[STORY] She knew he was destroying her… But a force was drawing her back to him
She Knew He Was Destroying Her… But a Force Was Drawing Her Back to Him
Chapter One: What Joël Found in the Suitcase
“Joël, why did you ask me to come so quickly?”
“Come in. I need to show you something.”
“You’re actually starting to scare me.”
“This morning he asked me to find a suit in his suitcase. And then — I didn’t just find the suit. I didn’t know if I should show you this.”
“What did you find?”
“See for yourself.”
“What is all this?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t touched anything. Why would he hide this in his room?”
“Wait — there was something underneath. That’s… that’s my photo. Why is my photo hidden with these objects?”
“That’s exactly why I called you.”
Behind an apparently ordinary love story, something far more unsettling can hide.
Chapter Two: The Woman Who Did as She Pleased
At twenty-one, Amandine had always had the reputation of being someone who followed her own mind. Once she made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change it.
“You’re going to drive us all crazy with that temper of yours,” her older sister Nadège often said.
Amandine would burst out laughing. “At least I live the way I want to.”
Her mother, Elise, simply shook her head. “One day you’ll understand that not every choice can be undone.” But at that age, Amandine was convinced adults simply saw danger everywhere.
One day, a friend invited her to a party organized after a big traditional music festival.
“Come. I don’t know anyone.”
“Exactly — you’ll see, every artist worth knowing will be there.”
That single sentence was enough to convince her. The party was in full swing when the conversations suddenly cut off.
“He’s here.”
Every eye turned toward the entrance. Surrounded by a small entourage, Matis had just arrived. Elegant, self-assured, greeting everyone with an ease that seemed effortless. His face was already known across the country — his songs played regularly on the radio, and he toured internationally without pause.
“That’s him?” Amandine asked.
“Yes. Matis.”
“I thought he was older.”
“He’s thirty-six.”
Amandine raised her eyebrows slightly. “Thirty-six? He doesn’t look it,” she added.
Barely a few minutes later, their eyes met. Matis walked over. They talked for several minutes — he told her about his travels, his concerts, the countries he’d discovered. Amandine listened, fascinated. Before he left, he asked, “Can I have your number?”
She hesitated a second. “All right.”
Chapter Three: The Warnings No One Heeded
By the next day, the calls had already begun. Then came the bouquets of flowers, the small thoughtful gestures, the long conversations that stretched deep into the night. Within a few weeks, they were officially together.
When her sister found out, she asked, “That’s the singer, right?”
“Yes.”
“The one who’s fifteen years older than you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very serious.”
Nadège sighed. “Amandine, that man doesn’t live the life of a husband. Everyone knows it. People talk a lot — and it isn’t only rumors.”
Amandine stood up. “I’m tired of people telling me who I should date.”
The conversation ended there. But a few days later, it was her mother’s turn. Elise waited until they were alone in the kitchen.
“My daughter, we need to talk.”
Amandine rolled her eyes. “I already know what about.”
“That man doesn’t inspire trust in me.”
“Because he’s a singer?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Elise took her time before answering. “I can’t explain it, but something about him unsettles me.”
“You’re judging him without knowing him. Give him a chance.”
“It isn’t him I’m worried about. It’s you.”
Amandine looked away. “Mom, I’m happy.”
“I only hope you’ll still be, a few years from now.”
Despite Elise and Nadège’s reservations, Matis kept coming to the house. Amandine’s father, Victor, always received him courteously. After the singer left one evening, Victor declared, “He’s respectful.”
Elise turned sharply. “How long have you known him?”
“I only say what I’ve observed.”
“Appearances can be deceiving.”
Victor shrugged. “Amandine is old enough to make her own choices.” His words reassured the young woman. For the first time, she felt like someone actually trusted her.
Chapter Four: The Shop
Matis traveled often. Each time he returned, he brought a small gift — never anything extravagant, but always something that made Amandine smile. One evening, sitting alone with him after dinner, he took her hand gently.
“A lot of people are going to try to separate us.”
“That won’t happen.”
Matis looked at her for a few seconds before a faint smile crossed his face. One morning, he took her to visit a small commercial space.
“What are we doing here?” she asked.
“Come in.”
She looked around. The space was empty. “It’s nice.”
