Matthew’s head was whirling with questions, and he felt like he forgot how to breathe.What kind of development was this?How easy for her to say that. To say that they should let go of each other, and for good.It sparked something inside of Matthew. Something akin to anger.“How can you say something like that?” he said quietly, trying to control his emotions. “Why should we stay separated from now on? You don’t want to keep in touch with me anymore, is that it?”Allison slowly lowered the clothes in her hand. She was staring at him with something firm in her eyes, and her expression was solemn. “That’s correct,” she said flatly. “Isn’t it the same for you?”Matthew kept his anger in check for a moment. “What?”“Your company needs you, the CEO. Yet you’re here taking care of me, your ex-wife. Once the media gets wind of this, not only will the company get affected, but your girlfriend, Lily, will get involved, too. I don’t want to be in the spotlight anymore, either. It’s not a win-
Matthew felt the heaviness in his heart grow stronger as he packed his bags. He looked at his surroundings, wondering when exactly he had grown used to this place. He hadn’t even stayed here for at least half a year, but it felt like he’d been here forever.The thought of leaving this place felt strange, like everything had just been a dream. A dream of seeing Allison again and taking care of her, making her feel that she wasn’t alone. A warm dream filled with sadness and anxiety, but one that he didn’t regret.After his argument with Allison, he decided to leave. It hurt to think that she had all those thoughts in her head, that she was still suffering even with his presence.Just when he thought that he could provide her with some comfort, it turned out that he was wrong. He hadn’t been comforting her at all, it seemed.But what about those grateful looks and words that she sent towards him? What about those warm ‘thank you’ words and that gentle, reassuring squeeze of his hand? Wha
Allison watched from the window of the guest bedroom as Matthew paused in his steps to take out his phone. He pressed the device against his ear, talking with a warm smile.There was only one reason he would speak to someone with a smile like that.He was probably talking to Lily.He must be very happy right now.Allison felt the bitterness pooling in her gut, but it was quickly washed over with a tide of overwhelming sadness. This was her decision, and she would stand by it until the end.She continued to watch as Matthew talked on the phone while going to the car. She stared as the car door closed before the vehicle sped away.And then all remains of her mask slipped away, like water running down her face and dripping down the floor.“Goodbye…” she whispered as she pulled away from the window and went towards her bedroom.‘Now, I don’t need to put up an act anymore,’ she thought as she stood before the mirror inside the room. ‘This was the worst.’It had been the most difficult deci
The villa was deathly quiet as Allison packed her bags. She didn’t have many possessions left; the things that Matthew brought from her old apartment were all relatively useless.She decided that she would throw them away once she left this place.Except for the ultrasound photos and the letters. She would keep those.Allison made sure to stay for a few more days in order not to arouse any suspicions from the staff that was left in the villa. She dismissed the private healthcare team that Matthew assigned her, telling them that she would be going back and forth from the hospital for the maintenance therapy, so their services were done.After that, she told the staff that she would be leaving the villa for good.“Tell Matthew — I mean, Mr. Laurier — that I found someplace to stay for the meantime,” Allison told one of the maids. “Tell him that Marina is taking me in for a while until I get back on my feet. Also, inform him not to communicate with either Marina or me from now on, that h
Darkness.It was the only thing that Allison could see.She felt like her body — or soul, perhaps? — was floating in the air, in the middle of an abyss. Her mind was blank, like it had been wiped clean. She didn’t know who she was or where she was floating to.And then, the darkness faded away.When Allison opened her eyes the next moment, she could see a white ceiling.Her brain was groggy as she tried to remember the last thing in her memories. Everything was fuzzy, including her vision.The recent thing she could recall…Ah.She died, didn’t she?Allison blinked. The white ceiling was still there, and the lights were blinding her eyes.She closed them momentarily. Was she alive? What was she doing here?Was she still in the hospital?But how could she have survived?Allison groaned slightly as she tried to sit up in bed. Surprisingly, her body didn’t feel so sore anymore. The pain throbbing in her skin was no longer there, and her high fever had seemingly subsided.Did the doctors
There was no possible rational explanation for this.‘Going back in time?’ Allison wanted to shake her head at the absurdity of the thought.Time travel.Basically, a hypothetical ability to travel backward or forward in time. It was usually a popular concept in science fiction, but until now, there was only scientific debate and speculation about its possibility.Some scientists explored the idea and even proposed a few methods, but everything was purely theoretical, and they may even violate known laws of physics.Allison herself believed that time travel was merely a fantasy.But what could have triggered this?While Allison was deep in thought, Matthew waved a hand in front of her face, his expression still puzzled. “Lise?” he called out. “You’re scaring me a little.”Allison snapped out of her trance and stared at him in surprise. Right… She was here with him now.2016? That meant they were still married…Were they?Allison was dizzy with confusion. Just days ago, she drove Matth
“It’s fine. I’m not that busy,” Allison said, trying her best to act normal. There was plenty of time to freak out later, once she was all alone. This was all too much to process for now. “I can spare a checkup.”Matthew was still looking at her oddly. “You’re not that busy?” he repeated. “But aren’t you and your team supposed to work hard starting this month for that new project you mentioned?”Oh.Damn.“Still, getting a day off won’t hurt,” Allison insisted stubbornly.Matthew’s eyes widened. “Who are you and what have you done with Allison Whitney?” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Are you sure you’re okay?”Allison blushed in embarrassment. “What’s the big deal?” she asked defensively.“You never take a day off!” Matthew said, his eyes still not reverting to their original size. “You didn’t even want to miss your meeting on my birthday last year!”A wave of guilt instantly washed over Allison. She had really been neglecting this man, hadn’t she?She really needed t
The day went on strangely for Allison. Not in a negative way, fortunately.She went to work and was awed at the place. She hadn’t been back here for years. The interior, the people, the atmosphere, the scent... all of them were so familiar and nostalgic. It felt like Allison had come back home.She had to review her notes on her phone while on her way to work. Thankfully, she was organized enough to type down to-do lists and reminders on her phone just so she could make sure that every detail was taken care of. It had been so long, so she might be forgetting a lot of things...Oh god, what if she made a mistake? It had been so long since she last worked as a scientist...Fortunately, everything went okay in the end.The meeting went well, and she managed to do a bit of progress on the team’s new project. It turned out that going back to work personally made her unconsciously remember everything like it was second nature. Like her body and mind remembered deep inside, and then she simpl