Novels by Lulu

The KeySophia dragged the second suitcase down the front steps of the mansion, wheels bumping hard on each stone. The morning sun felt too bright. She popped the trunk of her small silver car and heaved the bag inside next to the first one. Only two suitcases. Five years of marriage, and that was all she took. She slammed the trunk shut, breathing fast.Four thousand dollars in crisp bills rested in an envelope on the passenger seat. Everything she had withdrawn yesterday. No cards. No traces.She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked back at the house one last time. The big windows stared down like empty eyes. She turned away quickly and climbed into the driver’s seat.The engine started with a quiet hum. She gripped the wheel tight, knuckles pale, and pulled out of the driveway without looking in the rearview mirror again.Thirty minutes later she pulled into the parking lot of a modest apartment complex on the edge of the city. The buildings were plain red brick, nothing like t

Ashes in the DrawerVictoria locked her apartment door behind her and kicked off her heels with a sharp flick. The city lights glittered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but she ignored them. She walked straight to the sleek black desk in her living room, fingers trembling slightly as she pulled a small key from her necklace.She knelt and unlocked the bottom drawer. It slid open with a soft whisper.Stacks of envelopes filled the space. All addressed to Adrian. All in Sophia’s handwriting.Victoria picked up the first one, turning it over in her hands. Her lips pressed into a thin line. “You never stopped trying, did you?” she muttered, voice low and edged. “Even after I made sure he never saw these.”She carried the stack to the marble fireplace and struck a match. The flame danced as she held the first letter to it. The corner caught, curling black. She dropped it into the grate and watched the fire take hold.One by one, she put them in, her movements stayed precise, controll

Her ScentAdrian strode into his corner office on the top floor of Blackwood Tower and dropped his briefcase onto the desk. The city sprawled below the windows, but he barely glanced at it.Victoria leaned against the sideboard, pouring coffee. She looked up with a sharp smile. “Well? Is she finally gone?”Adrian loosened his tie with one quick tug. “It’s done. I signed this morning.”Victoria handed him a cup, stepping close enough that a soft wave of jasmine and vanilla hit him. Sophia’s perfume, the exact one.He set the cup down hard. “Why are you wearing her scent?”Victoria blinked, then laughed lightly and turned away, smoothing her perfectly tailored jacket. “This? It’s just something I picked up. You’re imagining things, Adrian. Rough night?”He followed her across the room, jaw tight. “No. That’s Sophia’s perfume, the one from Paris. I know the smell. Why are you wearing it today of all days?”She waved a hand dismissively and walked to the window, heels clicking. “You’re s

The CarSophia stood close to the upstairs window, arms wrapped tight around herself. The divorce papers lay scattered across the hallway floor behind her. Down in the driveway, Adrian sat motionless in his black car, forehead still pressed against the steering wheel. Forty-five minutes had crawled by. He hadn’t moved. She hadn’t moved either.“Just leave,” she whispered against the glass. Her breath fogged a small circle. “Just go already.”The car stayed parked. The engine silent.Her phone buzzed on the floor. She walked over, picked it up, and read the screen.Victoria: Heard the news congratulations on your freedom.Sophia’s thumb hovered, Victoria never congratulated anyone. She typed back quickly.Sophia: What news?Victoria: The divorce. Adrian told the board this morning. He’s already moving on.Sophia’s grip tightened until her knuckles turned white. She glanced back out the window. Adrian still hadn’t lifted his head.Sophia: Moving on?Victoria: He announced it at 8 AM. Sa

The SignatureAdrian sat at his desk. The pen felt heavy between his fingers. Morning light cut across the divorce papers like a knife. At 7:15 AM, he clicked the pen once, twice, then put the tip on the first page.He signed. Adrian Knight. Clean, sharp strokes. No pausing. No reading the small print. He flipped to the second page. Signed. Third, Fourth. Each signature came faster, like closing another business deal.He stacked the papers neatly, tapped the edges even, and stood up. His bare feet took him upstairs. He stopped outside the guest room and knocked twice — hard, controlled.The lock clicked. Sophia opened the door, still in her robe, hair loose and messy. Her eyes got a little wider when she saw the papers in his hand.He held them out without saying a word.She took them. Her fingers brushed him for a split second. She flipped to the signature pages, thumb running over his name. Her shoulders got tight. “You didn’t read them.”Adrian leaned one shoulder against the doorf

Five Years in Five MinutesAdrian stood in the quiet kitchen at 6:07 AM. His shirt was untucked and his hair was sticking up everywhere. He hadn’t slept. He’d walked around the master bedroom until the first gray light came through the windows, then came downstairs for coffee. Instead, he found the folded paper on the marble counter. Dear Adrian looked up at him in Sophia’s neat handwriting.He picked it up, thumb rubbing the fold. His eyes read the first lines.I don’t know when I stopped loving you.His jaw got tight. He leaned one hip against the counter, the edge pressing into his side.I ate 212 dinners alone.Adrian stopped reading. He looked toward the stairs. Sophia’s guest room door was still closed tight. He rubbed the back of his neck, then made himself look back at the paper.I lost our baby while you were in Singapore.His hand dropped to his side. The letter slipped down. He caught it before it fell and read the sentence again. And again. The words wouldn’t sink in.“Our