Chapter 15 Finally Divorced
After ending the call with Grandpa, Madison went upstairs to pack her few belongings. Everything fit into a large suitcase. Matthew had bought many of the items in the house, and she wasn't planning to take them.
Once she finished packing, she placed the suitcase next to the nightstand and went downstairs to the kitchen to gather two bags of vegetables to take to the family home.
She arrived at Grandpa’s house early. Sylvia hadn't started preparing dinner yet, so Madison decided to cook dinner herself, thinking it might be the last time she'd have dinner with Grandpa. After she insisted Sylvia finally agreed to let her cook. Madison prepared six dishes and some soup, letting Sylvia and the butler Carter try some of the produce she’d brought from her hometown.
After dinner, Madison made an excuse to refuse Grandpa's offer to stay the night and returned to the villa she shared with Matthew. She declined Grandpa's offer to arrange a ride for her too. When she saw the elderly Grandpa standing at the doorstep waving goodbye to her with a loving smile, she thought about how difficult it would be to see him again. Holding back tears, Madison managed a smile and waved back at Grandpa, whispering a silent farewell in her heart.
…
Madison received a call from Matthew’s lawyer, Aaron, a week later, informing her that he would be bringing the divorce papers to the villa that day. Finally, the day had arrived. Matthew hadn't returned to the villa that week, and Madison guessed he might be at Brianna's place. Since they had already talked things through, it didn't matter to her where he spent his nights anymore.
She was relieved that she had worn loose home wear during their last encounter, which prevented him from noticing anything unusual.
Less than half an hour after Aaron’s phone call, he arrived. As the chief lawyer for JK Group, he was incredibly efficient. Madison sat across from Aaron, who looked at the CEO's wife, whom he had met only a few times, ready to explain the divorce settlement to her. The divorce financial terms that the boss had arranged for her, he believed, were more than enough for this and possibly the next lifetime.
"Please take a look at the agreement, Madison. I'll go into detail about the property Matthew is allocating to you after the divorce afterward," Aaron said.
Madison took the agreement without reading it and signed her name at the end. She didn't want anything. If this would make Matthew feel better, so be it.
Aaron was surprised to see Madison sign immediately. Was she really not curious about how much money it was? But as a lawyer who had completed his task, he didn't say anything more and took out a bank card from his bag to hand to Madison.
"Madison, this is the bank card Matthew asked me to give you. He said the pin is your birthday. The property mentioned in the divorce agreement that should be allocated to you is all in there."
Madison didn’t take the card. "Okay, thank you for your work, Aaron."
Aaron placed the card on the table and stood up to leave.
"You're welcome, Madison. Matthew will be waiting for you at the entrance of the courthouse at 9 AM on Monday for the divorce proceedings. I'll take my leave now."
"Alright, please tell Matthew I’ll be there on time."
After seeing Aaron out, Madison booked a plane ticket to Frostpine on her phone. She had lied to Matthew about going back to her hometown. She needed to arrange for the twins she was carrying. She had spent days researching online and finally came across descriptions of Frostpine as a windy place with beautiful mountains, clear waters, pleasant scenery, and simple folk customs—perfect for living. She wanted to find a place where no one knew her, give birth to her children, and raise them on her own.
Matthew might marry Brianna soon and start a new family with their own little one. She won't disrupt his new life, and though it was hard to leave, she was grateful for the twins he had given her, for the closest of kin.
…
Early Monday morning, Madison arrived ahead of time at the entrance of the courthouse, anticipating Matthew's arrival at 9 a.m. She wore a top that cleverly concealed her abdomen to keep Matthew from noticing anything.
Matthew spotted Madison sitting on the stone bench outside the bureau from a distance, before even stepping out of his car.
As Madison saw Matthew’s car approaching, she stood up. She noticed him getting out and walking toward her with a weary look in his eyes, but she held back her concern. They were about to go through with the divorce proceedings. It was best to be clear-cut and not drag things out. They went inside together. After a while, Madison left the courthouse.
From behind her, Matthew called out, "Madison, let me drive you home."
Turning around with a smile, she declined. "No need, you've got things to do. I’ll be fine on my own."
Standing face to face, she noticed how unwell he looked. “Take care of yourself. Make sure to eat on time.”
"What are your plans now? Are you going back to your hometown?"
"Yeah." After answering, Madison turned and walked away, not daring to look back lest she lose the resolve she’d fought to maintain.
"When are you heading home? I can take you," Matthew called after her.
"There’s no need to trouble yourself. I'll manage," Madison replied without turning back. Instead of returning, she used the card Matthew had given her to withdraw $100,000, went back to the villa, left the bank card on the study room table where he could find it, took her luggage, and headed straight for the airport.
…
At the Nightshade Bar, Matthew had called his friends to out for drinks after leaving the courthouse. Patrick invited Willow and Quinn too. When they arrived, Matthew was already deep into his drinks, half-reclining on the sofa in the booth.
Victor and Mitchell were the first to arrive, concerned to see Matthew in such a state.
Victor asked Mitchell, "Did Matthew encounter something in the Middle East?"
Mitchell glanced at Victor who was always straight to the point. Recalling the Middle East incident, Mitchell hinted, "The death of Matthew's parents might not have been an accident. It seems related to his ex-girlfriend, but the details aren't clear. Matthew didn't elaborate."
Victor knew that Matthew had been investigating this for years with his help, but they hadn't gotten anywhere. But he hadn't expected Matthew's ex-girlfriend to be involved.
"Matthew will talk when he's ready," Victor said as he settled down to drink. Mitchell sat down and joined him.
Shortly after, Patrick arrived with Willow and Quinn, greeting them before noticing Matthew lying there with his eyes closed. "What's up with Matthew? He called us out for drinks, but now he’s in a bad mood?"
Victor and Mitchell glanced up, gave Patrick a look, and turned back to their drinks. Patrick, touching his nose and feeling dejected, murmured quietly, "Could it be frustration? Has Madison not satisfied Matthew?"
Everyone could tell Matthew was in a bad mood. Otherwise, he wouldn't be drinking alcohol like water, surrounded by a pile of empty bottles, silent, with no one daring to approach.
After a while, Liam arrived with a girl in tow. It was the first time he'd brought a girl to their gatherings, which shocked everyone.
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