After The Love Had Dead and Gone, You’d Never See Me Again

I was so surprised and froze in place. Before I could do anything, a figure rushed from behind me, shoved me to the ground and took Taylor into his arms.

Matt's eyes blazed with anger as he looked at me. He scolded, "What the hell are you doing, Fiona? Are you crazy? Taylor came here out of goodwill to check on you and clear up the misunderstandings from back then. What gives you the right to hit her?”

His eyes reddened with anger and they devoid any affection for me when directed at me.

I curled my lips into a cold smile and said evenly, "She brought up my mother, Matt. Don’t you think you owe me an explanation for what happened back then?”

His brows furrowed and for a fleeting moment, panic flickered in his eyes as he deflected, "What kind of explanation? Back then, your mother's surgery failed because of her critical condition. Don't you know that?"

He said again, "Regardless of what happened back then, it's not a reason for you to take action against Taylor. Now, apologize to her, Fiona!"

Before I could respond, Taylor who was clinging to his shoulder said with trembled voice, "Don’t … don’t make things hard for Fiona. The fact that Gregg broke off their engagement was already unfair to her. Consider today’s incident my way of making amends to her.…”

“If she despises me so much, we’ll stop contacting each other. I don’t want to make things difficult for you," she continued.

When I heard this, I clenched my hand so hard that my nails dug into my palms and drew blood from it.

As I watched the two of them walk away, their figures entwined, I knew that it was over between us.

I took the box and continued to burn the things inside. At this very moment, five years of love and devotion turned into ashes.

An hour later, Matt sent me a message to explain.

[Taylor is the project leader of the O'Donnell Group's project. The fact you hurt her had affected the company negatively. When I urged you to apologize earlier, it was just a short-term measure. It was just an act for her sake. Don't think too much about it.]

[Once this matter is resolved, I’ll come home tonight and make it up to you, okay? I mentioned I’d get you a gift. Just don't be upset, okay?]

Yet I knew the truth that the act today wasn’t for Taylor's benefit. It was for me. For five years he had pretended to love me but now the pretense had finally come to an end.

I waited at home with divorce papers in hand, but until the early hours of the morning, he still did not come.

Instead, social media was abuzz with news of the Harris Group’s CEO making a grand scene at a hospital. The man was furious on behalf of the woman he loved.

Taylor had sustained nothing more than a minor scratch, yet Matt summoned a team of specialists to treat her. He spared no expense in spending millions.

The photos showed him holding her in his arms. His expression was tender and full of emotion. It was an expression I had never seen he directed at me.

That night, the hospital remained brightly lit, all for that woman's superficial injury.

At dawn, I called him. He didn’t even realize it was me at first, because he was busy issuing instructions to his secretary.

“Mr. Harris, are you sure you want to revise the contract? The losses that the company has to suffer will be more than tens of millions of dollars if we do this project. Please, you'd better consider this carefully," his secretary pleaded.

“No need. Revise it!" Matt stated. "It’s what I promised her as compensation. Also, draft another agreement transferring half of the company shares to Taylor.”

After the secretary left, Matt finally remembered the connected call and talked to the phone, "Fiona? I'm sorry to keep you waiting. I’ll be home soon. Did you need something?”

I glanced at my bandaged hand, the burn was still raw and stinging then answered, "It's okay. Take your time to do your work. I won’t bother you.”

“Alright. Be good and wait at home for me," He said, "I’ll be back soon.”

However, I had done waiting. Instead, I signed the divorce papers, packed my belongings and left.

Then I headed to the hospital where my mother had her surgery to look for her organ transplant records agreement.

At the bottom of the document, there was a signature. It was my personal signature. Except, I had never signed it. Matt had forged my name and mimicked my handwriting perfectly.

I made a copy of the agreement and sent it to Matt and based on the timing, by the time he received the documents, I had already boarded the plane.

I did not return home for a whole day long and so he was.

As I stepped onto the plane, his messages started coming in.

[Fiona, I had my assistant deliver your gift to the house. Why didn't you open the door for him?]

[Are you still mad?]

[Don’t be mad, okay? Be a good girl. Your husband will be home soon.]

He was lying to me again.

Half an hour earlier, a small-time influencer had spotted him shopping with Taylor and she secretly started livestreaming the whole deal. On-screen, he was busy helping Taylor pick out a dress for the shareholders' meeting.

I didn’t respond to his messages. Instead, after receiving a confirmation text that my documents had been successfully canceled, I deleted all his contact information.

In the livestream, his secretary suddenly rushed over with a pale face. He was holding the agreement I had sent. He said in a rush, "Mr. Harris! Something terrible has happened! Madam found out there was an issue with the surgery five years ago! I can’t reach her!”