When She Ended It With Divorce (Chiara and Titus) novel Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Debby’s expression instantly dimmed, her eyes clouded with a mix of disbelief and sorrow. “But… how could this be?” she asked quietly, her voice weighed down by a deep sense of disappointment.

Adele stood nearby, her gaze fixed on Chiara with a frown creasing her brow. She remained silent, but the tension in the air spoke volumes more than any words could.

Charlie, noticing the strain, turned toward Titus with a furrowed brow. “Did you know about this?” he asked, his tone sharp but controlled.

Titus’s eyes never left Chiara. His look was heavy, almost piercing, as if searching for something beneath the surface. A soft, sardonic chuckle escaped him—sarcasm clear in its edge, though its exact target was ambiguous.

Chiara kept her gaze lowered, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes. Speaking the truth to Debby was out of the question, so she had settled on a believable excuse, one that would finally close the conversation for good.

Her mind was already made up about the divorce. The question of whether she could bear children no longer held any significance.

“How come I’m only hearing now that you can’t have children?” Titus’s voice broke the silence at last, calm and measured but carrying an undercurrent of something unspoken.

Chiara finally looked up to meet his eyes, her voice barely audible. “It just never seemed like the right moment.”

A heavy pause filled the room before Debby exhaled softly and reached out to squeeze Chiara’s hand with gentle reassurance. “Don’t worry, dear. Modern medicine can do wonders. And if that doesn’t work out, there’s always adoption. Everything will be okay.”

The kindness and understanding in Debby’s gesture moved Chiara deeply. Tears threatened to spill as she whispered, “Debby, I…”

“It’s alright, sweetheart,” Debby soothed, her voice warm and comforting.

Later, after lunch, once Debby had escorted Chiara to her room, Adele approached Titus with a directness that cut through the quiet. “Did you two have an argument?” she asked bluntly.

Titus glanced at his mother, stubbed out his cigarette with a flick, and replied flatly, “Why would you think that?”

Adele hummed thoughtfully as she tended to her plant. “She used to adore you—you were her whole world. Now she won’t even look at you. What happened?”

Titus was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. “You’re as sharp as ever.”

Adele shot him a sideways glance. “I always thought Chiara was too gentle to handle someone like you, but now… I’m not so sure.”

He raised an eyebrow, a faint laugh escaping. “Handle me?”

“Just make sure this doesn’t turn into a messy divorce scandal. You chose to marry her, so you need to sort this out on your own,” Adele said firmly, turning to face him squarely. “And remember, your grandmother truly cares about her.”

Titus was quiet for a moment before speaking in a low voice, “I’m not the one asking for a divorce.”

“So it’s her who wants out,” Adele concluded, her tone matter-of-fact.

A faint smile played at the corner of Titus’s mouth as he studied her face. “What’s with that look?”

“I’m just wondering how you managed to push away a girl who was completely devoted to you,” she replied softly.

Titus’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he shook his head. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on in her mind these days.”

Although Adele rarely meddled in her son’s marriage, watching it spiral toward divorce was unbearable. “That kind of determination only comes from real pain,” she said quietly.

Titus reached over to fiddle with a leaf on Adele’s plant, his movements casual but distracted.

“This is about Elaine, isn’t it? That was you in those photos, right?” When he said nothing, she added, “If you want your marriage to survive, you need to distance yourself from her.”

“So you want me to cut ties with her completely?” Titus asked, his voice flat.

“It’s not like you’ll actually listen to me anyway,” Adele said with a hint of resignation.

Titus shoved his hands into his pockets and let out a weary sigh. “Mom, you know I can’t just walk away from her.”

Adele didn’t push further but offered one last warning. “Just know your limits. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. True love is rare, and once it’s gone, no amount of wishing will bring it back.”

As soon as Adele left, Charlie entered the room. He studied his son for a moment before asking quietly, “Is this about Chiara not wanting children, or is there a medical reason?”

Titus almost smiled at the irony—only his grandmother had believed such a transparent act. “The truth is, I’m the one who doesn’t want children,” he admitted.

Charlie’s expression showed no surprise. After three years of marriage, the silence on the matter had already said enough.

“Your grandmother isn’t as young as she used to be,” Charlie reminded him gently.

Titus said nothing, focusing instead on the lighter he rolled between his fingers.

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