Chapter 5

Alice turned off her mobile and switched on the TV, desperate to divert her thoughts. She couldn't bear to contemplate her current situation right at that moment. What she needed more than anything was time to process everything, and the truth was, she had no one else to turn to. Leaving Lucas had never been her intention. When she had signed that marriage contract, she had held onto the hope that someday he would genuinely love her, and she wouldn't have to contemplate leaving his side. However, as time went on, she was beginning to realize that such a scenario was growing increasingly impossible. She tried to brush it off and distract herself by watching TV, but her mind kept wandering back to Lucas and his girlfriend. After a while, Lucas shouts from the dining area "Time to eat " so fast? She was stunned but turned off the TV and hurried to the dining table. When she saw the dishes on the table she was shocked. She swallowed as her eyes met his. They are going to eat noodles and omelets for dinner? But she doesn't dare to raise a question. At least he knew how to make it. She quietly took her place and began to eat. When they were eating she looked at Lucas frequently but she didn't say anything. After eating he even washed dishes. He was still in the kitchen and Alice went to her bedroom. Lucas's behavior confused Alice even more. She didn't understand why he was being so nice to her suddenly. She had only burnt her hand while cooking, and she didn't think it was such a big deal. Alice was tossing and turning on the bed, unable to fall asleep. The mere thought of leaving him made her heart skip a beat. She couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to be without him. However, she also couldn't help but wonder about his sudden change in behavior. He had never cared about her feelings before, but now he seemed to be showing concern. Alice couldn't shake off the feeling that he was just trying to avoid feeling guilty and was waiting for the right moment to ask for a divorce. As she was lost in her thoughts, Alice didn't hear the door open and Lucas climbed into bed beside her. She felt a tremble run through her body when she felt his hand slide around her small waist. Alice was exhausted and didn't have the energy to satisfy Lucas. If he started, she knew she would break down. She lay there motionless, not even daring to breathe Suddenly, she felt his hot breath on her neck, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but shiver. Despite her efforts, she lost control and shrank slightly as his lips began to move around her neck. Alice's heart was beating rapidly and her body arched when he slightly bit the sensitive spot on her collarbone. She knew that if she didn't stop him now, she wouldn't be able to sleep the whole night. However, she was too afraid to speak up and stop him. He was devastating her with his actions. As his lips moved to capture her own, Alice turned her face away from him. Lucas's eyes snapped open and his hand on her body suddenly stopped. His intense gaze watched her for a moment in confusion before he asked her, "What happened?" Alice slowly turned her head to look into his eyes, she saw that there was no emotion in his eyes except anger because she had dared to disobey him. Summoning her courage, she said, "I don't want to do it today. I'm exhausted." His brows furrowed in anger, and he immediately moved away from her body. Alice turned to the other side and felt him getting up from the bed and leaving the room, closing the door forcefully behind him. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer and started crying. Alice was feeling terrible, and she couldn't understand why. She had known from the start that her relationship with Lucas would have negative consequences, but she couldn't shake off her despair. She cried all night, and even in the morning, she felt terrible. Her head was heavy, and she didn't have the energy to wake Lucas up. After making breakfast, she went to work. Alice was in the midst of her work when her friend Siya unexpectedly called her. "Hello" She diverted her attention from her computer and answered the call. "Alice, we are planning to go out for dinner, so I thought why don't you join us?" Siya invited Alice to join her for dinner with her colleagues. Alice hesitated before looking towards Lucas's office. She hadn't seen him the whole day. Finally, she agreed to go out with Siya and Siya was so happy. This was the first time because, in the past, Alice always found excuses to avoid going out with friends. After hanging up the call, Alice took a deep breath and put her palm on her face. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't know how to handle them. Siya picked up Alice after work since she had come to the office by subway and hadn't brought her car. Alice always liked to be around people whenever she was feeling low, although she didn't have many people to turn to. "Is everything alright?" Siya asked, seeing Alice's pale and silent face on the way. "Yeah," Alice turned her eyes from the window to Siya and forced a smile. "Don't lie, I know you. Tell me what's going on?" All over Alice's face, it was written that something was wrong with her. "I'm fine, you know how stressed I am at work right now. I haven't finished one of my projects yet, and now I have some other projects" Alice said trying to come up with something practical. Siya knew about Alice's work pressure so she didn't ask more. Alice didn't want to make Siya worry so she acted like she was fine. Dinner was with Siya's colleagues. Everyone was very friendly so Alice felt a bit refreshed.