I Cancel Our Wedding, Then He Comes Begging

Chapter 3

Dinner time arrived, and Mrs. Louis, as always, went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable. She even asked Lucian to peel some crayfish for me, which was pretty telling.

Lucian's face immediately soured. He couldn't stand these things. He found them a hassle to eat and honestly, just gross. I remembered the last time he had asked, all wide-eyed, "Why would anyone eat these parasite-infested bugs?" His comment had killed my appetite for crayfish right then and there, so I'd lied and said I didn't like them.

Clearly, he still felt the same way. He gave the crayfish a look of pure disgust before turning his gaze on me with something like annoyance. I forced a smile and grabbed a disposable glove. "It's fine, Mrs. Louis. I can do it myself."

Mrs. Louis hesitated for a second, giving Lucian a pointed look before she put on her best smile and turned back to me, clearly trying to hide her discomfort.

Liana, sensing the tension, jumped in. "Wendy, you're so good at peeling them! I love crayfish, but I never learned how."

I shrugged and popped a peeled crayfish into my mouth. "It's really not that hard. You could always watch a tutorial online."

Lucian, looking like he was about to explode, slowly slid on a glove and started peeling crayfish for Liana, explaining how to do it like he was teaching a class.

The irony of the whole thing almost made me laugh. If his parents hadn't been here, I probably would have said something that would've made things even worse.

Mrs. Louis, clearly uncomfortable, cleared her throat. "Lucian, don't play favorites. You should peel one for Wendy, too."

Reluctantly, Lucian peeled one for me, but by then, I had completely lost my appetite. I didn't touch another crayfish the whole meal, leaving his offering sitting there, untouched.

As the meal came to an end, that single crayfish sitting in my bowl seemed to scream at me. I pasted on a polite smile and said, "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Louis, for your hospitality."

Then, I took a deep breath and decided to get it over with. "But there's something I need to tell you. Lucian and I have broken up. I'm sorry if this disappoints you."

Mr. and Mrs. Louis just sat there, completely stunned. Lucian's fists clenched, and he stared at me with a look that could've burned a hole through the floor, but he didn't say a word.

Liana, her eyes suddenly turning teary, asked in a soft voice, "Wendy, Lucian treats you so well. Why would you break up? Can't you stay together?"

Her act made my stomach churn. I managed to keep my composure, giving her a tight smile. "Don't you already know why?"

"Wendy!" Lucian snapped, his voice sharp with frustration. "I've told you before, Liana's like a sister to me. Stop being unreasonable."

Liana's smile faltered for just a second. I watched her, my gaze cool and calm, suddenly feeling utterly drained. Without another word, I stood up, turning to face the still-silent elderly couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Louis, thank you for your kindness. I'd love to treat you to a meal sometime, but I just remembered I have some urgent things I need to take care of. I'll be leaving now."

Mrs. Louis, picking up on the tension, stood up reluctantly. "Alright, dear. I made some mango mille-feuille. Let me pack some for you to take home."

Before I could protest, she hurried off to the kitchen.

I left Lucian's house and grabbed a taxi back to my place, suitcase in tow. It had only been two days, but as soon as I stepped inside, I noticed how eerily quiet the place was. There wasn't a trace of the wedding prep that had been all over the place just days ago. The silence felt heavy, almost suffocating.