Chapter 9%
I sat up slowly, gripping my temples, trying to piece together the night before.
My dress was still on, though slightly wrinkled, and my heels lay discarded near the door!
It seemed I was the one who booked this room last night. So, it was fine.
But since my head was pounding, I dragged myself to a nearby restaurant to get something warm
Since it was already lunch time as I got there, the restaurant was so crowded of people.
A bowl of steaming hangover soup was placed in front of me, and I slowly stirred it.
Then, as I lifted the spoon to my lips, I heard someone calling me.X
“Lucy” he said, his voice laced with something unreadable. “What are you doing here?“X
I scoffed, not bothering to look up. “Eating. What does it look like?”
He ignored my sarcasm. “You don’t look well” he noted, his eyes scanning me. “Are you sick?“)
“Why do you care?” I muttered, stirring my soup.
Leo sighed and sat next to me. “Lucy, L__“}
“Go back to your colleagues, Leo,” I cut him off. “You don’t have to pretend to care about me here. I know everyone already knows you will marry Sara, so don’t make this careless act“!
His jaw tensed, but before he could argue, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. My vision blurred, and I barely registered my spoon slipping from my fingers !
The last thing I saw was Leo’s panicked expression before everything went dark.
That time, I woke up in a familiar place, our apartment.
A cool, damp towel rested on my forehead, and the faint scent of Leo’s cologne filled the air
Slowly. I turned my head, only to find Leo sitting beside me, his brows furrowed in concem.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, reaching out to adjust the towel.
I blinked, confused. “What?”
“You fainted at the restaurant he said softly. “You had a fever, so I brought you home.”
I frowned, trying to push myself up, but Leo gently placed a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t move too much. Just rest, okay?”
I wanted to argue. I should have argued. But the warmth of the blanket around me, the tenderness in his touch, and the exhaustion weighing down my body made it impossible.
He had taken care of me all day
Made me drink warm water. Kept cooling my forehead with a damp cloth. Adjusted the blanket whenever I shifted
And as much as I hated myself for it, I felt safe again.
I watched as Leo quietly prepared a bowl of porridge, blowing on the spoon before holding it up to my lips.
“Here, eat a little he coaxed
I hesitated but eventually took a bite.)
He smiled, as if relieved.
And at that moment, I felt it again.
That dangerous, lingering feeling that had kept me tied to him for so long.
That feeling of being loved.
But which was the real Lep?
The one who held me gently, who looked at me like I was his whole world, or the one who had always left me for Sara?
A part of me wanted to believe in this version of him.
Because this was the Leo I had fallen in love with in the first place.
“Lucy, you’re burning up,” Leo said, his voice filled with worry.
I sat on the campus bench, shivering despite the warmth of the afternoon sun. 1 told you, it’s just a small cold.“!
“Small cold, you say?” he muttered, kneeling in front of me. Without hesitation, he pulled off his hoodie and slipped it over my shoulders.
I laughed weakly. “What about you? Won’t you be cold?”
Leo smirked. “You really think I’d let my girlfriend freeze before me?”%
Back then, I was his priority!!
He used to pick me up after class, always leaning against his car with a lazy grin, waiting for me.
We used to go on dates where time did not seem to exist–spending hours in cafès, walking aimlessly around the city, stealing kisses when no one was looking!!
There was a time when it felt like we
e were the only
only ones in the world!
I snapped back to the present as Leo brushed a strand of hair away from my face,
12
12 20 Pud
kisses when no one was looking li
There was a time when it felt like we were the only ones in the world
I snapped back to the present as Leo brushed a strand of hair away from my face.!!
“You should get some sleep,” he murmured. Til be here when you wake up.”
Since my body was still so weak, I closed my eyes.
But deep down, I was not sure if I was falling asleep, or falling for him all over again
In the morning, I found myself lying next to Leo.!!
His arm had become my pillow at some point in the night, and I had curled up against him without realizing it
As if sensing I had awoken, Leo stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and when he saw me, he let out a quiet gasp.X
“Lucy,” he murmured, his voice still thick with sleep. His hand instinctively reached for my forehead, checking my temperature.
When he felt that the fever was gone, he exhaled in relief before pulling me into a tight hug.
“Thank god,” he whispered into my hair. “You scared me yesterday.”
I searched his eyes, wanting to believe him once more, if he still loved me.
But before I could respond, his phone rang.
The name on the screen made my stomach turn
Sara.!
I clenched my jaw
“Leo,” I said slowly, looking up at him. “Can you stay with me and ignore her call?“!!
I watched him carefully, waiting for his answer!!
But he did not hesitate as he answered, “Sorry, Lucy, I should answer it. She probably needs me in the hospital.”
Then he grabbed his jacket and rushed toward the door while answering her call.
There it was, his true nature.
“I must have gone crazy because I was sick yesterday I muttered to myself
Then, a small, humorless smile curled on my lips. “Well, at least there’s nothing left to regret about leaving him.“%
I sat up and reached for my bag, pulling out a piece of paper.
And with steady hands, I wrote the final words I would ever say to him X
I placed the letter neatly on the nightstand, right next to the bank card Leo had once given me.X
In the afternoon, I headed toward the airport
I met my mother, who had just returned from her business trip, there
“You parked the car?” she asked!
I nodded. “Yes, it’s valet, Mom.”
“Good,” she said, then reached out to adjust the collar of my coat, as if I were still a little girl heading off to school “Take care of yourself. Don’t forget to call me regularly okay?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, pulling her into a tight hug. Until the very last day in the U.S.
with me was her
As I stepped back, I saw the tears welling in her eyes. It was the same look she had on my graduation day
But that time, I did not cry because Leo was not there. Instead, I felt relieved
Because I had finally erased him from my life.
From now on, I will chase my own sun…X
