Chapter 2

"Claire? What are you spacing out about?" Lucas waved his hand in front of my eyes, snapping me out of those blood-stained memories.

When I stayed silent for too long, the teasing smile on his face faded. His brow furrowed, and impatience started to show.

I looked at him and suddenly smiled.

A gentle, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

"Okay," I said.

Lucas froze, his usually calm eyes showing a clear look of shock for the first time. He probably thought he'd misheard me.

I looked at him and repeated, enunciating each word, "I said, okay."

Then, mimicking his earlier tone, I added with a half-joke, "I'm tired of you, too. Let's break up."

The air seemed to freeze.

Lucas's shock morphed into disbelief. He instinctively seized my wrist, his grip so tight that it felt like he could snap it.

"Claire, say that again," Lucas said, his voice icy and tinged with irritation, clearly provoked.

A sharp pain shot through my wrist, but I didn't struggle. I looked at him calmly.

"Lucas, five years together and you still can't understand plain language?" I tried to pull my wrist free, but when it didn't budge, I gave up. "I said, let's break up. You're free now.

"Go chase someone from your own league, your precious first love, or any woman you want. From now on, you go your way, and I'll go mine."

Lucas's face darkened instantly, his gaze icy.

The world seemed to fall silent around us, and I could hear his breath growing heavier.

"Are you serious?" he said, his voice low and dangerous, every word squeezed out through clenched teeth.

"What else do you expect?" I shot back. "Should I keep playing out some doomed romance with you, just waiting for you to get bored and kick me to the curb?

"Lucas, I'm twenty-five, not fifteen. I can't afford to waste my best years on you."

In my previous life, I gave up everything. My dignity, my youth, and in the end, even my life.

This time, I was done wasting myself.

Lucas's chest rose and fell sharply as he stared me down, like an enraged beast about to lose control. He probably never thought the girl who always played nice would ever throw words like this in his face.

To him, I was just that loyal sidekick, always trailing behind, ready to drop everything and wag my tail the moment he crooked a finger.

"Claire, you'd better not regret this," he spat out, his words barely escaping through gritted teeth.

"The thing I regret most is ever meeting you at that bar five years ago," I said, staring straight into his eyes, every word clear as day.

Those words cut through all his defenses and pride like a knife.

He suddenly let go, and I staggered back from the force.

A bright red mark circled my wrist, stinging like fire.

"Alright. Great." He let out a cold laugh, and then walked off without looking back, his steps full of finality.

I watched his retreating back, rubbing my aching wrist, and for the first time in five years, I finally felt free.

It was like a prisoner, shackled for five years, finally smashing their own chains and stepping into the light.

"Claire, did you and Lucas have a fight?" At some point, Michael had walked over. He looked in the direction Lucas had left, and then noticed the red mark on my wrist, his brows knitting together.

I gave him a smile. "Michael, we broke up."

Michael paused, a hint of gladness flashed across his face before he quickly covered it up with worry. "Did Lucas bully you? Don't worry, I'll stand up for you."

I knew Michael had never approved of me and Lucas. He always thought Lucas was too calculating, too cold, and too self-centered for me to handle.

In my previous life, he argued with me about it countless times, and in the end, he even broke things off with Lucas completely just to protect me, leaving himself with no one on his side.

"No." I shook my head and took his arm. "Michael, I was the one who called it off. I finally figured it out. You can't force love."

Michael looked me over, as if he was trying to see if I was pretending to be strong.

"You really moved on? Don't come back to me sobbing in a couple of days," he said.

"I mean it." I nodded firmly, my eyes full of determination. "From now on, it's all about my career. Men? They don't matter at all."

Michael laughed, ruffling my hair. "Alright, you've finally grown up. Come on, I'll introduce you to some promising guys. Let's piss Lucas off."

I laughed and agreed.