You promised to keep an open mind

After dinner, Dominic went straight to his room to have a cool shower. He was a man who had dealt with many situations and people who weren't easy to please. Dominic had always been confident in himself as a businessman, but his wife was someone who puzzled him.

Heaven was very predictable in the past, but ever since that night he brought up divorce, he couldn't read her anymore.

"Hah…" Dominic comb his hair back, cocking his head while the water from the showed landed directly on his face. 'Heaven… just what is in your mind?'

Just thinking about it gave him a headache. His mind for the entire day had been occupied by her proposal to postpone the divorce and her messages. Now, this one.

[ You. What I want is you, Dominic Zhu. There's your answer. ]

Dominic pulled his head back and snapped his eyes open. Heaven's previous remarks suddenly rang in his head along with how her lips moved, stressing every word in that sentence. His expression darkened, pinching the bridge of his nose.

'She's driving me crazy,' he thought, having a slight headache from his wife's actions and words. Not knowing what she truly wanted was driving him crazy.

He didn't want to believe everything she had said. At least, he believed a few but not all. He took some like the one that suddenly popped into his head as empty words. There was no way she would mean those words.

His eyes fell to the floor, watching the water go straight down the drain. As he recalled her words earlier, he couldn't help but remember a memory he would never forget.

*

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*

[ Four years ago ]

CLANG!

Dominic gazed down at the toys and baby bottles scattered on the floor. His expression was stiff, raising his eyes to the woman on the bed.

"Heaven —"

"Don't." Heaven was looking away from him, clasping the blanket tightly. "Don't call my name with those damn lips of yours."

Dominic was unfazed, almost numbed at his wife's treatment. Even before they got married, Heaven was already unhappy with her pregnancy. Her temperament only grew worse as her belly grow bigger.

They said pregnant ladies were emotional during this time, but was this normal? Even though there was no love between them, he was still trying his best to fulfill his duties as her husband. But Heaven rarely looked at him.

"Heaven —"

"Ahhh!!" Heaven suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs before glaring at him. "Just how… many times do I have to say do not call me?"

Dominic breathed out. "Miriam said you hadn't eaten anything. If this continues, it will not be good for you and the child."

"Hah!" Heaven laughed, eyes bloodshot. "Isn't that good?"

"Heaven —"

"Call my name again and you wouldn't like what I'd do." Heaven sneered, eyes swirling with bottomless anger. "Dominic Zhu, I told you. Do not ever come to see me. Yet, you keep showing up in front of me."

'Because I am your husband,' was what he wanted to say, but bit his tongue.

"Don't tell me you love me now? Hah! Don't make me laugh." Her laughter oozed with ridicule. "We are husband and wife in paper only. There is no need to show concern because I don't need it, Dominic Zhu. And even if I needed help, I will never ask you — ever. I'd rather die than ask you for help. If that is now clear, leave me alone."

Dominic studied his wife's burning eyes while his lips were drawn into a thin line. "Is this what you truly wish?"

"Yes." Her answer was quick, as if she didn't need to think about it. "I want nothing to do with you. Not now, not in the future. I will bring your son into this world, but that's it. Don't ever expect anything from me because I despised you more than you can ever think of."

*

*

*

[PRESENT TIME]

"What an irony," Dominic mumbled, cutting off the memory that suddenly resurfaced in his mind.

Heaven stuck to her words back then. She did bring Sebastian into this world, but that was it. After giving birth, she stayed in her room. Miriam had to take care of their newly born son as Heaven didn't hold him, let alone took care of him.

That was the last straw for Dominic. It explained his current relationship and his endless doubt about his wife's current behavior. He tried his best, but Heaven proved time and time again she would rather die than give him a chance to make their family a real one.

'Don't think about it for now,' he told himself, shaking his head mildly. 'If she truly wanted to change, then that's good. I still have a week before Basti comes home. I can observe her during this period.'

Dominic mentally nodded at the solution he came up with. Since Heaven already signed the divorce papers, he could file them anytime. If he see the slightest sign she was up to something bad, he wouldn't have second thoughts anymore.

With that in his mind, Dominic finished washing up. Wrapped himself in a robe, he went straight to his room to dry himself up. But much to his surprise, as soon as he opened the door, Heaven was standing outside.

Dominic froze, gazing down at the woman standing before him. His surprise deterred him from noticing how she was also astounded. Dominic was only in a robe, revealing the cuts on his chest. His hair was dangling past his brows, dripping with droplets of water.

Dominic was already handsome with his usual neat and professional look. But seeing him with damp, messy hair, right after shower gave him a different allure.

'Wow… he looks delectable.'

"What… are you doing here?" Heaven snapped back to the current lapse the moment his voice caressed her ears.

"I'm going to wash up."

"Wash up? In my room?" — didn't she have her own bathroom? Or was it broken?

"You agreed." Heaven smacked her lips, reminding him in a knowing tone. "Didn't you agree to keep an open mind? As husband and wife, sleeping in separate rooms is weird. That is why I thought I should stay in your room from now on! That's okay, right?"