When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers

“You’re coming today, right?”

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

 

Riley turned back to Ren. There was no reason to stay here any longer. She’d had enough.

 

The comments and disrespect directed at her continued. There was no point in hanging in there.

 

Finally, she got a favorable outcome. It took quite a long time, but it was a pain having to keep providing additional evidence and statements to prove everything.

 

Ren had taken care of it, but it was a lot for one person to do alone…….

 

Reilly rose from her seat to read the letter after clearing her doubts.

 

[The papers will go to the Duke’s today, everything is ready, you may leave].

 

Riley smiled in satisfaction at the short but necessary letter.

 

“I wonder what he’ll come up with.”

 

The case for divorce was perfect. Theo was at fault, and She had a miscarriage,

there would be no problem getting a divorce.

 

And now that it was out in the open, it would be impossible for her not to get a divorce from him. Theo was a man of honour, because in the public opinion he only loved one woman (Riley) and that was kind of romantic. 

 

Of course, He couldn’t defend himself because he didn’t produce any evidence, but Riley stayed there and sent all the evidence to the court for trial.

 

That was part of the reason she had to stay.

 

She hadn’t packed much. because the clothes she was wearing were new to her. She wasn’t going to take anything from this place that had been in Theo’s hands.

 

Except for his own money. The money was larger than others thought, but it didn’t matter.

 

She turned to leave the mansion with her luggage. Theo rushed out and grabbed Riley’s hand.

 

“I’m leaving.”

 

She doesn’t know about him yet, but it’s all over now. Riley looked at Theo, struggling to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

 

“……Riley.”

 

She wants to disappear from this horrible place.

 

“This is ridiculous.”

 

Theo roughly pulled Reilly’s hand. Reilly’s face was brutally crumpled by the force of tightening it as if it wouldn’t let go.

 

She tried to shake off his grip, but it was no use.

 

Theo was unfazed by the rage in her eyes.

 

“Does it make sense what happened to me here?”

 

Tears finally fell from her eyes. This man had been so damned selfish. Why would he not let me go now?

 

She wasn’t sad. They were more like tears of joy that she could finally let go of him and walk away in peace.

 

“Riley, you know I love you.”

 

“Did you say ……love?”

 

A laugh escaped Riley’s lips at Theo’s words.

 

What the hell kind of love was he talking about?

 

Loving me and keeping another woman by his side?

 

That, or using me to bear his child?

 

“Did you say you loved me? How could you spit those words out at me?”

 

Filthy bastard. She didn’t even want to treat him like a human being. She hated him so much that she didn’t even want to hear him say he loved her.

 

Riley reached out and slapped Theo across the chest. Her slender hand landed no blow, but Theo could only stare down at her as she struggled to remain still.

 

“Go live with Anna, the one you love so much, because I don’t love you anymore.”

 

“Riley, you know that, don’t you? There’s no law that says you can only love one person, or all the nobles wouldn’t have mistresses.”

 

He shamelessly refused to admit his fault. Indeed, to the end, he made Riley miserable.

 

“I! I only wanted you to love me, or at least I wanted you to love me for who I am…….”

 

He only wanted the child that would come from her. He blinded her with the lie of love, and He talked about love as if it were a tool.

 

Riley shuddered at Theo’s words.

 

“I’m in love with you, I really am, Riley, so-“

 

“No. Maybe it was a blind love, to begin with.”

 

Riley pulled away from Theo’s hand and wiped away a tear. She took a couple of steps away from him and grasped her reddened wrist.

 

“Divorce me, and I’ll leave this place.”

 

Theo’s face twisted for the first time. Riley couldn’t help but laugh at the change in his expression at the mention of divorce.

 

“You can’t do that! Don’t do that, please.”

 

Riley stumbled backward away from Theo, who was trying to grab her. She took a few steps backward as he approached.

 

“Don’t make me miserable anymore.”

 

She feels like throwing all the good memories She’s ever had into the trash.

 

She was going to leave this place and live happily ever after.

 

For her sake, and for the sake of her child, who was left behind because of her stupidity.

 

“Never came to see me again.”

 

That was the end of one thing and the beginning of another.

 

Riley quickly climbed into the carriage. The door slammed shut, Theo could no longer grab her, and the carriage began to speed away from the manor.

 

“Riley!”

 

Theo shouted as he watched the carriage pull away. She had left him, the girl he had never imagined would ever escape his grasp.

 

He couldn’t believe it, but he knew she would return eventually.

 

“I’m sorry, Riley, but I don’t intend to give you a divorce.

 

Theo stared blankly at the spot where she’d left him. There was nothing left of her, but somehow he felt empty from inside.

 

“There’s nowhere for you to go anyway, so you’ll come back.”

 

He thought he didn’t give a divorce to her Besides, it seemed naïve of her to think he would go along with a divorce.

 

Theo had brought her to all sorts of things because she was a princess of House Trayla.

 

But he didn’t know that. That Riley had arranged everything before she left.

 

Anna, who had been watching him for some time, casually approached Theo.

 

“Duke. I’ll take care of you from now on.”

 

Gently, Anna took Theo’s arm, her touch never felt unpleasant.

 

But this time, it was strangely unpleasant. Theo’s face twisted in an unfamiliar emotion.

 

“You must be tired, Anna.”

 

Theo pulled Anna’s arm out of his grasp and smiled.

 

“……Duke.”

 

He turned his head to avoid Anna’s gaze, which was looking at him.

 

He knew full well what her look meant.

 

“I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you.”

 

He had no intention of sitting Anna down on the duchess’s throne. because that position belonged to Riley. so she would sit next to him. She was married to him because she was a Trayla.

 

“Your Excellency!”

 

An urgent voice called out, and a servant rushed to Theo, panting. A newspaper was clutched in his hand.

