Chapter 18 The Fertility Truth
Lucas's pov
"I'm going out."
I looked up from my laptop. Lisa was standing in the doorway wearing a black dress that barely covered anything.
"Where?"
"A work event. Networking thing with some photographers."
"At nine o'clock at night?"
She rolled her eyes. "It's the fashion industry, Lucas. Things run late. Don't wait up."
She grabbed her purse and left.
I sat there listening to the click of her heels fade away.
Work event right.
She'd been having "work events" three times a week for the past month.
Coming home at 3am smelling like expensive cologne that wasn't mine.
I knew she was cheating.
I just didn't have the energy to care anymore.
What was the point? My company was failing. My family hated me. Everything was falling apart anyway.
Let her have her affair.
At least one of us was getting something out of this disaster of a marriage.
I went back to staring at financial reports that made my head hurt.
I got thirsty around midnight. I headed to the kitchen for water.
That's when I saw Lisa's purse on the counter.
She'd taken her clutch but left her regular bag.
I shouldn't have looked.
I knew that.
But something made me open it anyway.
Makeup. Gum. Her phone charger.
And a folder.Medical documents.
I pulled them out, confused.
Why did Lisa have medical documents in her purse?
I started reading it.
I had to read it again.
Then a third time because my brain couldn't process what I was seeing.
Patient: Lisa Vale
Diagnosis: Complete infertility due to uterine scarring
Cause: Complications from elective procedure, 2015
Prognosis: Permanent. No chance of natural conception. IVF is not recommended due to the extent of scarring.
The papers slipped from my hands.
Lisa was infertile and she's completely infertile.
Has been for almost a decade.
I picked up another document.
The date on it was six months before our wedding.
Consultation notes from a fertility specialist.
"Patient aware of infertility status. Expressed concern about disclosing to fiancé. Advised honesty before marriage. Patient declined."
She knew.
Lisa knew she couldn't have children before she married me.
And she'd lied about it.
She lied to everyone including my mother.
My stomach lurched.
I ran to the bathroom and threw up.
I kept throwing up until there was nothing left.
Then I just knelt there on the cold tile, shaking.
My mother.
My mother had pushed so hard for me to marry Lisa.
"She's perfect. She'll give us beautiful grandchildren. The Ward line will continue."
That was the whole point.
Lara couldn't or wouldn't have children fast enough.
So we got rid of her and brought in Lisa.
Young,beautiful with perfect genes.
Except she couldn't have children at all.
And she'd known the entire time.
I pulled out my phone with trembling hands and called my mother.
She answered on the second ring.
"Lucas? It's midnight—"
"Did you know?"
"Know what? What are you talking about?"
"That Lisa can't have children. That she's been infertile for years. Did you know?"
She went silent.
"Mother?"
"What are you talking about?" Her voice was sharp now and focused.
"I found medical records. Lisa had some procedure in 2015 that left her unable to have children. She knew before we got married. She's been lying to us this entire time."
She was more silent.
Then: "That BITCH!"She said.
I'd never heard my mother scream like that.
"She played us! That conniving little whore played us!"
"Mother—"
"We divorced Lara for HER! We threw away a perfectly good wife who could give us heirs for a barren model!"
"I know"
"How could she do this? How could she lie about something so important?"
"I don't know"
"Where is she now?"
"She's has gone out again. Another 'work event.'" I said the words with venom.
"Cheating?"
"Probably."
"Of course she is. She got what she wanted money and status and now she's done with us."
I leaned against the bathroom wall, feeling sick again
.
"What do we do?" I asked.
I hated how weak my voice sounded.
Like a child asking his mother to fix his problems.
"Divorce her," Claire said immediately.
"Tonight if possible. I'll call our lawyer first thing in the morning. We'll get an annulment. Fraud. She lied about something fundamental to the marriage."
"Okay."
"And Lucas?"
"What?"
"We need to find Lara."
My blood went cold. "What?"
"Lara. Your first wife. We need her back."
"Mother, I threw her out. I divorced her. She's not coming back—"
"She will if you apologize right. Grovel. Beg. Tell her you made a mistake."
"Why would she believe me?"
"Because women like Lara are pathetic. They want to be loved. They want to believe in second chances. Play on that."
I felt disgusted. "Mother—"
"We need an heir, Lucas! The Ward name has to continue! And Lara is young enough and she already showed she married into this family once. She'll do it again."
"She hates me."
"So make her not hate you! Use that charm you supposedly have! Do whatever it takes!"
"I don't think—"
"I don't care what you think! Your company is failing. Your wife is a lying whore. Your only option is to fix this mess you created.
Find Lara. Win her back. Get her pregnant. Save this family."
She hung up.
I sat there on the bathroom floor, phone in hand, feeling more disgusted with myself than I ever had.
My mother wanted me to manipulate Lara again.
Find her. Seduce her. Use her for an heir.
Like she was just a breeding mare.
I should have been horrified
.
Should have refused immediately.
But I wasn't.
Because a small, desperate part of me was actually considering it.
Not because I loved Lara.
I'd never loved Lara.
But because she represented everything I'd lost.
Status, money and respect.
Her father's company. Her trust fund. Her connections.
If I could get her back, I could fix everything.
The company would stabilize. My mother would get off my back. I'd have an heir and a wife who actually knew how to run a business.
And maybe I wouldn't feel like such a complete failure.
I pulled myself up and looked in the mirror.
I looked terrible.
But I could clean up. Get my act together.
I'd done it before.
When I first started dating Lara, I'd been charming. Attentive. The perfect boyfriend.
I could do that again.
Make her believe I'd changed.
That I'd been wrong.
That I wanted her back for real.
It was disgusting.
I knew it was disgusting.
But I was desperate.
And desperate men do terrible things.
I went back to my office and pulled up my computer.
Found the private investigator's number.
It was 1am but I called anyway.
"Hello?"
"It's Lucas Ward. I have a job for you."
"Mr. Ward, it's the middle of the night—"
"I don't care. I need you to find someone. Lara Montgomery. Used to be Lara Ward.
My ex-wife."
"I'm already looking—"
"Look harder. I don't care what it costs. Hire more people. Check every database. Find her."
"Sir"
"I need her location within two weeks. Can you do that?"
Pause.
"I'll try, but"
"Don't try. Do it. Money is no object."
I hung up before he could argue.
Then I sat back in my chair and stared at the ceiling.
This was it.
My last shot at fixing everything.
Find Lara. Win her back. Rebuild what I'd destroyed.
It was manipulative and wrong and probably impossible.
But it was all I had left
.
And I was just desperate enough to try.
"I'm sorry, Lara," I whispered to the empty room.
"I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do to you."
But I was going to do it anyway.
Because when you're drowning, you'll grab onto anything to stay afloat.
Even if it means dragging someone else under with you.