Chapter 2

I didn't mind losing the ring, but that pendant was my grandfather's only keepsake, and I must take it back.

As for Lumi, she finally panicked when she realized I was serious about calling off the wedding and grabbed Sirius' arm. "That's enough. Give it up!"

Sirius pursed his lips as he grumpily reached into his pocket for the ring and pendant, complaining, "To think you'd snap at me over some nobody. Who matters to you more these days? There."

As he threw both the pendant and ring at Lumi like it was trash, he made sure to miss Lumi.

She scrambled to catch it but missed, and the pendant shattered into pieces on the floor.

Seeing that, Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been meaning to tell you that it's cheap crap. I mean, how hilarious that it's a keepsake? Well, it's good that it's broken. I can buy you a nicer one as a gift for your wedding… Lumi even called me daddy in bed, so how about that, 'son'?"

I wasn't bothered by Sirius' insults, as I kept staring at the pieces on the floor, feeling like my heart was in pieces.

I kept moving between my parents' places after their divorce, and it was only my grandfather who cared to raise me.

Before he died, he gave me that pendant that he had received from his parents, which he hoped would keep me company after he was gone.

Still, he said I could sell it to marry or start a business, which made it a token of his confidence in me and a gesture of affection.

That was why I'd tell the pendant about my joys and complain when I was bullied by Sirius' clique.

It really was my grandfather in my mind, but now, Sirius had destroyed it.

To add insult to injury, he stomped on it just to reinforce his point!

Unable to stop the grief swelling in me, I punched him and was ready to do it again when Lumi caught my wrist.

"It's just a pendant!" she snapped. "Do you have to go that far?! Apologize to Sirius right now!"

Seeing her face contorting from rage, I laughed wryly.

She was absolutely silent while Sirius pulled his prank so that all the guests laughed at me, and she didn't ask him to apologize to me when he broke my grandfather's pendant.

I had always thought she was just too accepting and didn't understand a man's pride, but it was now clear that she knew. Yet, she only cared to protect another man's pride instead of mine.

Her parents were flanking Sirius too while calling me barbaric, and Zac rushed to get a first aid kit.

Even Carl took his side, glaring at me. "Why would you punch Sirius?! He told you he'd buy you a new one! Apologize to him right now!"

He was on the side of the people who robbed me and shredded my clothes too, and here I was wondering if they ever cared.

I stared straight into Lumi's eyes. "What if I don't?"

I knew the answer, but I still wanted to hear her say it.

She shot me a cool look as she growled, "Sirius is not just a friend—he's family, and he's been with me for twenty years. If you don't respect him, you don't respect my family. So apologize, or I'm calling off the wedding."

I still remember how Lumi first found out about my background and went straight to visit my grandfather's graveyard to pay her respects.

She promised to give me a new family, have a ton of children with me, and to treat me well.

When her parents forbade her from marrying a bum like me, she moved out of their house that same night.

She declared that she'd marry me, even if she had to live in a basement or be disowned.

Like a princess in an ivory tower, she didn't even know how to cut cucumbers, but she eventually became a master chef.

There were so many little things that made her great, and the memory of those little things had always convinced me to forgive the pranks by her clique time and time again.

But now, I had run out of those little things to remember.

I dropped to a crouch, carefully picking up the pieces of my shattered pendant as I said, "I won't apologize. Sirius should be apologizing to me instead. Just call off the wedding already, Lumi."

Carefully tucking the pieces away, I left the wedding hall as everyone watched in shock, still sporting rags.

Returning home, I tapped into the email that had been gathering virtual dust and sent a reply.

[I'll take the scholarship to finish my masters abroad, professor.]

Professor Queen's reply was immediately.

[Great! I'll arrange a flight right away.]

Soon, seeing a ticket for a flight due to depart in a week sent to my phone, I sighed in relief.