Hearts Remember What Minds Try To Forget by Rex Wilder 10

10 

In a mere ten minutes, the trending topic of Lucas’s infidelity had skyrocketed to the top of every list. 

Short video clips were absolutely everywhere online, and even the massive LCD screens at airports were broadcasting real–time reports of the unfolding drama. 

The news anchor, beaming into the camera and pointing dramatically at the hospital room behind her, her voice practically thrumming with excitement, gushed: “Good evening, viewers! We’re bringing you the scandal of the year–Thorne Dynasty heir, Lucas, publicly caught red–handed, having an illicit affair with the Vance Family heiress, Xenia Vance, inside a private hospital room! For the Thome Dynasty, a family known for its strict no–scandal policy, this is an absolute humiliation! Cameraman, let’s turn to the scene of the 

tryst!” 

I stood rooted beneath the massive screen, acutely aware of the hushed murmurs and the gradual press of fellow travelers gathering around me, their boarding passes clutched in hand. 

Everyone craned their necks, staring at the naked man and woman on the screen, murmurs erupting amongst them. 

“Oh my God, they really caught them in the act! This is wild!” 

“These reporters are insane! They actually got proof of the Thorne Conglomerate heir cheating! I heard the Thorne Dynasty has contracts with a bunch of other families, and if there’s a cheating scandal like this, they lose their shareholder rights.” 

“Lucas was so careless,” someone muttered. “If you’re going to fool around, go to some secluded hotel, not a hospital. Talk about a public spectacle…” 

My gaze was fixed on Lucas on the screen, a mask of indifference covering my face. He was in a furious rage, trying to drive the reporters out of the hospital room, even smashing a fist into a camera lens, determined to keep Chloe from being filmed. 

In an instant, the lens shattered, and the screen went black. 

But the surrounding crowd in the airport continued to buzz with laughter and chatter about the trending news. I lowered my gaze to my 

own phone. 

Every search engine was pushing the explosive scandal of Lucas cheating with Chloe. Online, users were also keenly focused on “Mrs. Thorne’s” feelings at this very moment. 

“Mrs. Thorne used to be a highly renowned CEO! She only faded out of the business world after marrying Lucas. With this kind of betrayal, she must be utterly heartbroken, right?” 

“Honestly, the rumors about Lucas and Chloe aren’t new. It’s just that they never actually got caught in bed, so his wife just pretended 

not to see it.” 

“But now it’s different! The trending topics have exploded, the whole world has seen Lucas and his mistress in bed. I’m rooting for Mrs. Thorne to divorce him!” 

A relieved smile played on my lips. I opened my social media app and changed my username to ‘No Longer Mrs. Thorne‘. Then, I posted a text update: 

“From this moment forward, Lucas and I are nothing to each other anymore. No looking back, we go our separate ways.” 

I hit ‘post‘. The message went live. 

An overwhelming sense of lightness and liberation washed over me. 

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I drew a deep, fortifying breath and strode toward the security checkpoint.. 

Even if my future stretched before me, solitary and vast, never again would I have to endure Lucas’s torment. 

Yes, Lucas. You finally lost me. Every bit of this was your own damn fault. 

I quickened my pace into the jet bridge, never once looking back. 

Meanwhile. 

All hell had broken loose at the Thorne Conglomerate. 

The entire Thorne Dynasty was in disarray, its staff scrambling to field the furious inquiries pouring in from powerful families. Dozens of companies had already sent outright notices of termination, severing all business ties. 

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Even the high–profile ad campaigns endorsed by the Thorne Dynasty were pulled from airwaves one after another. Magazines that had once featured Lucas on their covers swiftly blacklisted him, issuing scathing statements declaring their permanent dissociation from the Thorne Dynasty. 

The calamitous news almost sent Mr. Thorne into a rage–induced heart attack. He barely managed to summon Lucas and Chloe back to the Thorne estate before he grabbed a priceless antique vase and hurled it straight at Lucas, the ornate ceramic whistling past his ear, narrowly missing his skull. 

“You… you utterly shameless disgrace!” Mr. Thorne thundered, his hand shaking violently as he jabbed a finger at Lucas, his lips trembling with an uncontrolled fury. “You know full well the Thorne Dynasty’s lineage demands absolute fidelity, that not even the faintest whisper of scandal can touch our name! And you – you let yourself be caught red–handed in a sordid affair by every prying 

camera and tabloid reporter!” 

Mrs. Thorne, her face etched with worry, gently tried to soothe her husband, then turned her helpless gaze to Lucas. “Lucas,” she said, her voice heavy with despair, “this time, you’ve truly crossed an unforgivable line. You’ve brought ruin upon the Thorne Dynasty!” 

Lucas’s face was a thundercloud, but despite the fury raging within him, his grip on Chloe’s hand remained firm, as if to shield her from the storm, from any further hurt. 

“What’s done is done, and I won’t deny it,” Lucas stated, finally lifting his gaze to meet his parents‘. “I’ll call explain everything. And I will take responsibility for Chloe.” 

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Chloe’s eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, gazed up at Lucas, fragile and utterly helpless. 

Mr. Thorne’s fury flared hotter. He slammed a fist onto the polished mahogany. “You are a married man! I forbid you to continue carrying on with Chloe!” 

“Dad, Chloe’s identity was exposed because of me,” Lucas shot back, his arm already tightening around Chloe. “The whole damn internet knows she’s mine now. I have to protect her.” He turned, pulling Chloe with him, but paused at the threshold, throwing a final barb over his shoulder. “As for Anna Reed, I’ll explain everything to her. She loves me. She’ll understand.” 

Mr. Thorne’s furious shouts continued to echo through the grand entrance, but Lucas, unflinching, simply led Chloe by the hand and walked out of the Thorne family home. 

On the drive back to the villa, Chloe kept Lucas’s arm clasped tightly in her grip. Since they’d finally been intimate, she refused to let him out of her sight for a second. 

Lucas was weary, the relentless tide of negative headlines finally taking its toll. 

Until she suddenly came to mind. 

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In all these days, she hadn’t contacted him even once. 

Lucas frowned, pulling out his phone to call her, only to stumble upon the ‘Mrs. Thorne‘ statement trending on social media- 

“Lucas and I are officially over. The past is exactly that–past. We’ll go our separate ways!” 

A wave of shock crashed over Lucas. 

Anna Reed. What the hell was she doing?