Chapter 4 The room wasn't empty

Lumi's POV

The door opened. And for a second, nothing made sense. My brain refused to catch up with my eyes. It was like I had stepped into the wrong room, the wrong house, the wrong life.

Because what I was seeing couldn't be mine. Wren on the bed, her body half-covered by the sheets, but not enough to hide her nakedness. .

What broke me was the lingerie, my lingerie. The one I bought, the I folded carefully, and hid away for tonight. For Caius.

My stomach dropped so hard it felt like something inside me tore loose.

"No..."

The word didn't even sound like mine, It came out thin, weak, unreal. And then, Caius beside her, not scrambling or shocked even. Just there, like this wasn't wrong.

The air left my lungs, completely. I couldn't breathe, couldn't even feel my own body. All I could see was her, on top of Caius. My chest tightened painfully.

My fingers went numb around my bag, my knees buckled slightly. I reached for the doorframe without thinking, my hand gripping it tightly just to stay upright.

"Lumi..." Wren's voice, soft and careful. Like she was afraid of breaking something, like she hadn't already shattered everything.

My eyes moved to her slowly, mechanically. Like I was forcing myself to look. And God...she looked comfortable. Not even ashamed, like she had been there before.

My stomach twisted violently. "How long?"

The question slipped out before I could stop it. Wren froze, just for a second.

My heart dropped.

"No..." I shook my head slowly. "No... no..."

Because that meant, this wasn't a mistake. This wasn't sudden, they had history. My vision blurred, I blinked hard.

I tried to steady myself, but everything felt like it was slipping. My gaze shifted to Caius, waiting, begging for something. Anything.

Even a lie would have been something, but he just looked at me like I had walked in on something inconvenient. Not devastating.

"...Caius?"

His name felt foreign. Like it didn't belong to me anymore. He didn't answer immediately, he just watched me. And somehow, that hurt more than anything else. Because it meant, he didn't even feel the need to explain.

Finally, he spoke.

"Why didn't you call me when I told you to?"

My breath caught. I blinked, once, twice. Trying to understand what he just said.

"That's... that's what you're asking me?"

My voice shook now, from disbelief. From something breaking inside me piece by piece.

He shrugged slightly. "What else is there?"

The world tilted, not physically. But everything inside me cracked and fell apart.

Clover's voice came from behind me, sharp and disbelieving.

"What the hell is this?"

I hadn't even heard her walk in, but now I felt her presence beside me. Real and solid. The only thing in that moment that felt real.

"Lumi..." she said, softer now.

But I couldn't respond, because my chest felt too tight.

"How long, Caius?" I asked again, this time louder.

He didn't blink. "Does it matter?"

I laughed. A short, empty sound that didn't feel like mine.

"Does it-" My voice broke.

I swallowed hard, tried again. "Does it matter?"

I stepped forward, my legs unsteady. But I forced them to move.

"Months?" I asked. "Years?"

Silence.

"That whole time?" I continued. "While you were with me? While you were planning this-"

My voice cracked again.

"While I trusted you?"

He watched me, unmoved.

"You can't undo what's done," he said flatly.

Something inside me went still, completely. I straightened slightly. My breathing slowed, not because I was okay, but because I was done.

"I know," I said softly.

My fingers moved to my hand to the ring. I hadn't even realized I was still wearing it, until now. I pulled it off slowly. Caius's eyes flickered slightly, just for a second.

I stepped closer, then tossed the ring toward him. It hit the bed. Soft and meaningless. Just like everything else.

"I'm done," I said.

My voice didn't shake this time. "I'm done being the woman you take for granted."

Silence filled the room, heavy and final.

"The engagement is over."

Wren inhaled sharply. "Lumi-"

I looked at her, then at the lingerie and the way it fit her. On the way she sat there, in something that was never meant for her.

"You can keep it," I said coldly. "Clearly it suits you."

Her face changed, but I didn't care. I took one last look at both of them, and burned the image into my mind. So I will never forget.

"So yeah," I said quietly. "Screw you both."

Then I turned. And this time, I didn't hesitate. I walked out.