Chapter 10N
She held me tightly from behind while sobbing.”
“There’s no point.” I grabbed her fingers and pried them off. After freeing myself, I calmly put the first aid kit back in the cabinet.
Then came her shout from behind, “Did everything we had–our youth, our love–really mean nothing to you?!”
Her words hit something deep inside me. She had been my first love. My entire youth had revolved around her. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t stir something. No one just forgets their past like it was nothing.
But, I shut the cabinet door, turned to face her and forced the words out. “You’re right. Whatever we had–our memories, our love–it’s all worthless now.”
I left her standing there in the living room and walked straight into the bedroom. Shut off the light. Tried to sleep.§
Sometime later, I heard her footsteps in the hall.
Then the sound of the shower running.
Not long after, she came into my room and quietly slipped into bed. She slid in close behind me, wrapping her arms around me again. I didn’t move. “Don’t touch me,” I muttered. “I’m dirty now.“>
“If you’re really going to leave, then don’t push me away tonight,” she whispered. “Let’s just say goodbye to everything we had.“}
Freya didn’t wait for my permission. She climbed on top of me, as if trying to reclaim something long lost.”
****
The next morning, when I opened my eyes, she was gone from the bed.
I thought she’d left. But when I stepped into the living room, I found her in the kitchen, making breakfast.
I didn’t say a word. Just sat down and ate with her in silence. She acted like nothing had happened. Like she’d gone back to being that soft, affectionate version of herself from years ago.
Now, I wasn’t that same man anymore. I was hollowed out, worn down and scarred too deep to return.
Only after we’d finished eating did she finally speak.
“Isn’t there still a chance…?“}
“No.” I cut her off before she could finish.
She flinched. Her fork slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor.
“When you get home, just sign the papers,” I said coldly. “You had your first love and now I want to live my life. There’s no point in dragging this on.”
My words were final.
Freya blinked a few times. She lowered her head, bent down and quietly picked up the chopsticks that had fallen to the floor. Then she started gathering the dishes from the table.
“What are you doing?” I grabbed her wrist to stop her.”
“1… I was just going to wash the dishes!“”
The way she looked at me–hurt, trying to hold it together–made my chest ache all over again.
I couldn’t understand her. She had cheated, chosen someone else. She could’ve just walked away without ever looking back. So why now -at the edge of divorce–was she acting like she couldn’t let go?”
Was she trying to torture me? Or had she finally realized what she was about to lose?!
But some things, once broken, can’t be fixed.\
Even if we stayed together and tried to fake normal, we’d never get back what we had, And living like that–settling for a shadow of what used to be–would only make things worse.
So 1 hardened my heart.#
I snatched the bowl from her hands and threw it to the floor. It shattered Instantly.
“There’s nothing left to wash now,” I said, my voice cold.%
Freya tumed without a word and came back with a broom #
I watched her, then ripped the broom away and shouted, “Stop pretending, Freya! Look at that bowl! It’s broken. Completely shattered. And even if you glue it back together, it’ll still be covered in cracks. It’ll never be the same! Just like us. We’re past the point of fixing!TM1⁄2
She stood still for a moment, breathing heavily
Then she looked me in the eye and said, “One month.”%
“What?”
“Give me one more month,” she said quietly. “Let’s just… be together again. Try, for real. And if after a month we still can’t go back then Til sign the divorce papers. No questions asked. Okay?“*
10:31 AM
