The Wife He Despised, The Woman He Lost Forever novel Chapter 1

After his older brother died in a car accident, Luke Graham inherited the Graham Group.

Luke was expected to take care of his widowed sister-in-law. So, his mom, Jenny Green, told Luke, "Susan is all alone now. If you take care of her, not only will you give your brother a child, you'll also be looking after her."

Luke held me in his arms, speaking softly, "I'm only giving her a child. Once this is over, nothing will stand in our way. My heart has belonged to you from the start."

However, when Luke went from visiting Susan's house once a month to visiting mine only once a month, I knew then that he was no longer mine alone.

The day Susan announced her pregnancy, Luke took the Graham family's heirloom diamond necklace, which he had once fastened around my neck during our engagement, and placed it around hers instead.

At that moment, I knew it was time to leave.

…

Susan leaned shyly against Luke's shoulder, her fingertips brushing the diamond necklace on her neck. Her voice carried a deliberate note of modesty as she said, "Luke, this is the Graham family heirloom. It should be worn by your wife, not me."

Jenny chuckled, waving it off. "Don't be silly. You've always loved diamonds, and now you're carrying the Graham family's first grandchild. This necklace suits you perfectly. It belongs with you."

It was only then that Luke noticed me standing at the door.

Without a flicker of guilt, he released Susan's hand and walked toward me. The cloying scent of her lily-of-the-valley scented perfume thickly clung to his clothes, making me nauseous.

"Scarlett, Susan has always loved this necklace. You know her temper. She rarely finds something she likes. Let her wear it for now. You don’t mind, do you?" he said.

Susan immediately made a show of fumbling at the clasp. "Scarlett, please don't take it to heart. I just thought it was so beautiful, I couldn't resist trying it on. Luke only let me borrow it. I'll give it back right now."

However, the more she pretended to tug, the tighter the clasp seemed to catch, until an angry red line marked her neck. Her eyes welled as she whimpered, "Luke, it hurts…"

Luke instantly held her hand, his voice tender. "Don't. I gave it to you. It's yours. Scarlett can have a better one tomorrow. I'll send someone to an auction house to choose one for her."

When Luke turned to me, his tone was warm but firm, leaving no room for refusal. "You've always been generous. Surely you won't argue over a necklace with a pregnant woman. She's carrying enough burden as it is. Why not let her have this small comfort?"

Jenny's face hardened as she looked at me. "Scarlett, you've been married into this family for two years and still haven't gotten pregnant. Luke is now the CEO of a listed company, yet we still have no heir. How do you expect us to hold our heads high?

"Now that Susan is carrying our child, she's done us a great service. When she delivers, she can always have another daughter who'll be adopted under your name. That way, you'll still have a child of your own.

"But for now, stop fussing about a necklace and show some grace. A lady from a scholarly family should know better."

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