I took a step back, the muscles in my body tensing. Leon noticed, his eyes narrowing, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, are you afraid, Emily?" he sneered. "Afraid I'll leave you? Don't worry, as long as you stop nagging me about marriage, we can keep things just fine. Why get married? It's such a hassle."
He reached out, his hand grabbing my shoulder, squeezing just a bit too tightly as he leaned in close, his breath hot against my cheek. "Come on," he whispered, his voice thick with condescension. "Admit it—you've come to your senses, haven't you?"
I could feel his grip tightening as he tried to pull me closer, his body pressing against mine. Panic surged through me and I twisted, managing to slip free. My hand swung up of its own accord, connecting with his cheek in a resounding slap.
The impact startled him, his head snapping to the side. He stumbled back, his eyes wide in shock, before anger replaced his surprise. He steadied himself, rubbing his cheek, then laughed bitterly. "Emily," he said, his voice a venomous whisper. "Don't you dare. I'm giving you a way out here—don't be ungrateful."
The word "ungrateful" hung in the air and in that instant, something snapped inside me. I raised my hand and slapped him again, this time across his other cheek. My palm stung, but the satisfaction was worth it. "No, Leon, you're the ungrateful one. Keep your so-called ‘way out' for yourself. We're over."
For a moment, Leon stared at me, bewildered, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to decipher if I was serious. But his smirk soon returned, twisting his features into something ugly, bitter. "Oh, so you're serious this time? Playing the same game again, huh, Emily?"
I didn't respond. My heart felt as if it were tearing apart, but I didn't let it show. I turned away, feeling a strange sense of release and walked out, leaving him standing in the mess of shattered memories and broken frames.
The night air outside was cold, sharp against my face and I inhaled deeply, savoring the bite of it. But sadness still lingered, a heavy ache in my chest that no amount of fresh air could ease.
I didn't want to hear Leon's voice calling after me or any more of his cruel words, so I hurried down the stairs with my suitcase in hand. My foot, still sore from the glass shard, made each step painful, but I kept going.