Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Bitter Meal

Lucy spent the afternoon sleeping. The stress of the morning call and the hangover from the night before had exhausted her. When she finally woke up, the sun was beginning to set. Her head felt clearer, but she remembered had dinner with Adrian.She stood in front of her small closet and looked at her options. Usually, she would spend an hour picking a dress that Adrian would approve of… something expensive, tight, and striking. Today, she didn't have the energy. She reached for a simple, navy blue A-line dress that reached her knees. It was plain and comfortable. She brushed her hair until it was straight, skipped the heavy makeup, and only applied a bit of lip balm. She didn't want to stand out. She just wanted the night to end.Just as she reached for her purse to head out, the door to the room swung open. Zoe walked in, looking slightly out of breath. She was wearing a new silk blouse and carrying several shopping bags."Oh, you’re still here," Zoe said, tossing her bags onto her

Highest Mark

The morning light felt too bright for Lucy’s eyes. She sat up slowly, crawled out of bed and walked to the small mirror above the sink. Her reflection made her wince. Her eyes were red and heavily swollen, the skin underneath them puffy and dark. She looked like she had been in a fight.She turned on the cold water and splashed her face repeatedly. The chill helped the stinging, but it did nothing for the swelling. She looked at the clock. Class started in forty minutes. She couldn't skip; Dr. Harrison was returning the final grades for the art history presentations today.Lucy moved through the room quietly, trying not to wake Zoe, who was still buried under her covers. She quickly brushed her teeth and had her bath. She rummaged through her drawer until she found a thick, silk scarf and a pair of dark shades. She wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck and slid the shades onto her face. She grabbed her bag and left without breakfast. She kept her head down as she walked to the le

Surprise Vacation

The walk back to the dorm was a struggle. She kept her shades on even as she walked through the hallways of the residence hall. She just wanted to crawl under her covers and disappear until Monday.She pushed open her door and dropped her bag on the floor. Zoe wasn't there, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of her bed, reaching up to rub her sore neck. She reached for her pillow, ready to sink into a nap, when her phone rang on the mattress.Her heart skipped. She looked at the screen. It was Adrian. She considered letting it ring, but the thought of him showing up at her door in a rage was worse. She answered on the fourth ring."Hello?""Pack a bag," Adrian said. He didn't say hello. He sounded different than he had in the hallway… calmer, almost cheerful in a way that made Lucy’s skin crawl. "We’re going away for the weekend. I’ve booked a cabin at the Lake Ridge Resort."Lucy sat up straight, her exhaustion replaced by anxiety. "The weekend? Adrian, I have so much study

A Long Night

The restaurant at the Lake Ridge Resort was filled with other wealthy couples. Lucy sat across from Adrian, her back straight and her hands tapping anxiously on her lap. Adrian had ordered a bottle of expensive red wine, and he kept his glass full.He didn't yell or demand she talk about her classes. He barely looked at her at all, but she preferred it to his usual insults. He spent most of the meal staring at the wall or checking his reflection in the darkened window. Lucy picked at a plate of roasted vegetables, her throat feeling tight. "The wine is good," Adrian said, breaking the silence for the first time in twenty minutes. He swirled the dark liquid in his glass. "You should have some. Why do you look like that?""I'm just tired, Adrian," Lucy replied. She took a small sip. The wine was bitter and dry."We’re here to relax," he said, though his voice lacked any warmth. "Try to act like you're enjoying the luxury. Most girls would kill for a weekend in a place like this."Lucy

Shelter in the Storm

The drive back from Lake Ridge was long and quiet. Adrian kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other on his phone, his thumb typing across the screen every few minutes. He didn't offer a single word about the weekend or the drive. The car finally pulled up to the curb of the university dorms. "I have a meeting at the firm," Adrian said, staring straight ahead through the windshield. He couldn’t even help move her bag. "I’ll call you tomorrow. Don't look so miserable, Lucy. It was an expensive weekend.""Goodbye, Adrian," Lucy said quietly.She climbed out of the car and dragged her suitcase onto the sidewalk. She didn't wait to watch him drive away. As the car disappeared down the street, she finally felt free. She dragged her bag up to her room, found it empty of Zoe, and immediately changed into a pair of worn-out jeans and an oversized sweater. She needed to wash the scent of the resort off her skin.She hadn't been in her room for twenty minutes when a text buzzed on her

