Chapter 5 Moving on

Lumi's POV

I don't remember getting into the car.

One second I was walking out of that house, the next, I'm seated, the door slammed shut, tears rolling down my cheeks, my chest rising too fast.

"Lumi."

Clover's voice feels far, like it has to travel through something heavy to reach me. I blink, my hands were shaking. I pressed them against my thighs, hard, like that might stop it. It doesn't.

"Hey... look at me."

I don't want to. Because if I do, this becomes real. But I look anyway. She's right there.

"I'm here," she says.

And that's what breaks me. A laugh slips out of me, sharp and wrong.

"Did you see that?"

My voice doesn't sound like mine. Clover doesn't answer, she just watches me, her face etched with worry.

"I bought that," I say, my lips trembling. "That lingerie was mine!"

My vision blurs. I blink, but it doesn't help.

"She wore it," I whisper. "Like it belonged to her."

My chest tightens. "And he just stood there."

That part comes out quieter, worse than I felt inside. "Like I was the one interrupting them."

Heavy silence fills the car, pressing in. Then my phone starts ringing. I froze. Caius. My stomach twists so hard it almost hurts.

"Don't answer," Clover says immediately.

I don't, but I don't move either. It keeps ringing, loud, and insistent.

A part of me, a stupid part, still wants to hear him, still wants him to say something that makes this make sense. Nothing will, but still.

The phone stops, then buzzes. A message, then another. Clover reaches over and flips it face down.

"You don't owe him anything."

I swallow hard. "I wasted six years," I say.

The words come out small, not angry, just tired.

"You didn't waste anything," Clover says.

I shake my head slowly. "I did."

My voice cracks this time. "I gave him everything."

My fingers curl into my palms. "My time... my loyalty..."

A breath catches. "...my body."

Silence.

"And he gave me-"

I stop, because I already know the answer. I lean back, and close my eyes. For a moment, I let it hit. All of it. The betrayal, the humiliation. The fact that I didn't see it coming.

My chest tightens again.

"I don't want to be that girl anymore," I whisper, then a pause. "...even if a part of me still is."

Clover doesn't interrupt, she listens.

"I'm not begging him," I say after a second. More controlled.

"I'm not asking why. I'm not chasing him for answers."

My eyes open. "I can't do that to myself."

Clover studies me carefully. "How could he do that?" she mutters. "With Wren? Your own cousin?"

I don't answer, because I don't have one.

"I'll be fine," I say instead. Even though I don't feel fine. "I just... need to think."

Before she can respond, my phone rings again. I glance down and turn the phone. Eleanor.

A humorless breath leaves me.

"His mom?" Clover asks.

I nod. "She never liked me," I say quietly. "So this should be fun."

The phone keeps ringing, persistent. I answer.

"Hello?"

"Lumi, who exactly do you think you are?!"

I pull the phone slightly away from my ear, wincing.

"I just spoke to Caius," she continued, sharp and irritated. "And I must say, I'm not surprised. I always knew this would end like this."

Of course, you did.

"I warned him," she goes on. "You were never suitable for this family. An orphan? No background, no standing-"

My grip tightens, but I stay quiet.

"You should be grateful," she adds, voice turning soft in that fake way I've always hated. "Now you can go back to whatever small life you came from."

My jaw tightens.

"I mean really," she continues, "what were you bringing to him? No parents, no real career, no proper upbringing-"

That's it. Something in me snaps.

"You know what's funny?" My voice cuts through hers. Calm as ever.

She stops.

"You spent six years telling me I wasn't good enough," I say slowly.

A pause.

"Talking about background. Class. Upbringing."

My fingers tighten around the phone.

"But you raised a son who couldn't even be loyal."

Silence, then in a quieter, colder tone.

"And if we're talking about upbringing..."

A small breath leaves me.

"It's obvious you failed to raise him properly."

The silence on the other end turns sharp. Her voice comes back colder.

"Watch your tone-"

"No," I cut in. "You don't get to speak to me like that anymore."

My chest rises, but my voice doesn't shake.

"You won." The words come softer now, but they land heavier.

"You finally got what you wanted." A pause. "I'm out of your son's life."

And before she could say anything else, I hung up. Just like that, the car goes quiet. Clover looks at me.

"You did the right thing," she says, her tone soft and certain.

"Even if it doesn't feel like it yet."

I nod, but I don't say anything. Because it doesn't feel right. I start the engine, and we pull away. The house gets smaller behind us. I don't mean to look, but I do.

The rearview mirror catches Caius running out of the house. Looking around, like his favourite toy just slipped through his fingers. My grip tightens on the wheel. He didn't run after me earlier. He's running now.

I look away, and keep driving.

The road stretches ahead of us, long and open. For once, I don't know where I'm going, what I'm going to do next and strangely...that doesn't scare me.

A few minutes pass, then Clover suddenly stills beside me. I glance at her briefly.

"I'm okay.."

My phone buzzes, sharp and loud. Both of us look down. Caius. My chest tightens instantly.

Clover reaches for it. "Don't-"

But I'm already picking it up. "I need to see what he wants," I say quietly.

She watches me carefully, and doesn't stop me this time. I unlock the screen. A message.

Caius:

You're overreacting.

My jaw tightens. Another one comes in.

Caius:

It's not what you think.

I let out a short, humorless breath.

"Of course it isn't," I mutter.

Another message:

Wren isn't replacing you. She's just there.

My grip tightens around the phone.Clover lets out a quiet, disbelieving laugh beside me.

"He did not just say that."

I don't respond. Because another message drops.

Caius:

If you stop being emotional, we can talk about this properly.

My stomach turns. The audacity this man has...

Then, the next one:

I'm not ending things with you. But I'm not letting her go either.

That one made my chest go cold. Silence fills the car.

Clover stares at me. "Lumi..."

I don't look at her. My eyes stay on the screen. Another message comes in:

Don't make this messy. But If you want to call off the engagement like this, return the car. Or I'll take you to court for everything I've given you.

My laugh is sharp. Something inside me settles. I lift my head slowly.

Clover watches me closely now. "What did he say?"

I lock my phone.

"He said," I reply, my voice steady in a way I don't feel, "that I should return the car... or he'll take me to court."

Clover scoffs. "Is he insane?"

I didn't answer immediately. I glance at her briefly, then back on the road.

"No," I say quietly. "He's not taking me to court."

My grip tightens on the steering wheel. "I'm taking him."

Silence settled, then Clover blinked.

"What?"

I don't look at her, because I'm already thinking ahead.

"He thinks I'll cry and come back," I continue. "He thinks I'll accept whatever version of this he offers."

A small, cold smile forms. "He's wrong. Dead wrong."

Another pause, then I press my foot down slightly on the accelerator.

"And if he wants to take me to court..." My voice drops. "I'll see him there."