Matis handed her a set of keys. “It’s yours.”
Amandine’s eyes went wide. “Stop joking.”
“I’m not joking. You told me you dreamed of having your own clothing shop. So we’re going to make it happen.”
She threw her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
A few weeks later, the shop opened its doors. Matis sometimes brought back clothes from his travels, but Amandine began choosing her own merchandise and managing her own orders. The business was modest, but the sales already let her cover her personal expenses without constantly having to ask Matis for money. She felt, for the first time, like her life was finally moving in the direction she’d always dreamed of.
That happiness didn’t last long.
Chapter Five: Lydia
One afternoon, arriving unannounced to see Matis, she found him deep in conversation with a young woman. Seeing her, the woman slipped away quickly.
“Who is that?” Amandine asked.
Matis answered without even looking up. “An acquaintance.”
“She seemed very close to you.”
“Are you starting already? You’re imagining things.”
Amandine chose not to press it. A few days later, she began hearing rumors — the same name kept coming up. Lydia.
Not long after, she caught Matis with the same young woman again. He didn’t even try to deny it.
“What are you doing here?” he asked sharply.
“That’s more my question to ask you.”
Matis calmly closed his car door. “Go home.”
“You promised me—”
“I told you to go home.”
She stood frozen. Lydia got into the car without even glancing at her. They drove off in front of her eyes. Amandine burst into tears. That day, she made a decision.
“It’s over.”
The next morning, she repeated the same words to her mirror. “It’s finished.”
And yet, by late afternoon, her phone rang. Matis. She stared at the screen for several seconds. I won’t answer. The phone stopped, then started again, and again. Finally, she picked up.
“Where are you?”
“At my place. Come over tonight.”
Amandine knew she should say no. She was convinced of it. And yet the words refused to come. “All right.”
That same evening, she was back at his place, as though the day before had never happened.
Chapter Six: The Cycle
The following months all resembled each other — the betrayals, the tears, and always Matis’s return. Every single time, Amandine promised herself it would be the last time. Every single time, she failed. Even when he turned cold, even when he vanished for days without a word, she always came back. She no longer understood her own behavior.
Her mother found her sitting alone in her room one evening, eyes red.
“Have you been crying again?”
Amandine wiped her cheeks quickly. “No.”
Elise sat beside her. “It’s because of Matis.”
Amandine’s tears came without her being able to stop them. Her mother pulled her into her arms.
“You’re not the same girl anymore, my daughter.”
“I want to leave.”
“Then leave.”
“I’m trying, Mom. I promise you, I’m trying. But the moment he calls, every reason I had to leave him just disappears.”
Elise no longer knew how to help her daughter.
Chapter Seven: The Suitcase
Three weeks passed. Matis had left again on a trip. As usual, he’d left his house in Joël’s care — a young man who had lived with him for several years, handling the house’s upkeep, preparing everything before each of his returns. Amandine knew Joël well. He often chatted with her whenever she came to see Matis.
That morning, as Amandine was opening her shop, her phone rang. She looked at the screen. Joël. Surprised, she picked up. The young man’s voice sounded off.
“Amandine, can you come by today?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Yes — well, I’d rather show you than explain over the phone. What’s going on? Can you come?”
“All right, I’m on my way.”
About thirty minutes later, she arrived at Matis’s house. Joël was already waiting. His face was closed off.
“Thank you for coming.”
“You’re scaring me.”
He glanced around before opening the door. “Come in.”
They crossed the living room without a word. Once in Matis’s bedroom, Joël stopped.
“This morning he called and asked me to wash a suit packed in a large black suitcase.” He pointed to an imposing case sitting at the foot of the bed. “I opened it to look for the suit. I found something else. I wasn’t sure if I should show you.”
“What did you see?”
“See for yourself.”
He lifted the clothes. At the bottom of the suitcase sat a glass jar filled with a honey-colored liquid. Beside it lay a red heart sewn from fabric. Around it, several small objects were carefully arranged.
Amandine stood frozen. “What is all this?”
“I have no idea.”
Joël gently lifted the jar to clear the bottom of the suitcase. Something slid out — a photograph, folded in two. Amandine picked it up. As she unfolded it, her breath caught.
