Chapter 16 - Drowning in the Ruins|
Outside the wrought-iron gates of the Sterling Estate, standing in the cold rain beside a rusted sedan, was Matthew Hayes.
He wore a dirty, wrinkled trench coat, his face covered in dark stubble. He had spent his last hundred dollars to pay a taxi driver to bring him to Connecticut. He stood outside the gate, peering through the iron bars at the glowing windows of the mansion.
Through the glass of the sunroom, he could see the party inside.
He saw Elise standing near a floral display, laughing as she spoke with a group of ambassadors. She was glowing, radiant, and utterly breathtaking.
Then he saw Julian walk up behind her, holding tiny Grace in his arms. Julian leaned down, whispering something into Elise’s ear that made her burst into a bright, beautiful laugh. Julian gently kissed her cheek, and Elise rested her head against his shoulder.
They looked like a complete, flawless, deeply happy family.
Matthew pressed his forehead against the cold, wet iron gate, tears mixing with the rain on his face.
"That was supposed to be my life..." Matthew sobbed to the empty night. "That was my daughter... my wife..."
A security vehicle pulled up silently behind his sedan. Two massive guards stepped out, holding flashlights.
"Sir, you're violating a court order," the guard said sternly. "Step away from the gate."
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Matthew didn't fight. He didn't argue. He let the guards escort him back to his beat-up car, realizing that he was a ghost staring into a world he could never enter again.
He drove away into the dark night, completely erased from the life he had thrown away.
