Broken Trust

They both turned to the door at the sound of Sophia's voice. Running towards the bed, Sophia pushed Lucas with all her strength.

"Go away! Don't touch my Mommy!" Sophia shouted through sobs, tears streaming down her face.

Lucas was startled, quickly releasing Emily's hands and stepping back from the bed. Emily, equally shocked, pulled herself into a sitting position and embraced Sophia. Sophia continued crying in Emily's arms, glaring at Lucas. "Why do you treat Mommy like this? Sophia hates you, hates you!"

Turning to Lucas, Emily saw a pained expression on his face. She sighed, tightening her arms around Sophia and gently stroking her hair. "Sophia is a good girl. Don't cry."

Sophia looked up at Emily, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "Mommy, let's go away from here. Sophia wants to go away with Mommy. We don't want to stay here anymore. Nanny Lucille was wrong. Daddy doesn't love you. He hurt you just now. I don't want to stay here with him. I don't want..."

"Sophia," Emily cut her off, glancing at Lucas, who looked hurt standing on the side before refocusing on Sophia. "Remember what I told you this afternoon? No matter what happens between Mommy and Daddy, you can't say things like this."

Sophia bit her lip, nodding her head while tears continued to flow.

Emily wiped away Sophia's tears with her thumbs. "Don't cry. Go say sorry to your Daddy."

Sophia slowly pulled away from Emily and walked to Lucas, her head held low. "I-I'm sorry, Daddy."

Lucas looked down at his daughter for a long moment before heaving a deep sigh and averting his gaze. "If you think leaving with your mother will make you happier, then leave," he said in a painful tone. Before anyone could react, he marched to the door and stepped out of the room.

Emily stood up, calling after him, but it was too late; Lucas was already gone. She began regretting her decision to help her sister. As a lawyer, her expertise was in law, not in being a mother or a wife. She wondered how she could handle a broken family. The weight of her choices weighed heavily on her as she sighed deeply.

********

The wind gently blew a sweet breeze against Emily's face as she swayed on the garden swing. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply, a smile forming as the pleasant scent of flowers filled her senses. Opening her eyes, she took in the large garden in front of the beautiful white house.

Spring had finally arrived, banishing winter's chill. Flowers adorned every corner of the garden, and small animals and birds had made their homes there.

It had been a week since the incident in Lucas's room, and Emily hadn't seen him since. Nanny Lucille mentioned he returned late every night and left for the office early each morning, likely trying to avoid her and Sophia. Emily couldn't forget the hurtful expression on his face that night.

"What time did Lucas come back last night?" Emily asked.

"He came back around 3 am. When I woke up at 5 am, his study room lights were still on. Then he left at 7 am. He's been like that all week. I hardly see him sleep," Nanny Lucille replied, visibly worried. "Mrs Anderson, will you talk to him? I'm worried. He can't keep going like this. He might get sick."

Emily looked at her. "I'll try to talk to him if I see him."

"Ahhhhhh!!!"

Just before Nanny Lucille could respond, Sophia's scream surprised both of them. Emily quickly stood up when she saw Sophia running towards her, crying.

"Caterpillar," Sophia mumbled, wrapping her tiny arms around Emily as she buried her face against her stomach. "What happened?"

Emily scanned the surroundings. "Caterpillar? Where?"

Sophia pointed to a tree not far from the swing.

Emily took Sophia's hand and led her to the tree. Squatting down beside it, she spotted a tiny green caterpillar crawling on a leaf. Emily plucked the leaf and brought it closer to Sophia.

"Mommy..." Sophia looked at the caterpillar, then hid behind Emily in horror.

Emily laughed at her reaction. "Why? You scared? Sophia is so big, and this caterpillar is so small. How can you be scared of it?"

Sophia looked at Emily in confusion. "Mommy hates insects the most."

"Hate? Why do I hate it?" Emily put the leaf down on the ground, took a small branch and gently touched the caterpillar with it. After a while, something red appeared on the caterpillar's body. Emily turned to Sophia and smiled. "Sophia, try to smell."

Sophia leaned down, inhaling a soft breath. She quickly covered her nose with her tiny hand, her face twisted. "Very smelly."

