Where Snow Can't Follow

On the day of Lucas' engagement, he managed to get a few lackeys to keep me occupied, and by the time I stepped out the police station, done with questioning, it was already dark outside.

Arriving home, I stood there on the doorstep and eavesdropped on Lucas and his friends talking about me.

"I was afraid she'd cause trouble, so I got her to spend the whole day at the police station. I made sure that everything would be set in stone by the time she got out."

Shaking my head with a bitter laugh, I blocked all of Lucas' contacts and went overseas without any hesitation.

That night, Lucas lost all his composure, kicking over a table and smashing a bottle of liquor, sending glass shards flying all over the floor. "She's just throwing a tantrum because she's jealous… She'll come back once she gets over it…"

What he didn't realize, then, was that this wasn't just a fit of anger or a petty tantrum.

This time, I truly didn't want him anymore.

By the time questioning was done and I left the police station, it was already dark outside.

On the day of Lucas’ engagement, I was completely out of it, so it was no surprise that I crashed into a car while making a turn. The other party deliberately made things difficult, so it was a long, dragged-out affair.

I tried to call Lucas, but to no avail, all while my social media feed was being flooded with photos of him and his fiancée. Each of those pictures stung like a knife to the heart.

I was furious, and after holding in a whole day’s worth of frustration and resentment, I desperately needed an outlet. Without hesitation, I took a cab straight to his place.

When I got there, the door was slightly ajar, and several voices could be heard from the inside.

This wasn’t unnatural, since he’d often invite his friends over to bond over booze or to watch a game.

I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but hearing them discussing me made me stop right there at the porch.

The first voice I heard was from James, sounding almost regretful, "To be honest, we all thought you'd end up with Susan. You two grew up together, and she's really beautiful, but she does have a terrible temper!"

"She's spoiled. After all these years of making a fuss, she still doesn't know when to stop." Lucas leaned back into the sofa, glanced down at his watch, and furrowed his brows in annoyance.

If his calculations were correct, it was about time Susan arrived at the scene. His head hurt at the very thought of her crying and throwing a temper tantrum.

"How strange," James mused, "Wouldn't she have lost her mind and caused a scene by now after your engagement with Lulu? I haven't seen her at all today! Where'd she go?"

Lucas chuckled. "I was afraid she'd cause trouble, so I got her to spend the whole day at the police station. I made sure that everything would be set in stone by the time she got out."

"You genius!" Sean exclaimed. "You're the only one who can deal with that woman, Lucas."

"Lucas, what if she becomes heartbroken because of your engagement with Lulu and just… leaves?" James asked.

A fleeting image of Susan's tear-streaked face flashed through Lucas' mind, and he felt a sense of irritation that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Then, he scoffed indifferently. "I'd want nothing more than that."

He'd want nothing more…

Seven years of my life, just for that one sentence.

I retracted my hand and turned around, leaving his house without a sound. Winter had only just arrived, and it wasn't truly cold just yet, but I felt chilled to the bone.

We've had our ups and downs, and I was the only one who was by his side through it all.

I thought that was going to be the case for the rest of our lives, yet he got me into trouble just so he could get engaged to someone else.

How pathetic was I, to allow him to trample on me over and over again?

As rain started to fall, I belatedly remembered how the weather forecast said it would get colder later in the night, and maybe even start to snow.

Once it starts snowing in Atlanta, it never seems to stop.

I used to dread winter, but Lucas would always wrap me in his coat several sizes larger than I was, keeping a warm blanket available in his car just for me.

Looking back now, those moments of so-called happiness were never meant to last.

As the rain poured harder, strands of hair stuck damply to my forehead, and my steps wavered almost to the point of collapse.

I shook my head and let out a bitter laugh. How did my life end up like this?