“We are getting a divorce, Julia!”

Logan’s words hit Julia like a sudden jolt of electricity. She was in the middle of eating her lunch when he spoke. The fork in her hand froze mid-air as she looked at him, trying to grasp the full meaning of what he had just said.

“What?” Her voice trembled with disbelief, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion and shock.

Logan's face was stern and resolute. “You heard me right, Julia. I’m absolutely sure about this. It’s time to end this disaster we call a marriage!” With that, he pulled out a formal-looking document from his briefcase and slammed it down on the table with a heavy thud.

Julia glanced over at her five-year-old son, Liam, who was sitting at the table eating his lunch, and then shifted her gaze to Amelia, her stepsister, who had just returned with her husband from their trip abroad.

Julia had been married to Logan for five years, but the night they got married, Logan abruptly left the country. He told her he had urgent business to handle overseas. Though heartbroken, Julia agreed to let him go, especially since she was pregnant with their child, Liam. Logan promised he would return within a month.

However, the promised month turned into years. Now, after five long years, Logan was finally home and seeing his son for the first time. It was also the first time in ages that Julia was going to be in the same bed as her husband again.

But instead of the long-awaited reunion, Julia found herself facing a divorce paper. Her heart sank as she looked at the document, realising it was an official legal notice that their marriage was over.

“You can't be serious right now, Logan… this has to be a joke, right?” she stammered, struggling to keep her voice steady and her emotions in check.

“This isn’t a joke or some kind of prank, Julia. The truth is, I’ve always wanted your sister. Seeing that you’ve been dishonest with me, I had to seize the chance to have her and keep her by my side,” Logan declared, his voice cold and unfeeling. He reached out and took Amelia’s hand as she sat beside him, their closeness a sharp, painful reminder of the betrayal Julia was facing.

Julia’s heart ached as tears began to well up in her eyes. The image before her shattered her world. The man she had waited for, the one she had hoped would return and rebuild their life together, had been cheating on her with Amelia. Not only had he been with her sister while he was away, but they were also engaged.

"That's right, Julia," Amelia chimed in with a smirk that made Julia's blood boil. "Come on, how long did you think you could keep deceiving him? You really thought you could fool us both?"

Julia's vision blurred with anger and hurt as she glared at Amelia. "And what exactly are you implying, Amelia? You’re the one who’s been scheming to steal my husband, and now you’re accusing me of lying? About what?” Her voice shook with a mix of fury and pain, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

“Oh please, Julia… you might be able to deceive the world and even the Steele family, but you can’t fool me!” Amelia retorted, her tone dripping with disdain as she scoffed.

Julia opened her mouth to respond, but Logan cut her off abruptly. “I knew you’d try to lie your way out of this, so I prepared for it,” he said bluntly. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a document, tossing it onto the table in front of Julia with a sense of disgust.

Julia grabbed the paper from the table and unfolded it with trembling hands. Her eyes scanned the document, and the more she read, the more her body shook with fear and disbelief. The content of the paper was so devastating that she felt like she was going to faint.

Her gaze flicked to Liam, her innocent little boy, who was still eating his lunch, completely unaware of the chaos unfolding around him. Julia’s heart ached as she looked at him, her face contorted with confusion and dread. She turned her eyes back to the paper, her mind racing to make sense of the shocking revelation.

“You still don’t get it?” Logan's voice cut through her thoughts. He took a long, aggressive sip from his glass of wine, savouring the bitter taste as if it could numb the pain he was causing.

“No! No, I can’t accept this!” Julia shouted, her voice cracking with anguish. She ripped the paper into shreds, tossing the fragments onto the floor in a fit of disbelief.

“Liam is your son, and I know that for sure! No piece of paper can tell me otherwise! There’s no way I’m believing this!” She stood firm, her posture defiant despite the storm of emotions inside her.

“That paper, as you call it, was provided by a top specialist; someone whose services are well beyond your financial reach,” Logan said dismissively as he stood up from his chair, his voice dripping with contempt.

“You know, when Amelia first told me that Liam might not be my child, I wanted to dismiss it because I hoped I could still manage things with you, even if you had my son. But guess what, Julia?” Logan moved closer to her, his expression hardening.

He reached out and gently tucked a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear, a gesture that felt oddly loving amidst the harshness of the moment.

“I felt utterly betrayed when I discovered that he was never my son!” Logan spat out, his voice laced with raw anger. The intensity of his words made Julia feel his rage like a physical force.

Tears streamed down Julia’s cheeks as she struggled to process the staggering revelation.

