Chapter 3
“Yeah,” I muttered, eyes glued to my phone.
“Want me to bring you some breakfast later?” Lucas asked.
“No need.”
“Skipping meals is bad for your stomach.”
“It’s fine.”
When we reached my office building, I tried to open the car door but found it still locked.
Lucas turned to me. “The apartment wasn‘ t damaged by the fire. It’s cleaned up and ready. When are you moving back?”
“I’ve got a lease—three months prepaid,” I replied, still trying to open the door.
With a click, the door unlocked, and I quickly got out.
“Harper,” Lucas called after me.
I turned around.
He stepped out of the car, his tailored black suit emphasizing his tall, lean frame. He looked every the sophisticated professional, his demeanor both refined and aloof, almost untouchable.
“You re upset about the fire, and I’ve explained and apologized. If there’s something else bothering you, we should talk it out instead of just giving each other the silent treatment.
bit
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Lucas, do you think my reaction in the car was indifferent? Isn‘ t this the same way you’ve always treated me? Or is it only now that you think this kind of behavior means a silent treatment?”
He was speechless.
I turned and walked away.
For the next five workdays, I buried myself in my tasks.
Flowers and gifts from Lucas arrived intermittently, but I ignored them all.
For the first time, I realized that living alone had its perks.
I didn t have to worry about waiting for someone to come back from dinner or consider what to cook to make someone happy.
The daily chores seemed to be cut in half.
Then, one of our mutual friends got in touch.
“Hey, Harper, come on and have to talk. Holding a grudge isn’t solving anything.”
Maybe it was time for a proper conversation.
I agreed to meet at the location they suggested.
It was a quaint lounge bar with gentle, melodic tunes drifting through the air.
I followed the server s directions to a table.
Before I even got there, I overheard some playful banter.
“Lucas isn’t used to this kind of hassle. If it were anyone else giving him the cold shoulder, they wouldn t stand a chance.
Isabella sat close to Lucas, looking troubled. “Harper is just too sensitive. We’ve all been friends for years. You all know how Lucas and I are.”
“Yeah, and back when Lucas was after you, if you’d liked him, you would‘ ve said yes. You wouldn t have gone abroad.”
My head buzzed.
Lucas had pursued Isabella? Before she went overseas?
Thinking back to that period when Lucas suddenly accepted my confession of love, my steps went weak.
Lucas‘ s voice sounded heavy. “That’s all in the past.”
I took a deep breath and gripped the nearby railing. During college, there were always rumors about them—a campus heartthrob and an art college darling. I had brushed them off as idle gossip. Despite telling myself I should let it go, the dull ache was unavoidable.
I had thought he was naturally reserved and principled. But it turned out I never truly understood
him.
No wonder I always felt like I was guessing his thoughts, carefully trying to please him.
It dawned on me that I had never been in his heart.
Isabella’s voice was tinged with innocence. “Alright, we‘ re here to find a way to help Harper, after all.”
“Maybe Harper’s insecurity stems from childhood trauma?” someone speculated.
I walked over.
The group fell silent as I approached, except for the person who had suggested the idea. Oblivious to my presence, he continued his enthusiastic analysis.
“Am I right? Harper probably had some trauma as a child, which made her insecure as she grew up,
SO…
He noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere, and his voice trailed off as he sensed something was
amiss.
“My analysis is correct…”
I forced a smile, “Oh, you’re right on target. A philosopher in a bar, huh? So, I guess all my confidence fled to you?”
Lucas stood up and grabbed my hand.
“Harper, he didn’t mean any harm…
I
Our mutual friends looked awkward, and Isabella, sitting beside Lucas, stood up to mediate.
“Sorry, we were just trying to help you two patch things up.”
I ignored Isabella and instead gave Lucas a mocking look. “You know, when I asked if my friend could rent the apartment opposite yours, you were against it. Yet somehow, Isabella ended up moving in. Seems there’s more to that story.”
Lucas‘ s face darkened slightly. “Back then, I didn’t understand my own feelings. I only see Isabella
as a sister.”
Isabella‘ s face turned pale.
I shook off Lucas’s hand and grabbed a glass of red wine from the table, throwing it in his face! The onlookers gasped in surprise!
