Boat Against the Current

“Mom, Dan, I received an offer from an overseas university. I plan to take it.” Lucille Shaw’s voice was soft in the silent living room, like a single drop of water rippling across a still pond. Her mother Victoria exclaimed with joy, "Really? Congratulations! When are you planning to go?" “In Ten days.” Chapter 1 “Mom, Dan, I received an offer from an overseas university. I plan to take it.” Lucille Shaw’s voice was soft in the silent living room, like a single drop of water rippling across a still pond. Her mother Victoria jumped up with joy. "Really? Congratulations! When are you planning to go?" “Ten days from now.” That was so soon! Victoria was excited but a little lonely at the same time. “Then I’ll help you pack your things. It’s your first time going abroad, so I couldn’t help but worry. “That’s why I called a friend from a while back. Her son happens to be in London too, so you can call him if you need anything. Don’t worry about bothering him! Why, we joked that you two could get engaged as kids! “If you can get along with him, that’d be best. If you can’t, you can just be friends.” Lucille nodded. “Got it, Mom.” Her mother was surprised. “You’re okay with that, Lucy? Does that mean… you broke up with your previous boyfriend?” Lucille fell silent. Her stepfather Dan Dortman immediately understood. He smacked the table, proclaiming, “He never bothered meeting us, so I knew from the start he wasn’t serious about you. Good riddance, I say! You deserve a better boyfriend.” “Boyfriend? What boyfriend?” A voice cut through the depressive air in the living room. The three of them turned around and saw River Dortman coming in. He was dressed in a black shirt and black trousers that showed off his tall lanky figure, highlighting his laidback yet elegant demeanor. Lucille stiffened before standing up to greet her stepbrother. “River.” “Hmm.” He gave her a long look and then threw his car keys on the table, heading upstairs to his room. That night, Victoria cooked up a feast and even opened a bottle of red wine. She raised her glass, smiling at her family as she declared the good news. “Come, let’s celebrate! Lucy’s about to…” Lucille sensed something wrong and hurriedly interrupted her. “Mom, this wine is a bit bitter. Is it expired?” Expired? Victoria was surprised. The expiry date said otherwise, but Lucille had already dragged her to the kitchen, saying they would replace the wine as an excuse. “Mom, don’t tell River that I’m going abroad for now.” Victoria was confused at first, but when she thought about how her stepson had taken care of her daughter all this while, she realized that he would be reluctant to see Lucille go. In the end, she nodded. After a half-hearted dinner, Lucille returned to her room. She brushed her teeth and lay in bed, slowly falling asleep. At midnight, however, someone joined her in bed. His hot breath blew against her neck, his soft lips plastered onto her skin. The slightly cool dampness of his teeth nibbling her woke Lucille up completely. She froze and then instinctively shoved him away, protesting roughly, “River, stop that!” “What’s the matter? You won’t let me touch you anymore because your mom is introducing you to someone?” River’s lips curved in the darkness, but his smile did not reach his eyes. His voice was a lazy drawl. “Are you going to abandon your poor stepbrother after all these years?” Lucille knew he had misunderstood, but she did not explain. River’s expression turned cold in the silence. He pulled her into his arms. “Lucille Shaw, I told you. You can’t date anyone else. You’re mine and mine alone!” She felt his body burning against hers, but she was in no mood to argue with him right now, so she lied. “I’m on my period. I’m not feeling well.” River’s expression softened at her explanation, but he still could not help but frown. “Didn’t your period just end a few days ago? Fine, I won’t bother you tonight. Let’s sleep early.” With that, he hugged her tight in his arms. His steady breathing in her ear kept Lucille wide awake. Nobody knew that her boyfriend was none other than her stepbrother, River Dortman! When she was twelve, her mother remarried, and she became his new stepsister. When she was fourteen, they acted like the perfect siblings in the public eye. When she was eighteen, he discovered her crush diary filled with his name. He lay sprawled on her table, reading the diary over and over again. He grabbed her hand when she tried to snatch it back and brushed a kiss against her blushing cheeks. When she was twenty, they tasted the forbidden fruit. After that, they got addicted to each other’s taste. During the day, they were a family. At night, they were secret lovers. Lucille had always been a good girl. Her relationship with River was the only immoral thing she had done in her life. She just loved him so much. She even thought she would not mind if they had to keep their relationship a secret for all their