Chapter 4

When Felix saw Dad calling for an ambulance, he pushed Aunt Mel away aggressively and forced himself onto his feet to snatch Dad’s phone away.

Aunt Mel lost her footing and stumbled backward before falling onto the floor. Wincing in pain, she could not seem to get back up.

Felix had also used too much strength to push himself to his feet. He lost his balance and banged against the dining table. There was a resounding crash as the table crashed and all the plates fell off.

The delicious meal that Aunt Mel and Mom put in a lot of effort to prepare was now ruined.

The dining room was in chaos, mirroring the emotions swirling in my heart.

Uncle Austin froze, as did everyone else.

No one could’ve expected a happy family dinner to end like this.

Felix, now covered in food, got back up on his feet. His right hand was clenched into a fist, and there was fresh blood dripping from his fingers. He had cut himself on something sharp when he crashed into the table.

He shot me a scathing glare as if I had committed an unspeakable sin. “Are you happy now, Luna?” he spat.

I stared back at him with wide eyes, and my vision grew blurry from my tears.

Why would I be happy? What did I ever do for him to say such a thing?

From the start, I hadn’t even said a single word. I was not the one to blame for this mess!

Even though I liked him, that didn’t mean he could throw wild accusations and embarrass me as he pleased!

I was genuinely heartbroken. What gave him the right to treat me like this?

I liked him, but I, too, had my sense of dignity!

He could choose not to reciprocate my feelings, but he couldn’t use my affection for him as a weapon to hurt me.

He should know that I was a human like him. I had feelings, too.

Just like him, I felt pain as well.

Felix turned to leave again, but I called out, “Felix, what do you mean by that? Explain yourself.”

“Explain myself? How dare you ask me to explain myself? If it weren’t for you shamelessly following me everywhere, they wouldn’t try to pair us up. Luna, I’m begging you. Let me have some freedom. I’m human, too. I have my own life! You don’t have the right to decide how I live my life!” he shouted.

He was calling me shameless again! Why did he have to think so little of me?

I forced myself to suppress the hurt I felt. We needed to talk this out rationally so I could make sense of what was happening.

I wanted to tell him that I really did like him, but I never once wanted to dictate how he lived his life. I would back away if he said he didn’t want me.

I wasn’t as shameless as he was making me out to be.

I tried to reason with him. “Felix, listen to me. I just like—”

“Don’t call me that. I hate it when you call my name. Keep your feelings to yourself and leave me be. I don’t need your affection.

“In fact, they’re nothing more than shackles to me. I don’t want to be associated with you in any way—not ever,” Felix interrupted. His words were venomous, and his eyes were filled with a cold hatred that made me shiver.

He looked at me with a mix of hatred and disgust. It was like he was looking at a piece of trash.

My heart ached, and I found myself gasping for breath.

My eyes were also filled with tears, but I bit my lip hard to prevent my tears from falling.

I didn’t do anything wrong, so I couldn’t allow myself to cry.

If loving him was a crime and the reason why he thought he could humiliate me, then I would gladly change!