- The Moment of Farewell
- The Moment of Farewell
Ryan
“Pardon?”
First thing in the morning, I met with my lawyer. Last night, before going to sleep, I sent her a message to find out if she already had the terms of the divorce from Michelle. She replied that she did, but that she needed to speak with me in person because there was a delicate issue.
I didn’t know what she was referring to, but when I read the petition, I understood her astonishment.
I had in my hands the requests of my soon-to-be ex-wife and I looked up to see Cameron’s face, hoping she would confirm if this is real. I read it again. I don’t understand. I really don’t understand.
“Just as it says there. She doesn’t ask for any of the assets for herself, but with what she’s entitled to, you have to commit
to creating a trust for their shared daughter. Also, she grants you full parental rights, so everything will be easier. In six
months, you can be divorced and rebuild your life, just like her.”
Rebuild her life? I feel a knot in my stomach.
“It seems your wife isn’t someone interested in money and was probably with you because she loved you. What I don’t understand is why she’s giving up her daughter?”
I don’t understand it either. Michelle adores Candace. I know that for sure.
“I don’t know,” I replied, with a tightness in my throat. “But maybe when we meet, she can clarify it for me.”
I know we have to meet at some point. For now, she doesn’t want to talk to me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give it another try?”
Her words resonate in my ears. A chance? After everything I’ve done, it’s probably her who wouldn’t want to come back to
So I nod in disagreement.
“Okay. It’s a question the judge will ask. They always try to get couples to reconsider. After all, you were together for ten
years and have a daughter.”
When she mentions her, Candace’s behavior comes to mind. Yesterday afternoon, she didn’t want to eat with us and
stayed locked in her room. She didn’t accompany me to take Blake either, and I even felt a certain coldness in her. But with what happened to her grandparents, it’s understandable.
“Yes, the divorce continues. Let everything be done as she wants.”
My lawyer gives me some more instructions, and I leave her office, heading to mine. During the journey, different situations come to mind, making me understand why Michelle doesn’t want to fight for Candace. I am very much to blame for it. I gradually pushed her away without realizing the damage I was doing until now. I even made her my accomplice in my clandestine relationship with Blake.
When I arrive on the job and go up to my office, my assistant informs me that Blake is waiting for me, as usual. Upon seeing me enter, she throws herself into my arms and eagerly seeks my lips, but at this moment, I’m not in the mood.
“You’re finally here!” she exclaims in a slightly reproachful tone. Your assistant told me you were with your lawyer. Did she give you good news?
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I place my briefcase in its spot and organize the papers on my desk before responding. I pause for a moment, not because I doubt speaking, but because I prefer to measure my words.
“Yes, it could be considered good news. The divorce proceedings are going smoothly, and in six months, I’ll be officially
divorced.”
Blake smiles and approaches enthusiastically. She sits on my lap, putting her arms around my neck. Her joy is evident, but
I don’t share her euphoria.
“That’s perfect! Six months is enough time to organize a big wedding. Can you imagine? Walking down the aisle dressed in white. Isn’t that what you always dreamed of?”
It used to be. For a long time, I dreamed of that. Even when our fights became frequent and love seemed to fade, I held
onto the hope that she would reconsider, that she would realize no one loved her like I did.
“Dreams gradually fade away over time,” I replied calmly. “When you left me, everything I had envisioned for us disappeared.”
Blake remains silent. She knows it’s true. When she decided to end our story to pursue her own dreams, she left me
feeling adrift, unsure of what to do. Then Michelle appeared, and my perspective changed. That unexpected pregnancy forced me to make drastic decisions. And although everything happened abruptly, I don’t regret it.
“In some way, you always reproach me for it,” she says, with a trace of frustration in her voice. “I was young, I had a great
future ahead. I couldn’t stay stuck just being a housewife. You never understood that.”
“I understood,” I corrected, keeping my voice steady. “What I never understood was how, from one day to the next, you convinced yourself that you were in love with another man.”
She stands up and walks to her chair impatiently. She crosses her arms before speaking.
“I have already told you it was something I made up so you will forget me. How can you think I was really with someone
like him?”
Her voice wavers slightly at the end, as if there’s something more she’s not saying. Her words didn’t fully convince me.
“Blake… Why do you love me?”
Her expression shifts. The question catches her by surprise. She remains silent for a few seconds, as if she doesn’t know
what to answer.
