I broke down crying as I packed my things.
I was sobbing uncontrollably, my chest tightening with every gasp of air. I’d had enough. I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine when it wasn’t…when Lucas kept hurting me over and over again.
Deep down, I knew he didn’t love me anymore.
I knew he’d always choose Jemma. He’d always go back to her. Even after I told him she was manipulating him, that she was only playing with his feelings, he refused to believe me. He was blind to her, completely under her spell.
This time, I was leaving for good.
Lucas wasn’t in our room tonight. He was in Jemma’s. I didn’t know if they were sleeping together or if he was just watching over her like he always did. But I didn’t care anymore. Let him do whatever he wanted.
As soon as I finished packing, I left. No dramatic goodbyes. No second thoughts. I just walked out the door with nothing but the clothes on my back and the bag in my hand.
I had no idea where I was going. I didn’t plan anything. I just needed to be away from that house…away from him.
But as I walked farther into the night, my knees buckled. My vision blurred. And suddenly, my whole body collapsed to the ground. I started shaking uncontrollably.
“S-Shit,” I gasped, staring up at the sky.
Is this it? Am I going to die here?
The stars above me flickered like they were mocking me.
My breath came in short, painful gasps. I’d neglected myself for weeks. I hadn’t eaten properly. I hadn’t rested. All the emotional pain had taken a toll on my body, and it was shutting down.
I lay there, helpless.
And just when I thought I was about to fade into darkness, a light approached.
I blinked rapidly. Was I dying? Was the light here to take me away?
But then the light stopped. I heard the sound of a car door slam.
I couldn’t see the person clearly, but they knelt beside me. Strong arms wrapped around my frail body. I felt myself being lifted effortlessly.
“I’ve got you,” the voice whispered.
It was deep, steady, and strangely…familiar.
He carried me into the car, carefully placing me in the back seat. And as my vision began to steady, I finally saw his face.
“Dr. R-Romano?” I murmured, surprised.
He glanced at me through the rear-view mirror. “I’ll make sure you live.”
Then everything went black.
---
Lucas’s POV
“Lucas, baby… good morning.”
I woke up to the feeling of someone caressing my hand gently. I blinked away the sleep and turned to see Jemma already awake, smiling sweetly at me.
“Good morning,” I replied with a faint smile, though my head throbbed and I felt a bit dizzy.
“Ugh… I think I’m feeling lightheaded. My head hurts. Can you get me some water?” she muttered. “Or maybe cook something for me? Or at least ask Priscilla to do it.”
I paused the moment her name left her mouth.
“I don’t know… Priscilla didn’t seem okay yesterday.”
“Please,” Jemma said, tightening her grip on my hand. “Just stay here with me. Leave her be. She’s probably just pretending again, doing that thing where she acts like something’s wrong just to get your attention. You know how selfish she is.”
Her words echoed in my head, stirring something uncomfortable inside me. I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. “Okay… I’ll just go talk to her.”
I got up from the bed and made my way toward our room. I had spent the entire night with Jemma, watching over her, making sure she was okay.
“Priscilla,” I called as I knocked on the door. There was no answer.
“Priscilla? Are you there? I need you to make breakfast for Jemma…”
Still, no response.
Frowning, I opened the door and froze.
The room was empty. No sign of her.
“What the hell?”
I searched the entire house in a panic, but she was nowhere to be found. I started calling people, her friends, her coworkers, anyone who might know where she went.
Then I called Ava, a friend from her workplace. And what she told me left me speechless.
“Oh, she hasn’t been at work for a while now,” Ava said. “It’s been a few weeks, actually. One time she collapsed and lost consciousness. Turns out she’s sick. She got hospitalized and then told us she was resigning to focus on her health. She didn’t tell you?”
“No…” I muttered in shock. “She didn’t tell me anything.”
I ended the call. I clenched my fists, frustration and fear battling inside me.
And then I heard Jemma’s voice from behind.
“Lucas? What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?”
“It’s Priscilla,” I said, breathless. “She’s gone. And… some of her things are missing too.”
Her expression shifted.
“I need to look for her,” I said firmly. “Stay here. I’ll come back for you.”
I turned to leave.
“Lucas, wait!” she called. “Don’t leave me alone!”
“I’ll be back. I promise.”
But just as I was about to head out, I heard a loud thud.
“Ow!” Jemma cried.
I spun around and saw her on the floor. I rushed to her side and lifted her into my arms.
“What happened?!” I asked, panicking.
“I-I’m feeling dizzy…” she mumbled.
“I’m taking you to the hospital.”
I rushed Jemma to the hospital, my hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she groaned in pain beside me.
The moment we arrived, nurses rushed to her side, and a doctor I didn’t recognize stepped in to take over.
“Where’s Dr. Romano?” I asked, looking around.
“He’s in his office,” one of the nurses replied. “He’s preparing to leave the hospital for good.”
That caught me off guard. “He’s leaving?”
I barely had time to process that when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of someone walking past the hallway. It was him.
“Dr. Romano!” I called out, quickly walking toward him.
He turned and gave me a small smile. “Oh, Sir Lucas. It’s you.”
I nodded, still catching my breath. “Yeah. How are you, Doc?”
“I’m doing fine,” he said. “How about you?”
“Well,” I began, “I’m worried about my wife right now. She disappeared. I don’t know where she went. She just… left.”
He looked at me with a flicker of sympathy. “I’m really sorry to hear that. I know I shouldn’t be telling you this because she begged me not to… but she came to see me.”
I frowned. “Wait, why did she come to see you?”
He sighed, lowering his voice. “Unfortunately… Miss Priscilla was sick, Sir Lucas. Gravely sick.”
My heart stopped.
“She had a condition. She passed away.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.
“She’s… she’s dead?” I whispered, unable to believe what I was hearing.
Dr. Romano nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry to tell you this, especially like this. But she asked me not to say anything if we ever crossed paths. She didn’t want you to worry. She said she didn’t want to be a burden. But I couldn’t keep it from you. You deserved to know.”
His words sliced through me like knives.
Dead?
No.
No, she couldn’t be.
My mind went blank. My legs felt weak. The hallway around me blurred and darkened at the edges. My ears rang, drowning out the world.
She was sick? She had been suffering this whole time?
And I hadn’t known.
I hadn’t even noticed.
She died alone.
I lost her.
And now… it was too late.
