The lights in the apartment stayed on all night.

I knelt on the floor, packing my things one by one. I didn't need to be so thorough. Most of it wasn't important anyway—just clothes, shoes, accessories.

But I needed something to do with my hands. If I stopped moving, I would start thinking. And if I started thinking, I would fall apart.

The closet was full of clothes and shoes Felix had bought for me. Beautiful things. Expensive things. They weren't my style at all. I preferred simple lines, neutral colors, understated elegance.

But Felix liked me in pastels and lace. He liked me in flowing skirts and delicate jewelry. So I wore them. I wanted to make him happy.

Now I understood. Dressed like that, I looked more like Luna. I was a living mannequin for his lost love.

Felix and I first met at a gala hosted by one of the allied families.

He grabbed my hand, excited. His grip was warm and urgent. Then, when I turned around, his expression fell. The light in his eyes died.

"Sorry," he said, releasing me. "I thought you were someone else."

He walked away quickly, almost embarrassed. I didn't think much of it at the time. People make mistakes.

Later that night, I went up to the stage and played a piece on the piano as a birthday gift for the host. Music had always been my escape. When my fingers touched the keys, the rest of the world disappeared.

When I came down, Felix was looking at me again. The spotlights caught his face. He smiled at me with such warmth, such tenderness, that my heart stopped.

"Miss Sera?" he said, extending his hand. "I'm Felix Silva. May I have the first dance?"

I thought I was falling in love.

But what did Felix see in that moment? Me? Or the ghost of Luna standing behind me, wearing the same dress, playing the same song?

A tear splashed onto my hand. It burned like acid.

A message from Professor Lumiere pulled me out of my spiral. The contract.

My hands shook as I signed my name. The ink bled into the paper, but I didn't care.

Maybe in that moment, I knew. There was no going back. Once I signed, my future was set. I would leave. I would start over. I would become someone new.

I collapsed onto the floor and sobbed. Great, heaving sobs that came from somewhere deep inside me. I cried for the years I had wasted. I cried for the love I had given so freely. I cried for the woman I used to be.

Three and a half hours after sunrise, I had packed and shipped everything I owned.

I stood in the kitchen, making hangover soup. Old habit. Felix always got headaches after drinking too much. I used to make this for him without being asked.

Now, I was making it one last time. I would wait for him to come home. Then we would talk. Honestly. Calmly. No more lies.

The door opened around noon.

Instead of Felix's face, I saw a large bouquet of roses. Red. Dramatic. Obnoxious. He smiled at me apologetically from behind the flowers.

I blinked. Then I smiled back. It felt strange, like wearing a mask that didn't quite fit.

"You're back? The hangover soup is almost ready. Would you like some? I have something to talk to you about."

Felix's expression flickered with unease.

He had imagined how I might react. Anger. Tears. Maybe throwing something at him. He could handle all of that. He was a Don. He had faced down armed men without flinching.

But not this. Not me acting like nothing had happened.

He rushed to the kitchen doorway, still holding the roses.

"Are you angry?" he asked. "Let me explain. Luna and I were neighbors. Close neighbors. Her family moved abroad years ago, and I haven't seen her since. I thought I was dreaming, that's why I said those things."

His voice was soft, pleading.

"You know I love you, Sera. Only you."

I nodded. I didn't have the energy to point out how thin his lie was. He had never mentioned Luna before. Not once in three years.

When I didn't respond, he grew more anxious.

"Are you still upset? It's all in the past. We're getting engaged soon."

He tried to smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I don't have much at the office today. Let's go pick out your wedding dress. I picked one out for you already. You'll try it on. It'll be perfect."

I looked at his smiling face.

For the first time in three years, I felt nothing but disgust.

"Felix," I said flatly. "The dress you picked out. Is it for me? Or for Luna?"

His face went white. The blood drained so fast I thought he might faint.

He knew. I had heard everything.

He stepped forward to explain, but his phone rang. He meant to ignore it. Then he saw the name on the screen.

Luna.

