My Student Stole My Fiancé - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Lennon froze for a heartbeat before his usual composure slid back into place. That familiar grin flashed across his face as he grabbed my arm, yanking me toward the lounge with enough force to make me wince.
"Come home for dinner tonight. Mom insisted on making your favorite."
I twisted against his grip. "Lennon, I said we're done."
His smile stayed plastered on, but his expression went rigid.
Love Does Not Wait Forever
"Claire, cut the crap."
He caught my hands again, thumbs brushing over my knuckles in that practiced, tender way. A hint of softness crept into his voice.
"That thing with Mia? Just to get a rise out of you. Never meant to make you feel sidelined." His face twisted into mock hurt. "You really think I'd want someone like her? It's always been you."
His eyes almost looked sincere. Almost.
I shook my head, exhaling quietly before meeting his gaze head-on.
"Lennon, I don't care who you like. Or if you still love me." Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a velvet box—something I'd picked out for him long ago, back when it still meant something.
"All I know is I'm done."
I flipped it open. Two silver cufflinks glinted inside. Without hesitation, I tossed them into the trash.
Lennon's eyes snapped to the bin. The carefully constructed calm shattered.
"Claire, this isn't happening. You don't get to walk away."
The edge in his voice was new. Dangerous.
But I didn't flinch. Held his stare until he cracked first. With a muttered curse, he spun on his heel and stalked off—only to stop dead after a few steps. When he turned back, his eyes were rimmed red.
"Claire. We'll talk after the performance. Both of us need to cool off."
The performance. The orchestra's anniversary gala, two weeks away. My lead in the strings, his in management.
He didn't wait for an answer—probably couldn't stomach the rejection. Just strode out without a backward glance.
I leaned against the wall, eyes squeezed shut, the cold plaster biting into my skin. Memories of Lennon surged up, unbidden.
I'd never been one to dwell, but I wasn't ruthless either.
Lennon hadn't just been a lover. He'd been my constant, my confidant. His presence had carved grooves into my life too deep to ignore.
Now, having ripped us apart with my own hands, my chest ached like I'd torn out a piece of myself.
I pressed my palms to my face, willing the world to disappear—
The door slammed open.
I jerked upright, pulse spiking, bracing for Lennon's return—
"Lennon! The engagement ring's ready! Miss Dawson's gonna lose it when she sees it—oh, man, should we start calling her Mrs. Sullivan now?!"
Alex burst in, all loud enthusiasm, then froze mid-step like he'd walked into an ambush.
"Uh—M-Miss Dawson! You're hurt! What're you doing here?"
He stood there, deflating, his earlier bravado gone.
Alex, the bright-eyed wind player who'd joined this year. Lennon's starry-eyed shadow, talented and eager to please.
His words hung in the air. I took a breath, smoothing my expression. "Did you just say Lennon's proposing to me?"
Love Does Not Wait Forever
Alex's head whipped side to side like a panicked metronome. I offered a thin smile. "Relax. I heard everything. Keep your secret—I'll pretend I didn't."
But he couldn't help himself. "It's the anniversary gala, right? Lennon's planning this whole thing—wants to propose onstage after your set. Made us all rehearse our parts..."
"He said you two have been ships passing in the night for years. Now that he's management, he wants to finally build a life with you."
Alex leaned in, earnest. "Miss Dawson, he's crazy about you. You gotta say yes."
Hearing it laid bare like that left me hollow.
Lennon loved me. I knew that.
But that love had fractured long ago, splintered by his carelessness. Mia held one of those shards.
I waved a hand, like I could brush off the weight of it.
The room was too quiet.
Had I neglected him? Had the distance worn us down? Or had Mia just been the final push off a cliff we'd been teetering on for years?
My eyes burned. My chest was lead.
I sank into the sofa, anchored by the heaviness inside.
Time blurred. When I finally opened my eyes, sunset painted the room gold.
And everything was crystal clear.
It didn't matter whose fault it was. Didn't matter how much he'd once loved me. What remained wasn't love—just residue.
I had no room in my life for half-heartedness. For tangled loyalties.
Master and apprentice. Lovers. Three was always a crowd.
They'd pay for every wound they'd given me.
I wasn't ruthless. But I remembered. And I repaid in kind.
In two weeks, I'd give Lennon and Mia a night they'd never forget.