That evening, I planned to spend a cosy evening with Megan. I carefully set the table, lit the candles, and waited with hope in my heart.
‘Mum, this is Grayson,’ Megan said a few hours later, clinging to the arm of a man who looked older than me.
He was tall, wearing a pressed suit and a smooth, confident smile.
‘Erika, it’s nice to meet you,’ he said, extending his hand.
‘Likewise, Grayson. Megan didn’t mention… a guest,’ I replied, forcing myself to smile politely.
Megan laughed, but it sounded forced. ‘I thought it would be a nice surprise.’
Grayson’s eyes scanned the room, as if assessing its merits.
I sat down opposite them, feeling an awkward silence growing.
‘So, Grayson,’ I ventured, ‘what do you do?’
‘Finance. Investments,’ he replied calmly, without looking up from his glass.
‘Finance, huh?’ I muttered, glancing at Megan. ‘And Megan, how do you like university?’
‘Mum… maybe university isn’t the answer to everything.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked, trying to stay calm. ‘We worked so hard to get you in, remember?’
‘I feel free with Grayson. He understands me like no one else does.’
My irritation boiled over. ‘And how long… has this been going on?’
Grayson stood up, adjusting his cufflinks with a slight, dismissive smile. ‘If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step outside for a moment.’
The image is provided for illustrative purposes only.
That evening, we sat in silence, barely touching our dinners. Despite everything, Megan seemed to expect me to soften my stance towards Grayson. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a sharp knock.
Meghan opened the door and saw a young woman with a flushed face and red eyes, as if she had been crying for hours.
‘Rachel?’ Grayson whispered. Her gaze was fixed on him.
‘You!’ Rachel hissed. “You promised me. You told me I was the only one!”
Grayson’s face paled. ‘Rachel, please… not here. Now is not the time…’
‘Not the time?’ she interrupted, her voice rising with each word. “I had to track you down! I put a GPS on your car because I couldn’t get a straight answer from you!”
Her words turned into sobs. Megan’s face contorted with surprise. I felt relieved. It was the truth she needed, even if it was painful.
‘Is it true?’ Megan’s voice was cold. ‘Did you lie to me?’
‘Megan, listen. It’s… complicated. I didn’t want to…’
‘Complicated? You thought you could just… keep lying, jumping between us? How many more are there, Grayson?’
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Megan stepped forward, pushing him towards the door with her hands.
A sickening thud broke the night, and Grayson collapsed motionless on the pavement. I put my hands to my mouth and stared at him in horror.
The image is provided for illustrative purposes only.
According to the hospital doctor, Grayson was unable to travel far, at least for the time being. Under normal circumstances, I would have recommended that he stay at a hotel, but the only one in our town was closed for renovations.
But Megan’s response surprised me. She decided to leave the next morning without even looking back. She didn’t say goodbye or ask how he was doing.
‘You’re better at this, Mum,’ she said, putting Grayson’s bank card in her bag. “I never loved him. I just used him for money, and he didn’t care. He liked to show me off like a trophy. It was just business between us.”
Her words hurt me, even though I already suspected that their relationship wasn’t real. Hearing her admit it so bluntly made me feel more deeply than I expected. And so she left, leaving me alone with Grayson.
Time passed, and by the time Grayson had fully recovered, I was hopelessly in love with him.
He was someone who simply needed real communication, someone who was missing from my life as much as I was from his.
We found Megan in a small café in the city centre, following her friend’s directions.
‘What are you two doing here?’ Megan asked, her tone colder than I expected.
Grayson smiled calmly. ‘We just wanted to talk. Maybe have a coffee together?’
Megan rolled her eyes but didn’t leave. ‘Fine. Five minutes.’
We sat down at a table. Megan listened, her gaze darting between us.
Image is for illustrative purposes only.
‘Why are you even here, Grayson?’ she finally blurted out. ‘Is this some attempt to be a father figure?’
“No, Megan. I’m here because I care about you. And because you deserve the chance to decide what you really want, without pressure from me or your mum.”
‘Well, I already know what I want. I have enough money on your card to live on until I find someone else. Someone younger this time.’
‘Megan,’ I said quietly, ‘we’re here to remind you of who you are — someone who has always been brave, smart and independent. I don’t want you to give up on your potential.’
‘Fine, but don’t expect miracles. I’m not going to fall into line just because you two showed up out of nowhere.’
A few days later, Megan called me.
‘Mum… Maybe you were right. I no longer have access to Grayson’s card, and I can’t find a stable place to live. None of these men take me seriously. I… I miss my old life, my friends, the campus.’
She paused, then added, ‘I’m so sorry. I think I want to go back to college. I promise I’ll try this time, Mum.’
Hearing this, I felt the familiar Megan returning, ready to build her future. Grayson’s constant influence somehow helped me reach her in a way I couldn’t before.
When I hung up, Grayson looked at me with a proud smile. ‘I love you. We’ll get through this together.’
