In a moment, I felt like all the wind had been taken out of my sails. All the times we fought seemed like nothing but a joke.

Wrapping my wet jacket closer around my body, a single thought began to sprout and take root in my mind. I wanted to go somewhere warm.

A place with no winter, no snow… And no Lucas.

-

I blocked all of Lucas' contacts, including his friends.

Out of the blue, a message popped up from an unknown number. It was Lulu Harper, the woman Lucas got engaged with.

"Lucas is engaged with me now, and you have no idea how much he dotes on me. If I were you, I'd back off and save myself some dignity.

"He used to hate your guts, you know? Every time he met you, he'd buy me a gift to make it up to me! Everything you have, I have too, and more!

"Stop buzzing around him like a fly, and I won't tell everyone that you tried to seduce my man."

Lulu Harper was the ditzy, clumsy little assistant that was always fumbling around and making mistakes around Lucas. Petite and fragile, even a single harsh word was enough to make her eyes well up with tears like a helpless kitten… So did Lucas know that she could be this arrogant?

She had always been scheming against me in the shadows, spilling wine on my custom-made gown and deliberately breaking my diamond necklace.

I'd seen through her façade ages ago, seeing her for the manipulative witch that she really was, yet Lucas treated her like a crown jewel. Whenever my tone became just the slightest bit harsh, he'd swoop in like a knight in shining armor.

Thinking back, I mourned for my poor dress and jewellery.

I had fought back, but Lucas would only say I had plenty of those frivolous things and that Lulu was just a young girl who had just started working—telling me not to make things difficult for her.

Plenty or not, they were mine. If she broke them, she should pay. Isn't that just common sense?

With that thought in mind, I handed all the information I had to my lawyer, telling him to get back every last penny Lulu owed me. Then, I pulled out my phone's SIM card and tossed it into the trash.

Then, I sincerely wished for this scumbag and this gold digger to torment each other for the rest of their lives.

When my parents came upstairs and saw me packing my suitcase, their faces filled with concern.

"Susan, are you sure about this? Lucas really did cross the line this time, so we'll go to their family and ask for an explanation!"

Both our families had always assumed Lucas and I would end up together. Our families were well-matched in stature, and we'd grown up as childhood sweethearts, so it was the natural course of events.

"Mom, Dad, if you want to leave me some dignity, then don't go. Besides, isn't it good that I'll be helping Tony with his business overseas? Didn't you always want me to gain some experience in the field?"

The shock in their faces was unsurprising, considering how I spent my entire youth chasing after Lucas like a lovestruck fool… Which I had been.

"You've thought this through, haven't you?" My mom asked, her tone careful.

I walked over and hugged them tight, my voice steady and filled with resolve, "Sorry for worrying you two so much in the past… From now on, I'll change."

They had always had high hopes for me, just like they did for my brother, Tony. I was the one who was too blinded by love and too stubborn to do anything but prioritize Lucas over everyone else.

"Alright, that's more like it! If you've made up your mind, then go for it! Don't worry, your old man will be there to support you if anything happens!"

I agreed, choking up in emotion.

The moment I boarded the flight headed overseas, that foolish chapter of my life finally came to an end.

-

That night, Lucas kept waiting for Susan, or at least for a call.

Very patronizing, he thought about how he'd do her a favor and pick up when she called, and endure her crying and clinging onto him.

No matter how much he waited, however, nothing came.

He felt like a kite that had its string severed, leaving it to drift away into the air, and he was suddenly left with an unsettling feeling of emptiness.

"Lucas, I can't hold on any longer... I gotta sleep," Sean mumbled, barely able to keep his eyes open.

They had been drinking together all night, but the later it got, the more distracted Lucas seemed.

Lulu called, her voice gentle and concerned, "Sweetie, are you going to bed yet? I miss you… Can I come over?"

Lucas refused, swirling his drink in his wine glass, "I'm having a drink with Sean and the others as… A last bachelor's party, you know? Be good and go to bed, alright?"

Lulu's pout was audible even over the phone, and she acted clingy for a little bit before reluctantly hanging up.

Sean leaned over to James and whispered, "Since when did people do bachelor parties for an engagement?"

James rotated the cup in his hand, letting out a sigh. "He's waiting for someone, you doof! Can't you tell?"

In the past, Susan would've already arrived to ask Lucas for an explanation, proverbial guns blazing and letting her rage be known, so the fact that she hadn't shown up yet was… Unsettling.

"Should I call Susan and ask her where she is?" James offered.

Lucas didn't refuse, only standing up and walking to stand by the window. "Sure, whatever."

James first called the police station and was informed that Susan already left earlier.

Meanwhile, her phone was completely unreachable, and Lucas and the others soon realized that she had blocked them.

"Bro, I think she's really angry this time!" Sean said cautiously.

"Susan isn't the type to take something like this lying down, so she really might be serious this time. To be fair, you did get her locked up while you got engaged with another person, so I get it. You might have overdone it this time, Lucas." James finally said what was on his mind the entire night.

Then, they all tried calling Susan's friends, but no one had heard from her either. For the first time, Lucas lost all his composure, kicking over the table and smashing a bottle of liquor, sending glass shards flying all over the floor.

Clearly, he hadn't expected Susan to leave. How could he, when all this time she'd been following him around like an abandoned puppy? They'd been together for so long that both their families already treated them like future husband and wife.