 

“What’s all the fuss about?”

 

“This, this, this, ……hhhhhh, look!”

 

The servant gasped as he held out the newspaper in his hand. Theo’s face paled in disbelief as he took the newspaper.

 

“What the hell!”

 

[The true identity of Duke Theo Albert of the House of Prinz.

 

The hidden mistress of the Duke of Prinz. Who the hell is she?]

 

Theo was furious that His story was on the front page of the newspaper.

 

He had already stopped that once, but here it was again, with a scandalous story on the front page, and his hands trembled.

 

He couldn’t even deny the evidence attached to it. How carefully had she prepared for this?

 

She hadn’t left the ducal residence for all of this.

 

Theo gritted his teeth as he stared at where Riley had ridden off.

 

His reputation, everything he’d worked so hard to build, would come crashing down in one scandal.

 

Worst of all, the thought of the Trayla family not standing by and letting him go made his head spin.

 

No matter how abandoned she was, everyone knew that Riley was the princess of House Trayla, and as much as he wished it didn’t matter, they weren’t going to lie low while it was all over the papers.

 

The corner of Anna’s mouth twitched upwards as she glanced at the paper from behind Theo’s back.

 

“I didn’t think so, but she’s amazing, isn’t she?

 

Anna hadn’t believed Riley when she’d said it; she’d assumed she was just talking, and she’d scrambled to her feet and left the manor.

 

Last time, Theo had stopped the newspaper story, so she thought it would blow over just as quickly this time, but the photos and statements accompanying the article made her think otherwise.

 

‘Hmmm, that’s not such a bad thing.’

 

It was actually a good thing for her. Now that the relationship was out in the open, She didn’t have to hide.

 

Why would anyone want to marry a guy who’s still hung up on his ex, especially when the Duchess Riley already dumped him? Especially for high-ranking nobles, pride and honor are everything.

 

This position, then, belonged to her and no one else. Anna was not a noble of high rank, nor did she value honour.

 

“Duke, I would like to officially….”

 

“Anna, stop, say no more. I will be greatly disappointed in you.”

 

“Duke……?”

 

Theo’s expression was even more distorted than before, and when he saw the tears in Anna’s eyes, he sighed and brushed his face roughly dry.

 

Gently, he pressed a hand to her cheek and spoke softly.

 

“Anna, you used to be the kind of girl who was happy just to have my love, without wanting anything else. That’s why I loved you, and I hope you haven’t changed…….”

 

Theo’s words sounded to Anna like he was telling her not to be greedy because it wasn’t really your place.

 

“Anna, I have no intention of divorcing Riley.”

 

“Is that what you really think?”

Her hands trembled. Does he know for himself what he is telling me now?

 

Abandoning me…?

 

She thought it was Reilly who was being thrown away because he always said Riley was just a necessary person for the Prinz family.

 

Anna’s lips pressed together. She really didn’t think he would abandon her.

 

“Duke, be honest with me. Are you thinking of taking another… woman?”

 

“No. There will be only one Duchess and only one Riley.”

 

She couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t it the woman who would carry on the family name that he wanted? Wasn’t Riley the one who would bear his children, and so would…….

 

“Ha!”

 

Anna burst out laughing.

 

Only she could sit in the Duchess’s seat because she was the princess and eldest daughter of House Trayla. To use the name of House Trayla in the future.

 

If Duke Vetter were to die, Riley and Leta would be the only ones left.

 

She thought he would love her forever for getting him out of that hellhole, but Riley was gone. But he seemed to think she would come back.

 

Anna’s mind flashed back to the things she’d said to her. Maybe she hadn’t told her because she already knew everything.

 

Anna’s eyes widened as she stared at Theo, betrayal and anger flaring in her eyes.

 

“Is that…?

 

Anna doubted her eyes. She closed and opened her eyes several times to see if she was seeing things.

 

“It’s ……, Duke!”

 

Anna grabbed the Duke by the collar, still seeing the image clearly.

 

“Anna, stop, I don’t want to talk to you anymore today, I think you should go inside and rest-“

 

“Look behind you!”

 

Theo’s head snapped back at Anna’s words. He saw a white carriage approaching the ducal residence, and it was marked with the imperial emblem.

 

Theo and Anna stared at the carriage, stunned by the suddenness of the situation. Theo suddenly came to his senses and told Anna to hurry inside.

 

“Ha, but….”

 

Despite Anna’s protests, Theo pushed her into the ducal residence. He ordered his maids to prepare tea and refreshments, then took a deep breath.

 

“Why would the imperial…. to come here unannounced like this?

 

Whether he knew it or not, the imperial carriage pulled up to the ducal residence.

 

He swallowed hard, and soon the carriage doors opened and a man stepped out.

 

He was none other than the crown prince. Theo bowed his head in a hasty salute.

 

“His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Imperial Light.”

 

“…….”

 

Bending down, Theo’s eyes caught sight of the crumpled document the crown prince held in his hand. On the signature line was a familiar name.

 

Riley Charlthia.

 

“Petition for divorce…?

 

Theo’s head snapped up for a moment.

 

……Riley!

 

He lifted his bowed head and met a pair of vivid golden eyes. The crown prince’s gaze was sharp enough to make the hairs on his back stand on end.

 

His mouth curved into a gentle smile as he met Theo’s bewildered eyes.

 

“I’m here today because I was supposed to come yesterday…….”

 

The papers in his hand crumpled under the force of his grip. The crown prince was clearly smiling, but Theo felt a chill run down his spine from a current that was even thicker than before.

 

“You should consider that a day’s life saved.”

 

The crown prince’s words sent a shiver down Theo’s spine. He felt like he was about to be killed, but he couldn’t say anything.

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