It was a photo of her. The photo she’d given Matis several months earlier.
“Why?” She looked up at Joël. “Why is my photo here?”
The young man looked just as unsettled. “I don’t know.”
Amandine set the photograph back down. “Put everything back exactly as it was.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
Joël carefully returned each object to its place and closed the suitcase. Before leaving the room, he turned to her.
“I didn’t want to hurt you. But I thought you should know.”
She only nodded.
Chapter Eight: “You’re Imagining Things”
A few days later, Matis returned from his trip. Amandine didn’t wait long to visit him. They talked for a few minutes as though nothing were wrong. Then she finally asked, “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“While you were gone, I stopped by your place. I saw your big suitcase open in your room.”
Matis went still. “Who opened it?”
“That’s not the question. I saw what was inside.”
A brief silence settled. Then, after a moment, Matis let out a soft laugh.
“That’s what this is about?”
Amandine was surprised by his calm. “You find this funny?”
“You’re clearly imagining things. Explain it to me.”
He took his time getting up. “The honey is part of a traditional preparation I take before going on stage. And the heart is a good-luck charm an old musician gave me years ago.”
“And my photo?”
Matis made a vague gesture. “You gave that to me. It must have slipped under the jar when I was putting my things away.”
The explanation seemed unconvincing to her. But Amandine had no proof otherwise. Matis placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Do you really think I’d hurt you?”
Amandine found no valid argument. “No,” she answered.
Leaving the house, she was convinced something was wrong. And yet, without quite understanding why, every doubt that had flooded her a few hours earlier already seemed to be fading.
Chapter Nine: The Trip That Changed Something
One Sunday afternoon found Amandine sitting under the veranda. She’d been holding her phone for several minutes, doing nothing.
“Are you waiting for his call?” Elise asked.
Amandine flinched slightly. “No.”
Elise sat beside her. “You’ve barely eaten anything since this morning.”
“I wasn’t hungry.”
“And you didn’t open your shop yesterday.”
Amandine finally set her phone on the table. “I’m just tired.”
“No. You spend your days waiting for someone who doesn’t even wonder how you’re doing.”
Amandine stood abruptly. “I don’t want to talk about Matis again.”
“Fine.” Her mother’s calm response surprised her. Elise didn’t try to push further. “Your father and I have made a decision,” she continued.
Amandine turned. “Which is?”
“We’re going to spend a few days at your uncle’s. You need to breathe, because you can’t do it here anymore.”
“You never told me about this.”
“It was deliberate. If Matis finds out, he’ll certainly find a reason to stop you from going.”
“He would never do that.”
Elise didn’t answer.
The next day, Amandine wanted to call Matis to tell him about the trip. Her mother stopped her immediately.
“Don’t tell him anything.”
“He’ll be furious.”
“Trust me.”
“I still have to warn him.”
Elise shook her head gently. “Not this time.”
The family loaded into the car. Victor drove. For several hours, they traveled long roads bordered by villages and fields. The phone signal grew increasingly unstable. Amandine checked her phone several times. No calls, no messages.
She found it strange. “He’s probably asleep,” she murmured.
At first, she felt a certain nervousness, already imagining Matis’s anger when he learned she’d left. She even wanted to ask her father to turn around. But as the hours passed, that urge faded.
By evening, they finally arrived at her uncle’s. The courtyard was full of cousins and aunts. The reunion was warm. For two days, Amandine barely thought of Matis at all. She didn’t feel that urgent need to call him and know where he was. For the first time in a long while, she felt light.
Chapter Ten: The Angry Calls
On the third day, her phone finally buzzed. Matis. She picked up.
“Where are you?”
“At my uncle’s.”
His voice changed abruptly. “Why didn’t you tell me anything?”
“Everything was arranged quickly.”
“You’re joking? Give me the address.”
A flicker of anxiety washed over Amandine. “I’ll be back in a few days.”
Matis hung up without another word. A few minutes later, he called again, and again. When she finally answered, he was speaking much louder.
“You think it’s normal to disappear like that? You should have warned me.”
“I simply left with my parents.”
“Put your mother on.”
Elise, who had heard everything, calmly took the phone. “Hello, madam. Why did you take Amandine without telling me?”
