She felt disgusted!

Lucas' face darkened. "We didn't do anything!"

Aveline's breath caught in her throat.

Lucas looked away, his throat dry. "Nothing happened between us. I was just angry that you let another woman get into my bed. I had to teach you a lesson."

Aveline gazed at his chiseled profile, a sense of absurdity washing over her.

Of all people, she thought bitterly, she was the one who had suffered the most injustice.

As she thought about it, tears started falling.

She bit her lip, trying to hold back, but she couldn't and ended up crying openly.

Lucas felt his heart clench with a sour, painful sensation. He immediately stepped forward. "Aveline..."

"Get out!"

Aveline looked at him with tear-filled eyes, her voice hoarse.

Lucas tensed, the realization of his mistake settling heavily upon him. The truth had come to light, exposing his grave misunderstanding. He now saw clearly how unjustly he had treated her. Her anger and frustration, he realized, were entirely warranted.

He didn't leave.

Instead, he stepped closer and said, "Aveline, if you want to vent, hit me."

Aveline really did hit him.

However, being sick, she had little strength, and her blows were weak.

Lucas grasped her hand. "I'm sorry."

With her emotions vented, Aveline didn't feel as awful. She pulled her hand away, her voice muffled." Lucas, I want a divorce."

She didn't want to have any relationship with him anymore.

She didn't want to live such a humillating life.

At her words, the remorse on Lucas' face evaporated. His eyes narrowed, darkening with renewed anger. He opened his mouth, poised to retort, when a knock on the hospital room door interrupted him. Desmond entered carrying a takeout container, Immediately sensing the tension in the room. He set down the food and hastily excused himself.

Lucas pressed his lips into a thin line, setting up the small table. He opened the food container and arranged the dishes on the table one by one.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

He looked at Aveline and said, "Eat something first."

Aveline didn't look at him.

Lucas said, "If you don't eat, I'll find a way to make you eat. You don't want that, do you?"

Aveline glared at him fiercely but eventually got up and started eating.

She was really hungry. She finished a bowl of chicken soup and ate some side dishes.

After eating, she felt much better,

Throughout the meal, Lucas watched her. When she set down her utensils, he said, "I'll have Sophia apologize to you."

Aveline's expression hardened. "I want a divorce.

Lucas seemed to be suppressing his temper, his voice growing colder. "Aveline, stop thinking about impossible things and focus on getting better, okay?"

Aveline clenched her fists, glaring at him with resentment. "If you don't trust me, why won't you agree to a divorce?"

Lucas looked at her indifferently. "Are those two things even related?"

"You!"

Aveline felt she might die of frustration because of him. She turned her head away, refusing to look at

him.

Lucas stared at her profile for a long moment before he got up and sat by the bed, eating the leftover food.

Aveline frowned at the sight but held her tongue. If he was determined to risk infection, so be it. A grim thought crossed her mind: perhaps the illness would consume him, sparing her the need for divorce- widowhood might solve her problem instead.