Chapter 153 

I was in my room, hastily shoving clothes into my suitcase, the fabric bunching under my trembling fingers. My cheeks were slick with tears, hot and relentless, sliding down in streaks I no longer bothered to wipe away. With every shove, the suitcase jolted slightly, causing the loose zipper to rattle faintly through the silence like a protest. 

The door creaked open behind me. 

“Lucy, what are you doing?” Mom’s voice cut through the stillness, wary and hushed like she’d already guessed the answer but hoped–prayed–she was 

wrong. 

I didn’t stop packing. “I’m leaving,” I said quietly, my voice cracking on the edges. “I’m packing my bags. I can’t stay in this house 

anymore.” 

She stepped further into the room, her arms wrapping around herself like a shield. “Lucy…” 

“There’s nothing left for me here, Mom.” I turned to face her, a broken laugh escaping through the sobs I’d been holding in. “You and Dan are practically divorced. Kaiden hates me. And Dan–he probably hates me too, because I’m a walking, breathing threat to his perfect public image. His campaign can’t afford a scandal, and I’m the scandal. So tell me what’s left for me here?” 

“You have me,” she said softly, stepping closer, her hands reaching out to stop me. She placed her palms gently on my arms, grounding me. “You have me, baby. I am here for you.” 

froze for a second, staring at her like I was trying to recognize someone through fogged glass. “For how long, Mom?” 

Her expression faltered. 

“Until we get divorced,” she said after a beat, her voice firm with decision. “I’m going to ask for a huge alimony from Dan. We’ll move out. But rushing out like this–tonight–isn’t the right call, Lucy. You need to think-” 

“I have thought,” I whispered, pulling my arm away, wiping my nose with my sleeve. “Every second I stay here, Mom… every breath I take in this mansion -it feels like I’m drowning. Like the walls are closing in on me and whispering that I don’t belong. Please… don’t stop me. I’m begging you.” 

I turned away from her again and resumed folding my clothes, even though my hands were trembling too hard to be of any use. 

But she wasn’t done. 

“I will stop you, Lucy,” she said, her grip firm as she caught my wrist and spun me back to face her. Her eyes were sharp now, fierce in a way I har in a long time. “You’re my daughter. I won’t let you just run off like this, all broken and crying. Where will you go, huh? Do you even have money room? Do you even know where you’d sleep tonight? Moving out isn’t a fairytale escape plan, Lucy–it’s cold, it’s hard, and it’s lonely.” 

een 

ta 

“I’ll stay in a girl’s hostel,” I said quickly, my voice rising in desperation. “Or–or I’ll stay at Shee–I paused, realizing that she was no longer my friend either. The only reason Sheela had become my friend was because Rubina befriended me, and now that I saw Rubina’s true colors, I wondered if Sheela was trustworthy. My heart clenched at the empty, lonely feeling–I had no one left to call a friend. Then Clara came to mind. “Or at… at Clara’s. I’ll stay at 

Clara’s.” 

“Who the fuck is this Clara now?” Mom demanded, throwing her hands up in frustration. 

“She’s my…” I let out a long, frustrated sigh, the weight of everything pushing down on my chest. “She’s my friend, Mom.” 

“She is?” she said, folding her arms like a detective/catching a lie. “That’s strange. I didn’t know about her.” 

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. You barely know anything about me, Mom,” I muttered, my tone sharper than I intended. “And don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” 

I turned my back to her again and started packing, my hands shoving the clothes back into the suitcase with robotic determination. 

But Mom wasn’t done yet. 

1/3 

Chapter 153 

“No way,” she said suddenly, yanking the suitcase off the bed. In one swift motion, she dumped all the contents right back onto the bed, scattering everything in a colorful, chaotic mess. 

“Mom!” I cried out, my voice rising with a mix of disbelief and fury. But the fight in me fizzled the moment I saw her face–stubborn, emotional, afraid of losing me. 

I swallowed my pride and lowered my voice to a whisper. “Please…” 

“No,” she said, her voice shaking but firm as she crossed her arms. “I won’t let you. Never.” 

I bit down hard on my lower lip, trying not to scream. Instead, I began rubbing my temples, hoping some kind of solution would magically appear. And then–it did. 

A simple compromise. 

My fingers stilled, and I looked up at her. 

“Okay,” I said, trying to sound calmer. “Okay, you won’t let me leave. I get it. But–at least let me have a night over at my friend’s place. Just one night. I need to get out of this here, Mom. I really need to breath a different air.” 

Her arms stayed crossed, her mouth a hard line. 

“This mansion is suffocating,” I went on, not giving her a chance to interrupt. “I just need a change of air. A friend to talk to. Someone who’s not involved in all this chaos. Please, Mom. Just one night. I’ll feel better. I swear.” 

She hesitated. 

“I’m your friend too,” she said quietly. “You can talk to me, Lucy.” 

I looked at her then. Really looked. And for a moment, I saw the woman underneath the mascara and designer blouse–the one who had fought battles of her own. The one who had tried, in her own flawed ways, to be a mother. 

“Mom,” I let out a sigh. 

“Okay, okay, fine,” she finally said, throwing up her hands. “Go. Live your life. Have your night over. But you better return the very next day.” 

S90 

A wave of relief washed over me. I didn’t wait. I stepped forward and hugged her tightly, resting my chin on her shoulder, 

“Thank you, Mom,” I whispered. 

I felt her cringe slightly under the affection, her arms awkward as they rose to pat my back. But beneath that hesitation, I knew she appreciated the hug just the same. 

“Thank you very much,” I added, pulling away from Mom with a half–smile–a forced one, but a smile nonetheless. 

It was almost 5 p.m. when I stood in front of the door to Clara’s apartment. 

But I hesitated to ring the bell–1 had just realized I’d come unannounced. 

There was so much going on in my mind that I had completely forgotten we’re supposed to inform someone before visiting, especially if it meant staying for a long time. 

My hand dropped to my side as I took a deep breath and whispered to myself, “It’s okay, Lucy, Clara is an angel. She’ll understand.” 

Gathering my courage, I rang the bell. 

It felt like an eternity before the door finally creaked open. 

10:58 Tue, 8 Jul G G 

Chapter 153 

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“Lucy, hey!” Clara greeted, a small, surprised smile on her lips. Her forehead glistened with sweat, and she was wrapped in a short, silky nightdress that clung to her skin like a second layer. She looked stunning–like a Victoria’s Secret model–but she lacked the confidence those models carried. It was as if I had caught her off guard. And the way her smile twitched and her forehead began to bead with sweat confirmed it. 

To be continued… 

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