the board will call it a scandal, and his position as CEO will be compromised anyway. So go ahead, keep him in your bed. Let’s see how long his love lasts when he realizes you are the reason he’s losing his empire.”

Vanessa slammed her hand on the table, causing a nearby student to look over in surprise. “You won’t do it. You don’t have the guts to take on the Brooks family. Sign the papers, Lillian. Name your price. I can get Nathaniel to agree to a much higher settlement. Five million. Ten million. Just sign the papers and disappear.”

Lillian looked at the woman across from her, feeling a profound sense of pity. Vanessa was entirely consumed by greed and status, unable to comprehend that some things couldn't be bought.

“My price is not for sale,” Lillian said softly, standing up from the table and gathering her folders. “And just so we are completely clear, I have decided not to sign the divorce papers right now. I am going to let the twelve months run their course. Nathaniel will remain my husband on paper, and you will remain exactly what you’ve always been. The second-hand chick.”

“You will regret this, Lillian!” Vanessa called out, her voice cracking with fury as Lillian walked away. “I will make sure you regret every single second of this!”

Lillian didn't look back. She walked out into the sunshine, feeling the cool breeze on her face. The battle had officially begun, and for the first time in her life, she was winning.