Kevin was released from prison five and a half years later.
He had cursed his desire for revenge every single day he was incarcerated. Filled with despair and loneliness, he had counted the hours and minutes until his release. Now, the prison gates swung open, and he walked out a free man.
But he had nowhere to go. He temporarily crashed with an old acquaintance, found a job as a loader in a warehouse, and a month later, rented a tiny room in a crowded, run-down boarding house. It was all he could afford on his meager salary.
He barely had enough for food. Kevin decided to find Tiffany. Who would want his former mistress, especially with a child to care for?
He tried calling her number, but it was no longer in service. He went to her old address, but Tiffany wasn’t there either. It was the old women gossiping on the porch who told him that she had moved in with some guy and was now living over in Applewood Creek.
Kevin made his way there, but he was astonished when he saw Tiffany in a park with an infant, not a five-year-old child. When she saw him, she showed no reaction, as if they had never known each other. “I… uh, I wanted to ask about the child,” Kevin stammered.
He was lying, and she knew it. He didn’t care about any child. He was just looking for any excuse to reconnect with her.
He couldn’t stand living in that crowded boarding house any longer. “There is no child of yours. I lost him at four months because of all the stress.
So you can get out of here. I know you’re not supposed to say these things, but I’m glad that fate saved me from a person like you, even if it meant losing my baby,” Tiffany said. She had lost her former allure.
The passion, the spark, the vivacity that had once attracted him were all gone. Tiffany interrupted his thoughts and said, “Leave. I’ve been married for three years; we just had this little one.
You’re not wanted here. And you didn’t come here because of a child; you came to leech off me. Don’t even try to deny it, I know it’s the truth.”
He left because he had no arguments. He knew she was right, though he had never believed she would be able to build a life for herself. Tiffany had always been so flighty, so irresponsible, that the news of her marriage seemed comical.
But maybe time really had changed her. Tiffany seemed completely different—calm, restrained, gentle. She now possessed all the qualities he claimed to value in a wife.
Kevin returned to his room and put in his headphones to drown out another fight between his neighbors. He wondered how he was going to get his life back on track, and preferably, have someone else do it for him. The next day, he decided to pay a visit to his ex-wife.
She had always suffered from an excess of kindness and sympathy. Maybe he could stir up some old feelings, or maybe she would forgive him and take him back. The latter option was preferable, but Kevin knew the chances were close to zero.
He got ready and suddenly realized he didn’t know where to go. She certainly wouldn’t be living at the old address. She had sold the condo.
It took him more than an hour to dig up the truth. Through a few connections, he found his ex-wife’s new place of residence. He didn’t head there until the afternoon, not knowing the apartment number or even which entrance to use.
He only knew the street and the building number. Getting her phone number would have been much easier. Kevin quickly reached the city center and sat down on a bench at a playground.
Valerie was never a homebody, so she was bound to appear at some point, heading to another meeting, a class, or a workshop. But there was no sign of her. Kevin was starting to get nervous when he saw an expensive, brand-new car, looking like it had just rolled off the assembly line, pull up.
He froze, expecting some portly, middle-aged man to emerge. But to his astonishment, his ex-wife stepped out of the driver’s seat. She opened the door, got out, and locked the car.
– Valerie! – he shouted to get her attention. Her hair was much longer, but her skin was paler than before. She hadn’t exactly grown younger, but she had become more beautiful…
Her appearance had taken on an aristocratic quality. He looked at her and realized what a fool he had been to let such a woman go. But Valerie felt nothing for him.
Prison had taken a heavy toll on Kevin, and there was no denying it. Yet she recognized him, even through the wrinkles, the dull skin, and the tattoos inked by the unsteady hand of a prison artist. Valerie stopped and waited for him to approach her.
He walked up and immediately became hesitant, unsure how to start a specific conversation. He didn’t know how to approach the subject without it ending like his talk with Tiffany. – I don’t know why you’re here, but whatever the reason, you’ve wasted your time, – Valerie said calmly.
– If you need money, then go get a job. You had your chance to live a comfortable life, but you chose a young mistress. You made your choice, and I accepted it.
– If you show up in this courtyard again, I’ll call the police, – Valerie stated. She tossed the keys from one hand to the other and walked toward the building entrance. She disappeared into the luxury high-rise, leaving Kevin standing there like a forgotten toy.
– So, the princess gave you the brush-off? – a teenager said with a laugh. – Hey man, don’t feel bad. She’s been living here a while, and she’s always alone.
– I don’t think she needs anyone. She’s, like… what do you call it… a billionaire, yeah! The teenager stood in front of Kevin. He froze at the word, his face a mask of disbelief.
– No joke, man! Where have you been for the last five years? Here, look! The kid pulled a phone out of his pocket, found a news article about Valerie, and shoved it under Kevin’s nose. And it was true; he had literally dropped out of life for the past five years. There had been a lot written about Valerie.
She had indeed become the youngest self-made female billionaire. Still chuckling, the kid walked away, leaving Kevin alone. He sat down on the bench and buried his face in his hands.
He wanted to weep with regret. If only he had controlled himself back then, if he had just thought for one minute about the consequences, he wouldn’t be sitting on this bench right now. He would be in a magnificent apartment in a luxury high-rise, driving an expensive car, and wouldn’t even have to think about work, let alone a job as a warehouse loader. Kevin cast one last glance at the high-rise and walked away.
He was dejected, but even more, he was furious with himself for throwing away his chance at happiness out of his own stupidity. Five years ago, he had a wealthy wife, a gorgeous mistress, and the chance to spend the rest of his life without working. But one mistake had led to a cascade of others.
And now? Now, neither his wife nor his mistress wanted him. He had a five-year prison sentence behind him, lived in a tiny room in a time-worn boarding house, and could barely make ends meet. He stood up and headed toward the bus stop…
– Wait, – Valerie said, having come back out of the building. She walked closer and pressed a thick wad of cash into his hands. – You may be a scoundrel, but so be it.
– Here’s a business card. Tell them I sent you. They’ll train you and give you a job. I’ve helped you, now do me a favor and don’t ever show your face here again.
Valerie walked away without even waiting to hear his words of gratitude. Kevin stood frozen with the thick stack of bills and the business card, feeling not only gratitude but also an overwhelming sense of guilt. He’d had a chance to fix everything, and he had squandered it.
Kevin stuffed the money into his backpack and trudged home, hoping that a new job would allow him to move out. And maybe, just maybe, it would be a chance to start over with a clean slate.