“That’s not possible, Logan. You were the one I slept with before our wedding and…” Julia began, but Logan cut her off with a burst of frustration.

“I haven’t even been intimate with you!” Logan erupted, his face contorting with fury. “What was I thinking? I thought I slept with you, but guess what? I didn’t!” His outburst was accompanied by a violent motion as he ran his hands through his hair, clearly agitated.

Julia remembered that night vividly; she had been drunk before the wedding, but she was certain that Logan was the one she had been with. If Logan wasn’t Liam’s father, then who could be?

“Just sign the papers and leave already, Julia!” Amelia interjected, her voice dripping with contempt. “He doesn’t want you or your bastard child. Can’t you understand that?”

The insult struck Julia deeply. She shot to her feet, her face flushed with anger and hurt. “My son is not a bastard, Amelia! Watch your words!” Julia’s voice trembled with a mix of fury and protectiveness, but Amelia simply snorted dismissively, showing no remorse.

With a sinister sneer curling her lips, Amelia stood up from her chair and sauntered over to where Logan was standing. She deliberately wrapped her arms around him, leaning in close as if to assert her claim.

“Well, the result says it all, Julia,” Amelia taunted, her voice dripping with mockery. “So what’s it going to be? Sign the contract and leave, or waste your time arguing with Logan Steele? Trust me, it’s not worth it!” Amelia’s laughter rang out, echoing with cruel satisfaction.

Julia was momentarily taken aback by Amelia’s smugness. She cast a glance at Logan, who stood there with an unrepentant expression, his eyes cold and indifferent.

Then her gaze shifted to her young son, Liam, who sat at the table looking bewildered and confused by the commotion. He was just a child and couldn’t understand the seriousness of the situation.

Julia’s fists clenched at her sides as she wrestled with her emotions. The weight of the decision bore down on her; one that she knew would be incredibly hard, but also the right choice.

Her heart ached with the realisation that, despite all her efforts to save her marriage, it was ending in betrayal and heartbreak.

With a heavy, sorrowful sigh that carried the burden of her shattered dreams, Julia picked up the pen from the table and then the divorce papers.

Her hands shook slightly as she flipped through the pages. Each sheet seemed to stab her with fresh pangs of pain, regret, and anger, a clear reminder of how far she had come to keep her marriage alive.

Just as she was about to sign the document, Logan’s hand shot out and firmly gripped her wrist. Julia looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze.

“I see you’ve got some nerve, Julia,” Logan said with a sneer, his voice dripping with contempt.

“You don’t even have any money. Why would you want to sign the divorce papers? I could make you my servant or slave if you beg enough for the mistake you’ve made!” His suggestion was harsh and vindictive. But before he could say anything else, Julia yanked her hand out of his grip.

“I’d rather die than be your slave, Logan!” Julia shot back fiercely, her voice filled with unyielding resolve. She quickly signed the divorce papers, her hand shaking with rage and determination.

She threw the signed document at Logan’s face with a sharp motion, the pages fluttering through the air before hitting him.

“Don’t expect any money from me, Julia. You’re leaving this house with nothing!” Logan's voice was cold and final as he remained in Amelia’s embrace, his eyes gleaming with a cruel satisfaction.

Julia’s lips curled into a disdainful snort. Her hatred for Logan had never been stronger, and his callousness only fueled her anger.

She turned to her son, Liam, who was still sitting at the table, looking lost and confused. She reached out and took his small hand, pulling him away from the scene.

Without taking any belongings, she stormed out of Logan’s house, slamming the door behind her with a resounding crash.

Outside, Julia felt the weight of her situation press down on her. Liam tugged at her hand, his voice breaking through her thoughts. “Mommy, is Logan not my Daddy anymore?” His question was filled with innocent confusion.

Julia’s heart ached as she knelt down to his level, her eyes brimming with tears. “I’m so sorry, Liam. But I promise, we’ll find someone other Daddy who will care for us,” she began, her voice trembling with both sorrow and a desperate attempt to reassure him.

“I’m really…”

Her words were cut off when she noticed Liam clutching his side, his face contorted with pain. “What’s wrong, Liam? Are you okay?” Panic gripped Julia as she crouched down, gripping her son's shoulders tightly.

“It hurts, Mommy… It hurts!” Liam cried out, his voice breaking with distress. Just as Julia’s heart raced with fear, Liam suddenly collapsed, his small body crumpling to the ground.

“Liam? Liam!” Julia’s voice was filled with a sharp, piercing panic as she cradled her son in her arms.