The Reason We Must Divorce

Clang clang!

A clear bell rang out from the entrance of the Count’s mansion.

It was a bright and hopeful sound announcing the master’s return. However, for some, it signaled the start of torment.

Lying in bed, Regina looked out the window with a pale face. As though she would extinguish like a candle or fly away with the wind, even the doctor avoided her gaze when carefully examining her frail condition.

“The Count of Cavill seems to have returned.”

“Yes…”

It was his first return in a year. Regina watched as a carriage smoothly approached along the perfectly measured driveway. However, the moment the carriage door opened, she dropped her gloomy gaze, unable to look further.

Meanwhile, the doctor pressed herself to the window with sparkling eyes, eager to catch sight of the young count who had recently become a sensation in high society.

“He truly is handsome, no matter how often I see him! He’s been away from the mansion for quite some time, hasn’t he? I think I heard it was due to work…”

“The port expansion project.”

The voice that escaped from her cracked lips was feeble—just like his excuse for abandoning his wife, who had been in a coma for the past year.

“You shouldn’t be speaking yet. Madam, you must save your words!”

The doctor handed her a cloth soaked in herbal water.

“Are you eating well?”

Unable to speak, Regina nodded instead.

“That’s why you’re recovering quickly! I was surprised to hear you’ve started walking. You were bedridden for so long, but youth certainly works wonders.”

“…”

“Fortunately, your husband has returned at the right time. Having him close by should be mentally stabilizing.”

The doctor’s excessively naive words, considering her age, pained Regina.

Stabilizing? Regina bit back a bitter laugh, shifting uncomfortably in bed to suppress her rising scorn. The doctor mistook her discomfort for physical pain.

“You must still be struggling. I seem to have overstayed my welcome.”

She’s finally leaving. Regina felt a sense of relief.

The doctor, while passionate about her work and undoubtedly skilled, often asked difficult and unwelcome questions.

Do you remember why you collapsed? How much can you recall exactly? Do you remember what you consumed?

In front of such inquiries, Regina couldn’t reveal the truth.

That she had tried to end her own life.

“Please rest well and continue your exercises. Starting with walking would be ideal.”

To practice what the doctor suggested, Regina escorted her to the door of the bedroom. The doctor was deeply moved by the effort.

“You may regret the lost year, but don’t worry. Better days surely await you!”

The doctor, who patted her thin hand comfortingly, left. Regina stared at her hand as if trying to feel the lingering warmth.

A warm touch, felt for the first time in a year, and it came from the doctor, no less.

How ridiculous. The irony didn’t even bring a smile to her face. The suffocating silence of the empty hallway overwhelmed her. As she turned to return to bed, her weakened legs suddenly gave out beneath her.

Before she could scream, she fell forward. Her knees hit the marble floor with a painful thud, and stars danced before her eyes. The cloth she’d bitten earlier rolled away, and a groan of pain scratched at her ears.

Startled by the sound of her own voice, it resembled the cry of a wounded animal. Perhaps that’s what she was—crawling on the floor, unable to stand on two legs.

Normally, a maid would have rushed to help, but today the mansion was empty. Everyone had gone to greet the master.

Maybe it was for the best. The mistress, already scorned, would have been mocked further if anyone had seen her like this.

Regina struggled to get up, leaning against the cold wall. Her arms and legs, weak and unresponsive, felt alien to her, as though they didn’t belong to her anymore. As she flailed like a boneless creature, a polished black shoe approached her.

“Are you alright?”

The smooth, elegant voice sent her heart plummeting. Regina couldn’t bring herself to lift her head, staring intently at the shoes before her.

“Regina.”

The black shoes, so polished they reflected faint images, stepped back, revealing a strong thigh and knee. To meet her gaze, the man knelt on one knee.

There was nowhere to run. Regina fought to control her trembling body as she looked up at him.

His face, shockingly beautiful, was close enough to count each eyelash.

A broad forehead, masculine yet delicate eyebrows, silver lashes shading vivid indigo eyes, and a sharply sculpted nose—all his features harmonized into an otherworldly perfection. Even covered in soot and rags, his extraordinary nature would have been evident.

Yet, among his refined features, one stood out: his full, unusually red lips. They gave him an air of a noble beast.

“Do you need help?”

It took a moment for her to grasp the meaning of his words. Before she realized it, Regina shook her head.

Her refusal was so obstinate it bordered on stubbornness. Perhaps that’s why, despite her clear need for assistance, the man neither lifted nor supported her.

“Very well.”

His lips curved into a cold, wintry smile.

“I missed you, my wife.”

Regina’s eyes widened. He tilted her chin and kissed her—a casual greeting from a husband returning home.

The brief, sharp kiss left a stinging, prickling pain, akin to static electricity. His smile as he pulled back felt like a slap across the face.

How can you act as though nothing happened over the past year? You didn’t visit me even once.

“It’s late. Rest well.”

He brushed off his knees as though shaking off a bug and stood. Before his shoes turned to leave, Regina impulsively reached out.

“Wait…”

Like a cry escaping when stabbed, Regina couldn’t suppress the words. She ached too much from his indifference, desperate to ask something.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“About what?”

I see. Do I have to spell it out for you?

“About why I’m like this, why I was in a coma, how I’m feeling now—things like that.”

Simple conversations any ordinary couple would have had countless times. I love you like a normal wife does, so why can’t we be ordinary?

“It’s been a year since we’ve seen each other. We…”

He didn’t respond. He seemed to be analyzing her words, but surely he had misunderstood, as always.

“If you really want to say something, go ahead.”

She expected this reaction. Even so, tears welled up anew at her foolish persistence.

“Forget it. I must’ve been bothering you unnecessarily.”

“I’ve been receiving regular reports about your condition.”

Unusually, he added what sounded like an excuse. But like most excuses, it would’ve been better left unsaid.

“Fine. Just go about your business.”

“…”

“Please.”

The sound of his elegant footsteps fading away shattered the silence. Left alone, Regina pressed her forehead to the cold floor and chuckled bitterly. She rubbed her lips repeatedly with her weak hands, trying to erase the lingering sensation of his touch and warmth.

He will never change.

Then I must change. I won’t live like a pet chasing after his heels, begging for attention.

Trapped in this body, staring at the endless white ceiling, she recalled the vow she had repeated to herself over and over. But her love for him must have lasted longer. The moment she faced Gray Cavill, her foolish heart couldn’t help but welcome him.

Gray Cavill.

I wish I had never loved you from the start.

Her vision, heavy with tears, quietly faded to darkness.

 

***

 

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed what you have read, do consider tipping me a little through: click here. An advanced chapter will be posted as a thank you once I receive 6$. Don’t forget to mention the series that you’re supporting!