lives. They could just elope overseas when the time came. However, all her delusions shattered when she overheard his conversation with his friends half a month ago. It had been raining heavily that day. She ran to bring him an umbrella, only to hear his friends’ voices through the door of the private room. “River, what are you going to do with your stepmother’s daughter? Didn’t you say you were just playing with her? Why are you still together?” “Yeah, didn’t you seduce her as revenge, to get back at her mother for marrying your dad? Don’t tell me you changed your mind?” Revenge? He got with her not because he liked her, but because he wanted revenge! All the blood drained from Lucille’s face. Her brain was blank, and her body shook. Even so, she stubbornly stayed at the door, waiting for his reply. The next second, she heard his cold and cruel voice loud and clear. “Isn’t it more fun to break her heart once she’s well and properly invested in me? I have to take my time.” His friends burst out laughing, while her blood froze in her veins. So he never loved her. He got with her, called her his girlfriend, and made love to her every night as revenge, as punishment to her mother for stealing his mother’s place! Her mother was happy in this family. Lucille could not let anyone else know about this. In the end, all she could think of was to run away. From this family, from him. That was why she applied to a university overseas. Now, there were only ten days left until she could slip away in secret. Lucille glanced at the countdown on her phone and pulled River’s arm away from her waist. Within minutes, he hugged her again. Every time she pushed him away, he would instinctively hold her back. Eventually, she finally ran out of patience. She grabbed a pillow and put it between their bodies. This time, he finally stopped. She finally had her peace. She knew that their relationship would soon come to an end. She would no longer belong to him. She would stop being his personal toy. Chapter 2 The alarm woke Lucille up at eight in the morning. When she opened her eyes, he was gone. They needed to keep their relationship a secret from their parents, so they had made a promise long ago. River would sneak into her room at midnight every night and leave by five in the morning. They had slept like that for five whole years now. Soon, though, they would be nothing more than siblings. He would not have to sneak around anymore. Lucille got changed and headed downstairs. There was a woman she did not recognize sitting on the couch. Victoria waved at her daughter excitedly and introduced her. “Come here, Lucy. This is your brother’s girlfriend. Bring her a glass of water, would you?” Sophia Song stood up on cue, offering her a handshake and a smile. “You must be River’s little sister! It’s nice to meet you. Although I’ve never seen you before, your brother has told me a lot about you.” Lucille paused and glanced at River, but she did not ask anything. She simply turned and went to the kitchen to get Sophia a glass of water. After she filled the glass, she was about to bring it to the living room when River came into the kitchen. He hugged her waist and leaned in to kiss her. Lucille hurriedly tilted her head away to evade him. “What are you doing? Your girlfriend's outside.” River raised a brow and pecked her lips. “Are you angry? “I forgot to tell you, she's just my childhood friend. She left the country ages ago and just came back a few days back. My old man's rushing me to get married, so I asked her to play along with me lest he gets any funny ideas. “You know better than anyone who my real girlfriend is, right?” Lucille just listened to him without a word or expression. Finally, she nodded nonchalantly. River was surprised to see her so calm. He thought he would have to spend ages reassuring her. After all, the last time a girl gave him a love letter, she stumbled across it and cried until her eyes swelled up. She would not even tell him why when he found out she had been crying. He had to trick her into telling the truth. As it turned out, she believed that their relationship was taboo, and she would never be able to stand by his side as his official girlfriend. That was why she never dared to confront him or throw a tantrum. All she could do was hide under the covers and take her anger out on a pillow. The same scenario was unfolding again, but this time she was unusually calm. River could not help but be suspicious. He wanted to ask her why, but Lucille did not give him the chance. She simply picked up the glass and left the kitchen. Once breakfast was ready, everyone took their seats around the dining table. Sophia was invited to sit next to River. The two of them happily chatted about their childhood, acting completely in love. Sophia had picked up some habits overseas and now liked her egg yolks runny. When River heard that, he gave her his fried egg. She immediately blushed and gave him her