5: Unforeseen Revelations

In the austere elegance of the Everett mansion, the morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow. Martha, ever the dutiful housekeeper, knocked gently on Lily's door. "Come in," Lily called. Martha stepped into the bedroom and gently shut the door behind her. Lily was just finishing the final touches to her exquisite makeup. Her beauty illuminated the room brilliantly, though she believed such an effect would be lost on Michael, who had avoided her like a plague since he woke up. "Ma’am, breakfast is prepared. Mr. Everett is already in the dining room. Would you care to join him? You are still his wife, after all." Martha's words, tinged with a subtle hope for reconciliation, did little to ease Lily's apprehension. She could still feel the weight of Michael's cold gaze from the night before. "Would that change anything? After all, he sees me like a stranger...someone who just wanted to take advantage of him at his most invulnerable state." Lily sighed, obviously reluctant to leave the bedroom. "Lady Amelia holds you in high regard, Mrs. Everett. Perhaps Michael is more approachable than you think," Martha added, trying to bridge the chasm that had formed between them. With a heavy heart, Lily acquiesced. "I understand. I'll join him." She sighed, took a deep breath, and smiled at Martha. "Let's go." While descending the grand winding staircase, she saw Michael, frail yet somewhat imposing, seated in a wheelchair. His sharp profile, a stark reminder of the man he once was, sent a wave of anxiety crashing over her. As Lily took her place at the breakfast table, Michael's penetrating gaze felt like a physical force. Avoiding eye contact, Lily tried to calm her racing heart, but their eyes inevitably met, and she felt trapped in his icy stare. "I'm Lily..." Their marriage was nothing more than a legal formality, yet they were strangers in every other sense. But there's no harm trying to get to know each other, right? Michael raised a hand, silencing her mid-sentence. "I know who you are. This morning, I was briefed about you. I hear you're carrying my child?" Lily, jolted by the reminder of the in vitro procedure which had taken place a few days after the medical tests, struggled to maintain her composure. "Yes, that's...that's correct." Michael's voice was sharp, his impatience palpable. He held up two fingers. "You have two options: deal with it yourself, or I will. I don't want this child." The bluntness of his words cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. The very idea of being manipulated while comatose infuriated him, especially concerning the news of Lily's potential pregnancy. Lily's shoulders slumped as she grappled with the harsh reality. "Actually, I am not pregnant. I got my period this morning. Martha can confirm it." Michael's response was curt and immediate. "That's a relief. Very well, then. Prepare your papers for annulment. You have exactly three days." He turned and forked some salad into his mouth, chewing slowly and rhythmically in a clear message of dismissal. As far as he was concerned, Lily was no longer at the dinning table. Lily could see that Michael's determination to maintain control over his life was unyielding. Even in the wake of his mother's recent hospitalization, he refused to allow anyone to dictate his marriage. Lily excused herself, feeling hollow and no longer as hungry as she thought she was. Michael paid no heed as Lily retreated to her room, her mind a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. Martha followed her silently to their bedroom, feeling almost as sorrowful as Lily, and wishing she had not invited Lily to breakfast when Michael was having his. Later that day, while she was reading a book on the balcony outside her bedroom, a commotion downstairs caught her attention. Recognizing Daniel's voice, she hesitated, torn between intervening and staying away. Her decision was made for her when Daniel spotted her. "Mrs. Everett, please, help me explain to Michael!" Michael's signal to his bodyguard was swift and decisive. Daniel was overpowered, his pain echoing through the hall. His cry for help was cut short when the bodyguard decked him with a hammerfist blow. Lily watched, her face ashen, as Michael's ruthless side was laid bare. "Daniel, you should know better," Michael spoke with chilling calmness. "You're not entitled to my estate, nephew. Your incompetence and deceit are far beneath me." Daniel's pleas were cut short by another blow, his cries resonating in the silent hall. "No, Uncle, please! I meant no harm. I just wanted to see you." Michael's contempt was clear. "If you deceive me again, not even my mother can save you. You know my reputation and what I can do even to family members who betray me, don't you?" Daniel's hasty retreat was a pathetic sight. His fear of Michael was palpable. Lily realized then that Michael was a man of profound complexity and danger. His presence commanded fear and respect, qualities she hadn't fully grasped until now. Fleeing the mansion for some fresh air, Lily clutched her bag tightly. She knew she had to escape this man, this situation. She had seen enough to understand that staying with Michael Everett would mean courting disaster. She found her way to the garage, got into the car gifted her by Amelia on her wedding day, and drove off the Everett grounds in a squeal of tires.