“You and I know damn well that’s not true. You never forced me into anything.”
He stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a growl. “And I already told you—you shouldn’t worry about what people are saying.”
Emily blinked at him, stunned by the audacity in his tone.
"Why shouldn’t I care, Lucas?" she asked, her voice rising, raw and trembling. "Why shouldn’t I care when people talk about me like I’m chasing you—like I’m some desperate woman trying to seduce a man who doesn’t even acknowledge me?" Her hand balled into a fist. "You can say they’re baseless all you want, but those rumors stick tome, not you. Those rumors are about me. They affect me. So why shouldn’t I care?”
He exhaled slowly, his face gentle, eyes searching hers. His voice came out quiet, confused. “You’ve never cared before either, right? This isn’t new. People have been talking for the past five years.”
He looked at her, searching. “So what’s changed now? Why does it matter all of a sudden? It’s still the same... isn’t it?”
Emily’s heart sank.
She stared at him, her voice barely holding itself steady. “So you knew. You knew I was being mocked and humiliated all this time… and you never thought to clear it up? You never once confirmed that I was your girlfriend.”
Her voice hardened. “And you never once thought about me in return,” she said, her voice shaking. “All those years, I thought about you. I worried about you. Why didn’t you ever think about my dignity?”
Lucas’s jaw tensed. His brows furrowed as guilt flickered in his eyes.
"You don’t understand. I was—"
"No," she cut him off, stepping closer, her eyes burning. "I do understand. You were thinking about yourself. About your company. Your image. Your comfort. Meanwhile, I was the one being whispered about. I was the one people rolled their eyes at. The girl who everyone believed was in a one-sided fantasy relationship."
He took a breath, but she kept going.
"Do you know what it feels like to have people believe you're delusional about your own relationship? To be painted as the needy girlfriend who’s clinging to a man who won’t even claim her?"
Lucas’s eyes narrowed, frustration boiling just beneath the surface.
"So now you want to leave me... for Jacob?"
Emily let out a sharp scoff, completely exasperated. “Why are you bringing Jacob into this again? I’m talking aboutyou, Lucas. Our relationship. The one we’ve had for five years. Why are you still deflecting this onto him?”
Lucas’s eyes flared with jealousy, his voice rising as he stepped forward.
"Because you ran to him!" he growled. "The moment you walked out of this house, you went straight to him. You chose Jacob over me, Emily. So just say it—what’s going on between you two? Should I know something?"
Emily didn’t flinch. She met his eyes head-on, her voice dropping into a tone so cold it cut between them like glass.
“You’re really standing there, questioningmeafter everything? For how I went to Jacob the moment I walked out of this house?”
A disbelieving smile tugged at her lips. “What aboutyouthen? What about every single time over the last five years when I stayed—when Ichoseyou—but you defended and protected Amelia?”
Her voice cracked, fury pushing through the grief. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to steady her breath.
“If you want Amelia, then go to her. Be with her. But don’t stand here and pretend I’m the one who’s wrong for finally walking away. You are the one who made me feel like the outsider in my own relationship.”
Lucas faltered, his anger retreating just enough for the desperation beneath to rise. He reached toward her, his tone suddenly lower, gentler.
“I’ll stop seeing her,” he said, coaxing softly. His hand slipped behind her head, pulling her closer as his eyes locked onto hers. “I won’t talk to her anymore. I’ll make sure she doesn’t come near the office again. I’ll keep my distance, limit all contact. Will that be enough? Will that give you a reason to stop doing this?”
Emily closed her eyes, overwhelmed. Her head spun.
“Lucas…” she murmured, reopening them slowly. “Do you really think not talking to Amelia in front of me will fix everything? Is that going to undo the years of pain? Is that supposed to silence the rumors that I forced you to be with me while you were pining for her?"
Lucas exhaled sharply. "You have a problem with Amelia. I'm trying to fix it. I’m doing what you asked—cutting her off."
She opened her eyes, the frustration snapping. “Lucas Cantrell, can’t youunderstand?”