“Because she’s my daughter.”
“You could have at least warned me.”
“We didn’t need anyone’s permission.”
“You’re doing everything you can to separate us.”
Elise replied, “If your relationship is as solid as you claim, a few days away shouldn’t worry you.” Then she hung up.
Amandine looked at her, worried. “He’s very angry.”
“I know.”
By evening, dozens of messages had piled up on her phone — some filled with reproach, others simply asking her to come home. She answered none of them. Each day away from him brought a little more clarity. She thought back on Matis’s humiliations, his disappearances, his betrayals — and saw them with different eyes.
One evening, sitting in the courtyard with Nadège, she murmured, “I don’t think I’m happy with him anymore.”
Her sister looked at her, surprised — Amandine had never said those words this calmly before. “Then why do you stay?”
Amandine stared at the ground for a long time. “I don’t know.”
Chapter Eleven: What Came Home With Her
The next day, while helping her cousins prepare lunch, the smell of food suddenly made her feel sick. A few minutes later, the nausea came again. Elise watched her with concern. Without a word, she understood what might be happening.
Two days later, the family made the trip home. In the first hours, Amandine kept some of the calm she’d found at her uncle’s. But as they got closer to the city, a familiar agitation began growing in her again. She checked her phone. No new messages from Matis.
“Are you still waiting for his call?” Nadège asked.
Amandine quickly locked her phone. “No.” But she knew something had just shifted inside her.
After their return home, the verdict came: Amandine was pregnant.
Elise spoke first. “You’re going to have to tell him.”
Amandine instinctively placed a hand on her belly. “Yes.”
That same evening, she called Matis. He picked up quickly.
“I need to talk to you.”
“I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
A long silence. Then he simply answered, “All right.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
“We’ll talk about it when I get back.”
“When are you coming back?”
“I don’t know yet.” The call cut off.
That night, Matis didn’t call back. Nor the next day. Then the days began piling up — no news. Her phone stayed desperately silent. Matis had vanished.
Chapter Twelve: The Return and the Marriage
Victor began losing his patience.
“Are you sure he knows about the pregnancy?”
“Yes, Papa.”
“He’s not answering anymore.”
“No.” Victor sprang up from his chair. “That is not how a man behaves.”
“Calm down,” Elise said.
“No, my daughter will not stay like this.”
A few days later, against all expectations, Matis called. “I’m back.”
Amandine felt her heart race. “Where were you?”
“I had work.”
“You could have sent word.”
“Can we see each other?”
She agreed immediately. When they met, Matis seemed perfectly relaxed.
“Are you well?” he asked.
Amandine looked at him, uncomprehending. “You disappear for months and that’s the first question you ask me.”
“I’m here now.”
“And this whole time, did you ever once think of me?”
“Of course I did.”
“Then why didn’t you call?”
He sighed lightly. “Amandine, I only just got back. Let’s not start arguing.” All her anger dissolved. She’d prepared a long speech — to tell him she’d had enough, that she deserved better. But face to face with him, the words failed her.
When she got home, Elise and Nadège were waiting in the living room.
“You saw him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That he’ll take responsibility.”
“Take responsibility how?” Nadège asked.
“He hasn’t explained yet.”
“So he talked without saying anything,” Nadège said. Amandine snapped back, “He only just got back. Give him some time.”
The next morning, Victor learned that Matis had returned. “Tell him to come see me, Papa.”
“He only just got back.”
“So did I. I’ve waited too. Now I want to know what he plans to do.”
Two days later, Matis showed up at the family home. Amandine stayed close to her mother. Victor got straight to the point.
“My daughter is carrying your child.”
Matis nodded.
“You disappeared for nearly two months.”
“I was traveling.”
“Does traveling prevent a phone call?”
Matis stayed silent. Victor continued. “Amandine still lives with us. We worry about her while nobody knows where you are.”
“I’ll take my responsibilities.”
“You’ve been saying that since you got back. I’m asking what you actually intend to do.”
Matis slowly folded his hands. “I’ll take care of the child.”
“And its mother?” Victor added.
Matis glanced briefly at Amandine. “Of course.”
Nadège cut in. “And yet, since she got pregnant, you’ve barely been around.”