half-eaten yolk. River instinctively glanced at Lucille. Her head was buried in her cereal, as though she had not noticed a thing. When she lifted her head to grab a napkin, he bit into the egg Sophia had given him. Lucille happened to see him, then she put her spoon down and left the table without a word. She seemed to be heading toward the door, so Sophia hurriedly called out to her. “Are you heading out, Lucy? River and I are going on a date, too. Could you wait a while, then we can go out together?” Lucille was about to say no when her stepfather interrupted. “It's raining outside, so why don't you let River drop you off? Otherwise, your mother and I will worry.” Lucille could not say no to Dan, so she had no choice but to wait in the garage. She was heading to the embassy to handle her student visa. At this rate, River would find out about her plan to leave. No matter how she pored over it, she could not think of a way to delay the inevitable. Whatever, then. Let him find out. Either way, she had already bought her tickets, so there was nothing he could do to stop her. After a while, Sophia and River finally joined her in the car. They took their own sweet time. Strangely, Sophia jumped into the backseat and even tried to start a conversation with Lucille. However, Lucille was not in the mood to talk, so she just hummed and hawed in response. The rain started to abate as the car drove on. Sophia leaned in and whispered into Lucille's ear. “I know you don't like me, and I know you and River are more than just siblings. Still, there's no way the two of you can get married, and River isn't completely opposed to being with me. “I bet I can steal him from you whenever I want. Wanna wager on it?” Chapter 3 Lucille jolted slightly and turned to glance sideways at Sophia. Sophia smirked at her and then set an alarm on her phone. A minute later, the alarm rang on the dot. Sophia pretended to pick up a call and then forced out a few tears, looking at the driver’s seat tearfully. “River, the butler said my puppy fell sick. I’m so worried! Could you send me home first?” River stopped by the roadside and frowned at the rain pouring outside. When he turned around and saw Sophia’s teary face, however, he hesitated for a few seconds before finally addressing Lucille. “I’ll send Lucille home first. Her house is in the other direction, so why don’t you get down and take a cab to your destination?” Sophia did not give her time to say no, hurriedly offering her an umbrella. Lucille looked at River and then Sophia. Finally, she got out of the car without a word. There were some holes in the umbrella. The rain leaked through and drenched her immediately. The bad weather meant there were no cabs on the streets, either. She had no choice but to run with her bag over her head. She ran in the rain for half an hour before she finally reached the embassy. There were still no cabs after she got her visa. Lucille walked an hour home, the rain beating on her the entire time. She knew she had a fever once she got home. Her body hurt all over, and she practically passed out on her bed. She had a few strange nightmares as she broke out in a cold sweat. It felt like a monster was chasing her the entire time. When she desperately opened her eyes, she saw that River was the monster. He held her in his arms, feeding her the medicine sip by sip. His tone was gentle and pained. “Drink the medicine, okay? You’ll get better in an instant.” Lucille could not tell if this was a dream or reality. She instinctively swallowed the medicine and drifted back to sleep. When she next woke up, her fever had broken. She looked next to her, but there was no one there except for a phone vibrating on her bedside table. She unlocked the phone and saw it was River’s friends spamming their group chat. [You should win Best Actor, bro. I heard you turned down a project worth millions just to go home and take care of your little sister.] [I feel like River’s fallen for real! He ran twenty red lights to rush home when he heard she had a fever. Has he actually fallen in love with her?] [Agreed, I don’t think that anxiety was an act.] River replied, [Me, fall in love with her? Over my dead body. I’m just doing this to make her even more devoted to me. That way, won’t her heart be shattered once she finds out the truth.] Every word shook Lucille’s heart. She thought, ‘Over my dead body? Is that what you say to me after five years of dating? River, you’re heartless.’ All the strength drained from her body. Her hand fell limp by her side. The next second, her bedroom door opened. Walking in with a basin of warm water, River stiffened and then quickly grabbed his phone back. His usually lazy drawl was a touch nervous. “What did you see?” Lucille lowered her head to hide her reddened eyes. Her voice was hoarse. “Why? Is there something I’m not supposed to see?” She did not understand. He knew she was already irresistibly in love with her. Why did he continue the charade? Was there any need to prolong this act? He was still on edge, worried she would discover the truth. Wasn’t he tired after pretending all this time? Enough! He had achieved his goal! Her heart was already broken! River did not know what she was thinking. He just assumed she was in a bad mood because she was sick, so he hugged her soothingly. “Of course not. I’m just preparing a surprise for you. Since you’re upset, I’ll tell you what it is right now! “I found out a place that we can get married without any hindrance. Lucy, why don’t we move there and get married? I’m already making the arrangements.” They had been discussing a future like this for countless nights. Hearing him say it now, however, Lucille no longer felt any trace of emotion. Her heart was dead and still. She knew that they would no longer have a future. Ten days from now, she would be gone from his life… and he from hers. Chapter 4 The first thing Lucille did once she got better was calculate how much the Dortmans had spent on her over the years. She sat at her table, adding up all the expenses she had incurred since she joined this household. Everything from her living costs to tuition fees added up to three million dollars. Her late father’s inheritance and old property were worth two million dollars, and she had saved a few dozen thousand from her part-time work. It seemed she had to find more work before she left to make up the difference. Lucille’s expertise was photography. With that in mind, she found some freelance jobs online. Before long, she had eight offers for everything from wedding photos to graduation shoots. She accepted every job and worked from day to night. She was too tired to even stand up straight, yet she did not breathe a word of complaint. It was because her mother told her Dan had been divorced even before they met. He just never made it in public. In other words, they had dated and married as consenting single adults. She was never his mistress. Neither she nor her mother had ever wanted the Dortmans’ fortune. Lucille was planning to leave now, but she did not want River to keep misunderstanding her mother, not when Victoria was staying put. That was why she had decided to pay back everything she owed her stepfather. She worked her butt off for a week and managed to scrape together three thousand dollars. Just when she was about to slow down her hustle, she suddenly received a huge order. Someone wanted her to take some photos at a birthday party. They offered her two thousand dollars for it. Of course, the high commission came with a price. Apparently, the photos had to impress the birthday girl, and they would only pay up once she was a hundred percent satisfied with them. Lucille took the offer without hesitation. She needed to gather the money ASAP. On the day of the birthday party, she arrived at the location with her camera only to see a bunch of familiar faces. The one in the princess dress and crown was none other than Sophia. River stood next to her in a black suit, and Lucille’s heart jolted when she saw them together. River frowned when he saw how exhausted she looked. “Why are you accepting jobs like this? Isn’t it your dream to become an award-winning photographer? Our parents give you an allowance, don’t they?” “I’m an adult, and I like this kind of work. That’s why I accepted the job.” River’s expression turned colder. He was about to tell her off when Sophia hastily interrupted. “Lucy, River’s just worried about you. Don’t pick a fight with your brother.” Sophia even hugged her arm and pulled her into the party hall, saying she wanted to see what Lucille’s photography skills were like. Despite her polite praises, she worked Lucille to the bone. Lucille could not stop for even a second all night, pressing the shutter until her finger went numb. She took almost five thousand photos, but Sophia still was not satisfied. She insisted on Lucille taking a bird’s eye view shot even though the latter was exhausted. Lucille carried her heavy equipment to the third floor, put up her tripod, and then aimed her camera at the center stage. Looking through her camera, she watched River step onto the stage. He personally put the necklace that was allegedly a family heirloom around Sophia’s neck. Sophia smirked in the direction of the third floor and then jumped into his arms. Lucille knew she was doing this to show off to her. The entire night, Sophia had done everything to publicly display her affection with River. She brought her glass of champagne to his lips, dragged him to the dance floor amidst cheers from the crowd, and complained that her calves were sore so he would give her a massage… Lucille had thousands of photos of them like this, close as lovers. She was already numb. She quickly took a photo of them hugging. Before she could click the shutter again, Sophia stood on her tiptoes and kissed River. Lucille’s hand paused. Her hollow eyes briefly cleared up, and she focused