Emily laughed at her cute expression. "Caterpillars produce a bad smell to protect themselves from enemies. It might look slightly scary now, but when it turns into a butterfly, it will be very beautiful."

Sophia nodded. "Butterflies are very beautiful. I've seen them flying around the flowers. I always wanted to see them, but you don't like to come out here with me. You said the insects here are very irritating. Today, Sophia is very happy because Mommy accompanied me here." She smiled sweetly.

Emily pinched her nose softly. "Mummy was a scaredy-cat before. But I have grown up now. I'm not scared of it anymore. Mommy promises Sophia that I will bring you out here every evening before dinner, okay?"

Sophia nodded and smiled happily.

Just as she wanted to wrap her arms around Emily, Sophia's smile faded upon seeing Lucas standing not far away from them, silently observing.

Emily followed Sophia's gaze, her eyes widening slightly as they met Lucas's tired stare. Nanny Lucille's observation proved correct; he looked worn out, evident from the dark circles under his eyes. Emily stood up slowly, offering a slight smile.

"You're early today," she said, breaking the silence.

Lucas remained silent, his gaze shifting to Sophia. His brows creased as she hid behind Emily, clearly frightened.

Seeing the pain in Lucas's eyes, Emily turned to Sophia. "Sophia, you should greet your Daddy."

Sophia looked down, biting her lip. "D-Daddy..." she murmured.

Lucas nodded at his daughter, his expression softening.

Observing the awkwardness, Nanny Lucille approached them. "Miss Sophia, it's time for your shower. Let's go. Don't disturb your Daddy and Mummy," she said, leading Sophia away. Before leaving, she whispered to Emily, "Talk to him."

Once Sophia and Nanny Lucille were gone, Lucas moved to follow, but Emily's voice stopped him. "You should come back earlier, like today. Sophia needs you, and..." She paused, looking at him. "...you need some sleep. You look tired."

Lucas stood beside her, chuckling. "I'm fine. And Sophia already has you. She doesn't need me," he said coldly. As he attempted to walk away, Emily held his arm, stopping him. "Sophia needs a father too," she insisted.

Lucas sighed deeply, turning to her, and locked eyes. "She needs a mother more. She made it clear the other night. She doesn't need a father," he said. Emily's brows furrowed. "How can you say that? Every child needs their parents. Regardless of what happens between adults, you shouldn't involve the child in this."

Lucas forcefully pulled his hand away from Emily's arm, staring at her with a disbelieving gaze. "Who are you?"

His sudden question caught Emily off guard. Did he find out? She silently questioned herself.

"How can you still sound like a victim and innocent after everything you have done?" Lucas paused, scanning her from top to toe. "Do you think changing the way you dress, straightening your hair, altering your appearance will turn you into a different person? All these are just outward changes, packaging. It doesn't change anything."

His eyes reflected pain once again, and Emily felt a pang in her heart. Curiosity gnawed at her, eager to know what her sister had done to make this man hate her so intensely. She looked away from him. "I'm sorry about that night. I'm sorry you had to hear what Sophia said about leaving with me. She's just a child. She doesn't mean what she said. She was just frightened," Emily tried to explain.

Lucas exhaled sharply. "Do you think I care?"

"Yes, you care," Emily insisted, locking eyes with him. Stepping closer, she continued, "If you didn't care, you wouldn't feel sad when Sophia said she'd rather run away with me than stay with you. If you didn't care, you wouldn't look so hurt when Sophia hid behind me just now when she saw you."

Emily sighed deeply before continuing, "As I said earlier, I'm not interested in what happened between you and... me. I just care about Sophia. I know how important work is for you, but you shouldn't neglect her as well. She needs you. She needs a healthy family to grow up."

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you think she could still grow up healthily with the relationship between us like this?"

Emily pursed her lips. "What exactly happened to... us?" she asked softly.

Lucas's jaws clenched together. The gaze in her eyes made him want to believe every word she said was sincere and that the woman he loved had finally changed and come back to him. The way she interacted with Sophia in the garden, teaching her about the caterpillar, and her smiles reminded him of their first meeting on the strawberry farm. But he knew he couldn't continue dreaming. That pure girl was buried deep inside, blinded by the materialistic world. The pain she caused was unbearable, and he couldn't allow himself to fall into her trap again.

