When Love Comes Late

She pressed her lips together, her heart aching more than anything else.

Taking a deep breath to hold back her tears, she looked directly at the man and asked, “Matthew, do you think I pushed Lindsay?”

Matthew gave Stella a cold look and said plainly, “I trust what I saw.

”

He stood up and headed for the door without saying anything else.

“Wait,” Stella called out, her voice filled with desperation.

Matthew stopped but didn’t turn to face her.

Fighting back the pain, Stella continued, “Are you really serious about the divorce? Is it because Lindsay saved you, or is there another reason? I’m giving you one last chance to be honest.

”

After speaking, Stella kept her eyes on Matthew, but all she could see was his back.

He stood silent and unmoving, his back turned to her, while the room fell into a heavy, eerie silence.

Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he had with Neville earlier.

He wanted to say he was serious about the divorce but couldn’t voice them out.

His chest felt tight and suffocating.

Stella waited for an answer that never came, growing more disappointed with each passing moment.

Sometimes, silence speaks the loudest.

A bitter smile appeared on her lips as she realized Matthew was firm in his decision to divorce.

Taking a deep breath, Stella forced herself to stay calm and said, “I understand.

”

This time, she didn’t wait for Matthew to reply.

She walked past him, skipping the living room, and went straight out the back door to her car.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Stella rolled up all the windows and took a deep, slow breath.

She leaned back, closed her eyes, and sank into deep thought.

During the brief time she spent with Matthew in the room, Stella noticed his eyes were calm and composed, just as they had been when she first met him.

Stella couldn’t understand why Matthew had changed so much.

She opened her eyes again, now clear and determined.

Realizing she no longer belonged there, Stella saw no reason to stay.