Caleb stayed where he was, face blank behind his mask. Inside, he already knew exactly what Luna was thinking… but on the outside, he kept playing the role of the clueless, innocent guy stuck in the middle of a cold war between two women.
Luna finally stopped talking, giving Lucy one last glance before pulling out a chair and sitting in the corner, crossing her legs.
"I'll sit right here," she said softly, but with weight in her voice. "Until this shop closes. I'm not leaving Caleb alone with you."
Lucy shot her a sharp look. "Huh? So you're just gonna watch me work all day?"
Luna only shrugged, looking relaxed as if she had all the time in the world. "Yep. Let's just say… I'm here to make sure Caleb's safe."
Time crawled by. The sound of scissors snipping flower stems, the fresh scent mixed with the dust from sweeping the floor, and Luna's icy gaze that never left Lucy. Caleb sat by the counter, pretending to scroll through his phone, while actually counting every second of the tension stacking up.
Finally, the clock struck five in the afternoon. Lucy took off her apron, brushed off her hands, and glanced at Luna, who was still lounging in her seat.
"Shop's closed," she said flatly.
Luna stood, smoothing out her dress. A faint, crooked smile appeared on her face. "Funny… you've already got plenty of money, yet you still bother running a flower shop." Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
Lucy let out a short, sharp laugh. "That's because I'm not poor-minded or lazy… like some cheap woman."
Luna gave her a quick look, then let out a soft scoff. "Tch…"
She walked past Lucy without another glance, but Caleb could feel the heat left behind by those words.
Behind his mask, Caleb let out a small smile.
Lucy grabbed her bag and glanced outside for a moment. "My ride's here," she said flatly, then turned to Caleb. "I'm heading home."
Luna, standing near the shelf of dried flowers, gave a faint smile. "Oh, in that case… I think I'll stick around a little longer."
Lucy instantly spun around, her gaze hardening. "No. You're not staying here alone with Caleb."
Without giving her a chance to respond, Lucy strode toward Luna and grabbed her wrist. "Let's go."
She dragged Luna out in quick, firm steps. Luna looked back over her shoulder, her smile soft yet piercing.
"Caleb… you'll never be alone. I'll always be here for you."
Lucy let out a disgusted scoff. "Pathetic…"
Without waiting for a reply, she yanked Luna toward the shop's door, flung it open, and slammed it shut behind them.
Silence.
Caleb stood frozen for a few seconds before slowly walking toward the rolling door. His hand wrapped around the chain, pulling it down as the screech of metal filled the air.
Clang… clang… The door descended, shutting out the light from outside, leaving the shop dimly lit by a single flickering neon lamp.
He locked it from the inside, letting the quiet swallow everything.
His feelings were tangled—part of him satisfied to see two grown women fighting over him like he was some expensive toy, but another part burning with the simmering hatred he still carried for Maya.
And then, a single name popped into his mind.
Joe.
Caleb's lips curved into a thin smile. "Damn… I almost forgot about my first revenge."
The image of that old man's face flashed vividly in his mind, complete with that smug, grating laugh.
Not yet… but soon.
Just seconds after the rolling door shut tight, Caleb's phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
[ This is my number, Lucy. I got it from that bitch. If you're hungry, just eat whatever's in the fridge. Don't be shy! ]
Caleb let out a slow breath, thumbs moving across the screen without a hint of emotion.
[ Of course, Aunt Lucy. Thank you. ]
Message sent. He set his phone on the counter, his eyes flicking once toward the now-locked door.
Silence again.
Caleb stood frozen in the middle of the now-empty shop, unsure what to do next.
Check social media? Tch… He knew if he did, it'd just piss him off. His timeline was still flooded with influencers milking the whole ButtManiac drama.
Eventually, he stepped into the back room. Caleb took off his hat and mask, slumping onto the sofa, the cushions sinking under his weight. His hand reached for his phone.
The screen lit up. Just as expected—his feed was still packed with ButtManiac talk. But now, the tone had shifted a bit.
Some influencers were starting to doubt the story. One had even reposted the viral photo with a caption:
"If you look closely, ButtManiac looks surprised here. Maybe it was an accident?"
Caleb let out a quiet sigh, feeling a faint, almost meaningless sense of relief.
"…At the very least, don't call me ButtManiac if you're gonna defend me," he muttered under his breath.
But deep down, he knew the truth.
"No… they just want engagement," he said flatly, before tossing his phone onto the pile with his hat and mask.
Caleb glanced at the time on his phone, then opened the alarm app. His fingers set a reminder for exactly 8 PM.
Click. Done.
He lay back on the sofa, eyes fixed on the ceiling. There was nothing to do now—just wait. Wait patiently.
—Time skip – 8:00 PM—
The soft chime of his alarm pulled him out of his thoughts. Caleb reached for his phone and went straight to TuTube.
Right on the homepage, the thumbnail for a live interview had already popped up—posted by one of the country's biggest media outlets. The title was over the top, dripping with clickbait.
He tapped it.
The screen lit up with the studio stage. Joe sat in the center chair, smiling wide, trying hard to look confident for the cameras.
Caleb smiled too—but his was different. Colder.
Just looking at Joe, he felt like he was holding the old man's fate in the palm of his hand. He could make Joe do worst shit man can do on live interview and make him believe he was acting on his own free will, and even if Joe never remembered a thing, the shame would cling to him for the rest of his life.
His thoughts drifted back to that afternoon—the drama between two MILFs clawing at each other for him, and the rotten truths they thought he didn't know.
Caleb's smile widened.
"Shit…" he muttered softly, eyes glued to the screen. "…I feel like God."
He leaned back on the sofa, letting the glow of the screen paint his face in cold light.
Then, without breaking his gaze from Joe's smug face on the live interview, Caleb whispered—calm, certain, almost like a command to the world itself:
"Open Menu."
[Ding!]
.....