Chapter 9

The employees at the cemetery brought Lucille a brand-new urn. She carefully put the last specks of ash inside, buried the urn, and then knelt down, pressing her head against the grave.

“I’m sorry, Dad,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I let the wrong man into my life, and I couldn’t protect you.”

She paused, her fingers tracing the edge of the grave. “And now… I have to leave. I won’t be able to visit you for years, but I hope you’ll understand.”

After bowing three times, she raised her head. Crows cawed in the distance.

A drop of crimson blood slid down her forehead and the corner of her reddened eyes, like a tear of blood.

That evening, Lucille left the cemetery and went home alone. She brought all the things she had packed downstairs.

She burned the crush diary filled with River’s name. She threw away the matching clothing she had secretly brought. She cut the couple photos they had sneakily taken to pieces.

Once everything was done, she returned to her room. The moment she closed the door, she heard someone coming into the house downstairs.

She locked her room door, turned off her lights, and curled into her bed in the pitch-black darkness.

Before long, there was a knock on her door. Knock knock knock, knock knock knock.

“Lucy, open up.

“Lucy, I can explain.”

It was River.

Lucille ignored him, but she could not stop the tears.

Explain? Explain what?

That he did not take her as a tool for his revenge? That he did not stand with Sophia after she destroyed her father’s ashes?

Soon, the knocking stopped, but her phone began to ring. Lucille could see that River was still typing out a message, but she blocked him without a word and deleted his contact.

That night, she ignored anything he did or said outside her door.

She only opened the door the next morning when she heard her mother’s voice. She leaped into Victoria’s arms.

Victoria did not know what had happened, but she still patted her daughter’s back and soothed her, just like when Lucille was a kid.

River had not slept all night. When he saw the mother and daughter hugging, he fell silent for a long time and headed downstairs.

The next few days, Lucille slept in her mother’s room to evade River’s advances.

She and Victoria packed their bags together, slept hugging each other, and shared a lot of secrets only they knew.

In her mother’s arms, Lucille felt a rare sense of peace.

She still wanted to sleep with her mother the night before she left, but Victoria was worried she would not be able to rest well, so she sent Lucille back to her room.

Lucille had no choice but to stare at the ceiling blankly.

At midnight, someone unlocked her door.

It was River. He snuck in with the spare key and pulled her into his arms.

“Are you still mad at me? I’m sorry, okay? Please forgive me.

“You’ve been mad at me for three days. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll really lose my mind.”

Lucille said nothing and closed her eyes.

River was exasperated when he heard her even breathing. He knew she had it rough the past few days, and he did not want to wear her out anymore. All he did was kiss his forehead.

Listening to the heartbeat right next to hers, Lucille could not sleep at all that night.

In the wee hours of the morning, River’s phone suddenly rang.

Lucille picked it up and saw Sophia’s name. She shook him awake and handed him the phone. River answered the call in a daze.

Within seconds, he let go of Lucille’s waist and sat up with a jolt.

After hanging up, he turned around and said softly, “Lucy, I…”

“Go. Don’t turn on the lights.” Her voice was barely audible in the darkness. He could not read her tone at all.

He thought she was not angry at him anymore, so he nodded and got up to leave. Before he left the door, however, he suddenly panicked for some reason. He could not help but turn back to the figure curled up in bed.

“Lucy, I’ll be right back. Wait for me.”

Lucille would never wait for him again. They were over.

She heard the car start outside the mansion and watched River leave before turning on the lights. After that, she got up, got changed, and brushed her teeth as usual.

As soon as she was done, Victoria knocked on her door, calling her down for breakfast.

She ate everything while her stepfather ordered her servants to take all her luggage downstairs.

As the last of her luggage disappeared out the door, she suddenly thought of something. She went back to her empty room, opened her drawer, and took out the bank card and breakup letter she had prepared.

She then took them to River’s room, putting them where he would see them instantly.

“River, this time, I’m dumping you.”

Just then, Victoria called out to her gently. “Hurry, Lucy, or you’ll miss your flight!”

“Okay!” Lucille hurried down the stairs.

The cab was already waiting outside. Lucille said goodbye to her parents and got into the car.

Victoria’s voice was thick with tears. “Take care, Lucy.

“I put your childhood friend’s number in your pocket. If you need any help at all, call him.

“Go ahead and chase your dreams. Don’t worry about us at home.”

Lucille nodded to everything she said through the car window, her eyes red. It was only after her mother faded from view that she finally looked ahead.

The weather outside was bright and sunny, without a cloud in sight. Just like her life from now on…