Chapter 2

Leona turned to leave.

"Wait," Sebastian called out to her.

"Take your things from my house with you."

He expected her to react like she always did—the wounded look, the glimmer of tears, and that fragile question, "Sebastian, what do you mean?"

Then he would offer his standard peace treaty—"Let's stop arguing"—and they would make up; everything would return to normal.

But Leona said nothing.

She simply turned around, silently beginning to remove every trace of herself from the house she had once considered her second home.

By the hallway, she removed the pair of bear-shaped slippers with her initials, which he had bought just for her. On the kitchen shelf, she took away the mug with the cute strawberry patterns on it, the one that he had reserved for her. On the living room couch, she grabbed the light gray fleece blanket she always covered herself with.

One by one, she collected these items, calmly tossing them into another empty box, as if she were throwing out unimportant rubbish.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Maureen started another round of their game.

In between, Maureen complained about being thirsty and, without a second thought, grabbed Sebastian's half-finished mug of water and took a sip.

Sebastian had always been obsessive about cleanliness. He had even found Leona taking a sip of his water unbearable in the past. But he merely glanced at Maureen and said nothing.

Then, Maureen pouted and mentioned she was hungry. She craved to have buns from a famous shop far away. Without hesitation, Sebastian stood up, grabbed his car keys, and left.

Leona watched it all unfold, but oddly, her heart no longer ached. Instead, there was only a sense of numb emptiness.

She carried the box up the stairs, heading to Sebastian's room to collect the last few things belonging to her. As soon as she opened the door, a figure blocked her path.

It was Maureen.

Maureen wore a provocative and triumphant smirk. "You've already broken up with Sebastian. Why are you trying to get attention here?"

Leona didn't want to engage and kept her tone neutral. "I'm just here to take back my things so I can fully cut ties with him."

"Cut ties?" Maureen scoffed.

"Do you think that playing hard to get will make Sebastian pay more attention to you? He's already had enough of your attitude. Every time you threaten to break up, you know he'll beg you back. What else do you do except cling to him and nag him?"

She continued, "Listen. I'm going to take everything you like away from you. You want to stay attached to him by enrolling at the same university as him, right? Well, I've been accepted to Northsea University too. Slowly, I'll steal him away from you, and you'll watch as you become nothing but my defeated opponent!"

Leona didn't want to listen to Maureen's delusions. She held the box, trying to get around Maureen.

But Maureen wasn't done. She grabbed Leona's arm, her words turning even more venomous. "What? Did I hit a nerve? Got nothing to say now?

"Leona, don't you have any shame? Your clinginess is disgusting! No wonder Sebastian's sick of you. I bet your parents didn't teach you anything, so that's why you turned out like this—"

The sharp crack of a palm against skin cut Maureen's vitriol short.

Leona, unable to bear it anymore, had raised her hand and slapped Maureen hard across the face.

She could endure humiliation, but she would never allow anyone to insult her parents.

With a hand to her cheek, Maureen stared at Leona in disbelief. Then, her anger flared. She swung her hand, aiming to retaliate with a slap of her own.

Just then, the sound of the door opening and footsteps echoed from downstairs.

Sebastian was back.

Maureen's eyes flickered, and a plan formed in her mind.

In one swift motion, she seized Leona's wrist and threw herself backward, dragging Leona down the stairs with her as she screamed.

Both girls tumbled down the stairs, crashing hard onto the landing below. Leona felt sharp pain shoot through her body as if her bones were shattering. Her forehead slammed into a sharp corner edge of the stairs, and warm blood immediately started dripping.

Maureen wasn't unscathed either, but she quickly forced herself to sit up, clutching her face where the mark from Leona's slap was already visible. Tears flooded her eyes as she began to cry loudly, looking up at Sebastian with tear-streaked cheeks. "Sebastian... Leona suddenly came at me and pushed me down the stairs... I'm in so much pain..."

Sebastian, surveying the mess, immediately grew angry.

He strode over to them, glancing first at Maureen's pitiful face, then his gaze turned cold as it landed on Leona, who was trying to get up. His voice was icily furious. "Leona! What's wrong with you? This is my home. Who gave you the right to hit my guest?"

Leona, biting back pain and dizziness, tried to explain. "She insulted my parents. I just—"

"Enough!" Sebastian interrupted, his voice irritated and filled with disappointment. "I don't want to hear any excuses! Ryan! Escort her out!"

Ryan Hudson, the butler, hesitated but stepped forward, gesturing for Leona to leave.

Leona watched as Sebastian turned away without a second glance, gently helping Maureen up. He escorted her to the couch with great care, tenderly cleaning her wounds as if she were a fragile treasure.

In that moment, Leona felt like her heart had been ripped out, the pain so sharp that she could hardly breathe.

There was a time when he used to treat her like that. Once, after she scraped her knee in gym class, he had panicked, his face drained of color. He picked her up wordlessly and rushed her to the nurse's office, comforting her nonstop with "Nana, don't be scared. It won't hurt soon enough."

Back then, all his care and affection were for her.

But now, it was all directed at another girl.

The words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat, and her pain turned into cold, empty despair.

Without saying a word, she walked away, her body heavy with exhaustion and pain.

Alone, she went to the hospital.

The diagnosis was a mild concussion and several bruises, so the doctor recommended she stay overnight for observation.

While she was hospitalized, her phone buzzed constantly.

It was Maureen, sending taunting messages along with photos and videos of Sebastian caring for her. Sebastian fed her food, peeled apples for her, and even strolled with her in the garden.

Leona stared blankly at the screen, not responding to a single message.

Her love for Sebastian had died, so these taunts no longer had the power to hurt her.