EPISODE 3%
I was sure Lilith had seen me standing at the door but she didn’t care. In fact, she smirked at me before deepening the kiss, as though she were marking her territory. She was claiming Lucas as hers, right in front of me.
I stood there frozen, cold sweat clinging to my back as the truth finally sank in. Then I turned around and left.
Back at the house, I drifted through the rooms like a ghost. I couldn’t even name what I was feeling, betrayal? Grief? It was something I should have seen coming, and yet it still gutted me. I had truly loved Lucas.
And now it hurts like my heart was being torn apart piece by piece.}
I found the divorce papers and signed them without hesitation.
After that, I began packing. Memories clung to every corner, photos of us together, old gifts, tokens from anniversaries that only I seemed to remember. As I looked at each picture, it hit me just how alone I had been in that relationship.
I was smiling at every single one of them.”
Lucas wasn’t.
He didn’t come home that night.”
Morning arrived too quickly. I was still sorting through my things when the front door finally creaked open. Lucas stepped inside and saw me hunched over the cabinet. His expression shifted from surprise to something that almost resembled guilt, as if he had just remembered what last night was supposed to be.N
Our anniversary dinner had never happened.
Isaid nothing. Lucas lingered in the doorway before walking toward me. When he noticed the pile of clothes beside me, he moved as if to help, but I pushed his hand away. He frowned.
“What are you doing?” he asked.”
“Just cleaning,” I replied. “When I saw the dress Lilith wore the other day, I realized how many clothes I’ve kept but never worn. Some of them were chewed through, probably rats. Others smelled like urine.“}
His frown deepened. “Rats? In here?”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. I pulled out another set of clothes such as dresses, sweaters, jackets. He recognized them instantly. They were all gifts he had given me over the years.”
“What are you doing with those?” he asked again.§
“I’m going to wash them. Hopefully, they can still be saved. I can’t wear them anymore, so I’m planning to donate them.“}
Lucas blinked. “Why donate them? You can keep them as long as you want.“}
I shook my head. “There’s too much, and they’re not being used. Someone else might need them more. Don’t worry, since they’re from you, I’ll make sure they’re donated under your name.”
He looked as if he was about to argue when the door behind him opened again, and Lilith walked in confidently. She wrinkled her nose dramatically.
“What donation?” she asked, then covered her nose. “Ugh, it smells like rats in here.”
Lucas turned to her, his voice softening. “Selene said the cabinet might have rats. She’s sorting it out.”
Lilith’s gaze fell on the pile of clothes, and she immediately recognized them as the gifts Lucas had given me. Her smile stayed sweet, but there was something sharp underneath, hatred and jealousy barely masked.
“I heard you’re donating them?” she asked in a syrupy tone.”
“Yes,” I answered flatly. “I thought-“}
“Oh no,” she interrupted with a light laugh. “You can’t donate those. They’ve been peed on. What if they’re contaminated? Donating them under Lucas’s name could reflect badly on him.”
Lucas’s expression shifted. He took her words to heart and turned to me, face serious. “She’s right. It’s not worth the risk. Just
throw them out.””
I said nothing, but something inside me cracked. Those gifts had meant something. I cherished them. Now, he discarded them like trash, because she told him to. And he didn’t even hesitate.”
Before I could collect myself, Lilith’s eyes wandered toward my room.
“Oh, perfect. There’s a clean room in the house,” she said brightly, stepping forward. “Lucas, can I stay here? The sunlight hits just right, it’s perfect.“”
what you want.”
I stared at them, stunned. Lilith noticed my expression and gave an exaggerated pout, pretending to be concerned.” “Oh… is that your room, Selene?” she asked innocently. “Oops. I didn’t mean to assume. It just looked so cozy and neat. But if it’s yours, I won’t take it.”
Lucas glanced toward the room, then nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Sure. If th
I didn’t respond right away. My brain was still trying to process everything. Then Lucas, as if nothing were wrong, spoke again in a calm, matter–of–fact tone.”
“She told me she doesn’t have a place to stay vet She’s heen staving at a hotel and you know how expensive that is so Loffered
2/2 11.1%
11:22 AM
“She told me she doesn’t have a place to stay yet. She’s been staying at a hotel, and you know how expensive that is, so I offered her the room. She’ll be more comfortable here.“}
“Oh, no problem,” I said, glancing between the two of them. “Then she can stay in the guest room.”
“It’s not clean yet,” Lucas said. “It might take too long, and she’s already tired from the trip. Your room is already in order, so it makes more sense for her to use it for now.“”
I turned to him, sarcasm lacing my voice. “I can clean the guest room if that’s what you want. It won’t take long.”
Then I looked at Lilith. “Actually, why not just sleep in my husband’s room? We’re all family, right? You two sharing a bed shouldn’t be a problem.“”
“Selene! What the hell are you trying to imply?” Lucas snapped. “You’re acting like this over a room?“}]
“What?” I shot back, glaring at him. “I’m just offering her suggestions. She seems more eager to sleep beside you than to use my room.“@
“You-” Lucas raised his hand slightly, as if struggling to hold himself back, but before anything could happen, Lilith threw her arms around him, her eyes glistening with tears.
“It’s okay. I’ll just stay at the hotel,” Lilith said.”
“No,” Lucas said, his voice lower, colder. He glared at me and said with gritted teeth. “Stop being selfish. Lilith is your sister. Treat her like one.”
33
