Chapter 341
He’s only six years old. Why should such a small child have to go through all this?
If today’s incident had only targeted me, I wouldn’t have much to say.
But if Billy was involved… if that van had been aiming for my son… that would be more painful than losing my own life.
My face was ghostly white, paler than paper. I could feel the panic and unease flowing through my veins, making my whole body tremble like a frightened rabbit–helpless and terrified.
My expression made Henry’s heart clench. He didn’t understand why things had escalated this way. Seeing the fear in my eyes, all he wanted was to pull me into his arms.
In that moment, he truly understood what it meant to be afraid. If he hadn’t grabbed me in time, what would have happened? Nobody knew.
When he’d pulled me into his embrace, the van’s side mirror had scraped against his hand.
Even now, his hand throbbed with pain.
If I had been injured, he couldn’t imagine what he might have done in retaliation.
I remained silent, letting the wind brush against my pale face as I stared at Henry. My eyes reflected nothing but distance and disgust.
From the moment our divorce was finalized, Henry had been dead to me. This man had no awareness of his position as an ex–husband, yet here he was, forcing his presence on me. What was his angle?
I’d experienced being hit by a van before, which had left me with lasting psychological trauma. Even though Henry had saved me today, I felt no gratitude.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was still cleaning up Isabella’s messes, protecting her. Even after Henry claimed Isabella was locked away, I couldn’t bring myself to trust this man.
“Seems like your confinement methods aren’t working so well,” I said sarcastically. “Someone’s still finding ways to try and kill me!”
Henry recognized the cold detachment in my eyes. “You think I’m protecting Isabella?” he asked in response.
I said nothing, just staring at him silently.
- se. HIS
Henry continued, “I’m not! Isabella is locked away–she doesn’t have the time or resources to plan something like this!” His voice grew more insistent. “She’s confined in the Harding basement. I know this better than anyone.”
I let out a soft, humorless laugh. “Interesting. I didn’t even mention her by name, yet you’re already defending Isabella? Worried I might misunderstand your beloved?”
See? Henry claimed he no longer loved Isabella, yet his actions still showed he was protecting her.
Henry’s chest tightened with frustration.
“Sophia, you know damn well that’s not what I meant! Isabella is literally locked in the Harding basement right now. I can take you to see for yourself!”
He suddenly realized that no matter how he explained, I wouldn’t believe him. This was what left him feeling most powerless.
Recognizing his tone had become harsh, he quickly lowered his voice. “Isabella is seriously ill. She doesn’t have the ability or energy to orchestrate something like this.”
1/2
Chapter 341
Isabella had been waiting for a kidney transplant, but without a suitable match, she could only control her condition through medication and dialysis.
Recently, being confined in that cold, damp basement, underfed and poorly clothed, she had developed a fever that nearly killed her,
But somehow, whenever he tried to explain this to me, it came across as him defending Isabella.
I stared at Henry, watching as his emotional outburst gradually settled into calm, though my heart felt unsettled.
In the past, Henry never bothered explaining his actions, remaining unnioved even when tears welled in my eyes. Now that he was finally offering explanations, I couldn’t bring myself to believe him.
Was there any point in trying to repair a marriage built on such a fundamental lack of trust?
Once, I had asked Betty a question: “How much do you have to like someone to willingly endure their coldness, to weather all the little frustrations of marriage and still want to spend your life with them?”
Betty had smiled and answered, “Liking isn’t enough. You need love–intense, powerful love. Anything less and you’ll end up going your separate ways, filing for divorce.”
Back then, I had naively believed my love for Henry was sufficient, that I could bear all the disappointments and hurts of our marriage. Only later did I realize that just the transition from hope to silence had drained all my love for him.
Chapter Comments
LIKE
POST COMMENT NOW
<SHARE
