Chapter 3
Lucille shut the door and put on her earbuds, trying to drown out the noise from the party.
She had made up her mind to move back home and get married, which meant quitting her job here. Still, she wanted to wrap up her current projects first, minimizing any hassle for her colleagues.-
Sitting by the large bay window, she focused on finishing her work, the setting sun casting long shadows across the room as daylight faded.
Finally, Lucille removed her earbuds and stretched, relieved to have completed her tasks. Downstairs, the once bustling area had now become entirely silent.
Instinctively, she picked up her phone, seeking a bit of relaxation.
Just then, a message from Claire popped up, and she opened it without thinking.
[Why haven’t you liked my latest Instagram post yet?]
A minute later, Claire sent another message:[“Oops, sorry Lucille, wrong person! Don’t be mad!]]
Curious, Lucille checked out Claire’s Instagram. There it was, a grid of nine photos. The images showcased gifts from Ayrton and Walter. A lavish pink princess dress spread out like a cloud of cotton candy. To match the dress, Ayrton had gifted her a pair of custom crystal heels, the sparkling gems catching the light in an extravagant display. And that flashy red sports car was unmistakably Walter’s doing In the center photo, Claire stood between Ayrton and Walter, her arms around both of them, grinning like she was living a fairy tale. Caption: Yay, today I got to be a princess
Lucille knew Claire was trying to provoke her, flaunting what used to be hers.
There was a time when this would have upset her, seeing Ayrton and Walter shower someone they barely knew with such attention But now, she was leaving, and these things no longer mattered.
id just
With a casual tap, she liked the post with a little heart, a gesture of her indifference. From now on, she and Ayrton and Walter would be friends.
The next day, Lucille handed in her resignation at work.
Back home, she took out all the photo albums of the three of them together. They’d known each other for over two decades, filling album after alburn with memories. From childhood snapshots of playing in the backyard, to winning awards in high school, to college road trips–each picture told a story.
As Lucille flipped through them, the memories felt so vivid.
But now, they were just memories
One by one, she set the photos alight, dropping them into the trash can to burn. The flames devoured the images on the photos ceaselessly, leaving only ashes behind.”
Ayrton and Walter retumed one after the other, just in time to witness this scene.!!
Ayrton rushed over, his voice trembling slightly, “What are you doing?”
Lucille glanced at him, her tone calm, “Just getting rid of some moldy photos.”
Walter instinctively reached to save the remaining photos, but Lucille let them slip from her fingers into the fire. The flames quickly devoured them, leaving no chance for rescue.
Walter tried to salvage what he could but pulled back from the heat, eyes watering with frustration
“Even if they’re moldy, you shouldn’t burn them. These are our memories!!!
He sounded hurt, his voice cracking with emotion. And Ayrton looked on, helpless.
Lucille found it ironic. Here she was, a living person, and yet they had repeatedly hurt her for Claire’s sake. Now, over a few photos, they were heartbroken.
