A False Salvation For Lady

Chapter 6

6. I Can’t Have a Child

It was the busiest part of the day.

Empire City, the heart of the Eastern Seaboard, was bustling with the noise of merchants and visitors, from small shops to luxury department stores.

Among them, Iridescent Department Store was widely regarded as the best.

The three-story white building, decorated with arch-shaped reliefs on all sides, was a gleaming palace of capitalism. The elegant curved botanical wallpaper and the bright golden floor, which seemed to shimmer as if water droplets would slide off, made the lobby shine even brighter.

Today, the manager of Iridescent Department Store stepped out with a polished, welcoming smile.

“Welcome, Mrs. DuCaine!”

As the daughter-in-law of the DuCaine family, Cordelia was naturally one of Iridescent’s top customers. She wasn’t wasteful, but her sharp eye ensured she only bought the finest items, and often Lucas himself would buy extravagant gifts for her!

Cordelia gave a nonchalant smile and lightly nodded in acknowledgment.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Lester. I’ve come to rely on you once again.”

“Oh, please don’t say that. By the way, Lucas-sama bought a gift for you last time—did you like it?”

“…”

Cordelia gave an ambiguous smile. Of course, the pearl necklace she had received on the worst anniversary came from here.

Wherever she went, people said how lucky she must be to have her husband’s love. At one point, she believed that too. She knew she shouldn’t get too proud of such compliments, but they still made her quietly happy.

Now, however, it only brought her pain and self-loathing, like pressing on a bruise.

In this situation, if she were to attempt self-defense through divorce, how ridiculous would she look in front of others?

Yet, Cordelia smiled even more gracefully and nodded.

“Thanks to your recommendation, he was able to find something truly beautiful. Thank you.”

“It’s an honor!”

Cordelia listened as the manager excitedly talked about the newly arrived brands. She pretended to be interested, nodding along and listening just enough to not show her indifference.

However, during the conversation, the manager noticed Cordelia’s expression and, at the perfect moment, asked a question.

“Oh dear, it seems I’ve been too perceptive. If you’re tired, I can guide you to the lounge, Madam.”

“Thank you. And please have Miss Caroline Smith attend to me for service.”

“Understood. This way, please…”

The manager led her to a private lounge, unlike a typical break room. This was a lounge reserved only for upper-class women, where one did not need to permit anyone else to join unless they were invited. Even the department store staff wouldn’t know of the secret here.

The woman who attended to the aristocratic ladies in this lounge was, unknown to most, a doctor practicing without a license.

While waiting for Caroline, Cordelia gazed expressionlessly out the window at the view of the department store.

After the worst anniversary, she had spent several days alone, suffering in anguish. The deep sense of betrayal and disappointment caused by her husband only grew more painful the more she thought about it, and it was almost too much to bear.

But no matter how much she wanted to deny reality, no one would make a decision for her.

And she knew well what the right thing to do was in this situation, and what choice would be best for her.

‘I can’t have a child with Lucas.’

Just before the anniversary, she had desperately wished for it, but now she understood it was an unallowable outcome.

However, she couldn’t hold off on having a child forever. So, the only option left for Cordelia was to leave him.

Not through a legal divorce, but by running away in the dead of night. Whether it was possible or not, she had to start planning.

Her heart ached as though it might tear apart, and her mind, though numb, relentlessly urged her to figure out what to do next. Without doing so, it felt like she might die inside.

Finally, a young woman in her twenties, dressed in a neat purple department store uniform with her light brown hair pinned up, entered.

“Welcome, Miss Caroline.”

“Madam, I have come at your summons. Do you need more medication already?”

Cordelia had met this woman through a connection from the Old Continent. After a serious injury when she was eighteen, the doctor had helped her find specific places where this particular medicine was sold among women.

“Miss, from now on I won’t be able to examine you, so you’ll have to visit these places on your own.”

Not only did physical flaws affect a woman’s ability to marry, but they also led to continuous suffering afterward. Such women were often left with nothing when divorced, accused of having “hidden flaws.” At best, they ended up in psychiatric hospitals.

For this reason, Cordelia had kept this fact from Lucas. At first, she felt guilty, but now, thinking about it, she also found a bittersweet sense of victory in knowing that she, too, was hiding something.

Anyway, some of the places the doctor had pointed out to her included this woman. Caroline had entered medical school but never received her license. Instead, she had turned to running a completely secretive business serving only the highest class of women, like the department store’s customers. If she were to leak any customer information, she would be arrested for practicing medicine without a license, which made her business just as risky.

“Miss Caroline, I would like to be prescribed contraceptives, not my usual medication.”

“…”

Caroline made a puzzled expression but didn’t ask anything further. After all, she was operating illegally, so there was no benefit in prying into her clients’ secrets.

However, as the silence dragged on too long, Cordelia urged her in impatience.

“What’s the matter? Is there no suitable medication?”

“I can prescribe it, Madam. However, it is a very strong medication, so you will need to stop the current one you are taking.”

“…”

“Will that be alright?”

Cordelia nodded silently. There were times when the pressure from the Eastern upper class had made her feel the need for medication. But now, there was something more urgent at hand, and the psychological pain was something she would have to bear herself.

When she left the department store, Cordelia’s bag held a new bottle of medication. The recommendation was to take it regularly and abundantly, which made her sweat cold as she held it in her hand.

The thought of taking a harsh drug she didn’t even know about filled her with fear. She had truly wanted to have a child, but now she wondered if she really needed to go this far.

“No, this is the right choice. Don’t be afraid.”

Cordelia tried to calm herself as she reflected on her situation while heading home. Although she lived in the wealthiest neighborhood, every single asset was in her husband’s name.

So, the first thing she needed to do was start with selling some jewelry that wouldn’t be missed…

“…”

Cordelia absentmindedly looked down at her left hand and bit her lip. The bright pink ring was gone, and her ring finger, now thinner due to poor circulation, was unpleasantly visible.

She still wasn’t used to this emptiness. She had genuinely loved the man who gave her that ring as a token of his affection, beyond its monetary value. But now, she couldn’t bring herself to wear it again, no matter how much she tried to act indifferent.

Every time she looked at the ring hidden deep in her vanity drawer, memories of happier times would flood her mind uncontrollably.

“Lucas, this is the prettiest ring I’ve ever seen. But isn’t it a little too much?”

“What are you talking about? How could anything be too much for you, Cordelia?”

Liar. That ring, those sweet words… it was all a lie, wasn’t it? Then everything I felt—my happiness, my gratitude—was a lie too.

If love itself was a lie, what could I expect from the father of my child?

“Let’s not be afraid already. Selling the jewelry is just the start, I’ll be able to manage on my own.”

She had once been the mistress of a manor. Though she couldn’t return to the Old Continent, the New World was vast, with rapidly growing cities.

“If I just get out of the East, no one will recognize me.”

There were countless places where she could live and make do. She wanted to hold on to even the slightest bit of hope rather than continue to suffer over her husband’s actions.

However, when she arrived at the mansion, the housekeeper rushed toward her with an uneasy look.

“Excuse me, Madam.”

“What is it?”

“Actually, Mr. Richard inquired about the family dinner scheduled for this Friday.”