Ultimate Spin System: Ero Spin?-Chapter 36 - Too MuChapter

Maya let out a soft sigh, her eyes gazing at Lucas with a gentle yet faintly teasing look. Her long black hair fell perfectly over her shoulders, and while her expression seemed worried, there was something behind her smile that was hard to ignore.

"You must be tired, dear..." her voice was low and soft, almost a whisper, even though they were only connected through a video call.

Lucas swallowed hard, feeling a bit uneasy under his stepmother’s intense gaze. "I-I’m fine, Mom. Just... a little shocked by the news about Dad."

The woman bit her lower lip softly before her slender fingers brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I was shocked too, Lucas. Without your father here, someone reliable... it feels so lonely."

Lucas felt his chest tighten slightly, but not from anxiety—something else, something more subtle and harder to explain. His stepmother’s gaze never left the screen, as if her eyes had trapped Lucas in place.

"You’re all grown up now," she continued, her voice trembling slightly. "It feels like just yesterday I saw you as a cheerful little boy... but now, look at you. You’ve become a man."

Lucas coughed lightly, trying to break the tension between them. "I-I’ll be in Greenville tomorrow morning, Mom. Don’t worry too much, okay?"

The woman rested her chin on one hand, her expression softening, but her lips curved into a thin smile that was hard to interpret. "You’re such a good boy, Lucas. I’m... glad you’re coming. At least I won’t feel so alone anymore."

Lucas nodded quickly, feeling his face heat up, though he didn’t know why. "Yeah, Mom. I’ll be there soon."

His stepmother stared at him for a moment before finally giving a faint smile and ending the video call. Lucas stared at his now-dark phone screen, his emotions swirling.

"What just happened...?" he muttered softly.

Lucas kept staring at the dark screen. His breathing felt heavy, his chest rising and falling as his thoughts raced. The gentle gaze, the thin smile, and those subtle gestures from his stepmother lingered in his mind.

"That... wasn’t how a stepmother talks to her stepson, right? What the hell is going on here?"

Lucas stood up from the sofa, pacing around the living room with his arms crossed over his chest. Maya’s face—his stepmother, whom he had always respected—now felt unfamiliar to him.

"Back then... everyone said she wasn’t a good woman. There were rumors everywhere when Dad decided to marry her. But I always denied it. Maya was always kind to me. Always caring. Always making sure I got the best."

Lucas let out a long sigh, trying to ease the tension wrestling within him. But Maya’s image, with her sorrowful eyes and softly bitten lips, continued to haunt him.

"Why does it feel different now? Why do I feel like something’s wrong?"

He sat back down on the sofa, his head hanging low. A creeping sense of disappointment began to settle in his heart.

"Has she been pretending all this time in front of me and Dad? Or... did something change after I left Greenville?"

Lucas closed his eyes, trying to recall his teenage years. He remembered the times he overheard gossiping housewives.

"No... she’s not that kind of woman. The Maya I know would never do something like this. But... her gaze earlier... her expression... that wasn’t how a mother looks at her son. It was something else."

Lucas ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He didn’t want to believe it, but his instincts told him something was wrong.

"Could it be... she’s cheating on Dad? Could it be Maya isn’t who I thought she was?"

The thought made his chest tighten. Lucas had always defended Maya in his heart when people gossiped about her. He believed Maya was a faithful woman who loved his father sincerely.

"But if that’s true... if she’s really hiding something... I have to know. I have to find out what’s really happening in Greenville."

Lucas stood up with a determined look in his eyes. He glanced at the bag he’d already packed for tomorrow’s trip.

"I’m going home. I’ll see for myself what’s happening there. If Maya’s hiding something from Dad... or from me... I’ll find out."

But behind his resolve, there was an odd feeling—something he couldn’t define. The memory of how Maya had looked at him through the phone screen earlier made his heart beat in a way that felt... wrong. And that frustrated him even more.

"No, this is wrong. Even if she’s under some sort of forbidden charm, I can’t let myself go there."

Lucas took a long breath before dropping back onto the sofa and closing his eyes. But the tightness in his chest remained, and his thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning.

Tomorrow morning, the trip to Greenville would feel unbearably long. And Lucas knew, whatever awaited him there, his life would never be the same again.

The apartment doorbell rang again, snapping Lucas out of his thoughts. With slightly heavy breaths, he walked towards the door and opened it.

Standing there was Cindy, his next-door neighbor, who had recently declared Lucas as her friend and secret-sharing buddy. This time, she wasn’t wearing her mask.

"Heeey, Lucas!" Cindy greeted him cheerfully, her voice full of energy even though her eyes carried a hint of hesitation. "I brought brownies! And don’t worry, they’re not poisoned. I already ate a piece as proof." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lucas forced a small smile, though his mind was still clouded with images of Maya from the recent video call. "Uh, thanks, Cindy. You didn’t have to go through the trouble, really."

Cindy rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, come on. Don’t be so formal. Just think of this... as a celebration of our newly blossomed friendship."

Lucas nodded slowly and accepted the box of brownies. "Thank you. Do you want to come in for a bit?"

Cindy quickly shook her head, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Nope! Not today. I just wanted to ask if you’d like to hang out tomorrow. We could grab lunch or... I don’t know, maybe play some games at a cool café. What do you think?"

Lucas stared at Cindy for a moment before letting out a long sigh. "Sorry, Cindy. I can’t. I have to head back to Greenville tomorrow morning."

Cindy paused for a moment, her smile fading slightly. "Oh... Greenville? What’s going on?"

Lucas lowered his gaze, his voice a bit hoarse. "My dad... he had an accident. I need to go back to check on him."

Cindy’s eyes widened, and her smile completely disappeared now. "Lucas... I... I’m so sorry. Are you okay?"

Lucas nodded slowly. "Yeah, I’m okay. But... there’s just a lot on my mind right now."

Cindy looked at him with a gentle, caring expression before offering a small, albeit slightly forced, smile. "Alright. I won’t keep you any longer. But... we can still chat on YoChat, right?"