He looked away. One thing she was right about he needed some sleep. He hadn't been sleeping properly since she came back, which was why he came back early today. His head was throbbing so badly that he couldn't even think straight now. He hated when people distracted him, and Amelia Anderson always could do so. He sighed deeply. It was time to stop being stubborn and give up something or someone that no longer belonged to him. He was very tired.

"I don't care if you're just acting or feel sorry for Sophia suddenly, but I hope you can continue to treat her the way you are now. If you need money, I can give it to you. Just do your job as a mother, and I'll give you whatever you want," he said in a defeated tone. Without looking at her, he started to walk away.

Emily held his hand, stopping him again. She didn't agree with him. Sophia needed a mother and a father. He shouldn't pass the responsibility to her sister because Sophia needed him too. Just when she was about to continue, she felt something was not right as she tightened her hand on his. She took a step forward and took a closer look at him.

Lucas was taken aback by her sudden action as he looked away again. He couldn't let her gaze distract him. "What do you want now?" he asked helplessly.

Emily took his hand up and placed it against her cheek. Lucas's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" Emily looked up at him as she let go of his hand. She lifted her hand and placed it against his forehead this time. "You have a fever."

No wonder he felt so warm all over his body. His throat was scratchy, and the headache was killing him. He held her gaze for a while and forced himself to tear it away before it was too late. He cleared his throat to break the awkwardness.

"It's none of your business," he said coldly.

Emily glared at him and she sighed. "Then why did you make the hot milk for me when my stomach was aching the other day? It wasn't your business either."

Lucas looked back at her with a slightly shocked expression. "I didn't. It was Nanny Lucille who made it for you," he claimed. Emily chuckled. She was a lawyer. She could tell when someone was lying. "I'll ask Nanny Lucille to get some fever medicine and make some porridge for you." Without giving him a chance to protest, she quickly walked back into the house.

*********

Emily left Sophia's room after a nap and saw Nanny Lucille coming out of Lucas's room. She quickly approached her "Nanny Lucille, how's he? Is the fever gone?"

Nanny Lucille shook her head, showing the thermometer. "39°C. He took medicine but skipped the porridge. He says he just wants to sleep." Nanny Lucille sighed, " I have cared for him since he was a kid. He rarely gets sick. He must be very exhausted." She wore a sad expression "Mrs Anderson, please take care of him."

Emily hesitated but nodded, entering the room to find Lucas uncovered. She covered him, noticing a faint scar on his ankle that made her heart race. Before she could touch it, he moved, startling her. She withdrew, relieved he was still asleep. She covered his leg and noticed his furrowed forehead.

A soft smile appeared on her lips, seeing him peacefully for the first time. Reflecting on their past tense encounters, she sensed the complexity behind his cold exterior.

Her fingers traced down his cheek, slowly moving to his jawline. She wanted to know what happened between them that made Amelia run away. Amelia had everything many women dream of – a successful, wealthy, and good-looking husband, and a beautiful daughter. What could he have done to make her sister leave? Both must have hurt each other deeply, and Sophia ended up caught in their sorrows.

He might not be the best man she ever saw, but she felt the love he had for Sophia. He said he'd give her anything as long as she's a good mother to Sophia. He knew Sophia loved her mother, and he wanted to provide that. A man who loves his child can't be all bad, just like her father – the best dad in the world.

Emily sighed, about to turn away. But before she could walk away, a warm hand gently held hers. Turning around, she found Lucas looking at her with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Don't go. Stay here with me," he pleaded, his grip tightening on her hand, making her nervous.

"I... you..." She struggled to find the right words and lacked the strength to pull her hand away. She was entranced by his gaze.

The next moment, Lucas pulled her down beside him. She sat half-leaning against his chest, their eyes locked inches apart. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her breath turning ragged.

Lucas brought his other hand to her face, caressing it gently. "Don't leave me, Amelia," his voice deep and hoarse.

Emily bit her lip. "I'm not her," she softly said. "I'm not Amelia."