Chapter 6: "Exchange"

03 May 2022

23:42 PM

Matthew took his phone out of his pocket and tried to call Elizabeth but nothing - he tried again, but instead of Elizabeth's voice he got an answering machine. So, discouraged he put the phone back in his pocket.

Matthew looked around him - it was the exact same room he had imprinted in his mind - a large white wardrobe, the double bed resting on the wall of pastel yellow , the light wooden bedside tables on the sides of the bed, Matthew's was empty - devoid of any personal effect, while her's had on top a vase with flowers, the latter were dying and their petals lay there. But if there was anything new in that room on that bedside table changing, it was the presence of a frame lying face down. Matthew approached and took it in his hand, turned it over; making it show its contents - adorned with the frame lay a picture, that of him and Elizabeth on their wedding day, exactly a year before her disappearence. They were happy - she wore a beautiful white wedding dress, he was in a suit and tie, she was only twenty-five years old when Matthew proposed to her.

They were happy, but dreams don't last long, they can't protect you from problems forever, sooner or later everyone has to face life and the challenges it poses - but if you don't or refuse to do it everything will become more and more complicated, turn the dream into a nightmare.

***

Matthew put the photo back in its place, then looked around again, the same white cotton curtains, the same wardrobe, always the same simple but elegant bedroom.

There was nothing Matthew could do, she had to come back of her own free will - it was only a matter of time.

***

Matthew came out of the room and closed the door behind him, went down the stairs to the first floor, turned off all the lights in the house, left the house and locked the door - it was still raining; so he ran to the car, once inside, he buckled up his seatbelt and drove to the only place left that he knew - Lily's apartment.

***

04 May 2022

00:22 AM

Once he arrived, he entered the apartment expecting to find only darkness and silence, instead what he found were the lights on and a Lily in pajamas and visibly irritated - Matthew had forgotten to warn her that he would be late.

"You know how long I've been waiting for you Matthew!!??" she screamed at him.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me, Lily!" , rebuked him trying to make her lower her voice - his business was his business and there were other people sleeping.

"I sent you many messages! And I also called you many times! What were you doing that you didn't even have time to call me!? You could at least warn me that you were going to be late!" But nothing to do Lily kept screaming and it didn't seem like she could calm down in a few minutes.

Matthew, who was tired from both work and all the situation he was experiencing that night, threw his things on the sofa and hurried to the bedroom, behind him followed Lily, who was still looking for explanations.

"Answer me, Matthew!" Lily really wanted to know what was wrong with him. He had been avoiding her for two days - it was like their relationship was slowly changing, it was like Matthew was distancing himself from her, and Lily didn't like that - she didn't like it at all.

It was clear that Lily was slowly losing control of the situation and Matthew was just about to abandon her to the life she so hated.

Lily had forgotten that their relationship was only based on exchange - Matthew was willing to give her everything she wanted as long as she would replace Elizabeth in return.

It was all a game of trade and facade.

***

00:49 AM

Matthew had enough of her incessant questions and complaints, so he told her about the phone call, excluding everything else. Meanwhile Matthew failed to notice Lily's brief change of expression when he mentioned the disappearance of Elizabeth - Lily recomposed herself very quickly like nothing ever happened.

When Matthew finished telling her what had happened, he prepared for bed and went to sleep, ignoring Lily, who also did not want to deal with the subject.