As for Lulu, the more Susan bullied her, the more he felt the need to protect her. It came to a point, eventually, where he couldn't even tell what he actually felt.

Lucas' bloodshot eyes stared blankly into the air. "She's just throwing a tantrum because she's jealous… She'll come back once she gets over it…"

In the past, Susan fought with him plenty of times before Lulu was even in the picture. As long as he was patient and played along, she'd forgive him and treat him even better than she did in the past.

What he didn't realize, then, was that this wasn't just a fit of anger or a petty tantrum.

This time, she truly didn't want him anymore.

-

After spending an entire night on the plane, I arrived at my destination. To my surprise, the person who came to pick me up wasn't my brother, but Charles Lawson, his best friend.

From what I hear, he and my brother grew up together, almost inseparable. They were so close, in fact, that there were even rumors that he secretly had feelings for my brother.

With that in mind, I kept an eye out for anything strange while giving him a polite smile. "Long time no see, Charles."

He was tall and strikingly handsome, exuding an effortless charm in the casual jeans and t-shirt. The bright smile on his face was as warm and vibrant as the weather here.

"Tony's out on a business trip, so he told me to come get you."

He reached over to take my suitcase, giving it a light pat on the top. "Wanna hop on?"

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Charles."

Charles was five years older than me. Back then, when he used to visit our house, he loved dragging me all around the house while I sat on a suitcase like a chariot.

With a shrug, he whistled as he dragged the suitcase over to his car, before driving me to where I would be staying.

The temperature around here averaged at around 70℉, which was perfectly comfortable.

His flashy red convertible roared down the road, blasting music at full volume.

Looking out the window, the warm summer breeze carried away my exhaustion along with the lingering chill of Atlantia.

What a lovely place.

"Tony's house is currently under renovation, so you're going to have to stay at my place for a few days. Your room's ready for you, so just go upstairs. It's the second room on the right, and it's right across from my room."

The room had a great view with a huge floor-to-ceiling window, but the décor was… Something else.

Pink. Everywhere.

I wouldn't even be surprised if I saw a rainbow unicorn somewhere. What, did he think I was a child?

In any case, I was too tired to play the straight man, so I freshened up and collapsed on the bed.

In my dreams, I returned to the day when I first met Lucas in high school. He leaned on the windowsill, wearing headphones as he read a book. The wind rustled the trees outside, tousling his hair and the hem of his snow-white shirt.

It was like a scene straight out of a movie.

Back then, the girls silently bet on who'd have the courage to confess first, and I was the one who stepped up without any hesitation. "Lucas, I like you."

I looked up at me, and a mocking sneer appeared on his face. "Are you a pig, Susan?"

That was enough to wake me up. Gosh, was I really that embarrassing back in the day?

Besides, if my memory served me correctly, he only gave me a smirk back then without saying a word.

Charles' voice came from outside the door right then, "Are you a pig, Susan? You've been asleep for an entire day and night! Get up and eat already!"

Charles was the one who prepared the meal, and it was quite good, to be honest. I shouldn't have expected less from the man who opened his own restaurant after being dissatisfied with the food he was served in restaurants.

On the topic of his past endeavors, he had earned himself a reputation for being… Spontaneous.

He liked playing drums, so he started his own band.

Once, he went on an expedition to collect a rock of some kind, and he had to be rescued by a rescue team on a helicopter.

At one point, he dropped out of university to pursue car racing, too.

If one got started on the amount of things he did that didn't conform to societal expectations, then they wouldn't be able to stop. It came to a point where his family simply couldn't take it anymore and sent him abroad in the hopes of teaching him responsibility.

Naturally enough, he found out that my brother was working over here, so he moved his branch company over as well… Needless to say, my parents were horrendously terrified that my brother, their one and only son, would be brought astray as well.

I, on the other hand, quite envied this way of living. He must have no regrets, living like that.

"Charles, what have you been up to these past few years?" I asked, curious.

"Business," he replied, without even looking up. "So… Why did you come all the way here?"

"To learn business from my brother."

Our conversation seemed painfully dry.

He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, before he said seriously, "Since Tony's not here now, I'll teach you instead!"

-

And so, I started learning the tricks of the trade from someone who used to be a problem child.

As it turns out, a troublemaker in childhood was really something else when turning serious in adulthood… In multiple senses of the word.

I started working as Charles' assistant—following him around, serving drinks, making copies, running errands, things like that.

It was a bit of a waste for my fancy degree, to be honest.

Once, a girl who had just joined the office as a secretary snatched the coffee from my hand and strutted into Charles' office with a face full of makeup, a plunging neckline, and a clear agenda.

"Sir, your coffee."

Charles didn't even bat an eyelash. "Before you fake-trip and spill coffee over me, I have to remind you that my entire outfit comes to around 30 thousand dollars total. It's all handmade and takes at least three months to craft, so I suggest you weigh your options.

The girl quickly withdrew her foot, but then when she leaned down to place the coffee on his desk, she still made sure to lean forward as much as possible.

Without skipping a beat, Charles took out a handkerchief and covered his nose. "Woah, did you douse yourself in poisonous gas before you came here? My sinuses are acting up because of you!"

By the time she emerged from his office, her makeup was smudged with tears.

As the unwitting observer of this entire exchange, I could barely hold in my laughter.