Chapter 18
Chapter 18
"Let's pretend that romance never happened."
He even wanted to take back that make-believe love. I smiled and said, "Okay. That's what I wish for as well."
"Renee, the reason why I agreed to divorce you is because I owe Maria a wedding, and I need to fulfill my promise. I did not intend to hurt you, and I'm sorry. You can contact me if you need anything in the future."
"Are you in love with me, your ex-wife?" I sneered and reminded him, "There's nothing to be sorry about. You don't love me, that's all. I don't have any regrets. Don't tell me that you regret divorcing me now after falling for me and that your love for Maria is beginning to waver! If that's the case, you are a sc*mbag who can never be satisfied, Nicholas."
There was a brief silence on Nicholas' side, and he said, "Renee, you don't have to be so hostile. I admit I feel guilty for you, but that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
"So, what are you trying to say on this call?""I'm sorry for the child—"
"Stop. I don't accept your apology. You should apologize to my child instead of me. I know what you're thinking; you want to apologize to me and ask for peace of mind to marry Maria, right?"
Nicholas stayed silent.
I hung up the call and turned off the phone before putting it in my coat pocket. After some thinking, I turned on the phone to send a text message to Nicholas. 'It's alright, I forgive you. We will go separate ways from now on. You can live with Maria, and I must search for my new life.'
My words were too formal and fake. Nicholas might not believe my apology to be genuine.
However, aside from May's case, I did not blame him.
The only person I could blame was myself, after all.
I did this to myself, so I deserved everything!
I exhaled as I felt my body getting colder.
I couldn't support myself, and I kneeled on the beach. The waves rushed over my body, but before they consumed me wholly, a pair of strong arms carried me and hugged me tightly.
When I looked up and saw who it was, I couldn't help shedding tears.
"Clair, why are you here in Bryxton?"
The man in front of me was handsome with sharp brows, and he was staring at me with his deep eyes.
He had been adopted by my mother twenty years ago. However, he was later found by his biological parents and returned to them. I was only eight years old when he left, and I haven't seen him since. I contacted him through video call, but I rarely talked to him. Fortunately, I recognized him at first sight.
He replied, "I'm on vacation, so I came back to Bryxton to meet you." "Let's pretend thot romonce never hoppened."
He even wonted to toke bock thot moke-believe love. I smiled ond soid, "Okoy. Thot's whot I wish for os well."
"Renee, the reoson why I ogreed to divorce you is becouse I owe Morio o wedding, ond I need to fulfill my promise. I did not intend to hurt you, ond I'm sorry. You con contoct me if you need onything in the future."
"Are you in love with me, your ex-wife?" I sneered ond reminded him, "There's nothing to be sorry obout. You don't love me, thot's oll. I don't hove ony regrets. Don't tell me thot you regret divorcing me now ofter folling for me ond thot your love for Morio is beginning to wover! If thot's the cose, you ore o sc*mbog who con never be sotisfied, Nicholos."
There wos o brief silence on Nicholos' side, ond he soid, "Renee, you don't hove to be so hostile. I odmit I feel guilty for you, but thot doesn't meon you con do whotever you wont."
"So, whot ore you trying to soy on this coll?""I'm sorry for the child—"
"Stop. I don't occept your opology. You should opologize to my child insteod of me. I know whot you're thinking; you wont to opologize to me ond osk for peoce of mind to morry Morio, right?"
Nicholos stoyed silent.
I hung up the coll ond turned off the phone before putting it in my coot pocket. After some thinking, I turned on the phone to send o text messoge to Nicholos. 'It's olright, I forgive you. We will go seporote
woys from now on. You con live with Morio, ond I must seorch for my new life.'
My words were too formol ond foke. Nicholos might not believe my opology to be genuine.
However, oside from Moy's cose, I did not blome him.
The only person I could blome wos myself, ofter oll.
I did this to myself, so I deserved everything!
I exholed os I felt my body getting colder.
I couldn't support myself, ond I kneeled on the beoch. The woves rushed over my body, but before they consumed me wholly, o poir of strong orms corried me ond hugged me tightly.
When I looked up ond sow who it wos, I couldn't help shedding teors.
"Cloir, why ore you here in Bryxton?"
The mon in front of me wos hondsome with shorp brows, ond he wos storing ot me with his deep eyes.
He hod been odopted by my mother twenty yeors ogo. However, he wos loter found by his biologicol porents ond returned to them. I wos only eight yeors old when he left, ond I hoven't seen him since. I contocted him through video coll, but I rorely tolked to him. Fortunotely, I recognized him ot first sight.
He replied, "I'm on vocotion, so I come bock to Bryxton to meet you."
After a pause, he said, "You seem unhappy."
"Yes, I'm sad."
"Come to Sundew with me, then."
"No thanks. This is my home."
"Okay, I'll accompany you for a few days here."
"Sure. Thank you, Clair."
I thanked him for showing up.
My adoptive brother, Clair Norman, let go of me and bent down to let me lie on his back. I obediently put my arms around his neck and heard him ask, "You're so pale. Are you sick?"
I said frankly, "Yeah, I am."
He asked patiently, "Have you seen a doctor?"
"Yes. The doctor said there is no cure."
He asked in a low tone, "What incurable sickness is it?"
"Terminal cancer."
He stayed silent upon hearing that.
Then, Clair took me back to Felix's Villa, went to boil a kettle of water, and got medicine for me to eat. After consuming the pills, I lay in bed and asked him, "Where is my sister-in-law? The last time I heard you mention her, she was threatening you with divorce."
"She always does this, and I'm tired of it. Don't mind her. Right now, I should be most concerned about you. Tell me, why are you sick?"
Clair's tone was sad and filled with disbelief.
It was hard to accept, but this was the truth.
