Chapter 76
Evelyn booked the earliest flight back to City A.
Outside the window, clouds churned below. She leaned back in her seat, thinking about everything that had happened these past few days, her heart like an overturned bottle of mixed flavors. The truth about her background, Susan's complex gaze, and that "uncle" who'd suddenly appeared...
The plane landed. Evelyn squinted, took a deep breath, and followed the crowd out of the cabin.
As soon as she turned on her phone, it vibrated frantically.
It was Monica.
"Eve!" Monica's voice rose with excitement. "Did you see today's explosive news?"
Evelyn froze. "What news?"
"Matthew and Marigold called off their engagement!" Monica said. "It's all over the top headlines!"
Evelyn stood at the arrival exit. People streamed past, noise rising and falling around her.
But she couldn't hear anything. Only Monica's words echoed in her ears.
Called off?
Their engagement was really cancelled!
"Eve? Eve!" Monica shouted from the other end. "Are you still listening?"
"Yes." Evelyn came back to herself, her voice somewhat distant.
"Now that they've broken off the engagement, does that mean you two are getting married soon?" Monica's laughter was suggestive.
Evelyn's cheeks warmed slightly. "That depends on what he thinks. Can't rush it."
Monica suddenly remembered something. "Have you told him about the pregnancy yet?"
Evelyn shook her head, then remembered Monica couldn't see her. "Not yet."
"Then you absolutely have to prepare a surprise!" Monica became animated.
"There are so many really ceremonial ways to reveal a pregnancy."
"You should do one for him—make sure he never forgets it."
Evelyn was still reeling from the shock of the news, but hearing Monica say this, she thought it made sense.
She smiled. "Okay, will you help me plan it?"
"Of course!" Monica was eager to help. "Let's get dinner tomorrow? We can talk in detail when we meet."
"I can come straight to your place, check out the space and everything, make a good plan."
Evelyn agreed with a smile.
The two chatted excitedly for a while before hanging up.
As soon as she hung up, Matthew's call came in.
Evelyn answered. A muffled voice came through, carrying a hint of grievance. "What are you doing?"
"Just got off the plane," Evelyn said. "I'm back in City A."
Hearing this, Matthew's tone clearly lightened.
So she'd been on the plane—no wonder she hadn't seen the messages.
He cleared his throat and asked with feigned nonchalance, "Today's news—did you see it?"
Evelyn found it amusing. This man clearly wanted credit but was trying to act like it was nothing.
"I saw it," she said, her voice calm.
Hearing her so composed, Matthew felt somewhat unwilling and pressed, "So... how do you feel?"
Evelyn looked at the street scenes flashing past the car window, the corners of her mouth curving higher.
"Very happy," she said, her voice softening. "And very moved. I didn't expect things to progress so quickly."
Hearing her happiness, Matthew couldn't help smiling too.
"Eve," he paused, his voice lowering, "we can finally be together openly."
Evelyn's nose tingled.
Yes, finally.
"Come home early tonight. We'll talk more then," she said.
Hearing the words "come home," Matthew felt something fill his heart.
He agreed and hung up still smiling.
Matthew was about to handle some business when Thomas walked in, sweating profusely, his expression somewhat strange.
"What is it?" Matthew looked up and asked in good spirits.
Thomas wiped the sweat from his face. "Miss Elikin is at the front desk. She says she wants to see you. Do you think..."
Matthew froze.
Sloane Elikin?
That name was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples across the surface.
He was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "Let her in."
Memories flooded back like a tide.
When he was young, looking at Sloane always gave him a strange sense of familiarity. He'd thought that was love.
He'd proposed to her. She left a letter saying she wanted to study abroad, saying she didn't want to be constrained by marriage, saying she was sorry.
He'd sat alone in the empty room all night, cigarette after cigarette burning down, going out, burning again.
Later he'd heard she got married abroad. He'd been sad for a long time, but slowly let it go.
Later still, he met Evelyn.
Thinking of Evelyn, Matthew's expression softened.
All that past had long since scattered.
The door was pushed open.
Sloane walked in.
Matthew looked up at her.
After years apart, she'd lost a lot of weight. What had once been a bright, captivating face now showed only exhaustion. Her eye sockets were slightly sunken, her skin pale to the point of translucence.
She wore a cream-colored trench coat, standing in the doorway, looking at him as her eyes slowly reddened.
Sloane pressed her lips together, her gaze lingering on his face as if trying to make up for all the years she'd missed.
"I came back to the country recently and thought, since it's been so long, I'd come see you." She paused and spoke carefully. "I saw today's news. I heard you broke off your engagement?"
Matthew gave a light acknowledgment.
He looked at the hint of hope in Sloane's eyes and felt nothing.
"I already have someone I care about," he said calmly and firmly. "Let's let the past stay in the past. I wish you happiness, too."
Sloane's face paled.
She bit her lip hard. After a long moment, she forced out, "I wish you happiness."
Matthew nodded. "You too. If there's nothing else, I'm quite busy here, so I won't keep you."
Sloane looked at him. Something in her eyes shattered.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but finally just lowered her head and turned to leave dejectedly.
She'd only taken two steps when her body went soft, and she collapsed straight down.
Matthew jumped in alarm and instinctively rushed forward to catch her.
"Sloane? Sloane!" He called her name several times. She was unconscious, her face frighteningly pale.
He laid her on the sofa and was about to have Thomas call for an ambulance when the door burst open again.
A woman rushed in and lunged toward Sloane on the sofa.
"I knew you'd come here!" The woman's voice trembled. She turned to glare at Matthew, her eyes red. "What did you say to upset her? Don't you know she's in treatment right now and can't be upset?"
Matthew was stunned.
The woman was Sloane's best friend, Elysia Powell. He'd met her a few times and had some impression of her.
"I didn't know..." he said, his voice somewhat hoarse. "What's wrong with her?"
Elysia looked at Sloane's pale face, tears falling. "What's wrong with her? You hurt her like this and you're asking me what's wrong?"
As if long-suppressed anger had finally found an outlet, she spoke word by word, revealing that buried past.
When Sloane left that year, it wasn't voluntary.
Matthew's mother and grandmother had used underhanded methods to force her away.
Sloane had no choice but to leave.
She went abroad alone, friendless and isolated, and soon became depressed.
Her family was materialistic. Knowing she couldn't make it abroad, they forced her to marry a foreigner.
A man... twenty years older than her who'd been divorced twice.
He treated her badly—emotional abuse, mental torture, even physical violence.
Over these years, her mental state deteriorated. Depression combined with bipolar disorder brought her to the edge of suicide several times.
Only in the past six months had she finally gotten divorced and escaped back home.