Chapter 59 Clearing Things Up
"Okay."
Matthew stood up and walked over to the sofa in the sitting room, and Brianna followed, taking a seat opposite him with a sense of unease as they sat facing each other.
"Brianna, I can't deny the times we've shared together, but our love soured during the years you were in Paris, during the long wait. Before I married Madison, I gave you so many chances. If only you'd turned back once, there wouldn't be a today, but you let go. So, we are completely done," Matthew said. It was the first time he directly told Brianna he didn’t love her anymore.
But Brianna was in denial, "Matthew, since you waited for me for so many years, and now that you and Madison are divorced, we could start over. It doesn't matter if Grandpa disapproves. We don't have to get married. We can just continue as we have been these years. That would be fine."
"Have these years been good to you? Have you seen me introduce you to my buddies, with whom I've faced life and death? Have you seen me bring you to my villa? Have I ever stayed at your apartment? Do you really think it's okay? Brianna, don't deceive yourself. You've always wanted more than this," Matthew said coldly, stripping away the pretense without a shred of mercy.
Brianna sat pale-faced on the sofa, looking as though she had suffered a terrible wound, her hands twisted together tightly, unable to stop trembling, the agony in her eyes impossible to hide.
Matthew, as if blind to her pain, spoke even colder, "Some things are understood even when unspoken. Madison and our two children are my limit."
Brianna mockingly laughed at herself, realizing he knew all along, stood up in despair, and walked away.
Love doesn't necessarily vanish without a response, but it definitely withers with repeated disappointments. Love can’t just stop with a few heartbreaks. So, he patched things up until one day, he simply didn’t want it anymore, feeling that being too tattered was not respectable.
‘I used to cherish you. Now and in the future, I have found someone I want to spend my life with, Madison, and our two children are my present and my future.‘
*
After work, Matthew left the office early, eager to return home to his loved ones, and hurried to his house. After parking his car and opening the door, he found the villa eerily quiet and empty. Where had everyone gone? He remembered Willow saying she was taking Quentin and Hannah out for the day. Madison must have joined them.
Just as he was about to call Willow, he heard a car pull up. Stepping outside, he saw Willow unloading a large bag of toys and stuffed animals from the car.
Quentin and Hannah saw Matthew at the door and rushed over, excitedly hugging his legs.
"Dad, Dad, you're home!" they exclaimed.
Matthew glanced behind him and didn't see Madison. He couldn't help but ask the two little ones, "Where's Mom?"
"Mom isn't back yet?" Hannah asked with wide eyes, her clever gaze spinning. They had come home before Mom. If only they had known, they could have played a little longer.
"This morning, when we went out with Auntie, Mom said she was going to see our godmother and would call us in the afternoon. We told her we were out eating with Auntie Willow, so Mom probably went to eat with her," Quentin explained patiently to Dad, who seemed quite concerned about Mom.
Willow was surprised to see Matthew home from work so early, even earlier than them.
"Matthew, you're back so soon. Have you eaten?"
Hearing from Quentin that they had already eaten outside and Madison hadn't joined them but had eaten elsewhere, Matthew felt a sense of pointlessness. With a darkened expression, he turned and went into the house.
"No."
"Perfect. We have some leftover food. We ordered too much and couldn't finish," Willow said, following him inside and placing the bag she was carrying on the dining room table.
Quentin and Hannah couldn't wait to open their toys. The two impatiently carried a bag of dolls and toys to the living room sofa and started playing on their own.
Feeling neglected, Matthew, with a cold expression, declared, "Not hungry. I won't eat," and turned to go upstairs to the study room.
Willow really wondered how Matthew, with his personality, managed to have two adorable children like Quentin and Hannah. Of course, it had to be their mom's good nature, all due to her strong genes. Matthew wasn't charming at all.
“Fine, like I care. Later, if we three get hungry, we can eat. Madison's not here to cook for you. Starve for all I care.” Willow made a face at Matthew's retreating back as he went upstairs.
"Willow, come help us figure out how to play with this toy," Hannah's childlike voice called from the living room. Willow hastily set down the takeout bag and ran over, "Coming!"
The two kids, along with their grown-up playmate, spread a whole bag of toys across the living room floor. After Matthew went upstairs, he never came back down. So, when Madison came home after having dinner with Rachel, all she saw was a living room littered with toys.
The three of them were so engrossed in their activities that they didn’t even hear Madison opening the door.
“Why are there so many toys?” Madison couldn’t help but interrupt the trio, who were deeply concentrated.
Quentin set aside the car he was assembling, Hannah put down the doll in her hands, and Willow looked up from the instruction manual she was holding. All three of them lifted their heads simultaneously.
“Mom, you’re back.”
“Hey, Madison.”
“Mom, all these are the prizes Auntie Willow won for us today.” Hannah proudly showed off to her mother.
Madison thought to herself about how much money must have been spent on tokens to win all these prizes!
“Madison, have you eaten? There is some Cantonese food left on the table. You should try some. They’re quite good. Next time, let's go eat at the restaurant together. The food was for Matthew, but he said he wasn’t hungry,” Willow enthusiastically recommended the meal they had at the restaurant that evening.
Matthew was back home this early? Is he upstairs? Looking at the time, it was past 8 p.m., so he hadn’t eaten since he arrived!
“I’ve already eaten,” Madison replied with a smile to Willow, thinking mainly about how full she was from the meal earlier. Otherwise, she might have tried some.
“Well, we should eat them now. They won’t taste as good tomorrow.” Saying this, Willow ran to the dining room, grabbed the bags from the table, and brought them over to the living room table. Opening the containers, she called Quentin and Hannah to join her.
The two kids had eaten an early dinner and were now tempted again by the sight, so the three quickly finished off the food.
After they were done eating, Willow saw it was getting late and began to prepare to leave.
“Guys, I’m heading back.”
“Auntie Willow, the toys aren’t all put together yet,” lamented Hannah, not ready to let go.
“I have to work tomorrow. How about we finish them together over the weekend?” Although Willow enjoyed being the favorite aunt, she couldn’t skip work.
“Okay then.” They couldn’t keep Willow from her job to play with them every day.
Once Willow left, Madison had the children tidy up the living room toys and take them to their rooms. She went upstairs and saw the light on in the study room. Thinking about Matthew not having eaten, she reconsidered he wasn’t a child after all, and if he were hungry, he would know to eat on his own.
After the children were done cleaning up, Madison took them to wash up and get ready for bed.
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