“Are you doubting my love?” she inquires, with a hint of indignation.
If I say yes, it will start an endless argument.
“I just want to know,” I respond calmly. “If I lost the company and ended up penniless, would you still love me?”
I see her hesitate. She doesn’t respond immediately. She says she loves me, but sometimes I doubt her feelings… and even my own. If I’m honest with myself, if Michelle hadn’t started the divorce proceedings, maybe I would never have dared to close this chapter of my life. I would have continued living a double life, and neither of them deserved that.
“You know I love you,” Blake insists, firmly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted being by your side in the shadows for so long. Have I ever asked you for money?”
It’s true. During all this time, she has never demanded anything from me. But something still doesn’t add up.
“Michelle didn’t ask for anything. She ceded her share to a trust for Candace and let my daughter live with me. That’s good news, don’t you think?”
Blake stands up and pours herself a glass of water. When she returns, her expression is hard to read.
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120 The Moment of Farewell
*She left her with you? What kind of mother does Candace have? What kind of woman does something like that?”
Her tone is sharp, which surprises me. She has always treated Candace like a daughter.
“I thought you’d be pleased,” I commented, studying her expression. “After all, she loves you a lot.”
She immediately softens her expression, as if remembering not to show annoyance.
“You’re right, I’m glad, she admits, though her smile is somewhat forced. I just thought at first we would be alone, like
newlyweds.
“Well, we’ll start as a complete family.”
“Alright, let’s not argue over that. By the way, did you find a position for me?”
She’s been insisting on working at the company for a while, but the truth is there’s no suitable position for her at the
moment.
“I haven’t looked into that yet, but I’ll let you know when I do.”
“Okay, then I’m leaving,” she says, approaching to give me a kiss before saying goodbye.
As the door closes behind her, I reluctantly admit to myself that I feel relieved to be alone.
Michelle
“Are you still worried?”
Vero’s question snaps me out of my thoughts. I blinked a couple of times before responding.
“No. My mother has already told me that my daughter is fine, so I’m not worried. It’s just that I sensed sadness in her
voice.”
“Do you think something happened that they don’t want to tell you?”
That’s a question I’ve been asking myself too. Something must have happened for my mother to be in that state.
“Probably. So, when we get there, I’ll go see her.”
The drive back is silent. The exhaustion of these days envelops us, making us oblivious to the landscape passing by the window. When I arrive at my apartment, I just grab my keys and head straight to my parents’ house.
The moment my mother sees me, she bursts into tears.
“Michelle! You’re back.”
I give her a tight hug and hold onto her arm as we go inside.
“Yes, I’m back. Can you tell me what happened?”
As I listen to what she saw and did, I feel my heartbreak completely. In the end, I really was just a disposable object in that house. As soon as I left, someone else took my place.
“Don’t feel bad, Mom. I’m sure Candace will understand. With the divorce already underway, I’ll go see her. I’m sure she’s also sad about what you told her.”
The way she tells it, it sounds harsh, but Mom has never held back from saying what she feels. I wish I had inherited her courage to face things.
“When will you see her?”
“Tomorrow. I sent her a message yesterday and she replied. She already knows about the divorce, so there’s not much to
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explain.”
She nods as she listens, and I can see the pity in her eyes.
“Mom, don’t pity me or feel sorry for what happened. It’s for the best. We were experiencing something that wasn’t real. Now Ryan has the chance to be happy, and I can’t deny him that. I just hope they both appreciate what I did for them.”
She shrugs, because after all, what’s done is done.
“Because I listened to her,” she says calmly. “She was asking you why you hadn’t divorced me. She firmly stated that she wanted Blake to be her mother.”
Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. Her gaze is intense, direct. I feel small next to her.
“I love her more than anything in life, she continues, “but if you and she can make her happier than she was with me, then I’ll be content. Will you take good care of her?”
I swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry, Michelle. It shouldn’t have turned out this way.”
She smiles sadly.
“But it ended, and that’s alright. It lasted as long as it needed to. It’s time to look forward. This is our closure, Ryan. I truly
hope you are both happier than you were with me.”
She looks at her watch and stands up.
“I have to go. I’m going to say goodbye to Candace.”
She walks with determination towards our daughter, hugs her tightly, and showers her with kisses. The scene leaves me
with a hollow feeling in my chest.
This is the moment to say goodbye, and there’s no turning back.
