Chapter 46 : A Hard Choice

Cat POV "You see, you could never understand Luke. He is way out of your league. I'm the only one that ever truly understood him," Victoria continued. I was only half listening. I had my phone out, and I searched for the Pink Slip. It was supposedly a cabaret, though everything about it screamed it was something more. Tons of pictures came up online, including one that looked identical to the door Luke had walked through on the video Victoria had. In the picture, it showed the sign above the door, a pink flashing sign that read "Pink Slip" with a cute, light up, neon, pink dress next to it. My heart sank like a rock, and I gasped for breath. Luke had been to a brothel while we'd been together? While we were living together!? "I'm the only person that has ever understood him. The only one that can make him happy. So, if you care about him at all, leave. And he will come back to me like he is supposed to," she said. Without turning back to Victoria, I left the library, my head heavy with thoughts. Maybe Victoria was right. This wasn't my world. I didn't belong in the glamor. I wasn't built for the expensive clothes and expensive lifestyle. My only talent and skill was my work, and that wasn't enough in a place like this. Back in the room, Luke still wasn't there. I paced back and forth, wondering how to handle this. My mom's house was still at risk. I had to make a decision. Tossing my suitcase on the bed, I threw everything back into it. I could leave now while the family was at dinner. No one would notice me being gone. Victoria was probably in the dining room charming them all, anyway. I didn't have what it took to make it in a world or family of billionaires. I could never deal with all this lying, deceiving, and treachery. Victoria was definitely a better fit. My chest caved in and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Tears stung my eyes and blurred my vision. I thought I might collapse on the floor. Rushing down the stairs, I caught glimpses of the maids and butler. No one tried to stop me, they all just watched me go. I ran outside and took in huge, gulping breaths of fresh air. At the base of the stairs, a car honked, already waiting for me. That was odd. My phone buzzed suddenly, and I looked at my messages. Victoria had sent me a link to an airline ticket, a commercial airline, back to the city. She told me she'd called ahead for the car service. I shook my head and tucked my phone in my pocket. She really had planned it all perfectly, almost horrifyingly so. She'd known what I'd decide before she even took me into the library. "To the airport?" the driver asked, taking my bag from me. I nodded. Buzz. Buzz. My heart in my throat, I reached for my phone. Maybe it was Luke telling me to stay. It was another message from Victoria. *Enjoy the drive to the airport. That's the last luxury car service you'll ever have.* I read the message in my head, but her voice rang in my ears as if she was next to me, taunting me and threatening me. The driver held the door open for me, and I got in the car, forgetting all about the notarized pages I was supposed to sign so Victoria would pay off my mom's house. I'd have never accepted that. Tears streaked my cheeks, and my heart palpitated as we drove to the airport. It was a long, long drive, and I noticed the driver kept looking at me in the rearview mirror. He didn't say anything to me or ask what was wrong, so I just stayed quiet. Part of me couldn't believe that I was sitting in the back of the car, leaving Luke and his family and fulfilling Victoria's demands. She was such a shrew! Yet, she'd played her hand well. She'd targeted my mother and Luke's business dreams. Two things she knew I'd want to protect. She got incriminating evidence against me that I knew Luke couldn't overlook. Then, she got incriminating evidence against him to shake my confidence in our relationship. As much as I hated to admit it, I had played right into her hands. Maybe this was for the best. If I had to become like her in order to survive in that world, I didn't want it. A couple of hours later, I found myself sitting in the commercial plane seat. It was cramped, and I had almost no legroom. My bag was in the overhead compartment, and people were moving up and down the aisle, taking their sets and preparing for takeoff. The guy sitting next to me kept nudging my arm off the armrest. This was a lot different from the last few flights I'd taken in private jets. I rolled my eyes and rested my other elbow on the other armrest, propping my chin up on my hand. This plane would fly me right back to the city. I'd be able to get packed and on another plane to my mother's hometown before Luke even noticed I was gone, probably. It felt wrong, leaving him in this dark time when his grandfather was sick, and possibly dying. Once he learned I was gone, he'd