Chapter 6
There is no greater sorrow than the death of the heart, and even physical death pales in comparison.
The two toothbrushes I saw in the bathroom shattered my last illusion.
In the days that followed, I threw myself into my work.
During this time, Vivienne had tried to contact me many times, but I ignored all her attempts.
However, in such a small world, news of my new job quickly reached Vivienne's ears.As I was proofreading documents that day, a colleague informed me that a beautiful woman was at the door looking for me.
Sure enough, it was my wife.
After so many days of the cold war between us, I thought she had come to her senses and agreed to divorce me.
But unexpectedly, as soon as we met, she threw herself into my arms.
Her body was still as soft as ever, but her face looked terrible, with dark circles especially noticeable under her eyes.
However, I no longer believed she had trouble sleeping because of me. Those two toothbrushes explained everything.
"Honey, please, can't we stop this? Come home with me! These past few days without you, I can't eat, I can't sleep."
"I keep forgetting to pick up packages, and I don't even know how to pay the utilities anymore."
"I miss you. I miss our son. If you just come back home, we can work everything else out."
Vivienne's eyes were brimming with tears, but faced with her show of weakness, I could only respond with a cold laugh.
"Vivienne, spare me your crocodile tears. You're living with Kael now, did you think I wouldn't find out? How can you shack up with your junior from college and still have the audacity to beg me not to divorce you? How do you even manage that?"
She asked in surprise, "Living together? When did I ever move in with him?""Just these past few days, I've been feeling down. He was worried I might do something rash, so... so he stayed with me at our place. We talked, I cooked for him, that's all there was to it. Please don't read too much into it!"
"Enough, I don't want to hear your stories. Ms. Langdon, you're a boss for crying out loud. Don't cheapen yourself like this, making yourself a laughingstock. Divorcing you is a decision I've given a lot of thought to. If you came here just to talk me out of it, then please leave."
"Nolan, no matter what you say, I absolutely won't divorce you! Because I love you, and I can't live without you!"
Vivienne's words made my heart quiver for a moment.
"There was a time I wanted to hear those three words from you, but you always said I was being childish. You'd lecture me, saying love isn't about words, it's about actions. So, I won't listen to what you say either, I'll only look at what you've done."
"My love for you has been completely drained by your endless lack of boundaries. There's nothing left."
"And your love for me, if you can call it that, is more like you're just used to me taking care of you. Actually, you could solve this problem by just hiring a nanny. Alright, I need to get back to work. Please leave now."
As we talked, more and more people gathered around us.Among those present, some recognized Vivienne. Uncomfortable with their stares and whispers, she decided to leave our company premises.
I was called into my boss Fallon's office to discuss the incident. As she recounted the events, I noticed a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
"While it's not appropriate to handle personal matters at work, I understand this wasn't your fault. You can go now, but be more careful in the future."
After years of enduring Vivienne's manipulation, I'd grown accustomed to a suffocating life. The unexpected kindness from another woman nearly brought me to tears.
Outside, a fierce storm raged, but my mind was calm as a still lake.
I thought that after hearing my resolute words, Vivienne would finally leave me alone.
But when I left work, I was shocked to find her still waiting at the entrance.
Seeing me emerge, she dashed towards me, heedless of the downpour.
She insisted on driving me home, urging me to get in her car.
She let the rain soak her through, but I wasn't falling for her emotional manipulation.
"No need, I'll take the bus home," I said.
I walked around her, opened my umbrella, and caught the bus just in time.
She frantically chased the bus in her car, but during rush hour traffic and on rain-slicked roads, she ended up in an accident.Finally, at the police's notification, both his parents and I were summoned to the traffic police station.
Accompanying his parents was Kael.