Chapter Twenty -three: the final goodbye

Chapter twenty-three: The Final Goodbye.

"Really?" Mike asked in an emotional voice. Mike realized that his only emotional support was about to leave.

"Yes Mike, goodbye and if you don't want to change, then I will leave," Pearl said angrily. She looked at Mike with the expectation that Mike to take back his statement and agree to be open and not secretive.

Mike looked down and shook his head and he remembered the words of his father when he was young his father said "It's very easy to be liked by all women but it is not easy to be loved by one woman and if you find one, don't let her go,".

Mike gasped and raised his head and looked at Pearl and said "Pearl, look I promise not to harm you or Roy, please understand, I love you, I do,".

"And prove it! Tell me the truth! Tell me everything! Please, tell me (tears dropped down her eyes) I am your wife, for crying out loud! Mike, no more secrets, no lies please!" Pearl said. She pleads for Mike to be open to her.

Mike looked at her and said, "I… I can't tell you, I don't want to hurt you or Roy, it is safe that way,". Mike gave Pearl his genuine reason because he didn't want to involve his family in his revenge conquest.

"I don't understand! What is this secret? Look I am tired of you," Pearl said. She opened her bag and brought a pen and the divorce papers.

"Pearl, what are you doing?" Mike asked. Mike was confused about what Pearl was trying to do.

"It's very simple, I am leaving you for good, it is final and you have signed and read the papers right? If you forget the details, let me remind you, that you are not allowed to visit or come near me and my son. But if you want to visit, you can visit under my approval only and on his birthday,". Pearl explained to Mike the detailed outline of the divorce papers.

Pearl took off the cover of the pen, and she bent her head a little to sign the papers while Mike sat down watching what unraveled as his true love left him.

"Done! It's legal," Pearl said. Her countenance changed and she was angry and strict.

Pearl stood up and showed Mike her signature on the paper. "Pearl please understand me," Mike said. He pleads for her forgiveness and understanding.

Pearl stood up and looked at Mike and said "Mike you know I love you but I can't continue this way so goodbye Mike," Pearl said. There was a little drop of tears in her eyes but she wiped it off.

"Pearl please," Mike begs.

"I am sorry, it is what it is," Pearl said. She hung her handbag and walked away leaving Mike in an emotionally shattered world.

Those words of Pearl made Mike reminisce about past events making him frozen and broken.

And Mike as he sat down there he heard the words from his favorite book as a boy, it says "no one in my life has fought to keep by their side, yet I have fought several times to remain theirs and still they choose to leave me. It hurts and it shatters and it made me feel worthless,"

Mike gasped and looked in the direction Pearl went and he could see her vanishing from the horizon. Mike looked at his wristwatch and said "Yeah, you are right Pearl it is what it is,".

Mike stood up and left the park, accepting his fate but he still decided to complete his revenge conquest and use his present state as fuel to his goal.

Meanwhile, police commissioner Reynold visited his associate, billionaire Andrew, that lovely evening. Police Commissioner Reynold was ushered in by one of the butlers.

Police commissioner Reynold was offered a sit and he sat down, Reynold looked so restless and the butler noticed it.

"My good sir, please feel relaxed and comfortable and wait for my master, (billionaire Andrew) he will join you shortly but in the meantime, can I offer you a glass of water or a drink, to ease your nerves because you look stressed," the butler said, with a short white towel in hand, placed on his white gloves and he adjusted the collar of his tuxedo with a serious look on his face.

"No I am fine, I won't stay long," police Commissioner Reynold said. He cleaned the sweat on his face with the arm of his suit. And he kept tapping his feet on the floor, repeatedly.

"Okay, if you say so," the butler said. The butler looked at Reynold quizzically and decided not to help him in getting rid of the restlessness.

A few moments later, police commissioner Reynold heard footsteps of someone coming and he recognized those footsteps as billionaire Andrew's footsteps. Immediately, police commissioner Reynold stood up and adjusted his suit and he looked towards the direction of the footsteps.

And he was right, it was billionaire Andrew. Billionaire Andrew came down from the stairs with a cigar in hand and his usual whiskey, he dressed casually and simply and he didn't look restless like police commissioner Reynold, not at all.

"Good evening Sir," police commissioner Reynold said. He swerved, the same way the butler did.

"Mr. Reynold, how are you?" billionaire Andrew asked. Billionaire sat down and the butler brought a stool for him to place his whiskey on.

"I'm fine, sir," Reynold replied. Billionaire Andrew signaled him to resume his seat.

"Are you here to send me to jail?" billionaire Andrew asked and he laughed as he puffed the cigar smoke into the air.

"No sir," Reynold replied. He was still looking restless and the butler stood by billionaire Andrew watching what was going on.

"And why did I see some policemen outside?" billionaire Andrew asked. He kept puffing his cigar.

"Oh, that is the police guard that was assigned to protect me because of what happened," police commissioner Reynold said.

"Oh, I see, so why are you here?" billionaire Andrew asked. Still puffing his cigar.

"I have something important to tell you, it is about the thing," police commissioner Reynold said.

"Oh, I see," billionaire Andrew said. He signaled his butler to excuse him and that means he what to have a private conversation. The butler left, leaving both of them alone in the well-furnished parlor.

Billionaire Andrew quenched the lit on his cigar kept the whiskey on the stool and said "Do you know the see the suspect and what is his name,". He asked looking into Reynold's eyes.

"Yes I did and his name is Mike,". Police Commissioner Reynold said.