probably hate me too much to find out the reasons. I didn't blame him for that because I was abandoning him. He'd told me he needed me to get through this. I was starting to question the truth in that, if he was off visiting brothels. It didn't sound like Luke. I'd never heard him talk about brothels or strip clubs or anything like that. I had to remind myself that he was a guy. There were some things guys liked, and strip clubs were one of them. It didn't prove he'd cheated, though, did it? It didn't look good, either. Once he realized I was gone, though, he'd have his family and Victoria to comfort him. With her cunning, she'd probably have him seduced back to her in seconds. Sighing, I pulled out my phone and checked it. The plane was fully boarded, and they'd be telling us to turn them off soon. There were no new messages or missed calls. I'd been gone for hours, and Luke hadn't asked where I was or reached out at all. Maybe he did think it was better that I left. He deserved someone that could measure up to him. Someone who knew about money, corporations, and living the high life. He was practically French royalty! There was no way his family would ever accept me as a long-term partner. That's why they loved Victoria so much. She was cut from the same cloth as him. I kept telling myself these things over and over again, hoping that I'd start to believe them. At least, by disappearing, I wouldn't have to actually break his heart. Victoria wouldn't give him the audio recording, and he'd never question my feelings for him, he'd just accept what I already knew. We weren't right for each other. The flight attendant told us all to put our phones in airplane mode and started the pre-flight routine all flight attendants have. I tucked my phone away and lifted the shade on the window, watching the flashing lights on the runway. "Ugh! Do you have to open that? I don't want to see how high we go," the annoying guy next to me said. "Then don't look out the window," I muttered. "You don't understand. I won't be able to look away now that I know it is open! Do you want me to throw up all over you?" he snarled. Sighing, I closed the window shade. The man smirked and then put an eye pillow on. I snorted and shook my head. He wasn't even looking! Stealthily, I opened the window shade again. The guy ripped his eyeshade off and started yelling at me again. Groaning, I shut the window shade again. This was going to be the worst transatlantic flight ever! The planes roared to life, and we started moving down the runway. With nothing to look at, my mind kept wandering back to Luke. I wondered what he was doing right now. Was he still sitting with his grandfather? Had he already been swept up into Victoria's arms? Maybe his parents and family were telling him it was all for the best that I was gone. I couldn't imagine he'd be in a forgiving mood since I took off in a dark time. Victoria probably planned that, too, just to make sure that Luke wouldn't miss me or try to come after me. Assuming he actually did care about me. Groaning, I leaned back, trying to get comfortable in my cramped seat. It wasn't easy, and I eventually gave up. With a whoosh of air and the feeling of being sucked backward, the plane shot down the runway and lifted off. The guy next to me was already snoring. Right, and he told me he'd get sick. He was just some jerk trying to control me. I'd let him control me, just like I'd let Victoria do. Was I really that weak? I shook my head and dropped my head into my hands. This wasn't about me. It was about what was best for Luke, and that was being with his family and people that understood him. Victoria had been right about that. I'd never understand him and his lifestyle. All in all, my time spent with Luke hadn't been bad. Just the opposite, it had been amazing. In a short time, I'd learned so much from him about architecture, and… well, he'd taught me a lot about love and loyalty too. Things I never thought I'd have again after Aaron had cheated on me. I clasped my hands on my stomach and closed my eyes. It might have been my ending with Luke, but I didn't regret being with him. I didn't regret the time we'd spent together. He'd given me the chance to grow and recover from my last relationship. At the end of the day, maybe this had just run its course. I was a stronger, happier person than I'd been when we met. Perhaps I'd gotten what I needed out of this relationship and it was time to move on. There was no shame in that. All relationships had a natural ending. I felt a little lucky that ours hadn't ended in some horrific fight or infidelity. Sighing, I felt my mind relax. Sleep was just at the edges of my thoughts. Luke would always be special to me. He gave me chances I never would have had otherwise. I'd learned a lot about myself with him, like independence. Because of that, I'd never stop loving him.