Chapter 3
Right after I threw the box in the trash, the phone at the nurse's station started ringing.
Mary picked up the phone, listened for a moment, and her face turned grim.
She covered the receiver and looked at me with a mix of sympathy and fear.
"Ms. Chapman, it's Mr. Moretti's assistant," she said. "He said... you should take the call."
I walked over and took the phone.
"Anna." Lucas' voice came through the line.
He was calling from his assistant's phone. "You've got some nerve, huh? Hanging up on me and blocking my number?"
His tone was full of that superior, judgmental air.
It was as if I were a pet daring to bite its master.
"I told you. We're over," I said, watching the second hand on the wall clock tick by.
"Over?" Lucas scoffed. "Anna, have you forgotten who gave you everything you have now?
"The apartment you live in, the clothes you wear, the bag you carry.
"And that $30,000 life-saving medication your brother gets injected with every day."
His voice slithered through the phone, cold as a poisoned arrow. "Without me, how would you even make it?"
I listened quietly as he went over everything from the past five years.
Turned out, every dollar he ever gave me was now another knife he used to cut me down.
"You're right," I said, my voice steady. "Since we're breaking up, let's make it a clean break."
Lucas paused for a second.
He sounded caught off guard, like he hadn't expected me to respond like this.
In the past, whenever he threw these realities in my face, I'd always cave and apologize.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"It means I'm not taking a single dollar or item that's yours," I replied.
"Fine," Lucas growled, anger flashing in his voice.
"Asher," he ordered his assistant, "cancel her access card right now.
"Change the fingerprint lock code on her apartment.
"Let's see how long she can keep pretending to be tough."
Right then, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
A text from the bank popped up. It showed my secondary credit card had been frozen by the main account holder.
I stared at the text, and instead of feeling anxious, a wave of relief washed over me.
It was like the heavy mountain that had been pressing on my back was suddenly kicked away.
"See that?" Lucas asked over the phone, his voice brimming with confidence.
"Anna, it's not too late to admit you were wrong.
"If you play nice and wait for me in the villa, I'll have your card reactivated."
I said firmly, "No, thanks. I'll pack up everything in the apartment and have it sent to your villa.
"As for my brother's medical bills, I'll handle it myself."
Lucas inhaled sharply.
"Handle it yourself?" he scoffed, like it was the biggest joke he'd ever heard.
"You gonna sell your blood? Or maybe your body?
"You really think anyone else would dare take you in?
"Anna, keep this in mind. Without me, your brother won't survive another day."
"That's my problem," I cut him off.
"Lucas, I loved you, but I'm not sticking around just for your money as a mistress.
"And there's no way I'm letting you use my brother's life to chain me to your cage."
I didn't give him a chance to say anything else. I unplugged the phone.
The empty beep filled the air.
Mary stood frozen to the side, barely daring to breathe.
"Ms. Chapman," she stammered.
"Prepare everything for me," I said, meeting her gaze.
"Prepare for what?" she asked.
"The paperwork to transfer my brother to another hospital," I replied.
Mary's eyes widened in shock. "Without Mr. Moretti's signature, we can't discharge him. The system won't allow it.
"And his medical account was just locked. Today's equipment charges... I don't know how we're going to cover them."
"Someone will take over," I said, gazing out the window.
The sky outside was already dark.
Tiny streetlights started to glow in the distance.
There was no turning back for me now, but I wasn't afraid, not even a little.
After leaving the hospital, I took the subway back to that luxury apartment.
Sure enough, the fingerprint lock wasn't working anymore.
I unlocked the door with the spare key.
The place was empty, only the central air conditioning humming.
I stepped into the walk-in closet.
An entire wall was stacked with Hermès bags, and the wardrobe overflowed with high-end couture gowns.
The dressing table was covered with the jewelry Lucas had gifted me.
I grabbed a few large cardboard boxes from the storage room.
I carefully packed each item away.
Just yesterday, I thought all this was proof of his love.
But now, looking at it, I realized it was nothing but a gilded collar Lucas had fastened around my neck.
My phone buzzed.
It was a text from Lucas, sent from his assistant's number.
He asked if I was really going to return everything, and if I was sure I'd sleep on the street tonight.
I didn't bother replying. I blocked that number too.
I packed everything of his into the boxes.
Finally, I took off that cashmere coat that cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Then I changed into a white T-shirt I'd picked up for fifty bucks at the sale rack.
As I finished changing, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.
I wore no flawless makeup or expensive jewelry.
But for the very first time, I felt like I was truly standing tall.
I booked a delivery service.
The stuff filled tree huge boxes, all headed for Lucas' villa up on the hill.
On the delivery slip, I scribbled two words in the notes section. [All settled.]
As the courier carried the boxes out, I finally exhaled, feeling lighter.
I sat on the bare living room floor, pulled out my phone, and opened the notes.
I started typing: [Never rely on anyone. Never let emotions call the shots. Never look back.]