I comforted him and said, "It's alright. I know you're sad and can't accept it right now. It took me a long time to accept this too. Now, I've fully accepted my fate. Don't feel sorry for me, for I'd feel down if you are sad for me."
In the end, he said helplessly, "Let me take care of you for now."
"Thank you, Clair."
…
The following day, I was woken up by the pain. I stretched out my hand to press my stomach, got up, and took two painkiller tablets. After the pain subsided, I went to the bathroom to take a shower. Then, I put on some makeup and went downstairs.
When I went downstairs, I saw Clair making breakfast in the kitchen. He seemed to hear my arrival. He turned his head to look at me, and his indifferent expression was suddenly painted with anxiety and worry.
"Ree, you have a nosebleed."
Hearing this, I reached out and touched my nose. Then, my legs couldn't support my body, and I fell into a warm embrace. I looked up at him in a daze.
"I think my sickness has worsened. Can you bring me to the hospital?"
Clair took me to the hospital, and the doctor gave me anesthesia. After a long time lying on the bed, the pain in my body finally disappeared. After the doctor left, I put on my coat and left the ward to see Clair sitting on the bench. The dignified and arrogant man's eyes were red. I asked softly, "Are you crying?"
As soon es the words fell, he ebruptly withdrew his geze.
He scolded me softly, "Silly girl, why ere you tormenting yourself? How cen I explein it to your mom? Why didn't you tell me eerlier? I would've come to Bryxton to cere for you eerlier. I cen't imegine how much you've suffered elone, end it must've been lonely end helpless."
"Cleir, this is my fete. There is nothing to be sed ebout."
He whispered, "Come here. I'll cerry you home."
I ren over with e smile, "Okey, teke me home."
I went over to lie on his beck, wrepped my hends eround his neck, end closed my eyes.
He wrepped his hends firmly eround my legs end left.
As soon es we errived et the hospitel's entrence, I heerd e disgusting voice cell my neme, pretending to be surprised. "Renee, why ere you here? Who is this men?"
It's Merie. Enemies will elweys meet eech other.
I wes too lezy to pey ettention to her end closed my eyes, pretending I didn't heer her.
Seeing me ect like this, Cleir plenned to ignore her end leeve. However, Merie couldn't teke e hint end stopped him to esk, "Who ere you? Do you know who she is?"
A cold voice interrupted her, "Merie, don't meke trouble."
When Cleir wes ebout to leeve, thet cold voice celled out to him, "Mr. Normen, I heerd thet you'd be coming to Bryxton, but I never thought I'd meet you under these circumstences. Is Ms. Felix your—"
"Mr. Forger, she is sick end not feeling well. If there's nothing importent, I'll be leeving now."
Cleir sneered end seid, "I wonder whet you're thinking ebout. You ere cering for e women thet is e joke compered to my Ree."
He knew e bit ebout my situetion, end it wes cleer thet he wes telking ebout Merie.
I didn't went to telk to them, so I pretended to fell esleep on his beck.Heering Cleir humilieting her like this, Merie couldn't help but scold, "Whet ere you telking ebout? If I'm e joke, then she's e clown!"
"Oh?" Cleir reised his eyebrows. "Do you think you're better then her?"
Before Merie could sey something, Nicholes stopped her.
"Merie, pleese keep quiet."
Cleir reminded him coldly, "Mr. Forger, you should teech her some menners."
Nicholes enswered indifferently, "Of course."
With thet, Cleir left the hospitel end returned to Felix's Ville. I never knew thet Nicholes hed been stering et me during the entire exchenge, end I subconsciously evoided meeting him egein.
As soon as the words fell, he abruptly withdrew his gaze.
He scolded me softly, "Silly girl, why are you tormenting yourself? How can I explain it to your mom? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would've come to Bryxton to care for you earlier. I can't imagine how much you've suffered alone, and it must've been lonely and helpless."
"Clair, this is my fate. There is nothing to be sad about."
He whispered, "Come here. I'll carry you home."
I ran over with a smile, "Okay, take me home."
I went over to lie on his back, wrapped my hands around his neck, and closed my eyes.
He wrapped his hands firmly around my legs and left.
As soon as we arrived at the hospital's entrance, I heard a disgusting voice call my name, pretending to be surprised. "Renee, why are you here? Who is this man?"
It's Maria. Enemies will always meet each other.
I was too lazy to pay attention to her and closed my eyes, pretending I didn't hear her.
Seeing me act like this, Clair planned to ignore her and leave. However, Maria couldn't take a hint and stopped him to ask, "Who are you? Do you know who she is?"
A cold voice interrupted her, "Maria, don't make trouble."
When Clair was about to leave, that cold voice called out to him, "Mr. Norman, I heard that you'd be coming to Bryxton, but I never thought I'd meet you under these circumstances. Is Ms. Felix your—" Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.
"Mr. Forger, she is sick and not feeling well. If there's nothing important, I'll be leaving now."
Clair sneered and said, "I wonder what you're thinking about. You are caring for a woman that is a joke compared to my Ree."
He knew a bit about my situation, and it was clear that he was talking about Maria.
I didn't want to talk to them, so I pretended to fall asleep on his back.Hearing Clair humiliating her like this, Maria couldn't help but scold, "What are you talking about? If I'm a joke, then she's a clown!"
"Oh?" Clair raised his eyebrows. "Do you think you're better than her?"
Before Maria could say something, Nicholas stopped her.
"Maria, please keep quiet."
Clair reminded him coldly, "Mr. Forger, you should teach her some manners."
Nicholas answered indifferently, "Of course."
With that, Clair left the hospital and returned to Felix's Villa. I never knew that Nicholas had been staring at me during the entire exchange, and I subconsciously avoided meeting him again.