Two weeks later I returned to the apartment with an officer and a locksmith, not to reconcile but to collect what belonged to me and close that chapter completely.
Inside a drawer I found printed tickets for Maui under Brandon’s name and another woman’s name, and I simply took a photo as additional proof before finishing packing my belongings.
That night back at Olivia’s apartment we ate quietly, and when she asked what came next I looked at my steady hands and said, “Now I rebuild everything without him, and he can pay for his illusions on his own.”
