The next morning, I stood in front of Vanessa's mansion, my bags packed, my heart heavy. The weight of the previous night's argument still clung to me like a bad hangover. I hadn't slept at all, my mind spinning with every word Vanessa had thrown at me, every look of disappointment in her eyes. She didn't believe me, and no matter how much I tried to explain, I couldn't break through the wall she'd put up.
Now, it felt like the only option was to leave.
As I waited for a car to take me to the airport, one of the butlers, Lorenzo, approached. His usual calm expression was still in place, but there was a hint of something else in his eyes. Pity, maybe. Or understanding. He stopped a few feet away from me, his hands clasped in front of him.
"Signor Tristan," he said quietly, his voice measured. "Before you leave, I have something for you."
I looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Lorenzo reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a slim envelope. He handed it to me without a word, his face neutral. I frowned, taking it from him, the weight of the envelope heavier than I expected. When I opened it, my eyes widened. Inside was a thick stack of cash—at least 10,000 euros.
I stared at the money, then back at Lorenzo. "What the fuck is this?"
Lorenzo kept his voice calm, as if we were discussing nothing more than a simple transaction. "It's enough to cover your flight back home. Plus a little extra. You'll need it, I assume."
I blinked, still processing what was happening. "I... I didn't ask for this."
Lorenzo's eyes softened just slightly, the mask of professionalism cracking for a moment. "You didn't need to. It's a gesture from the household. You're leaving, and you shouldn't leave empty-handed. Consider it a parting gift."
I swallowed, my throat tight. "A parting gift? This feels more like a payoff."
Lorenzo's face remained unreadable. "It's what you need right now."
He was right, of course. I was broke. Completely broke. After everything with the restaurant, I'd been living off Vanessa's generosity, and now... well, I had nothing. No money, no job, no future in Milan. If I didn't take the money, I'd be stuck. But still, something about it felt wrong—like I was being paid to disappear, to fade out of Vanessa's life without causing any more trouble.
I let out a long breath, looking down at the stack of bills in my hand. It was more than enough for a ticket home, maybe even enough to get me back on my feet once I got there. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath. "I guess I don't really have a choice, do I?"
Lorenzo gave me a small, almost imperceptible nod. "It's enough to start over, Signor. It's up to you how you use it."
I looked up at him, still feeling a strange mix of gratitude and resentment. "Does Vanessa know about this?"
Lorenzo's face remained blank, his voice cool. "It's not relevant. The money is yours."
I nodded slowly, tucking the envelope into my bag. "Thanks, Lorenzo. I guess I owe you one."
He gave me a small, respectful bow. "Take care, Signor Tristan."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the front courtyard. The car arrived a few minutes later, and I climbed in, my mind still racing with everything that had happened. I glanced down at my phone, my fingers itching to send Vanessa a message. I didn't want to leave things like this. I needed closure. Something. Anything.
I pulled out my phone and opened up our chat, the messages from last night still sitting there, unanswered. My fingers hovered over the screen as I typed out a short message.
"Vanessa, I'm leaving. I just want you to know that I didn't do anything. I hope you believe me one day."
I stared at the message for a long time before hitting send. The little blue tick appeared, showing it had been delivered, but nothing else. No reply. No acknowledgment.
My heart sank as the car drove toward the airport. I kept glancing at my phone, hoping—praying—that she'd respond. But nothing came. Just silence.
By the time I got to the airport, I knew something was wrong. I checked my phone again, refreshing the screen. Still nothing. I tried sending another message.
"Vanessa, please. Just talk to me."
I waited. And waited. But nothing happened. No reply.
I opened up my contacts, scrolling down to her name. I hit "Call," holding the phone to my ear as it rang... and rang... and rang. Finally, it went to voicemail.
That sinking feeling in my gut deepened. I tried again, but this time the call didn't even go through. It was like it had been cut off before it could connect.
That's when it hit me. Hard.
I opened up our chat again and tried sending another message. But instead of going through, I got an error message: "Message not delivered."
I stared at the screen in disbelief, my heart pounding. She hadn't just ignored me. She'd blocked me.
"Fk," I whispered, the weight of the realization crashing down on me. She didn't want to hear from me. She didn't want to see me. As far as Vanessa was concerned, I didn't exist anymore.
I sat there in the airport terminal, the noise of people rushing by fading into the background. My world had just gotten a whole lot smaller. Vanessa had been my anchor in Milan, my reason for being there, and now... now I was on my own. Cut off. Disconnected.
I stared down at my phone one last time before shoving it back into my pocket. There was nothing more to say. Vanessa had made her choice, and now I had to make mine. I couldn't stay in Milan. I couldn't go back to the mansion. I had to go home.
With a heavy heart, I made my way to the ticket counter, using some of the money Lorenzo had given me to buy a one-way ticket back home. As I sat at the gate, waiting for my flight, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had lost more than just a relationship. I'd lost the future I thought I was building.
As the boarding call echoed through the terminal, I stood up, grabbing my bag, and walked toward the gate. It was time to go home.
Q: Have you ever been in Tristan's position before?