I laughed bitterly. The sound surprised even me. I reached over and swiped the call open for him.

A bright, girlish voice came through the speaker.

"Felix, it's me. Luna."

"I just got back. I don't feel well. Can you come pick me up at the airport?"

Strange as it felt, I watched Felix run out the door.

He didn't hesitate. Not for a second. He grabbed his keys, shrugged on his jacket, and left without looking back.

I wasn't sad. I felt relieved. The weight I had been carrying for three years finally lifted.

At least he made his choice clear. He had given our relationship a death sentence, and he had signed it himself.

I turned off the stove. I cleaned the kitchen. I left the keys on the counter.

I picked up the roses he had brought me and threw them in the trash without a second thought. They landed with a soft thud, petals scattering across the garbage bag.

I loved jasmine. Small, white, delicate. Understated.

I imagined Luna loved roses. Flashy. Bold. Demanding attention.

"Door locked."

"Confirm deletion of fingerprint? Deleted."

The smart speaker chimed in the empty apartment. I took one last look at the home Felix and I had shared. The walls we had painted together. The furniture we had picked out. The bed where he had held me and promised me forever.

Then I walked away.

Running into Felix and Luna at the office was unexpected.

I was there to finish up loose ends. After the engagement was called off, I would leave the country. I had been involved in the family business because of Felix. Mergers. Acquisitions. Negotiations. Now that I was an outsider, I wanted to clean up my own mess before I left.

Luna was resting on the couch in Felix's office, pale-faced and fragile-looking. When she saw me, she extended her hand politely.

"I've heard of you, Sera," she said. "I'm Luna. You've heard of me, I assume?"

I nodded. I shook her hand briefly. Her grip was cold and calculating.

My hand was full of transfer documents. I looked around. Felix wasn't there.

"Looking for Felix?" she asked, a hint of smugness in her voice. "He went home to make me soup."

"I heard you two were together. Getting engaged soon."

I looked at Luna's victorious expression. She was enjoying this. Every second of it.

I had no desire to engage with her. I nodded once and turned to leave.

Then she called after me.

"Sera, how long are you going to pretend not to see it?"

I stopped but didn't turn around.

"I heard what happened. Felix got drunk. He was holding you, but he called you by my name. Did you notice today's outfit looks exactly like mine? Except yours is last season's. Mine is the latest."

She stepped closer, her high heels clicking on the marble floor.

"I don't want you interfering in my relationship with Felix anymore. You know the truth. He has only ever loved me. From the beginning to the end."

She paused for effect.

"As for you? A substitute? A fake?"

I didn't answer. I just found the whole thing exhausting. Two grown adults playing games, and I was caught in the middle.

I turned to leave. The door opened before I reached it.

Felix. He was out of breath, carrying a paper bag of takeout soup. His eyes were frantic with worry.

He really did care about Luna.

"Sera? What are you doing here?"

Before I could answer, Luna started gasping behind me. Her breathing became irregular. Her pale face turned red. She clutched her chest and staggered.

"Felix… I can't breathe…"

She looked at me with wide, fearful eyes.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have upset your fiancée. I deserved to be yelled at. Sera, I'm sorry—"

Felix rushed to her. He soothed her, pulling an inhaler from his pocket.

"Breathe slowly. In and out. I'm here."

Then he turned to me, his face tight with annoyance.

"Luna has asthma. She can't handle stress. Why can't you be more careful?"

He waved me away.

"Forget it. Just go."

I clenched my fists. My nails dug into my palms.

I didn't explain. I didn't defend myself. I just walked out and closed the door behind me.

Luna shot me a look over Felix's shoulder as I left. Triumphant and pitying all at once.

She had proven her point. Against her, the "first love," I was nothing.

Luna pretended to struggle for breath for a while longer. Then, when the door clicked shut, she gradually calmed down.

She noticed Felix was distracted. His eyes kept drifting toward the door.

"What's wrong, Felix?" she asked, softening her voice.

"I'm sorry. Did I scare Sera earlier? I didn't mean to make you angry at her."

