Chapter 4

Lily POV

The next day, I delivered the signed divorce agreement to the lawyer.

The lawyer put away the documents. "Next, we just need to wait through the one-month legal process. After a month, I'll deliver the divorce certificate to you."

"Okay."

Leaving the law office, I returned to Maple Bridge Villa.

As soon as I got out of the car, I saw two unfamiliar men carrying several suitcases into the villa.

I froze. "Who are you? Whose suitcases are these?"

I went inside and watched those two men carrying the suitcases upstairs.

I was about to stop them when Sebastian's voice called out from the living room. "Lily, perfect timing."

I stopped and turned around.

Only then did I notice that not only was Sebastian sitting in the living room, but Rachel was sitting on the sofa beside him.

Rachel greeted me with a sweet smile. "Hi, Lily."

I froze, my thoughts instantly going blank.

Sebastian stood and walked over to me, saying in a low voice, "Rachel is pregnant and it's not convenient for her to live in Marcus's villa, so I've decided to have her move in here. This way I won't have to run back and forth, and I can avoid neglecting you while taking care of her."

Maple Bridge Villa was the newlywed home we'd carefully chosen together.

It was the love nest we'd personally selected and decorated, from location to furnishings.

I never imagined he'd let Rachel move in without even asking me first.

My heart went half cold. I wanted to say something.

But then I thought that in a month I'd be leaving him completely anyway, and suddenly whether Rachel moved in or not didn't seem so important.

I nodded. "Okay, I understand."

I didn't fight, make a scene, or question him. Sebastian seemed quite satisfied.

"Don't worry, she's only staying until she has the baby. Once the baby's born, I'll have her leave."

With that, Sebastian took out a jewelry box from inside his suit jacket and handed it to me.

His tone carried a note of compensation. "This is a bracelet I bought for you. As long as you can get along with her peacefully for the next ten months, I won't let you suffer any grievances."

He thought a bracelet could compensate me and ease his own conscience.

I found it mockingly amusing, but I still accepted the box.

Rachel called out coquettishly from the living room, "Sebastian, I want to eat an apple. Come peel one for me, okay?"

Sebastian frowned. "Ask the housekeeper to peel it for you."

"But you always used to peel fruit for me. Now that Lily's here, are you just going to ignore me and the baby?"

Rachel huffed with feigned displeasure. Sebastian was about to speak.

I said flatly first, "Go keep her company. I'm not feeling well. I'm going to my room to rest. Have the housekeeper bring dinner to my room."

After that, I ignored them and went upstairs to the bedroom.

Sebastian could tell I was in a bad mood and wanted to follow me to keep me company, but Rachel, using the baby as leverage, clung to him relentlessly.

In the end, he could only hold back his steps.

To avoid interacting with Rachel, I stayed in the bedroom with the door closed for several days.

At first, Sebastian felt guilty and would come keep me company when he had time.

But each time, he'd only stay less than ten minutes before Rachel would call him away with various excuses.

And at night, in the deep quiet hours.

Sitting on the balcony chair in my bedroom, I could always hear Sebastian reading prenatal stories to Rachel's baby from the next room.

Rachel asked him sweetly, "Sebastian, do you think our baby will look more like you or more like me?"

"If it's a boy, hopefully like me. If it's a girl, I hope she looks more like you."

"Why do you hope a girl looks more like me?"

"Because your eyes and mouth are beautiful. Your eyes are so alluring. If a girl takes after you, she'll definitely grow up to be a lovely little beauty."

Their flirtatious laughter reached my ears and pierced my heart.

I remembered Sebastian once told me that if we had children, he hoped a boy would take after him and a girl would look like me.

I couldn't help but think mockingly that Sebastian probably really did love children.

But bringing Rachel here to live, serving her three meals a day, keeping her company and making her happy every night-was it really just for the child?

That day, Sebastian went to the company.

I was about to go downstairs to get some water when Rachel blocked my path in the hallway.

Rachel smiled at me. "Lily, you haven't left your bedroom in so many days. I was wondering if you were sick."

"I'm fine, thanks for your concern."

My tone was cold. I was about to walk away.

Rachel's gaze drifted to the purple bracelet on my wrist. "Speaking of which, I actually picked out that bracelet with Sebastian."

I froze. "What did you say?"