Chapter 213: Closed - s and Unexpected Clarity

After dropping Martin and Ruby off at home, Eric headed back to his building and took the elevator straight up to the penthouse from the basement. When the doors slid open, he found the place completely quiet since the girls were still at school. He walked over to the sofa, sat down casually, and turned on the TV to watch whatever movie was playing, though he couldn’t bring himself to actually focus on it.

Leaning back, he glanced down at his phone and noticed a new message notification. He opened it up to find a text from Melissa. The message contained only a single photo: Vivian walking toward the airport terminal entrance, clutching a duffel bag and a backpack without once looking back.

Eric could see the slump in Vivian’s shoulders and her weary posture, yet her eyes remained fixed straight ahead. He smiled softly at the image, then read Melissa’s text caption right beneath it,

"Sorry, I just wanted to let you know that she’s leaving for another state for college now and won’t be coming back to her hometown or ours."

Eric typed out a quick reply and hit send. Less than a minute later, Melissa messaged back.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to butt in. It’s just that right up until the end, she looked so heartbroken... I guess I just felt a little bad for her," Melissa texted.

"It’s fine, don’t worry about it. Are you downstairs?" Eric asked.

"Yeah... I just got here and I’m about to open up the shop," Melissa replied.

"Alright... I’m coming down. Wait up," Eric texted back.

"Huh... what for?" Melissa asked.

Eric didn’t bother replying. He walked straight to the elevator and headed down to the second floor. Strolling through the second-floor corridor, which now looked like a vibrant food court and mini mall, he made his way to the bakery and cafe located at the far end. "Chime!" The bell jingled as he stepped inside, finding Melissa standing behind the counter dressed in her barista uniform.

"What are you doing here?" Melissa asked outright.

"Nothing much... just needed someone to talk to," Eric answered softly.

Melissa locked eyes with Eric, studying his face intently. "Sigh." She let out a soft breath, then pointed to a round barstool right in front of the counter. Getting the hint, Eric walked over and took a seat. Melissa poured him a cup of coffee and served it alongside a piece of salt bread.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Melissa asked, taking a seat behind the counter.

"I don’t really know... right now, it just feels like something’s missing. Even though Jason is behind bars, and my mom and Vivian are gone, for some reason... I just feel completely hollow inside, like there’s a void," Eric admitted, swirling the coffee cup in his hands.

"Hmm... shouldn’t you be happy? Jason got a massive prison sentence," Melissa pointed out.

"That’s just it. Out of everything that happened, I ought to be thrilled with the judge’s verdict... or better yet, furious that he actually got a specific number of years instead of a life sentence... but for whatever reason, right now I just feel like something’s vanished. That’s all," Eric explained.

Melissa didn’t answer right away. Silence fell between them, filling the quiet space of the cafe. Eric took a slow sip of his coffee, glancing down at the dark liquid in his cup,

"Wow... this is really good. Is it decaf?" Eric asked.

"Thanks. And yeah... decaf. I still remember what you like," Melissa replied simply.

"Hmm... thanks," Eric said, taking another sip.

Melissa observed Eric’s face from across the counter, her eyes searching as if trying to read him. Once Eric set his cup back down,

"You know, your face looks so much more alive right now compared to the first time we ran into each other again at your office with Chloe," Melissa noted.

"Oh... really?" Eric asked, taken aback.

"Yeah... right now you look way calmer and much more mature than you did back then," Melissa affirmed gently.

"Hmm... but for some reason, I still feel so empty right now," Eric murmured.

"That’s... not emptiness. Right now, a major goal of yours has been fulfilled. The person who hurt you is locked away in prison for a long, long time, so you feel like someone who just lost their purpose," Melissa explained calmly.

Eric went quiet, staring at Melissa as she rested her chin on her arms across the counter. He tried to process her words while looking inward at his own heart,

"Without realizing it... you actually wanted to get back at Jason for what he did to you, pay Vivian back for hurting you, and prove to the world that you were right all along. Well... now all of that has come to pass. That’s what’s making you feel hollow, it’s not satisfaction, it’s not joy, and it’s not the opposite either. You feel hollow because, without even noticing it, your wish was granted and your goal simply vanished," Melissa added gently.

Eric remained dead silent, staring down at the cup held tightly in his hands. He watched the dark fluid inside the glass sloshing back and forth, slowly settling into total stillness. Melissa’s words hit home, striking something deep inside him. Right then and there, he had to admit it, she was right.

He had carried deep pain and sorrow from what those two had done to him, and without even consciously realizing it, he had held onto a quiet grudge against them both, even if seeing their downfall brought him zero satisfaction. He looked back up at Melissa,

"Looks like... you’re right," Eric said softly.

"I know... because I went through the exact same thing. When those two executives who framed my dad went to prison and eventually passed away, even while one of them was still serving time, I felt the exact same way you do now. That’s why I kept going after Jason and Vivian back then, because I wanted to prolong my revenge, and I didn’t care who the target was... until I found out Jason was plotting to murder your dad. That was my wake-up call, right there when I was lying helpless in that hospital bed," Melissa shared quietly.

"So... was that why you asked for a job back then too?" Eric asked.

"That’s right. I felt completely empty... to the point where I felt like my life didn’t matter anymore... I figured if I had a job, maybe I’d find another purpose. But turns out I was wrong, I just wanted to run away from what was in my heart. Thanks to you giving me a place here, I started healing little by little," Melissa replied with a warm smile.

"I see. So right now, I’m going through the exact same thing you did," Eric said.

"Yep. But you can’t stay there. You have a purpose, you have a company, you have a whole team of employees relying on you, and you have six girls waiting for you at home. So... you can’t end up like I did, got it?" Melissa said, placing her hand over Eric’s across the counter.

Eric looked at Melissa, who now seemed so different from the Melissa he used to know, far more mature and put-together than before. He smiled and turned his hand over, holding hers in return,

"I understand. I won’t lose my footing. I do feel empty, but I also feel at peace. And an empty kind of peace actually feels pretty comforting," Eric replied.

"That’s what I like to hear! You gotta keep moving forward and never stop. This is a whole new life compared to your past, which means it’s your second chance. Not many people get a second chance, so you have to make the absolute most of it," Melissa replied, beaming at him.

"I hear you. Thanks, Melissa. Honestly, talking to my big sister always hits different, hahaha," Eric said with a laugh.

"Ugh... stop that! But seriously, whenever you wanna talk, my shop is always open for you. And don’t worry, it’s on the house, you don’t have to pay a dime, haha," Melissa teased, her cheeks flushing slightly red as she pulled her hand back.

They continued to chat casually, and bit by bit, Eric felt like his old self again, laughing freely without a care in the world. Meanwhile, right outside the shop, Norman, who had just arrived, leaned against the wall right beside the cafe entrance, crossing his arms over his chest with a knowing smile on his face.

***

Meanwhile, "ding," the elevator doors slid open, and the six girls stepped inside, still wearing their school uniforms. They noticed the television was on and Eric’s smartphone was sitting on the table.

"Huh... Eric’s back already?" Emma asked.

"Looks like it, but where did he go? Why would he just leave the TV running like this?" Chloe said, turning off the television.

"And he didn’t bring his smartphone with him," Priya noted, looking at the device on the table.

"His shoes are a total mess, I’ll tidy them up real quick. Looks like he went out wearing sandals," Heidi said.

"And his sandals don’t even match, the left and right are completely different. Plus, he took the RV keys instead of the car keys," Monica pointed out.

"What’s going on with our guy?" Laura asked everyone.

The six girls turned to look at one another, then fixed their eyes on the closed elevator doors right in front of them.