His Chubby Luna’s Untouchable Glow-Up Chapter 07

His Chubby Luna’s Untouchable Glow-Up Chapter 07

After Daphne’s hysterical voice message, my world became completely peaceful.

I later heard scraps of gossip from old classmates that she and Vincent had had a vicious fight.

She screamed over the phone that he was still in love with me.

Vincent hung up and told her to stop acting insane.

The rumors soon faded, while my days filled with more tangible concerns: papers for my major and the debate team’s upcoming intercollegiate tournament.

As for Vincent, he became a channel I had permanently muted.

During winter break of my sophomore year, I went home for the holidays.

On Christmas Eve, Mom answered a call and looked at me with a complicated expression.

“Rachel… it’s Vincent. He wants to wish you a merry Christmas.”

I was helping Dad bake a cake and wore thick oven mitts.

I shook my head. “Please answer for me, Mom. Tell him I’m asleep.”

Mom sighed, spoke briefly into the phone, and hung up.

Not long afterward, our high school reunion took place as planned.

I had not intended to go, but several girls I used to like kept asking and said it had been too long since we had seen one another.

After thinking it over, I agreed. I braided my hair loosely to one side, put on a cream sweater, and applied light makeup.

The reunion was held in a large private room at a karaoke lounge.

When I opened the door, everyone froze for a moment before several awkward greetings rang out.

“Rachel? Is that really you?”

“You look so different. I barely recognized you!”

“Come sit with us!”

I smiled in greeting and chose a seat near the edge of the room.

I could feel people glancing at me with curiosity, openly assessing the changes.

Daphne was not there, and no one mentioned Vincent.

Everyone sang, played games, and talked. Inevitably, the conversation turned to college life and our different schools.

Someone asked how I liked Southbridge University. I said it was great, I had adjusted to the climate, and my classes kept me busy.

Just as the party grew lively, the door opened again.

Vincent stood in the doorway.

The room fell silent. Everyone’s gaze traveled between us with poorly concealed curiosity.

He had lost a great deal of weight. The proud bearing of an Alpha heir was gone, and his shoulders slumped. His overgrown hair hung messily across his forehead.

His eyes swept the crowd and quickly found me.

Then he simply stared at me without moving.

One of the guys tried to break the tension. “Hey, Vincent made it! You’re late, man. You owe us a drink!”

Vincent seemed not to hear him. He walked toward me one slow step at a time.

The crowd automatically parted to let him through.

He stopped close enough that I caught the faint smell of smoke beneath his familiar cedar scent.

“Rachel.” His voice was hoarse, and his eyes held an almost humble plea. “Can I talk to you alone? Just for a minute.”

No one made a sound. Only a love song played weakly in the background.

I set down my juice and rose.

“Say it here.”

Embarrassment crossed his face, but deeper desperation quickly swallowed it.

“I’m sorry.”

His voice rasped, and he seemed to force each word from his throat.

“I know saying it a thousand times won’t change anything. But I truly know I was wrong. Rachel, I regret it every day, every minute.”

“I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m only asking for one chance to make it up to you, to treat you right, to spend the rest of my life repaying you. Please?”

By the end, he was nearly begging.

Around us, our classmates held their breath. Some looked sympathetic, some regretful, and others merely eager for the spectacle.

I stood quietly without reacting.

Only when he fell silent and watched me with desperate hope did I speak softly.

“Vincent, are you finished? Then it’s my turn.”

“Leave my life for good. Stop looking for me, stop contacting me, and never talk about spending your life repaying me again.”

“Your life belongs to you. Keep it.”

I spoke slowly and clearly, making sure he heard every word.

The color visibly drained from Vincent’s face until he was deathly pale.

His mouth opened as if he wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

As though all his strength had vanished, his shoulders collapsed completely.

I picked up my purse and nodded to the stunned classmates beside me. “I’m leaving. Have fun, everyone.”

Then I walked around Vincent, who remained frozen in place, opened the door, and left.

As it shut behind me, I thought I heard something like a sob from inside.

But I was not sure, and I did not want to be.

That was where things ended between me and the boy who had tangled himself through more than a decade of my youth.

Whatever paths waited beyond this point, ours would never cross again.

(The End)