Chapter 49: The Silent Thorn

Kai's body went rigid, his breath catching in his throat. He slowly turned around, looking at her with disbelief. "What?" he whispered. "What did you just say?"

Sha stood there, her expression cold, her eyes unwavering. "I'm pregnant, Kai. With your child. Our child."

The world seemed to collapse in on him. The words felt like a heavy blow, each syllable punctuating his spiraling thoughts. His legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor, laughing hysterically, as though his whole life had been ripped apart by his own actions.

How did it come to this?

He had betrayed Tsukiko. He had let Sha worm her way back into his life. And now. Now he was going to be a father to her child? 

The weight of it hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. He had destroyed everything that had ever mattered to him.

Sha watched him with cold eyes, the anger in her voice replaced with something more calculating. "You're going to take responsibility for this, Kai. You're going to do the right thing, right? You'll be a father to this child, and we'll raise it together. That's how it has to be."

Kai could hardly hear her anymore, his mind swirling in confusion. The woman he had loved, the woman he had betrayed, was gone from his life, and now this… this was the result. 

The consequences of his actions were real, tangible, and irreversible.

He felt the tears burn at the corners of his eyes, but he didn't have the strength to stop them.

Later that night, after the emotional whirlwind of his confrontation with Sha, Kai made a decision. He realized that there was no way back. Tsukiko was gone, and the damage was irreversible.

With shaking hands, he signed the divorce papers Tsukiko had sent him. His heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest with each word he wrote. 

But deep down, he knew it was the right thing to do. Tsukiko deserved better than him. She deserved so much more than the man he had become.

The next few weeks passed in a blur of paperwork, phone calls, and brief conversations with Sha. Eventually, they got married. 

She was carrying his child, and although it wasn't a love he had wanted, it was his responsibility now. He had no choice but to go through with it. He had to provide for his child.

But no matter how much time passed, no matter how much he tried to move forward, Kai knew he would never forget Tsukiko. 

His heart ached for the woman he had lost, for the love he had ruined, and for the woman he could never have again.

SLAPS

Sha slaps him in frustration. "It's been seven years, Kai! You're still stuck on that?" Then, her voice softened, taking on an edge of warning as she turned toward the door, adding with quiet venom, "You're the worst, you know that?"

Kai sat slumped on the sofa, his eyes vacant, lost in thought. His voice, barely a whisper, escaped his lips with a hollow sadness "Long time no see... Tsuki."

The next morning, the silence between Sha and Kai hung thick in the air, suffocating in its weight. At the breakfast table, their daughter, oblivious to the tension, asked cheerfully, "Mom, why is dad angry?"

Sha gave her a forced smile, trying to mask the storm brewing in her heart. "Oh, it's nothing, dear. Dad's just sleepy." She looked over at Kai, but his face was a mask of indifference, his eyes fixed on his plate as he pushed his food around.

Their daughter continued to chatter about school, but Sha couldn't tear her eyes away from Kai. The anger simmered beneath her calm exterior. As she caught his cold demeanor again, her eyes narrowed, and she fought to keep her voice steady. She couldn't understand this version of him, the one who seemed more distant than ever.

After sending their daughter off to school, Sha slammed the door behind her as she entered the hallway, her mind racing. She knew this silence couldn't last.

"Are you gonna keep being like this?" she asked, the frustration slipping into her voice as she glared at Kai, who was busy adjusting his tie.

Kai remained silent, not even sparing her a glance.

"I know exactly what you're thinking, Kai," Sha continued, her voice rising. "You think you can just go back to her, don't you? You think you can get her like you used to? Is that it?"

Kai let out a dry chuckle, the humor completely absent. "You're not wrong."

Sha's voice cracked with bitterness, her chest tightening with a mix of anger and hurt. 

"You probably saw her name everywhere, heard people talk about her, and thought to yourself, 'Maybe I should've held on.'" Sha laughed, but it was bitter, edged with pain. "Is that it, Kai?"

Still, Kai said nothing. He clenched his jaw, but otherwise remained as stoic as ever, showing no sign of the turmoil she was desperately trying to provoke from him.

Sha's hands trembled, but she kept her composure, even as her words cut deeper. "You never stopped thinking about her, did you? She's all you can think about, isn't she?" Her voice trembled with frustration, the emotional weight of everything crashing down on her.

She turned away from him, pacing the room again, her hands clenched into fists. "Yes, we were the bad ones, Kai," she spat, her voice thick with bitterness. "But that was in the past! She's got it all now. She's moved on. She doesn't even remember you. Move on, Kai, for your own sake!"

Kai's gaze never left the floor, his face unreadable. A small, dry laugh escaped him. "You make it sound so easy, Sha."

Sha's frustration flared. "Yes, I did! So what?! What do you think Aya—your daughter—is going to think of you? A father who can't forget his first love?" Her voice shook with the weight of her anger and hurt.

Kai remained silent, his jaw tightening. He didn't say anything for a long moment, and Sha felt her heart sink further with every passing second.

Finally, Kai's voice was quiet but firm. "Let's divorce."

Sha's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. 

"What did you say?" she whispered, the words barely leaving her lips as shock took over. "You think this is some kind of game?"

Kai's expression softened, but it was a hollow kind of soft. He straightened his tie, as if preparing for the day, and answered in the same cold, emotionless tone. "I'll provide support for Aya."

Sha's knees felt weak, but she steadied herself with one hand on the counter. "Kai, don't do this…"

"I'll contact the lawyer. We'll divide assets fairly, and I'll take care of everything else." His voice was detached, almost rehearsed, as though this was all just business to him now.

Sha's hands shook as she reached out, grabbing at his arm as he turned toward the door. "No, no, Kai, please…" she begged, her voice breaking.

But Kai pulled away from her, his expression unchanged. "I'm going to work," he said coldly.

Sha stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest, the weight of everything crashing down on her. "Please…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'm sorry… Don't leave me, not like this…"

Kai didn't respond. He opened the door, his face unreadable, and stepped out without a second glance. As he turned to leave, he added flatly, "Don't wait for me tonight. I won't be coming back home."

Sha stood there for a moment, the door still swinging slightly as the finality of the moment hit her. Then, everything inside her broke. With a scream of anguish, she grabbed a vase from the table and threw it against the wall, the sound of shattering porcelain filling the air.

She threw another object, her frustration pouring out in violent, uncontrolled movements. "You can't do this, Kai!" she cried out, her voice wild with emotion as she trashed the living room.

Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the sweat of her rage.