Chapter 17 The End of It All
Matthew stepped out of the bar after he answered the call from Brianna and found his driver, Yoseph, waiting for him. The chill wind seemed to sober him up more.
He had always thought his parents died in a plane crash accident, but two years ago, he stumbled upon evidence that suggested otherwise. His parents' deaths weren’t that simple. He had been investigating in secret ever since, uncovering a complex international crime syndicate involved in everything from espionage and intelligence trading to arms smuggling and organ trafficking.
Despite his efforts, he had only discovered that the syndicate's boss was known by the codename "K". His recent trip to the Middle East to assist Mitchell had led to a slim clue, which, to his utter shock, pointed toward Brianna.
Matthew returned from the Middle East ahead of schedule and received a call from Brianna just as he disembarked from his flight. She told him that her foot injury had recurred, and she needed to go to the hospital for a checkup. While he found it hard to believe that the woman he had waited for so many years could be connected to the death of his parents, he felt an even stronger need to investigate. So, he went to Brianna's apartment.
Her ankle was really swollen due to a second sprain. Matthew took her to the hospital for an examination. Thankfully, the problem wasn't too serious. She just needed some time to recover.
Before his divorce, Matthew took care of Brianna, accompanying her to rehabilitation sessions and check-ups. She was healing quickly thanks to his attentive care. Matthew had tried to probe whether Brianna knew a person initially identified only as "K," but Brianna did not show any sign of recognition, and she did not seem to be lying.
The lead he had received in the Middle East couldn't have been wrong. Either Brianna was disguising herself too well, fooling even him, or she was not lying and truly did not know K. The only possibility was that K had concealed their true identity, so Brianna did not recognize the code name.
The divorce was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. After all, the marriage hadn’t been his idea in the first place. Since their relationship wasn’t that deep, it was better for them to let go. Madison might be able to start the life she really wanted.
…
The driver pulled up to Brianna's apartment building, and Matthew remained seated in the car, making no move to get out. The driver didn’t dare ask any questions and simply waited. After about half an hour, Brianna called.
"Matthew, are you here? I'm not sure if my foot injury has flared up again. It started to hurt tonight," she said.
"There's been a last-minute issue at the company. I won't be able to come over tonight. I'll take you to the hospital in the morning for another check-up," he replied.
"Alright, don't work too late, and make sure to rest well," she said, concern in her voice.
"Okay, I have to go," he concluded, and they hung up.
Brianna, looking at the ended call, felt a pang of unwillingness to accept the situation. She knew that Matthew had an appointment with Madison to discuss divorce proceedings today, and she had asked him to come over to confirm if they had really decided to part ways.
She was aware of the circumstances, but she knew she had to be patient, understanding, accommodating, and considerate, embodying the image of a potential love in his life. Once Madison and Matthew were divorced, the position of Mrs. Nelson would inevitably be hers.
Matthew ended the call and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes. "Let's go home."
The driver drove off, knowing that "home" referred to the villa Matthew once shared with Madison.
With light traffic at night, the drive took about half an hour.
"Matthew, we’re here," the driver announced.
Matthew opened his eyes, stepped out of the car, and closed the door.
"Go on back. You don't need to pick me up tomorrow."
"Sure thing."
…
Pushing open the gate to the villa, darkness engulfed him. There was no Madison to wrap him in an embrace, no table laden with delicious food. Madison was gone and had probably returned to her hometown. Matthew headed straight to his room, flipped on the light— it was a little too glaring—and settled on the bed, the room seemingly still retaining traces of Madison's presence.
He opened the wardrobe, sensing something amiss. But everything seemed to be in place. The clothes hung undisturbed as always. Madison had only taken the few pieces she frequently wore. He grabbed his pajamas and entered the bathroom. The usual pink mug she used was gone, her towels vanished, with just one toothbrush lying abandoned in the trash can, mirroring his current solitude, prompting a self-deprecatory chuckle.
After showering, Matthew decided against staying in the bedroom and went to the study instead. There, he noticed the card he'd given Madison, alongside his long-lost watch, which he'd searched for extensively. He was baffled as to why it was in Madison’s possession.
Picking up the phone, he felt compelled to ask why she hadn't taken the bank card, and without regard for the late hour, he dialed Madison’s number, finding, perhaps, an excuse to reach out to her. Just as he realized the inappropriateness of the time and prepared to hang up, the call connected.
“Hello, Matthew.”
Madison had settled into a bed and breakfast after landing, planning to look for a house to rent long-term the following day.
"It's me. Why didn't you take the bank card with you?"
"I've told you before. I don't need compensation. I withdrew $100,000 and considered it a loan from you. I'll repay it when I've saved enough."
"You don’t have to pay me back. Send me your bank details, and I’ll transfer the money." Matthew stubbornly felt that alleviating his guilt required Madison to accept his money.
"Really, it's fine, Matthew. Thank you for these three years, for both your and Grandpa’s care. I couldn’t say goodbye to Grandpa in person, so please, convey my sentiments when you have the chance."
"You’re not far from Horizon City. Even if we’re divorced, you can still visit Grandpa."
"I'm afraid I’ll be too busy and won’t have time. Just let Grandpa know for me, please." Fearful he might sense something amiss, Madison tried to sound nonchalant.
"Have you made it back home yet?" Matthew felt that Madison seemed different since he saw her at the courthouse this morning, so he wanted to make sure she had really gone back.
"Yeah, I'm back. Everything is... pretty good." It was the first time Madison had lied to Matthew, and she was nervous, but luckily, he didn't seem to notice anything.
"Why was my watch with you?"
"Matthew, stop calling me. Let's both start over," she said, avoiding his question.
"Why?" Matthew was puzzled. Had they become strangers after the divorce?
"You’ll be with Miss Smith, and she might mind. Women tend to be sensitive. Miss Smith brought the watch over. I just forgot to give it to you."
"..."
A long silence fell. Matthew didn't speak. He realized she already knew.
"Thank you, Matthew." She was really thanking him for giving her the most important thing in her life.
"Did you mind that before?" Matthew finally said.
"What?" Madison asked, confused.
"Never mind, get some rest." Matthew, somewhat flustered, quickly ended the conversation. If he knew he wouldn’t be able to reach this number ever again in the next five years, he would not have hung up.
"Alright, Matthew. Goodbye." I’m never going to see him again, Madison thought to herself.
"Goodbye."
After ending the call, Matthew looked at the watch for a while then silently turned and went back to his room.
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