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Chapter_59
The dinner had been a whirlwind of forced smiles, clinking glasses, and polite conversation, but the undercurrents of tension were impossible to ignore. Matthew’s praise of me had been suffocating, and while his words seemed flattering, I knew they were just another way to make me feel small and insignificant once the show was over. He was using me—pushing me into the background as soon as my role was played out.
As I sat in the back seat of the car, my hand still held in his, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted. Matthew was glowing, full of confidence, but there was a coldness that lingered underneath. His compliments felt like a performance, a way of reassuring himself that he was the one in control. I wasn’t the “lucky star” he claimed me to be—I was just a pawn in his game.
I stared out the window as the city lights blurred past.
I didn’t need to be reminded that Matthew only cared about winning, not the people he used to get there. The thermally broken steel windows were my idea. But of course, Matthew would never give me credit in front of others. His excitement was all about his own success, not mine. It was as if the moment I contributed something important, it was immediately absorbed into his image, his vision, his future.
But Atlas… Atlas was different. Despite being the quiet one, the assistant who followed Nick’s orders, he had a presence that felt more powerful than Matthew’s self-assurance. Every glance he gave me seemed like he saw through all the layers I had built up. Maybe I didn’t need to admit it, but he understood my frustration, my desires, better than anyone else in that room.
And now, he was lingering in the back of my mind like a shadow, even as Matthew’s voice continued to fill the silence.
“Don’t worry about that,” Matthew said, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “I’ll handle everything for you. I hate seeing you work so hard.”
His words were like nails in my coffin. The last thing I wanted was to be taken care of by him. He had already proved what he was capable of. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to box me in, to take away my sense of autonomy. He had no idea how much he had pushed me away with his overbearing kindness, his insistence that I needed saving.
I forced a smile, not wanting to argue, not wanting to make a scene.
“All right,” I said, my voice flat. “I’ll help you with Ava’s teachers. I’ll let them know she’ll be absent.”
As I spoke, I could feel a plan forming in the back of my mind. It wasn’t just about taking a trip to see my parents anymore. It wasn’t just about giving Ava time with her grandparents. There was more to this than a simple visit. The idea was taking shape slowly, but I knew one thing for sure: I couldn’t keep going down this path with Matthew. I couldn’t keep pretending that his charm and empty words were enough to make me feel valued.
I needed a way out. And this trip? It would be the first step.
I turned my attention back to Matthew, his face full of excitement, still riding the high of the evening. But I was already mentally planning my next move.
The moment I stepped out of this car, I’d be making a change.