But this time, Felix didn't comfort her like he used to.

His face was cold. His eyes stayed fixed on her, but there was no warmth in them.

"Luna," he said quietly. "I was outside the door the whole time. I heard everything you said."

Luna stiffened. Her smile faltered.

She hadn't expected that. But she recovered quickly. She was good at recovering. Even if Felix knew the truth, he had still taken her side. Didn't that prove he loved her more?

"Felix, I'm sorry," she said quickly, reaching for his hand. "I won't do it again. I'll apologize to your little fiancée if I have to. I just… I heard you were getting engaged, and I couldn't help myself."

"Don't be mad at me."

Felix felt something slip. Something inside him shift.

This was Luna. The woman he had missed for years. The woman he had thought about late at night, wondering what if. Now she was back. He should have been happy.

But his heart felt hollow.

He looked toward the door where I had disappeared.

"Luna," he said slowly, "you've changed. We've both changed. Maybe we—"

Luna leaned closer, not really listening. Her lips were almost touching his.

She closed her eyes.

Felix pulled back. He turned his face away.

"Eat first," he said flatly. "Your soup is getting cold."

Luna wasn't stupid. She saw the shift in him. Her fingers curled into her palm until her nails left crescent-shaped marks in her skin.

The next few days, I didn't contact Felix.

He called. He texted. He tried to get our mutual friends to set up meetings.

I was clear. I wouldn't see him.

I spent my time tying up loose ends. Transferring my shares. Returning company property. Closing joint accounts.

Piece by piece, I erased myself from his life.

The day of the engagement arrived.

Felix waited for me in the hotel lobby, dressed in a perfectly tailored tuxedo. He looked handsome. He always looked handsome.

He knew I was a woman of dignity. Even if I was angry, even if I was hurt, I wouldn't embarrass myself by not showing up.

The hall was full of guests. Family. Allies. Friends. The who's who of the city's underworld.

I had imagined this scene so many times during our years together. The ring exchange. The vows. Becoming his wife in front of everyone.

Now, I just needed to end it cleanly.

I wasn't wearing the engagement dress. Just my regular clothes—a simple blouse and dark pants. I walked toward Felix.

He was just getting off the phone. His face was tight with anxiety.

"Sera," he said, rushing toward me. He didn't even notice what I was wearing.

"Luna's asthma flared up again. The doctor says she needs emergency surgery. She's scared. She wants me there."

He grabbed my arm, his grip desperate.

"We can have the engagement anytime. But I can't just leave her like this. She could die."

I smiled bitterly.

"Felix," I said. "Let me make a bet with you. One last time."

He frowned.

"I bet Luna is fine. She just wants you to come running."

Felix's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about? This is a matter of life and death, and you want to make bets?"

His voice rose, drawing glances from nearby guests.

"I've known Luna for years. She's not the kind of person who would joke about something like this. We'll hold the engagement later. I'm going to the hospital."

He turned to leave.

"You explain things to the guests."

For the second time, Felix walked away from me for Luna.

I watched his back as he disappeared through the revolving doors. I thought of the first time we met. The way his eyes had shone with love. The way he had held my hand like he never wanted to let go.

I sighed.

A waiter approached me nervously. "Miss Sera? What should we do?"

I smiled. Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

"Go ahead with the engagement," I said. "Just change the bride's name to Luna Volkov."

The waiter stared at me, confused.

"He'll come back," I added. "But I won't."

My luggage was already checked in. My passport was in my bag.

I walked out of the hotel alone and went to the airport.

As the plane lifted off, my phone exploded with messages and missed calls from Felix.

I didn't look at any of them.

I took out my SIM card, held it between my fingers for a moment, then snapped it in half.

The pieces fell into my lap like broken promises.

Professor Lumiere had told me the Aegean Sea in Greece was beautiful. She said once I saw the ocean, I would be able to let go of everything.

She told me, "Su, when a seagull no longer yearns for the sea, it can fly farther."

I looked out the window at the clouds below me.

So Felix.

I don't love you anymore.