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"Kneel!"
When I looked up, I saw that the entire new home had been turned into a funeral hall, filled with black-and-white photos of Vivian.
His voice was venomous behind me. "I told you, Emily—this isn’t over! Kneel. Beg Vivian's forgiveness."
I followed his gaze and saw many familiar objects leapt out.
The necklace he gave me for my birthday—Vivian had the same.
My prom dress—Vivian had a fancier version.
Even the bag in Vivian's vacation photo—I owned it.
And the date of that vacation coincided with the first time I was pregnant with Lucas’s child.
Lucas came back from that "trip" and took me straight to get an abortion. "Career first," he'd said.
As I looked further, my heart grew heavier.
Until I saw the familiar pink envelope placed on the funeral altar.
So Vivian had known about our relationship from the very beginning.
I closed my eyes, and the last remnants of love for Lucas died.
"Lucas. You will regret this."
He locked me in the house, forcing me to face Vivian's memorial day and night.
Three days later, the door opened.
"Emily? What the hell are you doing here?"
A sharp, unpleasant voice rang out. I turned and realized it wasn’t Lucas but his younger sister, Sophia Stone.
Dazed from kneeling, I blinked. She, however, was as disdainful as ever, immediately sneering at me.
"How dare you still be here? Why hasn't my brother kicked you out?"
She kicked my leg.
I snapped back to reality and looked at her sharp, unpleasant face..
For some reason, ever since Lucas and I got together, Sophia had always despised me.
Back in school, she'd scowl whenever she saw us together.
After we moved in together, every time she visited, she’d make sarcastic remarks about me.
I'd tolerated it, because I wanted to marry Lucas, and I told myself she was just younger and immature.
Now? I looked at the footprint on my pants, I suddenly lost all patience. I stood, brushing myself off.
"If you want me gone, talk to your brother. What’s the point of telling me?"
Sophia's face immediately darkened. "Emily, have you lost it?! I'll call Lucas right now!"
I had no patience for her nonsense. I pushed past her, shoving the shrine table over. Vivian's urn wobbled.
"Go ahead, call him. Maybe I'll ask why his little sister thinks it's okay to harass me in my own home?"
"Emily!"
Sophia’s face turned pale with rage. Perhaps she’d never seen me like this before, so she didn’t dare say anything else. Instead, she threw my suitcase out.
"Emily! Lucas probably never told you, did he? This place you’ve been living in was never a rental—it’s our family’s property!"
"Of course! Lucas and Vivian were meant to be. You’re just an orphan—what right do you have to be with my brother? What right do you have to spend our money? You were never good enough for him!"
I froze for a moment, then laughed at myself again, questioning my own judgment.
So even Sophia knew about Vivian too. Only I was kept in the dark.
All these years, I had never saw Lucas clearly. Never knew he was guarding against me.
But perhaps it was for the best. Even though I’d lived in this house for quite some time, I had always paid the rent in full.
When I thought about it, I didn’t owe Lucas anything.
If anything, he owed me.
Silently, I picked up my suitcase and walked out.
Sophia yelled after me.
"If you have the guts to leave, never come back! I’ll make sure my brother cuts all ties with you!"
"Tell him the breakup news, then."
As I walked out of that room, I felt a sense of freedom I hadn’t experienced in a long time. It was as if a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I felt lighter than ever
But I hadn't gone far when a motorcycle roared up beside me and came to a stop.
"So you’ve been thrown out just like that?"
I looked up and saw Michael Chen, who had grown up with me.
