The photo looked like it had been repeatedly caressed, its edges already frayed.
On the back of the photo was Alex’s bold, flourishing script: “Maybe I’ll never find love this raw and passionate again.”
Clutching the photo that weighed a ton in my hands, I called Alex.
His voice was as gentle as ever. “Chloe, the weather in the city is very dry. My mouth is swollen from being overworked. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water at home, okay?”
I said okay, then calmly hung up.
Alex was lying. He didn’t notice, but in the background, Big Ben chimed. He was clearly in London. The city where Isabelle was.
The day I decided to divorce him, Isabelle took a knife for Alex, blocking an attack from his enemies. That knife wound damaged her spine, leaving her lower body paralyzed. Isabelle could never dance again.
When I rushed to the hospital, Alex was tightly holding Isabelle, sobbing and promising to take care of her for the rest of his life.
Seeing me arrive, Isabelle deliberately hooked her arm around Alex’s neck, trying to kiss him. Alex saw me and frantically tried to pull away, but he couldn’t bring himself to push away Isabelle, whose eyes were brimming with tears.
They kissed passionately, a long, silver thread of saliva stretching between their lips when they finally pulled apart.
I turned to leave, but after only a few steps, the world spun around me.
When I woke up again, the nurse chided me disapprovingly. “You’re two months pregnant, and you still haven’t been eating properly. You fainted from low blood sugar. Luckily, you were at the hospital.”
My mind went blank. I didn’t know how to face this tiny life. No matter what, Alex had to know.
“Alex, we have a…”
“Chloe, you’re too reckless.” Alex rushed in, his face full of disapproval. He didn’t even have the patience to let me finish a sentence, much less notice my pale face.
My father, whom I hadn’t seen in ages, reached out to hit me. Alex stopped him, but my father pointed at me, spitting venom. “You curse! Your sister is already in that state, and you have the audacity to fake illness just to drag Alex away!”
A chilling desolation settled deep in my soul. This was my family, my beloved.
Perhaps seeing how truly awful I looked, Alex stopped my father’s tirade. “It’s alright, Dad. Isabelle needs someone there. We should quickly.”
Watching them walk towards the door without a backward glance, I spoke again. “Wait.”
This time, Alex frowned, a flash of impatience crossing his face. “Chloe, I’ll come back to see you in a bit.”
“No need.” I spoke calmly. “Alex, let’s get a divorce.”
