Chapter 15: Mathilda Throws Linda Out
The apartment felt different now.
It wasn't the warm, cozy place Linda had lived in for years. The walls seemed colder, the lights harsher. Even the faint smell of lavender from Mathilda's candles didn't feel welcoming anymore.
Linda sat on the couch, her hands twisting together nervously. She had tried all day to apologize, to explain herself, to make Mathilda understand—but nothing worked.
Mathilda sat across from her, arms crossed, face tight with anger and hurt. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't joking. The playful energy that had always defined her was gone. In its place was a storm.
"I can't do this anymore," Mathilda said quietly, but the words hit like a thunderclap.
Linda blinked. "Do what?"
"This. This… friendship," Mathilda said, her voice shaking. "I can't be around you when I see you smiling with him. I can't be around you when my heart feels like it's being ripped out every second."
Linda's throat tightened. "Mathilda… please. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. You have to believe me. I never wanted to hurt you."
"You didn't mean to hurt me?" Mathilda laughed bitterly. "Then why do I feel like my whole world just fell apart?"
Linda's chest ached. "I… I chose him, yes. But it wasn't to hurt you. It just… happened."
Mathilda shook her head. "Happened? Everything that's happened has a choice behind it. And you chose to stay. You chose to see him while I was blindsided."
Linda swallowed. "I didn't know it was the same man at first. I swear. I didn't know."
Mathilda's hands clenched into fists. "It doesn't matter! You knew eventually! And you stayed anyway!"
Linda felt tears prick her eyes. "I… I didn't have anywhere else to go."
Mathilda's face softened for a fraction of a second—but only a fraction. Then the anger returned.
"You stay here, living under my roof, after everything? No. I can't do that."
Linda's stomach dropped. "Wait… what are you saying?"
Mathilda's eyes glinted with resolve. "I'm saying… you need to leave. Now."
Linda's hands trembled. "Leave? But… this is my home too."
"No," Mathilda said firmly. "This is my apartment. And I can't live with someone who betrayed me. Someone who chose my crush over me. Someone I can't trust."
Linda's voice broke. "I never betrayed you! I didn't know!"
"Then you'll understand betrayal soon," Mathilda snapped. "Because I trusted you, Linda. I told you everything. I let you into my heart. And you… you let me down."
Linda's lips trembled. "Mathilda… please. Don't do this. We've been friends for years. You can't just throw me out."
Mathilda's eyes filled with tears, but her voice remained strong. "I have to. I can't forgive this. Not yet. Not while you're under the same roof."
Linda sank to the couch, head in her hands. She couldn't stop the tears from falling. She felt hollow. Lost. Alone.
"I don't have anywhere to go," she whispered.
"You'll figure it out," Mathilda said sharply. "You always do. But not here. Not with me."
Linda looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're serious?"
"Yes," Mathilda said. "You need to leave. Tonight."
Linda shook her head. "I can't just… pack up everything in one night. I don't even have money for a place."
Mathilda's eyes softened again, briefly. "I know. But this isn't about money. It's about trust. About respect. And right now… you don't have either in my eyes."
Linda felt the words like a punch in the stomach. Her mind raced. She had nowhere to go. No one to call. The city felt bigger, emptier, crueler than ever before.
"Mathilda… please," Linda whispered. "I'll leave, but… can we… can we talk about this later? We can fix it, right?"
Mathilda shook her head. "I don't know if we can. Not yet. Not while this is fresh. Right now… I need space. I need to breathe. I need to be away from you."
Linda's chest ached. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to beg. But she had never felt so powerless in her life.
"I'll pack tonight," she said quietly. "I'll leave by morning."
Mathilda nodded. "Good. And Linda… don't try to contact me tonight. Just go."
Linda stood slowly, feeling her legs shake. She walked to her room and began gathering her things. Every item felt heavier than it should. Her clothes. Her books. Her laptop. Her pictures. Memories of years packed into boxes and bags.
Every time she touched something, a wave of guilt and sorrow crashed over her.
Mathilda sat on the couch, staring at her phone. She wanted to text him, the man she had lost, but she didn't. She wanted to scream at Linda, but she didn't. All she could do was watch as her best friend—the person she had trusted most in the world—prepared to leave.
Hours passed. The silence between them was deafening. Linda moved quietly, trying not to disturb Mathilda, but every sound seemed to echo in the apartment like thunder.
Finally, the bags were packed. Linda stood in the doorway, taking a last look around. The apartment felt smaller, emptier, colder. She turned to Mathilda, tears streaming down her face.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Mathilda didn't respond. Her arms were crossed, her face cold. But a small tremor ran through her hands. She hated this. She hated losing her friend. She hated hurting Linda. But she couldn't let her stay. Not like this.
Linda nodded slowly, picked up her bags, and walked toward the door.
Mathilda's voice stopped her just as she reached it.
"Linda…"
Linda froze, hand on the doorknob. "Yes?"
Mathilda looked down at the floor. "I… I hope you find what you're looking for."
Linda swallowed hard. "Thanks."
Then she turned and stepped out. The door closed softly behind her.
She walked down the hallway, her bags heavy in her hands. Each step felt like walking through mud. Each breath felt tight and sharp. She had her freedom, but it felt like a cage.
Outside, the street lights glimmered, Valentine decorations reflecting off store windows. Couples passed her, holding hands, laughing, loving.
And Linda walked alone.
Mathilda stayed in the apartment, sitting on the couch, staring at the wall. The quiet was suffocating. The space where Linda had been felt like a hollowed-out part of her heart.
She wanted to call her. To beg her to stay. To explain, to fix, to forgive. But she didn't. She couldn't.
Not yet.
The apartment was empty now, but so was a part of both of them.
Years of friendship, laughter, shared dreams… broken in a single moment of love, betrayal, and choice.
And neither of them knew if it could ever be repaired.
Linda wandered the city that night, carrying her bags, carrying her heartbreak. Every step felt endless. She had a man who had chosen her—but what was a victory without her best friend by her side?
Mathilda sat alone in the apartment, holding herself, hating and loving Linda at the same time. The space between them felt like a canyon, deep, wide, and impossible to cross.
And in the quiet of the night, both of them cried—Linda on the streets, Mathilda in the apartment.
Their friendship, once unbreakable, now lay shattered in pieces.