“This conversation concerns the parents,” Matis said without looking at her. Nadège wanted to answer back, but Elise signaled her to stay quiet. Victor leaned in slightly.
“In a few months, people will see my daughter had a child out of wedlock. She’ll carry all the criticism alone, while you continue your travels and your concerts.”
Elise turned toward her husband. “Victor—”
“I’m only saying the truth.”
Matis’s face remained impassive. “What do you expect from me?”
Victor answered plainly. “That you make your situation official.”
Amandine looked at Matis. She waited for a reaction — some hesitation, maybe even a declaration proving he truly wanted to build a family with her. Matis asked, “You’re talking about marriage?”
“Yes. That’s exactly it.”
Elise finally spoke up. “No one should marry solely because of a pregnancy.”
Victor turned to her. “And what do you propose? That she wait alone for him to decide to come back whenever he feels like it?”
“I propose we ask Amandine what she wants.” All eyes turned to her.
Amandine’s throat tightened. A few months earlier, she would have answered without hesitation — she would have said she wanted to become Matis’s wife. But after the betrayals, the humiliations, the disappearances, the answer no longer seemed so obvious.
“I want my child to have a family,” she finally murmured.
Elise looked at her sadly. “That isn’t exactly what I asked you.”
Amandine looked back up at Matis. “I want to believe we can still fix things.”
Matis stayed silent a few seconds, then declared, “Fine. We’ll get married.”
Victor nodded. But Elise kept her eyes on Matis. He had just agreed — without joy, without surprise, without even looking at Amandine, as though settling a formality that cost him nothing.
Chapter Thirteen: The New Apartment
A few weeks later, the civil marriage was celebrated. Shortly after, Matis rented an apartment for their new home. He’d insisted on handling the setup himself — according to him, Amandine’s pregnancy was already too far along for her to make unnecessary trips or exertions. By the time he showed it to her, the main furniture was already in place.
Amandine saw it as proof that he was finally taking their marriage seriously.
One evening, Matis said, “Tomorrow morning I have to travel.”
“This time, you won’t disappear again?” Amandine asked.
“No.”
The next morning, Matis was already gone. Weeks went by without Amandine hearing the slightest word from him.
One afternoon, a friend rushed into the shop. “Amandine — you know Lydia?”
A knot formed in Amandine’s chest. “Yes.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Are you sure?” Amandine asked.
“Everyone’s talking about it.”
Amandine could barely believe it. Lydia was expecting a child from Matis too.
Chapter Fourteen: What the Suitcase Meant
That evening, Victor found Amandine behind the shop counter — long past closing time. Several garments were spread out in front of her, but she didn’t seem to see them.
“Are you still here?”
Amandine kept mechanically folding the same piece of clothing. “I was finishing something up.”
Victor looked around. She finally stopped. “Lydia is pregnant.”
“Lydia — who’s that?” Victor asked.
“The woman Matis was cheating with.” Amandine put the garment away and picked up another. “She’s expecting a child from him too.”
“Put that down, my daughter,” Victor said.
“I need to finish.”
“Amandine.” She squeezed the fabric between her fingers. “I thought marriage would change something. I thought that by becoming his wife, he’d eventually respect me.”
Victor had no answer for that. He had been the one who’d insisted on the marriage — who had believed a signed document would be enough to turn Matis into a responsible father and husband.
“I wanted to protect you,” he murmured.
“I know, Papa. But maybe you pushed me to stay where I should have left.”
Amandine set down the garment she was holding. “I don’t think I ever really knew him.”
“Let’s go home, my daughter,” Victor said.
Chapter Fifteen: The Second Discovery
A few weeks later, labor began nearly two months early. While the doctors tended to the newborn, Amandine kept watching the door. She hoped to see Matis walk in. He never came.
Since their return from the hospital, Elise spent most of her time at the apartment supporting Amandine — refusing to let her daughter face the first weeks with a premature baby alone.
One morning, while Elise looked after the baby in the living room, the cleaning woman moved the bed to clean the room thoroughly. Suddenly, she noticed a small package hidden against the wall.
“Madame Elise!”
Elise hurried over. “What is it?”
The cleaning woman held a small package, carefully wrapped in cloth. “It was hidden under the bed.”