her lens. In the HD footage, River froze up too. After three short seconds, however, he pulled Sophia into his arms. He put his hand on the back of her head and pressed her close, deepening the kiss! Chapter 5 “Wow, what a sweet couple!” “Looks like they’ll be getting married soon. Hahaha, I’ll finally get a daughter-in-law!” Her stepfather’s voice behind her woke Lucille from her daze. She quickly took a few more pictures of the highlight of the night. River and Sophia soon parted. Sophia waved toward the third floor with a bashful smile. “Thanks for everything, Lucy! Let’s stop here!” Lucille heaved a sigh of relief and brought her equipment downstairs, returning to her parents’ side. Victoria was holding Sophia’s hand and smiling at her. “Dan and I encountered some delays along the way and ended up a little late. I hope you don’t mind, Sophia.” “Of course I don’t! You came right on time. We haven’t distributed the cake yet.” Dan patted his son’s shoulder with a proud smile. “I’m glad you found the love of your life, River. Since you gave Sophia that necklace, isn’t it time you invited her family over? We should start discussing your wedding.” Sophia turned bright red, looking at River with love overflowing in her eyes. She then looked at Lucille. “I’m okay with anything, but I don’t have many friends here. I may ask Lucy to be my bridesmaid.” Lucille was busy rubbing her sore hands, so she did not hear what Sophia said. It was only after Victoria nudged her and repeated the request that she understood. She raised her head, her expression still calm and even. “Sorry, I may be busy from now on. I won’t be able to attend the wedding, but I wish you and my brother all the best. Welcome to the family, Sophia.” Sophia, Victoria, and Dan’s smiles widened. On the other hand, River gave Lucille a dark look, his smile slowly fading. Having completed her long and painful commission, Lucille went straight to her bathroom as soon as she got home. After washing up, she dragged her weary body to her bedroom. The moment she opened her door, before she could even go in, a powerful pair of arms pinned her against the corridor wall. River rained kisses down her neck, still wet from the shower, leaving a trail of red marks in his wake. His sudden assault almost caused Lucille to scream. She pressed her tongue to her throat, swallowing her cry as she tried to dodge his kisses. The more she tried to evade him, however, the harder he kissed her. In the end, he even grabbed her chin. She struggled desperately, the terror in her eyes deepening with the footsteps coming up the stairs. “You’re crazy!” River scoffed, his eyes bloodshot as he whispered into her ear. “Yeah, I’m crazy. Go on, why don’t you scream? Show everyone our relationship. Show them how you melt under your stepbrother’s kisses.” The footsteps stopped and then headed back down the stairs. Lucille’s heart finally settled back in her chest. She used all her strength to push away his arm pinning her to the wall and ducked away from him, her voice still trembling with fear. “What the hell is wrong with you?” River followed her with his dark gaze. “I should be asking you that. ‘Welcome to the family?’ What the hell was up with that?” Lucille paused. She did not get it. He only approached her to get revenge, so why was he bothered by something so trivial? “What’s wrong with me saying that? You two are getting married, aren’t you? You even kissed in front of me!” “Lucille Shaw! I told you, we’re just acting! I only kissed Sophia because I saw our parents!” He seemed to be actually angry now, his tone brash and harsh. Lucille could not tell if he was just pretending. Even so, she instinctively believed he was still acting, so she nodded. “Yes, I know. You’re an amazing actor!” So when was this show going to end? He had already broken her heart. Wasn’t that enough? Lucille did not say the rest out loud. She just blinked, the tears she had been holding back spilling forth. She was too tired to continue this charade with him anymore. Why wouldn’t he let her go? Chapter 6 Her words and sudden tears caused River to panic. In the four years they had been together, he had never seen Lucille look so helpless and upset. No matter what happened before this, she would only ever smile brightly at him — because she never wanted him to think she was losing faith in their love. He did not know what exactly had happened, but he still hugged her on instinct. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Don’t cry, I shouldn’t have done that. I only lost control because you welcomed her into the family.” After that, he tried to kiss her again. He was even gentler than usual, but Lucille pushed him away again. “Period.” “Even after so long?” “Yes, probably because I had a fever that day.” Worry flashed through River’s eyes when he remembered how weak she was during her fever. He stopped pressuring her, instead carrying her into her room tenderly. He turned off the lights and hugged her in bed. Lucille was too tired to keep her eyes open. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. River stared dazedly at her peaceful sleeping face under the night lights. A bunch of messy memories ran through his head. It was only at three in the morning that he finally brushed a tender kiss on her forehead and drifted off to sleep. The curtains were not drawn. The morning sunlight woke River up. Lucille was still fall asleep next to him. She turned slightly, and his numb arm began to feel sore. River opened his eyes and saw that the clock showed nine in the morning. He was stunned. Why didn’t his biological clock wake him this time? The family always had breakfast at this hour, so he quickly leaped out of bed. He opened the door, planning to creep back to his room. However, he had barely taken a few steps before Victoria appeared at the stairs. She froze when she saw him coming out of her daughter’s room in his pajamas. “River?!” River could not help but look at his messy clothes. His heart was about to leap out of his chest. Victoria was starting to put two and two together. Her expression turned stern. “River, why were you coming out of Lucy’s room?!” River had just woken up, and his brain was malfunctioning. Just as he was at a loss on how to explain, the door suddenly opened behind him. Lucille appeared, properly dressed. She looked at the two of them calmly. “Morning, Mom. Thanks for waking me up for breakfast, River.” So it was all a misunderstanding. Victoria’s heart settled back in her chest, and she waved at her children. “Well, hurry up and come down for breakfast.” “Okay.” Lucille quickly walked to her mother’s side and held Victoria’s hand as they went down the stairs. After that, though, she froze. Sophia was sitting at the table, waving at her with a smile. “Hi, Lucy! I’m here to discuss the wedding with River. I hope you don’t mind.” Victoria replied with a smile before Lucille could say anything. “What are you talking about, Sophia? Lucille is River’s sister, and you’re his girlfriend. Why should she mind when you’re discussing your wedding?” She then gave Lucille a look. Lucille understood. From now on, she was just his sister. Why should she mind? She sat at the dining table and listened as Sophia bugged River about their wedding. “River, how about a garden wedding? Or should we get married at the beach? Do you want a diamond ring, or do you like any other gems…?” Chapter 7 Lucille focused fully on her breakfast. She did not look up, nor did she pay attention to River’s replies. She was about to leave after breakfast when she suddenly received a text on her phone. It came with a twenty thousand dollar transfer from Sophia. Lucille looked up just in time to see Sophia’s provocative smirk. The text that came with the transfer read, [I really like the pictures you took yesterday, especially the one of the kiss! I’ll send them to River. I’m sure he’ll appreciate your handiwork!] Lucille simply replied, [Received with thanks.] She then clicked on her bank app. When she saw the three hundred thousand dollars in her account, she chuckled softly to herself. While the rest of the family was still engrossed in their discussion, Lucille went upstairs, got changed, and then called a cab outside. She had invited her besties out for a farewell luncheon. If she did not leave soon, she would be late. In the end, Lucille arrived at the cafe at exactly twelve o’clock. Her besties crowded around her, looking lonely. “Are you really going abroad, Lucy? For how long? Will you come back?” “Yeah, I’ll be studying for three years. After that I plan to find a job in London and stay there, so I probably won’t be coming back.” The other three girls were surprised. “Then what about your brother? He’ll stay here while you’ll move to London? Weren’t you planning to get married?” She had told them all about their relationship. It was too big a secret to keep to herself, so she confided in her most trusted friends. In response to their question, she just pursed her lips and said, “I’ve given up on him. I don’t like him anymore.” She made it sound easy, but her friends knew how much she had struggled internally over the years. Although they did not know why she changed her mind so suddenly, they were still all on her side. “Good, I’m glad you broke up! Now you don’t have to worry about breaking your mother’s heart if she finds out.” “Yeah, and there are plenty of hot guys in England! You’re sure to find someone. You know, I’ve never been there before, so you gotta film a lot of videos when you get there. I want to feed pigeons in Trafalgar Square too!” Their lively chatter gradually put a smile on Lucille’s face. Yeah, she was starting a new phase of her life very soon. Why should she keep worrying over this dark part of her past? River did not come home for the next few days, and Lucille did not care where he went. She spent the rest of her time before her departure with