Lyra stayed in her office, alone, hoping that no ghost would come by this hour to jump scare her.
She didn't dare go home now... her grandmother would surely notice.
Yet her mind refused to rest.
A small, wicked voice seemed to whisper in her ear, poking at every doubt she had about Lucas.
The way he had pointed out her faults... the way he had shouted at her.
Maybe she had handled things poorly when she left earlier, but he had shouted at her, making her feel embarrassed while everyone at the table stared.
What should she do now? Could she really get married in a sour, tense state like this?
Would he bring up Roger after the wedding?
She knew she was wasting time thinking about it. The only thing to do was to meet him tomorrow and settle the matter.
…
The next morning, she woke early, dragged herself to the Arden Group Business Tower, and was immediately hit by frustration.
"Mr. Arden left a short while ago. He's attending a meeting at another branch," the staff at the front desk informed her.
"In this early morning?" Lyra asked.
She had arrived early, but Lucas had gotten there even earlier.
Lucas really was a workaholic. But no matter what, she couldn't let herself get discouraged.
Lyra had left him a message saying she would wait for him at his office. But after three hours without a single reply, she finally gave up and headed to the hospital.
As she arrived, a few eyebrows were raised.
Everyone knew her wedding leave was supposed to start today. But she only smiled, pretending nothing was wrong, and walked toward her office.
Lyra still hoping she might catch him after office hours, though at this rate, she was starting to think Lucas had a secret talent for avoiding her.
By the time the sun slipped behind the city skyline, casting long shadows across the office, Lyra was still at her desk, scrolling through her phone for the hundredth time.
She leaned back in her chair, ready to shove her phone into her pocket, when it suddenly buzzed.
An unfamiliar number glowed on the screen.
"Lyra, it's me..."
A deep voice came through the line.
"Lucas? Whose number is this?" Lyra felt both strange and worried at the same time.
"This is just my temporary number."
"Why are you using a temporary number? Where's your phone?"
She'd been messaging and calling him, yet he hadn't received any of it?
She sighed. "I thought you were avoiding me. Where are you? I'll come to you."
Lucas fell silent. It was true, he had been avoiding her since last night. But now, he had to tell her.
"Lyra, something's come up. I can't meet you."
"Why?" Lyra's voice dropped. She sensed something unpleasant stirring in her chest.
"I've just arrived at the branch office in the US. Tomorrow's crucial. The investors are on edge, and I can't risk losing them."
"US?"
The US was so far from Mistvale, thousand miles away.
Her fingers tightened around her dress as she asked, "When will you come back?"
"Maybe the day after tomorrow," he said, his voice calm, like he was discussing a minor household chore.
"But tomorrow is our wedding."
Lyra reminded him, just in case he had developed amnesia and forgotten the most important day of their lives.
"Yes, that's why I called you... it's hard for me to make this decision, but I have to.
Listen… the wedding can wait. Don't worry, I'll handle it."
For a moment, silence filled the line. Lyra couldn't believe he had said that, as if postponing their wedding was a small matter to him. And what about her? Had he ever asked for her consent?
"Are you still there?" Lucas checked, the line was still connected.
"Yes, still here..."
Lyra took a deep breath, gathering her courage as she steadied herself. This was the end. She had had enough.
"Lucas… we can't keep pretending things are fine. I'm ending this, for both our sakes."
For a second, there was silence. Then Lyra heard Lucas chuckle on the other end of the line.
"Hell no, baby... you can't break up with me."
"Why not?" Lyra asked, but he turned the question back on her.
"Seriously? Do you not love me anymore, Lyra?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
This time, her eyes welled up before she could stop them. "I still love you," she choked out, her voice trembling, "but I can't keep hurting like this."
Lucas exhaled slowly. "Just rest... we'll postpone the wedding, like I said, and talk about it when I come back."
"No. This relationship is finished," she said firmly but Lucas ended the call abruptly, unwilling to hear another word.