Chapter 16 Drowning Sorrows in a Bar
In truth, Matthew wasn't drunk, though he wished to be. But the more he drank, the more sober he became, and with clarity came discomfort.
Willow didn't dare talk to her cousin. She eyed the quiet girl sitting next to Liam and whispered to Quinn, trying to gather some intel. "Is that Liam's new girlfriend? What happened to Coco? Did they break up again? Why haven’t I heard anything about this one?"
"I'm not sure. She's a small-time female artist at the company. She accidentally spilled red wine on Liam at Coco's celebration banquet last time and that got his attention."
"Poor her," Willow sighed dramatically. "Of all people, she had to cross paths with Liam, the heartbreaker." But unlike Liam's usual social media fame or celebrity girlfriends, this one seemed to be around their age and quite different.
Willow looked at the girl sitting by herself and pulled Quinn along to join her.
"What's your name?" Willow got straight to the point.
"Ophelia."
"Come on, dance with us. It's boring sitting here with them. Let's do our own thing."
"Okay." Ophelia found herself unable to refuse the enthusiastic Willow, and besides, she didn't want to sit beside Liam all night. She agreed with a cheerful smile. The three of them got up and headed toward the dance floor in the middle of the bar.
After the three young girls got up and left, Patrick, who wouldn't let it go, pressed on. "What's the matter with Matthew? Come on, tell me."
As he said that, Patrick lunged at Liam. "Liam, you must know, just spill it."
"I really don't. Ask Victor. He's got to know."
Patrick looked up at Victor, but before he could speak, his hopes were dashed.
"Don't ask me."
"If none of you will talk, I'll call Madison," he said, reaching for his phone.
"Don't bother her," Matthew's raspy voice coldly interjected. "We're divorced."
The sound of a phone hitting the floor echoed abruptly as Patrick dropped it in shock.
Victor and Mitchell exchanged looks in silence. Mitchell felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. "Divorced? Is it that serious?"
Liam was shocked too. He had previously sided with Madison alongside Patrick, never expecting to be so wrong. Could it be that Matthew had really rekindled his old flame with Brianna, and Madison couldn't compare to a first love? If he didn't like her anymore, wasn't divorce the right move? But was he drowning himself in the drink? It was baffling.
Patrick was the most agitated. He dared not confront Matthew, but he was still incredibly upset.
"Did you and Madison really get a divorce, Matthew? I don't believe it. Are you joking with us? It's not April Fool's Day, is it?"
The others looked at him as if he were a fool.
Matthew said nothing and pulled a divorce certificate out, placing it on the table. He lifted his glass and downed another drink.
With curiosity, the others crowded in. Liam picked up the document, examined it closely, and confirmed, "It's real," Patrick snatched it away and scrutinized it several times before the harsh reality finally sunk in. Matthew really was divorced from Madison. He collapsed onto the sofa, close to crying for Matthew.
"I can't believe it, I'm going to call Madison," said Patrick, ignoring Matthew’s lack of intervention. He hurriedly dialed her number, only to be greeted with an automated message telling him that it was temporarily unavailable.
At that moment, Willow, Quinn, and Ophelia returned from the dance floor. They took their seats, and just as Willow was about to inquire about Patrick's state, her eyes caught sight of the divorce certificate in his hand. She snatched it. To her dismay, it belonged to her cousin. Stunned, she turned to Quinn, "Matthew is divorced."
Quinn was taken aback too, grabbing the document to confirm that it was true. Matthew was divorced. Ophelia didn't know Madison, but she felt a sense of regret nonetheless. Divorce was never a pleasant matter, especially for a woman in their sociocultural context.
Quinn placed the divorce certificate back on the table as the three women sat in silence on the couch.
At that moment, Matthew's phone rang.
"Matthew, where are you? Can you come over? I'm scared of being alone," a voice trembled on the line.
"I'll be right there," responded Matthew. He hastily grabbed his coat and left.
Those left behind were deep in thought, having overheard that it was Brianna on the phone. Victor and Mitchell had enigmatic expressions, while Liam sensed there was more to the situation. However, knowing Matthew always had his reasons, further speculation seemed pointless. Patrick was still intent on reaching Madison but to no avail.
When Willow saw Matthew heed Brianna's call and leave, she grew furious, quickly drowning her anger in drink until she was soon slumped over the table, inebriated.
Ophelia, too, had her share but was known to quietly glow with a flushed face and a touch of tipsiness that hardly showed, save for her glassy eyes. When Liam saw this, he scooped up his lady and said his goodbyes, leaving Quinn, who had an early call on set the next day and drank sparingly. To cover for his sister, he entrusted Willow to her brother, Mitchell, then left with Patrick and Victor.
Mitchell didn’t refuse the responsibility laid on him, staying by Willow’s side long after everyone else had gone. After a while, Willow stirred awake in a haze.
"Quinn, I need to use the restroom," she murmured. She received no reply. Looking up, she saw multiple Mitchells by her side. She shook her head and blurted out, "Why do you look so much like Mitchell, that pig?"
Mitchell was taken aback when he heard her. He hadn't pissed her off, had he? So why was she calling him a pig? He shook it off since she was drunk and called a waitress to help Willow to the restroom.
After using the facilities, Willow returned to her seat, clamoring for more drinks.
"Quinn, Ophelia, where did you girls go? Come on, let's dance." As she was about to dash off, Mitchell quickly wrapped an arm around her, cooing softly, "Everyone has left already. Be good, I'll take you home." He didn’t even notice the doting tone in his voice.
The waitress beside them watched her boss placating the inebriated Miss Nelson whose tantrums were allowed only in front of the boss. She tried to kick and punch Mitchell, resisting him.
"I'm not going back. I want to drink."
Mitchell carried Willow out, soothing her as they walked.
"Alright, alright, you can drink when we get back," he promised.
Mitchell finally got her into the car. Since he had had a few drinks himself, he called for a driver. Willow, worn out from her antics, finally quieted down in the seat. The school dorms were closed by then, and since she was so drunk, Mitchell took her straight to his own apartment.
The driver parked downstairs, and turning his head, Mitchell found Willow asleep against his shoulder. He called her name gently.
"Willow, we're here."
There was no response.
He had no choice but to carry her up to his apartment. Once inside, he laid her on the bed. Bathing her was out of the question, and changing her clothes wasn’t something he could do, so he pulled the blanket over her and left the room. He decided to make do with the sofa in the living room for the night.
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