The Moon of Those Days Never Came Back

"Lumina has always had a bias against me and now she resents my brother too. Madam, you—"

Smack!

A sharp, resounding slap struck Tracie’s face, the sound reverberating through the room.

“Floyd might be too blind to see what kind of person you are. Do you really take me for a fool?” Grandma Alice’s voice was cold and cutting, each word hitting like a hammer.

“You know exactly how much of the Stuart Family’s fortune was funneled behind the scenes to secure your brother’s position as head of surgery!”

“Floyd might be foolish enough to treat you like a prized gem and that’s his mistake. But don’t think for a second that I won’t deal with you myself.”

With Grandma Alice taking matters into her own hands, the room was gripped by stunned silence. No one dared to intervene. Sean cowered in the corner, too terrified to even exhale loudly.

The sharp crack of each slap echoed as Grandma Alice’s fury rained down, leaving Tracie’s face swollen, red and marked with the imprints of her rage.

Still unsatisfied, Grandma Alice kicked her squarely in the chest, sending her reeling backward—straight into Floyd’s arms as he entered the room just in time to catch her.

Tears streamed down Tracie’s face as she clutched her cheeks, now covered in angry red handprints. Her voice trembled as she wailed.

“Floydie, I don’t know what Lumina might have told Grandma Alice about me. If she truly can’t stand having me around, I’ll step away—I promise I won’t interfere in your lives again.”

“But… could you ask her to show some mercy? To stop coming after me?”

In the midst of the chaos, with the room left in shambles and Grandma Alice’s hand still poised in mid-air, Floyd’s expression darkened like thunderclouds gathering before a storm.

Wrapping Tracie protectively in his arms, he growled through clenched teeth, “And who does she think she is? What gives her the right to say she can’t tolerate you?”

“Stay by my side. You’re not going anywhere!”

With those words, he fixed his cold, furious gaze on Lumina in the bed, his eyes burning with contempt. “You really love causing trouble, don’t you? Is this what you wanted all along, to break off the engagement?”

With a swift motion, he yanked the ring from his left hand and threw it out the window with all his force. “Fine, let’s end it. The engagement is over!”

Grandma Alice, overcome by the shock and anger, collapsed on the spot. The room descended into chaos. Lumina, frantic, tried to help her grandmother but lost her balance and fell from the bed.

The IV was ripped from her arm, spilling the medicine all over the floor. Blood began to seep through the bandages on her legs.

“Grandma! Grandma…”

Using the last of her strength, Lumina crawled toward her, each movement a painful struggle. Just as her hand reached out to touch her grandmother, Floyd stopped her cold.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I just… I just want to see if Grandma is alright,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Lumina collapsed in front of him, desperation etched on her face, clutching his pants leg in a silent plea for mercy, just wanting to check on Alice.

But Floyd, with a harsh shove, kicked her hand away. “Stop acting innocent! This is all your fault! If it weren’t for you, your grandmother wouldn’t have fainted!”

“You’re only using her to get back at me, aren’t you? Don’t you care about her age, her health? How could you be so selfish and reckless?”

“Lumina, how could you be so heartless?”

With that, he scooped Tracie into his arms and stormed out without a second glance.

As they neared the door, Tracie, nestled against him, shot a smug look at Lumina, who was struggling to get back up. With a cruel smirk, she mouthed two words:

"Serves you right."

Grandma Alice remained unconscious for a full two days.

Drew and Erika, Floyd’s parents, arrived in a fury, having rushed overnight. Without hesitation, Drew slapped Floyd across the face, his anger seething.

“This is how you take care of your grandmother? If the media gets hold of this, what will the Stuart Family’s reputation look like?” Drew’s rage was clear and the slap left a bright red mark on Floyd’s cheek.

Erika, concerned for her son, quickly intervened, trying to calm her husband while casting a sharp look at Floyd. "What happened? How could Grandma have collapsed so suddenly?"