“Open it,” Elise said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
The cloth was slowly unfolded. Inside was a small container holding a thick, honey-colored liquid. Beside it lay a piece of red fabric.
Elise called Amandine immediately. The young woman walked into the room. Her mother pointed at the package.
“Look.”
The image of the large suitcase came rushing back to Amandine’s mind all at once. “Mom—” her voice trembled. “I’ve seen objects like this before.”
Elise turned sharply. “Where?”
Amandine took a deep breath and told the whole story. After a moment, Elise said calmly, “I don’t know what this is, but I refuse to keep it in this house.”
She carefully wrapped the objects back in the cloth without touching them any further. “We won’t be staying here tonight.”
She called Victor, who came to collect the package and immediately removed it from the apartment. Amandine asked neither where he was taking it nor what he intended to do with it. She took her son and went back to sleep at her parents’ house.
Chapter Sixteen: “How Many Times Did You Want to Leave Him?”
That night, Amandine sat under the veranda of the family home when her mother came to join her.
“Can’t sleep?”
“I’m thinking,” Amandine murmured. “Mom?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think all of this is connected?”
“I don’t know. But it resembles itself too much to be simple coincidence.” Elise paused. “Let me ask you something. Through all of this, how many times did you want to leave Matis?”
“I don’t know anymore. Maybe twenty times.”
“And why did you always go back?”
Amandine opened her mouth. She thought about it for a long time. “I don’t know.”
Elise continued calmly. “That man cheated on you. He humiliated you. He left you alone through your pregnancy. He wasn’t even there for his son’s birth. And yet, you kept running back to him. Does that seem normal to you?”
Amandine thought back on every time she’d packed her things, every decision made in the evening and abandoned the moment Matis called. No. It wasn’t normal.
She said a sentence she had never said with this much conviction before. “Mom. I want a divorce.”
A deep relief crossed Elise’s face, immediately replaced by concern. “Are you certain?”
Amandine nodded slowly.
Chapter Seventeen: “You’ll Come Back”
The next day, Amandine asked to speak with her father and Nadège. Once they were all gathered in the living room, she declared, without hesitation, “I’ve decided to divorce.”
“Are you sure?” Victor asked.
“Yes, Papa. A divorce isn’t a small decision.”
Amandine looked him straight in the eyes. “Neither was marriage. And yet I married him even after he’d already begun abandoning me.”
“This time, I won’t decide for you,” Victor said. “If you truly want to leave, no one will force you to go back to him.”
Nadège cut in. “Above all, avoid being alone with him when he finds out.”
A slight apprehension crept over Amandine. “He won’t do anything to me.”
“You said that every time we warned you,” Nadège said.
A few days later, Matis asked to see his son. Amandine agreed, but the meeting took place at the family home.
“He’s grown,” Matis said, rocking his son.
“You could have watched him grow,” Amandine replied.
Matis looked up at her. “I’m often traveling.”
“You always find a reason.” He played with the child for a few minutes, entirely ignoring the reproach that had just been directed at him. Amandine asked her mother to take the little boy out.
Once alone in the living room, Matis settled comfortably. Amandine stayed standing.
“You wanted to talk to me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m listening.”
“I want a divorce.”
Matis didn’t move. His face betrayed no emotion. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
He gave a faint smile. “Is your mother putting ideas in your head again?”
“My mother didn’t ask me anything.”
“Then it’s your sister.”
“It’s my decision.” Matis straightened up.
“You never make this kind of decision on your own.” Amandine clasped her hands to keep her fingers from trembling.
“Exactly. For a long time, I felt like I wasn’t capable of deciding anything for myself anymore.” Matis’s smile disappeared.
“What does that mean?”
Amandine thought of the suitcase, of the package found under their bed. She chose, still, to say nothing about it. “It simply means I don’t want to live like this anymore.”
“You think divorce will solve all your problems?”
“At the very least, it will put distance between me and the person who makes me suffer the most.”
Matis stood up. His voice softened. “Amandine, we have a child.”
“You only remember that when it suits you.”
“I admit I’ve made mistakes.” She was surprised — it was the first time he’d ever said those words.
Matis continued. “Give me one last chance. I’ll change.” Amandine felt her certainty waver. He took her hand.
