Scarlett's POV:
When I stepped out of the bathroom, I found that Charles was not in the bedroom. I heaved a sigh of relief. He must have gone to Rita's place. Before I could get him out of my mind, the door swung open. My heart leapt to my throat the moment Charles walked in.
"Why... Why are you still here? I thought you went to see Rita," I asked in a trembling voice.
"If I leave, my wife will be unhappy," he shrugged and started walking toward me.
I scoffed.
"What do you mean? We're a married couple, remember?" Charles narrowed his eyes.
I shook my head. "We have never been a real married couple. Have you forgotten that our marriage is fake from the very beginning?"
I tried keeping the words in, but standing in front of Charles now, I could not help blurting them out in an accusatory tone. If it were not for him wanting a divorce, I would not have come home from overseas.
Charles furrowed his brows, and his eyes glinted with a dangerous light. He reached out and grabbed my wrist.
"What about now? I want us to be a real couple, Scarlett. I love you." As he spoke, he approached me step by step, forcing me to retreat.
In a few heartbeats, I found myself backed in a corner. The wall felt cold against my back, and it was a complete contrast to Charles's warm torso that was a hair's breadth away from mine.
"Do you still think I'm not being serious? I mean it. I want to be with you."
I looked at Charles's face, gnashed my teeth together, and shook my head.
Charles lifted my wrist that he was holding and pressed my hand against his chest. I felt his heartbeat on my palm.
"Scarlett... Please tell me you want to be with me, too."
My mind went in shambles as my eyes threatened to burn with frustrated tears. I kept silent for a long time, trying to sort out the mixed feelings that my nominal husband once again had stirred up. I once loved him so deeply, but all he did was hurt me over and over again.
He broke my heart for Rita every chance he got, and now he was telling me that I was the love of his life.
How was I supposed to believe him?
"No, Charles, I don't want to be with you. We can't be together," I refused coldly. "I don't love you anymore, okay? Have you forgotten all the things you've done to me for Rita's sake? I can't be with someone who treats me like an option. I deserve to be a priority. And you can't make me take you back with a mere 'I love you'. Quit being so indecisive, will you? Seriously. I'm about to lose all respect for you."
A muscle flickered in Charles's jaw as he stared at me in silence.
I put my hand down from his chest and waited for him to speak.
After a few moments, he lowered his head and finally stepped back.
"You will regret saying that sooner or later," he said in a low voice. I could not perceive any emotion in his tone. Then, he turned around and laid down on the sofa.
I went to bed and turned my back to him.
The next day, I went to work as usual, but I still felt a little depressed.
I went to get myself a cup of coffee, hoping that it would refresh me and help me focus.
"You look awful. Is everything all right?" Nina came over to my desk and asked with concern.
"Yeah. I just didn't get that much sleep last night," I replied, taking another sip of my coffee.
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