Chapter 2

Before he could start raging, I hung up.

The car went quiet.

My dad passed away years ago, and my mom was traveling again this year.

So Lucas brought his relatives to my vacation villa, saying he wanted to throw a party to liven things up.

I agreed. But I didn't expect him to spend three million of my money buying gifts for his parents and his secretary.

He even brought the secretary to my house.

Soon after, Lucas sent another message.

[Get here within half an hour.]

[Leah's timid—this is her first time at something like this. Bring that green jade necklace from the safe to give to her. Don't make our family look cheap.]

[Oh, and wipe that death-mask look off your face. It's bad luck.]

I stared at the screen.

My family's heirloom jade necklace—he wanted to hang it around a secretary's neck?

I ignored him, turned up the car stereo, and hit the gas.

I stopped the car outside the iron gates of my vacation villa.

I pressed down on the horn and didn't let go.

After a minute, Lucas came out with a dark expression on his face.

"Samantha, are you sick? You're ten whole minutes late, and the elders have been waiting for you!"

I rolled down the window, my gaze sliding right past him.

Leah followed behind him, wearing a cream-colored coat.

I raised an eyebrow.

That was my globally limited-edition piece—tags still attached.

Now it was on her, sleeves rolled up twice, looking completely ridiculous.

When Leah saw me, she shrank back and hid behind Lucas.

"Samantha... don't misunderstand."

"It's windy up here in the mountains. Lucas was worried I'd freeze, so he let me wear it."

Lucas immediately stepped in front of her protectively, glaring at me.

"What's wrong with borrowing it? You have so many clothes—do you really need to stare like that?"

"Where's the jewelry?"

I said nothing.

I opened the glove compartment and pulled out a box cutter.

Lucas froze.

"What are you doing with a knife?"

I ignored him and walked straight toward Leah.

Leah looked at me timidly.

"Samantha, don't be angry. After the New Year visit, I'll wash it and return it to you..."

I shook my head and said calmly,

"Don't you think this coat doesn't really fit you?"

Leah blinked. "Huh?"

I flicked out the blade and raised my hand toward her shoulder, slashing downward.

"Ahhh—"

Leah screamed.

But before my blade even touched the coat, a powerful force clamped down on my wrist.

"Samantha, are you out of your fucking mind?"

Leah stood frozen in shock.

A cold wind blew past, and only then did she start trembling.

Lucas roared and flung my hand away, patting Leah's back repeatedly.

"Are you sick? First day of the New Year and you're pulling out knives?"

I looked at the pair of scumbags in front of me and frowned.

"Well then, Happy New Year to both of you."

"Next time, I'll aim straight for your pretty little face."

At that, Leah went limp and collapsed into Lucas's arms.

Tears came instantly.

"Lucas... a knife... she has a knife... she wants to kill me!"

2.

Lucas's eyes practically shot flames. You'd think I'd dug up his ancestors' graves.

"Samantha! If anything happens to Leah because of this scare, I'm not done with you!"

"She just graduated, and you're already coming at her with a knife?"

I ignored him and reached for Leah's wrist.

"Didn't you get hurt?"

"Come on, I'll take you to get it checked out."

Before my hand even touched her, she screamed again.

"Don't... Lucas, save me..."

Then her body went soft, and without Lucas holding her up, she'd have collapsed on the ground.

"Are you scared, or did your bones get scared away?"

Leah completely ignored me and just kept sobbing.

She practically melted against him—so smooth, you'd think she had no bones at all.

"I won't go to the hospital..."

"Samantha didn't mean it. She's just jealous I'm wearing this coat... I'm fine, I'll be okay in a bit."

Before she even finished her sentence, Lucas shoved me hard.

The force was so strong I stumbled backward, my lower back slamming right into the marble console edge in the entryway.

My vision went black, and tears shot out of my eyes.

I clenched my teeth and stared at the man in front of me—utterly unrecognizable.

If this were before, I probably would've cried and asked him why he pushed me.

Now?

I just felt I should've cut deeper with that knife.

Lucas didn't even glance at me. He was too busy patting Leah's back and soothing her.

After a while, he finally turned his head and said coldly,

"Transfer five hundred thousand to Leah."

"Emotional distress compensation, plus the cost of the coat."

I leaned against the wall, nearly choking on my breath.

Take my money to compensate for my coat?

"Are you dreaming? Your abacus beads are flying straight into my face, dude!"

I sneered and stared at him.

"Still not awake? Let me get you two a room so you can sleep it off."

Leah's eyes were red as she tugged on Lucas's sleeve.

She said timidly,

"Lucas, stop fighting... it's New Year's. This is all my fault."

She turned to look at me.

There was no fear in her eyes—only provocation.

"Samantha, I don't need you to pay me anymore. Earning money is hard."

"But this coat was Lucas's gift to me, so please sweep up these scraps of fabric on the floor and keep them for me."

"Leah's so understanding."

Lucas immediately chimed in. He grinned and pointed at the mess on the floor.

"You hear that? Hurry up and clean it, then go to the kitchen and make Leah some ginger tea to calm her nerves! Don't make me say it twice."

"You want me to make ginger tea for a mistress?"

"Why don't you just ask me to make you two a pot of tonic soup so you'll have the energy to keep being a two-pump chump?"

Lucas's face flushed with humiliation.

Before I could finish, he grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the kitchen.

"What the hell are you babbling about! Are you deaf?"

As I struggled desperately, he lost his patience.

He shoved open the door to the utility closet and pushed me inside.

"I was going to let you sit at the table for dinner, but now you can reflect in here until you're ready to come out!"

Bang—the door locked from the outside.

I kicked the door. It didn't budge.

"Lucas, are you insane!"

The hallway went quiet for a moment.

Then came Leah's sugary, breathy voice.

"Ohhh~ Stop it~ Lucas, are you calming down now?"

"Samantha's getting older. She's going through menopause and her emotions are unstable—we have to be understanding."

"You're too kind."

Lucas's sticky-sweet voice came through the door.

"She's thirty years old and acts like a shrew every day. Dry as a stick."

"Not like you—soft as water."

"Oh my gosh, Lucas, you're so bad..."

"I'm serious. Being with her is like hugging a wooden plank. Nothing like being with you—you make me feel like a man."

I stood in the utility closet, not angry, just disgusted.

This was the man I'd loved for five years?

When he proposed before, didn't he say I was the light that illuminated his life?

What happened? The light went out and turned into a plank of wood?

I don't know how much time passed before Leah pushed the door open.

She stood there with her arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.

Her face was full of smugness—nothing like the innocent little rabbit act from before.

"Samantha, you heard all that, right?"

She lifted her chin.

"Lucas said only when he's with me does he feel like a real man."

I gave her a sympathetic look.

These days, some people fight over trash and feel superior about it.

"Yeah, I heard."

I brushed the dust off my hands and looked at her.

"What's there to be proud of?"

Leah froze.

I stepped closer and whispered in her ear,

"A man who can't even last three minutes—only you would treasure him like that."

"Since you love picking up garbage so much, you can have this quick-shot all to yourself."