With a loud snap, I threw open the suitcase.
My things spilled all over the floor. Aside from a few changes of clothes, I hadn’t taken anything with me.
A small crystal globe rolled to a stop at Luna’s feet. It was a gift she’d given me back in college when we first started dating—her way of confessing her feelings. Technically, it had always been hers.
She bent down to pick it up and right at that moment, I yanked off my shirt with a sharp rip.
“Luna, if you’re going to search me, then do it. Make it quick,” I said, my voice flat. “My ride’s still waiting outside.”
Since that incident five years ago, it was the only time I’d ever raised my voice to her.
Her hand trembled slightly as she held the crystal globe. Her eyes were red around the edges, welling up.
“Cyrus. You’re really something, aren’t you?” she spat. “Go ahead, strip down completely. Walk out of here butt-naked if you’ve got the guts!”
She hurled the crystal globe at me.
It shattered on the floor with a sharp, piercing crack that echoed through the hall—like the final snap of something that had already been splintering for years.
That globe was like our relationship. It shattered into pieces too jagged to put back together.
The people around us started realizing things were going sideways. One by one, they slipped away, smart enough to leave without a word. I could feel a burning gaze on my back, hot and heavy like it was searing through me. I turned, but there was no one there.
Within moments, the hall was completely empty. The older students, the ones who’d been around the longest, had quietly gone back to their rooms.
Seth was the only one still standing beside Luna. He was shifting with unease, but I could see something in his eye. A flicker of amusement was there. The kind of amusement anyone would have when watching a spectacular show.
"Alright then," I said. "I'll strip down if that's what you want." And I did it, just like that. In a few swift motions, I was down to nothing.
"Professor Luna Owen," I said calmly, "please sign the divorce papers. I’m fine walking away with nothing."
The moment Luna heard the words walk away with nothing, she burst out laughing—loud and sharp.
“Cyrus, do you actually think you can walk away clean? You’ve been out of touch with the real world for years. You can’t even land a basic job making three to five grand a month.”