I Was His Precious Until She Came Back Chapter 03
Before I understood what happened, pain exploded across my face.
The slap cracked through the cavernous, empty living room, snapping my head aside.
When I looked up, Matteo stood there with his right hand raised and ice in his eyes.
My ears rang, and nausea rolled through me.
I felt terribly sick, but Matteo, who had once cared for me more than anyone, never noticed the nausea or the way I struggled to remain standing.
He bent down and carried Amelia carefully to the couch.
Then he turned and asked coldly:
“Lucia, have I spoiled you too much?”
“Come here and apologize to Amelia.”
Six years earlier, I had somehow been responsible for every hurt Clara claimed to suffer.
Paint once entered my eyes, and while blinded by pain, I knocked over her painting, so I apologized.
My mind was slow, and when I picked her up from school, I embarrassed her before her classmates, so I apologized.
At a birthday party, I somehow wore her dress and made her cry, so I apologized.
After finding Matteo half dead beside the road, I apologized to him out of habit too.
When he coughed, I apologized.
When he was injured, I apologized.
Even when he grew upset because I called for my brothers in my sleep, I apologized.
Again and again, Matteo wrapped me in his arms and patiently challenged that habit.
“Our Lucia is the best Lucia in the world. She never owes anyone an apology.”
Over six years, Matteo corrected me 9,999 times until I stopped apologizing to everyone.
Now the same Matteo told me to stop sulking and apologize to Amelia.
I studied his face in silence until the room seemed to hold its breath.
Only when he grew uncomfortable and started looking away did I slowly approach Amelia.
I bent at the waist and said, “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Lucia had made another mistake.
Perhaps I bowed too quickly, because the room tilted when I straightened.
I thought I heard Matteo shout before my body went limp and darkness took me.
…
“Our Lucia is the sweetest and most beautiful girl in the world. She’s her brothers’ greatest treasure.”
“Don’t be afraid. It wasn’t Lucia’s fault, so we’ll buy her cake and make everything better.”
“Lucia, come here and let your brothers hug you…”
Bright, joyful memories flickered through the deepest part of my mind like scenes from an old film.
Victor and Nico stood nearby with open arms and familiar smiles, waiting to embrace me.
I forced my heavy legs to run toward them.
Lucia had suffered such a terrible nightmare.
Before I reached them, the welcoming scene shattered and disappeared without warning.
Another girl appeared between Victor and Nico, and they smiled as they introduced her.
“Lucia, this is Clara. She belongs to you now, so let her play with you.”
“Lucia, don’t bully Clara.”
“Lucia, apologize to Clara.”
“Why weren’t you the one kidnapped?”
“Why weren’t you the one threatened with death instead of innocent Clara?”
“Lucia, we’re begging you to go die and stop burdening us.”
One moment, Victor and Nico stared at me with hatred burning in their eyes.
The next, I sat between my brothers on the roof.
They pointed happily toward the stars.
“Victor and Nico will always be Lucia’s guardian stars.”
Could guardian stars fall too?
I awoke crying for my brothers and found Matteo’s dark gaze fixed on me.
“Lucia, you called for them in your sleep again.”