“We can start over somewhere else. You, me, our son. I’ll cut back on my travel. I’ll be more present.”
Amandine slowly withdrew her hand. “You could have changed a long time ago.”
“So your decision is made?”
“Yes.”
The instant he understood she wouldn’t back down, his face closed off. “You think any man will still want to marry you after me?” He sneered. “A divorced woman with a child — men might play around with you, but marry you and build a family? Never.”
Those words wounded her deeply. Once, they would have been enough to make her cry, to push her to beg forgiveness, to make her question her own decision. This time, she stayed silent.
Matis went on. “And your shop — maybe you’ve forgotten who let you open it.”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“Without me, you would have had nothing.”
“You gave me a space and some merchandise. I’ve always been grateful for that. But I’m the one who opens that shop every morning. I’m the one who works. I’m the one feeding your son while you disappear.”
Matis narrowed his eyes. “You’ve become quite bold.”
“No. I’m just tired of being afraid.” She walked to the living room door and opened it. “You can leave now, Matis. We have nothing left to say to each other.”
Before stepping out, he turned back to her one last time. “You’ll come back.”
He said it with such certainty it almost sounded like a threat. The door closed behind him.
Chapter Eighteen: What Never Came
A few weeks later, the two spouses appeared before the judge for their hearing. After reviewing their case, the judge set the amount of child support Matis would need to pay for their son’s upkeep. Matis signed the documents without raising a single objection. Leaving the courthouse, he walked past Amandine without giving her so much as a glance.
In the months that followed, no payment ever arrived. Every month’s end, Amandine hoped. Every month’s end, she was disappointed.
After several months of proceedings, the divorce was officially granted. Amandine told her mother, “You know what’s strange? Before, I couldn’t go a single day without waiting for his call. Now I can go an entire week without feeling any need to know where he is.”
Her mother smiled. “Whatever it was that held you there — today, you’re free.”
Chapter Nineteen: Gabriel
Time passed, and some of Matis’s words kept returning to Amandine’s mind. No man will want to marry a woman with a child. She pretended not to think about it anymore, but deep down, his words had left a wound. Amandine devoted herself entirely to her son. Her shop filled most of her days. Little by little, she rediscovered her taste for living.
Years later, she had to take a flight to another country to attend an event. A few minutes after takeoff, the man seated beside her offered a smile.
“Excuse me. Do you travel often?”
Amandine returned his smile. “Not really.”
“Neither do I.”
They exchanged a few words. When the plane landed, the man hesitated before asking, “Could I leave you my number?”
Amandine smiled. “All right.”
The man’s name was Gabriel. Over the following weeks, they got to know each other. One evening, walking quietly together, Amandine finally gathered her courage.
“I need to tell you something.”
“I’m listening.”
“I have a son.”
Gabriel smiled. “I know.”
Amandine looked at him, surprised. “You knew?”
“You let me figure it out.”
“A lot of men would have left,” Amandine added.
Gabriel replied, “I’m not a lot of men.”
Amandine studied him as though searching for the trap hidden behind that answer. But Gabriel didn’t try to justify himself, nor to convince her of anything. He simply kept walking beside her.
A few months later, Gabriel met the little boy. A bond quickly formed between them. The years passed. Amandine gave birth to two more children — a daughter, then a son. With Gabriel, she finally built the peaceful home she had once hoped to build with Matis.
Matis, for his part, also remade his life. He had other children, but he never paid the child support the court had ordered. Every time he spotted Amandine in the distance, he discreetly changed direction — as though still afraid she might demand what he owed his son.
Chapter Twenty: What Amandine Finally Understood
One evening, as the whole family sat gathered around the table, Amandine lifted her eyes toward the sky. For a long time, she had believed her life stopped the day she fell in love with Matis. Today, she knew Matis had never been the end of her story. He had only been a painful chapter before the beginning of a new life.
Not every attachment is necessarily a natural one. When a person suffers, wants to leave, but feels mysteriously unable to, there may exist a hold that goes beyond simple love. Systematically refusing your family’s advice can lead you to discover, too late, exactly what they were trying to spare you from.
Being divorced and having a child takes away neither a woman’s worth, nor her right to know a sincere love.
The end.
