Matthew sat back in his chair as he watched Teddy eat his food like it was from some Michelin starred restaurant. He recalled how good the food tasted after he came back. Now, however...
Soon, the cafeteria noise faded into the background as he focused on the test. This time, he tapped into his energy to recall the information he needed. The headache was still there, but not as bad as the other day. Manageable.
"I used to eat five times a day," the ghost girl’s mumbling interrupted her thoughts. "Now look at me. I can’t even bite air."
Matthew reached for his drink.
"Can you at least spill something so I can pretend I’m part of it?" she asked.
"Cruel," she muttered. "Absolutely cruel."
"Matthew, do you have a minute?" Matthew wasn’t surprised when he heard Lenox nearby.
Matthew simply got up and nodded at Teddy. Then he approached Lenox. "Do you need something?"
"About yesterday..." Lenox looked around. "Can we talk in private?"
Matthew nodded. He went back to Teddy, grabbed his things, and bid him goodbye. Then he approached Lenox again.
The two started walking away from the cafeteria. "What is it?" Matthew asked.
He already expected Lenox to react to the changes. He’d simply been waiting for his move. But Matthew wasn’t rushing things. He knew Lenox wasn’t stupid.
No, this was the same man who had fooled him his entire past life. That only meant one thing: Lenox was patient. Smart and patient were a dangerous combination.
Now, Matthew couldn’t wait to see what he was planning to pull off.
Lenox walked beside him, silent for a moment, before finally saying, "I plan to leave the mansion."
Matthew stopped. His head turned slightly toward him, eyes narrowing.
"I figured it’s for the best," Lenox continued. "It’s clear you hate me. I don’t want to cause trouble for your family, and maybe if I move out, things will calm down."
Matthew blinked. Then blinked again.
Lenox glanced at him. "I know I’ve overstayed. Lately, I’ve felt like my presence is more of a nuisance to you. You won’t say it outright, but I can tell. I just never thought... that our friendship would fall apart over something so stupid."
Matthew didn’t respond. Wow, this man is really good, Matthew thought inwardly.
"Jealousy," Lenox said. "That’s what it is, right? You think I’m trying to take everything from you. Your space, your family, your life. But that was never my intention."
Matthew stared ahead, his expression unreadable. If this were the old him, he would’ve jumped in right away, said it was wrong, that everything he had was also Lenox’s. He would’ve said something like, I owe you my life, so it’s only fair. The thought made him cringe.
"I never regretted saving you," Lenox said. "Not even once. Back then, it wasn’t a choice I thought too hard about. I just did it. And when your family brought me in, when they gave me a place to stay, I was grateful. I still am."
Matthew rolled his eyes inwardly. Lenox always knew how to make things sound clean. Like he was doing everyone a favor just by existing. This guy is such a good actor, Matthew thought. He was tempted to just clap his hands or something.
"I just thought we were better than this," Lenox added. "That our friendship could survive something . I didn’t expect it to get so... tense."
They reached the end of the hallway. Matthew paused, then finally looked at him. Then he asked, "Well... when are you leaving?"
"What did you, what did you say?" Lenox stuttered.
For the longest time, Matthew had never shown him anything but warmth, tolerance, and even loyalty. The sudden change in tone—the cold edge in his voice—shook something in Lenox that he hadn’t expected to feel: unease.
However, Matthew’s expression didn’t shift. His tone was almost too casual. "You look like you already made up your mind. I don’t really want to stop you and sound like a hypocrite. Indeed... in the past few days, I’ve grown to think you are a bit annoying."
Lenox could feel it. Not a bluff. Not a tantrum.
Matthew turned, as if the matter was already resolved. "Should I arrange a place for you nearby?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. "Maybe an apartment or one of the school dorms? It’ll help with the commute. Keep things efficient for your studies."
Lenox blinked again, completely off balance.
Matthew continued, as if he were discussing the weather. "You don’t have to worry about expenses. You’ll still receive the monthly stipend from Father. And... I’ll cover your rent. After all, you have no relatives, no one to support you. It’s only fair."
The way he said it, almost light, casual, like he wasn’t offering charity but merely fulfilling an obligation, tore at Lenox more than he wanted to admit.
"What?" Matthew asked when Lenox didn’t reply. "Is there something wrong? Are you not satisfied with those conditions?"
Lenox’s throat felt dry. "I—I just..." He shook his head slightly, then forced the words out. "I’m speechless. I didn’t expect you to still offer the stipend. I mean... you’re the one who pushed your father to give it to me. On top of the... the money your family gave me after I saved you."
There it was—the reminder.
That was why Lenox had come in the first place. To remind Matthew.
"I saved your life once," Lenox added, his voice quieter now. "That hasn’t changed, and I will be forever grateful for your family’s benevolence."
But as the words left his mouth, he realized they didn’t land the same way they once did. In the past, Matthew would’ve softened immediately, would’ve offered an apology, would’ve said something like, ’I know. I’ll never forget.’ But this Matthew didn’t flinch.
The past few days had been... chaotic. Emotional. Confusing. At first, Lenox believed Matthew was just acting out—maybe angry about something petty, maybe being impulsive. But after what happened with the principal and Mrs. Johnson?
Someone had clearly asked the school to dig into the surveillance footage. To make the complaint vanish. And it wasn’t Mrs. Johnson. She would’ve never turned on Catherine. She was too close to her.
No, there was only one person who could’ve done it.
Lenox swallowed hard. Matthew had burned the bridge with Mrs. Johnson to protect his reputation. That wasn’t the boy he once knew, the boy who used to take every hit quietly, who apologized even when he hadn’t done anything wrong.
This Matthew was dangerous.
Before he could think more about it, Matthew blinked slowly. "Do you want to stop receiving the stipend too?" he asked. "If it makes you that uncomfortable, I can just tell Father to stop sending you money. I’m only doing what you want, helping however I can. You did save my life once, after all."