her mother. They went shopping, took photos, and ate the food filled with her childhood memories. Victoria gave her a lot of advice about living alone. Time ticked by peacefully. Five days before her flight, Victoria went outstation with Dan. Just then, Lucille received a call from her paternal aunt, saying that her father’s cemetery was being regazetted for government use. As his next of kin, she and Victoria should take care of it. Dan’s family had not been too happy with Victoria since they got married. Lucille did not want to cause her mother any more trouble with the in-laws, so she planned to handle everything on her own. She quickly made some calls and bought an excellent plot in another cemetery. As she was heading out to collect the ashes, however, she bumped into River at the doorway. She had not seen him for a long time. When she explained where she was going, he frowned and squeezed her hand. “Do you think of me as your boyfriend or not? Your father is mine, too. Why didn’t you ask me to help you with something this important? “Get into the car. I’ll go with you!” Lucille looked at his solemn expression. She really could not tell if his feelings for her were still an act. Chapter 8 She could not win the argument against him, and she was running late, so she had to take his car. Halfway to the destination, however, he suddenly made a detour, saying he had to pick up someone else. Lucille paused when she saw Sophia. She wanted to ask, Why did they have to bring someone completely unrelated to pick up her father’s ashes? Were he and Sophia that inseparable? However, time was running short. She swallowed her words. On the way to the new cemetery, Lucille walked ahead of the others wordlessly, holding the urn. Everything was ready. Just as they were about to bury the urn, River’s phone. He glanced at the number, frowned, and left the gravesite. Lucille did not ask where he was going. She bent down to put down the urn, but Sophia stopped her with a smirk. “River agreed to watch the sunset with me today. He only brought you here because it was along the way. I bet you didn’t know that!” Lucille did not know that, but she also did not care. All she cared about was letting her father rest in peace. That was why she ignored Sophia’s taunts and did not even look at her. She just wanted to put the ashes down. Sophia had never been ignored like that before. She grabbed Lucille in a huff. “Stop pretending, Lucille. I’m talking to you!” When she saw how carefully Lucille was holding the urn, she made a split-second decision. She snatched the urn from Lucille’s hands and smashed it to the ground! It shattered into pieces on the steps, the grey ashes spilling all over the floor. Lucille’s mind finally snapped. “Dad!” She ran down the steps, sobbing as she knelt and tried to pick up the ashes. However, a gust of wind blew the last of her hopes away. She could only watch as her father’s ashes were blown away by the wind. No matter how desperately she tried to retain them, she could not keep hold of a single speck. That was her father! All that remained of him after he died was his ashes, but now she could not hold on to even that! She was furious, and she could not hold it back anymore. She stormed back to Sophia and slapped her with all her strength. “Sophia Song! Those were my father’s ashes! The last thing he left to me in this world! And now he’ll never rest in peace!” Sophia’s fair face swelled up in an instant. She was stunned. Just as she was about to fight back, she suddenly saw River heading back this way. She quickly regained her senses and fell backward, tumbling down the stairs. River had no idea what was going on. When he saw Sophia falling, he hurriedly helped her back up. “What are you doing, Lucille?” “What am I doing?! Why don’t you ask what the hell she did?!” River had never seen Lucille so hysterical. He looked at her tear-stained face, his fury freezing in an instant. The next moment, Sophia wept in his arms. “I accidentally knocked over Lucy’s father’s urn, River. The wind picked up, and now the ashes are all gone. Lucy shoved me down the stairs in anger. Look, I’m bleeding so much! Shouldn’t that count as punishment…?” River’s heart tightened in his chest when he saw the remains of the urn. He wanted to comfort her, but the words came out differently. “Sophia didn’t mean to…” “Get lost!” Lucille used up all her energy to roar those words. River still wanted to explain, but Sophia tugged at his sleeve, sobbing. “River, it really hurts! Is my leg broken?” River glanced at Lucille… but in the end, he chose to leave with Sophia in his arms! Chapter 9 The employees at the cemetery brought Lucille a brand-new urn. She carefully put the last specks of ash inside, buried the urn, and then knelt down, pressing her head against the grave. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I let the wrong man into my life, and I couldn’t protect you.” She paused, her fingers tracing the edge of the grave. “And now… I have to leave. I won’t be able to visit you for years, but I hope you’ll understand.” After bowing three times, she raised her head. Crows cawed in the distance. A drop of crimson blood slid down her forehead and the corner of her reddened eyes, like a tear of blood. That evening, Lucille left the cemetery and went home alone. She brought all the things she had packed downstairs. She burned the crush diary filled with River’s name. She threw away the matching clothing she had secretly brought. She cut the couple photos they had sneakily taken to pieces. Once everything was done, she returned to her room. The moment she closed the door, she heard someone coming into the house downstairs. She locked her room door, turned off her lights, and curled into her bed in the pitch-black darkness. Before long, there was a knock on her door. Knock knock knock, knock knock knock. “Lucy, open up. “Lucy, I can explain.” It was River. Lucille ignored him, but she could not stop the tears. Explain? Explain what? That he did not take her as a tool for his revenge? That he did not stand with Sophia after she destroyed her father’s ashes? Soon, the knocking stopped, but her phone began to ring. Lucille could see that River was still typing out a message, but she blocked him without a word and deleted his contact. That night, she ignored anything he did or said outside her door. She only opened the door the next morning when she heard her mother’s voice. She leaped into Victoria’s arms. Victoria did not know what had happened, but she still patted her daughter’s back and soothed her, just like when Lucille was a kid. River had not slept all night. When he saw the mother and daughter hugging, he fell silent for a long time and headed downstairs. The next few days, Lucille slept in her mother’s room to evade River’s advances. She and Victoria packed their bags together, slept hugging each other, and shared a lot of secrets only they knew. In her mother’s arms, Lucille felt a rare sense of peace. She still wanted to sleep with her mother the night before she left, but Victoria was worried she would not be able to rest well, so she sent Lucille back to her room. Lucille had no choice but to stare at the ceiling blankly. At midnight, someone unlocked her door. It was River. He snuck in with the spare key and pulled her into his arms. “Are you still mad at me? I’m sorry, okay? Please forgive me. “You’ve been mad at me for three days. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll really lose my mind.” Lucille said nothing and closed her eyes. River was exasperated when he heard her even breathing. He knew she had it rough the past few days, and he did not want to wear her out anymore. All he did was kiss his forehead. Listening to the heartbeat right next to hers, Lucille could not sleep at all that night. In the wee hours of the morning, River’s phone suddenly rang. Lucille picked it up and saw Sophia’s name. She shook him awake and handed him the phone. River answered the call in a daze. Within seconds, he let go of Lucille’s waist and sat up with a jolt. After hanging up, he turned around and said softly, “Lucy, I…” “Go. Don’t turn on the lights.” Her voice was barely audible in the darkness. He could not read her tone at all. He thought she was not angry at him anymore, so he nodded and got up to leave. Before he left the door, however, he suddenly panicked for some reason. He could not help but turn back to the figure curled up in bed. “Lucy, I’ll be right back. Wait for me.” Lucille would never wait for him again. They were over. She heard the car start outside the mansion and watched River leave before turning on the lights. After that, she got up, got changed, and brushed her teeth as usual. As soon as she was done, Victoria knocked on her door, calling her down for breakfast. She ate everything while her stepfather ordered her servants to take all her luggage downstairs. As the last of her luggage disappeared out the door, she suddenly thought of something. She went back to her empty room, opened her drawer, and took out the bank card and breakup letter she had prepared. She then took them to River’s room, putting them where he would see them instantly. “River, this time, I’m dumping you.” Just then, Victoria called out to her gently. “Hurry, Lucy, or you’ll miss your flight!” “Okay!” Lucille hurried down the stairs. The cab was already waiting outside. Lucille said goodbye to her parents and got into the car. Victoria’s voice was thick with tears. “Take care, Lucy. “I put your childhood friend’s number in your pocket. If you need any help at all, call him. “Go ahead and chase your dreams. Don’t worry about us at home.” Lucille nodded to everything she said through the car window, her eyes red. It was only after her mother faded from view that she finally looked ahead. The weather outside was bright and sunny, without a cloud in sight. Just like her life from now on…