Chapter 14

WILLOW

A stifling silence enveloped us as my words hung in the air, pregnant with significance. Lucas's countenance transformed, his smile fading into an expression of incredulity and denial. Nervous laughter escaped him, a feeble attempt to dismiss my disclosure as a malicious jest, a fabrication intended to toy with his emotions.

"You must be joking, Willow," he muttered, his voice tinged with a subtle undercurrent of unease. "This cannot be real. It's an elaborate prank, isn't it?"

My heart sank at his reaction, the weight of the situation etched upon his features. Tears welled within the depths of my eyes as I grappled with the comprehension of his response. I had anticipated shock, sadness, perhaps even disappointment, but the fiery anger that now consumed him caught me off guard.

"No, Lucas, I'm not joking," I implored, my voice quivering under the weight of our shattered dreams. "The doctor spoke the truth. I cannot bear children. I am infertile."

His laughter transmuted into a