Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Perfect Wife Walked Away: Kabanata 301 - Kabanata 310

[Lily's POV]I ran.Not because I wanted to. I mean, Lily McCutchen never ran from anything! But I ran because my legs were moving before my mind could stop them. They carried me down the corridor, past the nurses' station, through the ornate double doors of the private ward, into the marble lobby where the afternoon light was streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. Everything was gold and gleaming and absolutely indifferent to the fact that my life was falling apart.I found a bathroom. Locked the door. Braced my hands against the basin and stared at myself in the mirror.The reflection was a disaster. Mascara tracks like tar stripes down my cheeks. My nose was red and swollen. My eyes were puffy, bloodshot. The careful makeup I had spent forty minutes applying this morning was ruined beyond salvage. I looked like a woman who had been crying, which after all was exactly what I was, and the fact that the tears were real — genuinely, horrifyingly real — made the whole thing worse.

[Lily's POV]David closed his eyes. The guilt was radiating off him in waves, it was almost visible, almost tactile. The kind of guilt that a skilled operator could use as a lever."You're right," he said. "I haven't been fair to you. I should have explained. I should have been honest about what was happening instead of shutting you out.""Then, why didn't you?""Because I didn't know how." He opened his eyes, and they were wet again. Not exactly crying, not quite, but close. The surfaces of his irises were liquid with the effort of containing everything he was feeling."I didn't know how to tell you that the woman I was married to is dying and I can't save her. I didn't know how to explain that being with her doesn't mean I don't love you. It means I can't abandon someone who is dying, even if she’s no longer my wife, even if…"He stopped. Ran a hand over his face.I watched him. Waited. I let the silence do its work."I love you," David said. "I'm marrying you. That hasn't changed."

[Alice’s POV]She was gone!I prayed that would be the last I ever saw of her.And I vowed there was no way she would get custody of Camilla. And if this baby lived, at the cost of my own life, she mustn’t get custody of him or her, either.She would perpetually seek advantages for her child, while punishing my children. But only when David wasn’t looking.With him busy all day, involved with business matters and running the empire, she would have full control of all three children. And he often came home late at night. So, there would be little reprieve for my poor children.An overwhelming sense of helplessness descended over me. The only way to stop this nightmare scenario was… for me to live.Unless.Unless there was another way to protect my children.There was a quiet knock at the door, and it swung open.What now?But it wasn’t someone I knew.A small, middle-aged woman let herself in. She wore over-sized tortoiseshell spectacles that made her face look even smaller. She wore h

[Alice’s POV]The evening meal that was delivered to my suite was clearly prepared by a chef, not the hospital kitchen. It looked tempting but I had little appetite. I intended to set the tray aside until a tiny kick from inside quickly developed into a series of flurries.I giggled, and gently rubbed my tummy. It felt like someone was playing leapfrog inside me.“Alright, little guy, or doll, I’ll eat some dinner so I can nourish you,” I murmured.It was too easy to refuse food, but I was painfully aware that I had a growing child to think of, along with a malignant tumor that was actively vacuuming up resources. I forced myself to eat some and was surprised to find that I enjoyed it.Someone was approaching my room and I set the dinner plate aside. I knew I didn’t look well, so I didn’t even bother to straighten my hair.There was a quiet knock on the door, then it was opened before I could even respond.“Hey, Alice,” Adam said. He wore a smile, much like Endall did, trying to look

[Lily’s POV]As I wandered through David’s manor, I was cataloguing in my mind what renovations and improvements I want. The whole place needs to be brought up to date.The colors are lovely but there is so much else in the house that reminds me of my predecessor. I always thought Alice had no taste. She had never shown any interest in home décor, never mind following the latest interiors fashion trends.She was always so focused on academic achievement. That left little time for inspired domestic expression.I giggled. Here I am thinking of her in the past tense. While she was still stubbornly clinging to life right now, I took comfort in the fact that her days were numbered.David left for work early this morning — that man is a workaholic! Still, I need to start thinking of what we will have for dinner tonight. I’m looking forward to when David will engage a chef for us, it’s so tedious having to prepare meals myself.Upstairs, I found myself in the master bedroom. Ugh! Those bland