Anonymous Photo

Adrian sat in the back of a cigar lounge three blocks from the university, a heavy glass of scotch in his hand. He was busy scrolling through a jeweler’s website, looking at a diamond tennis bracelet that Zoe had pointed out in a magazine. He tapped the screen to check the price, a smirk playing on his lips. His phone suddenly rang on the marble table, the vibration shaking his glass. He saw his father’s caller ID. Adrian took a slow sip of his drink, intending to let it ring, but the phone immediately began to buzz again the second the first call ended.He answered with a sigh. "Father, I’m in the middle of…""Get to the office. Now." Arthur shouted. "Is there a problem with the logistics report? I can…""If you aren't in my office in ten minutes, don't bother coming back at all," Arthur interrupted. The line went dead.Adrian stood up so quickly his chair scraped harshly against the floor. He tossed a hundred-dollar bill onto the table and sprinted for the exit. He reached his car

Dying Wish

Lucy sat quietly in the library staring at a poem, trying to force the words to make sense, when her phone began to vibrate violently against the wood. She saw her mother’s name on the screen. Her mother almost never called during the day; she preferred long, rambling texts in the evening.Lucy grabbed the phone and walked towards the reading room doors. "Mom? Is everything okay?"Her mother’s sob came through the line. "Lucy... oh, Lucy. You need to come to the hospital Now. Your father... he collapsed in the garden. He’s in the ICU."Lucy felt the world tilt. She didn't even go back for her books, she just ran down the library stairs and sprinted for the campus gates. She stopped a taxi, her voice shaking as she gave the address.When she arrived at the hospital, the private wing felt extremely cold. She found her mother sitting on a plastic chair outside Room 402, her eyes red and her hands trembling."He’s awake," her mother whispered, grabbing Lucy’s arm. "But the doctors... the

In His Arms

Lucy took several deep breaths, forcing the air into her lungs until her chest stopped heaving. She used the hem of her sweater to wipe the tears from under her eyes and smoothed her hair. She had to be strong for her mother. She couldn't let her see how much the promise to her father had broken her.She walked back down the hallway to the waiting area. Her mother was sitting on the edge of the plastic chair, clutching a damp tissue. She looked up as Lucy approached."He’s sleeping now," Lucy said, sitting down and taking her mother’s hand."He loves you so much, Lucy," her mother whispered. "He’s just so worried about what happens to us when he's gone. He doesn't want us to lose the roof over our heads.""I know, Mom. I understand." Lucy squeezed her hand. "Where is Leo? Is he okay?""He’s with Mrs. Gable next door," her mother replied, referring to their neighbor. "He wanted to come, but I told him the hospital is no place for an eight-year-old. He’s been asking about Dad every hou

Secrets and Lies

Jonathan opened his eyes first. He felt the weight of Lucy’s head on his chest and her soft breathing. He stayed still for a few minutes, watching the way the early light touched her face. He didn't want to wake her, but he knew the risk of her being seen leaving his place after sunrise.He reached down and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her forehead. "Lucy," he whispered. "Lucy, hey. It’s morning."Lucy stirred, her eyelashes fluttering before she opened her eyes. For a second, she looked confused, her eyes darting around the unfamiliar room. Then she saw Jonathan, and the tension left her shoulders. She sat up slowly, the wool blanket sliding down to her waist."What time is it?" she asked, her voice raspy from sleep."Just past five," Jonathan said. He stood up and stretched, his muscles stiff from sleeping on the sofa. "The sun isn't fully up yet. I need to get you back to the dorm before the campus wakes up. I’ll ride you on the bike."Lucy nodded and stood up. She fel

The Gala Invitation

Lucy woke up before her alarm went off. She lay perfectly still, staring at the ceiling. The memory of her conversation with Adrian yesterday still made her feel uneasy. She reached for her phone on the nightstand. She checked the hidden folder she had created. There was no new message from Jonathan, and she felt relieved but there was also this strange feeling of sadness. She put the phone back and sat up. She needed to talk to her mom. She walked into the small kitchen and dialed her mother’s number. It rang three times before her mother picked up."Lucy? Is everything okay? It's very early," her mother said. Her voice sounded tired but steady."I just wanted to check in, Mom," Lucy whispered, leaning against the counter. "How is he doing this morning? Did the doctors say anything new?""Actually, the news is a bit better today," her mother said, and Lucy could hear a small smile in her tone. "His vitals stabilized overnight. The nurse said his heart rate is more regular than it w

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