Can You Be My Luna

Chapter 10 THE LIES LIVE

That morning felt like a performance I hadn’t rehearsed for.

I sat at the long dining table with my hands folded tightly in my lap, my back straight the way Aunt Locia had taught me, my smile carefully measured. The room was bright, filled with sunlight and the smell of fresh bread and tea, but my chest felt heavy, like I couldn’t take a full breath.

Across from me sat Lucas’s parents. His mother watched me with soft eyes and a polite smile, the kind that looked warm on the surface but searched for cracks underneath.

His father barely spoke, only observing his gaze sharp and unsettling. I felt like I was being weighed, measured, and judged.

Lucas sat beside me. Too close. His arm brushed mine, and though the touch meant nothing, my body still tensed. I reminded myself to stay calm.

“You look much better today, dear,” his mother said gently. “Marriage suits you.”

I lowered my eyes and smiled. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Lucas’s hand settled on my knee beneath the table. The sudden contact made my breath hitch, but I didn’t react. I knew what it was meant to show. I was the loving and obedient wife.

His mother smiled wider, clearly pleased.

“So,” she said lightly, lifting her cup, “when will you give us a grandchild?”

The words struck me so hard that I nearly dropped my fork. My heart slammed against my ribs, loud and painful. A child? With Lucas?

I couldn’t speak. My throat closed completely.

Lucas laughed quickly beside me. Too quickly. “Mother,” he said, shaking his head, “it’s far too early for that.”

I stared at my plate, my face burning. His hand tightened on my knee slightly, a silent command to stay still, to stay silent.

“We want to enjoy being newly married first,” he continued smoothly. His mother sighed, though she didn’t look disappointed. “Very well. But don’t wait too long.”

I nodded, even though my insides felt hollow. I didn’t trust my voice enough to speak.

That night, the lie continued.

The bedroom felt enormous and unfamiliar, even though I had slept on its floor the night before. Lucas sat on the bed, leaning back against the headboard, while I knelt on the rug near his feet.

“Massage them,” he said. “You’re slow today.”

I obeyed.

My fingers worked over his feet as my knees pressed painfully into the floor. I kept my eyes down, focusing on my hands, pretending my heart wasn’t pounding with every second we shared the same space.

The silence was heavy, broken only by the crackling fire and my breathing.

Then the door burst open. I flinched so hard my hands froze.

Vanessa stood there. She slammed the door behind her and smiled like she owned the room. Her eyes moved from Lucas to me, lingering just long enough to make my skin crawl.

“Hi, babe,” she said sweetly, climbing onto the bed like she belonged there. “I missed you.”

My chest tightened painfully.

Her hands were everywhere on Lucas, his shoulders, his chest, his neck. I felt like I was shrinking, disappearing right there on the floor.

“What are you doing here?” Lucas snapped, grabbing her wrists. “Are you crazy? My parents are here.”

She laughed sharply. “So what? Maybe it’s time they knew.”

My breath caught. Fear crawled up my spine.

Lucas pushed her back. “You need to leave. Now.”

Vanessa stared at him, hurt flickering across her face before it hardened into fury. “So you’re choosing this?” she shouted. Her eyes dropped to me. I felt naked under her gaze.

“So this is why,” she said coldly, climbing off the bed. She stood over me, looking down like I was something filthy. “You’re asking me to leave because of this dirty b***h?”

My hands trembled. I wanted to disappear.

“Fine,” she said, her voice sharp. “I’ll leave.”

Relief flashed across Lucas’s face but it didn’t last.

Vanessa leaned down, close enough that I could smell her perfume. Her voice dropped, soft and dangerous.

“But I’ll be back.” My blood ran cold. I knew that those words weren’t meant for Lucas. They were meant for me.

She straightened and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Silence filled the room like a suffocating fog. “Get up,” Lucas said harshly. “You’re done.”

I stood slowly, my legs weak, my heart racing. I didn’t look at him as I moved toward the floor where I would sleep again.

I lay down, staring into the darkness, one thought echoed over and over in my mind:

Vanessa wasn’t done with me. And whatever came next… I would be the one to suffer.