"We can't fix what's broken between us, but it's not bad enough for a divorce." Evelyn stared directly at Alexander.
"Evelyn, do you remember why you married me?" Alexander asked, his gaze fixed on her.
Evelyn looked at him. After a long pause, she answered honestly, "Because my mother pushed me into it."
"So you agreed to marry me without even meeting me. Just because my mother liked me."
"You didn't need a wife. You needed to be a good son."
"For you, it didn't matter who you married. As long as she was the girl your mother approved of." Alexander's voice was low.
"I admit that was my reason for agreeing to the marriage."
"But that doesn't mean my feelings didn't change because of you later." Alexander replied.
"Alexander, have you ever thought that even if I'm not with you, I could still have a good life with someone else?" Evelyn turned to look out the window, her voice slow.
"I know. You have a good heart. Whoever marries you, as long as he knows how to cherish you, you'll both be happy. That's why I think I'm the lucky one." Alexander nodded.
This time, Evelyn didn't tell him that even if it weren't her, another woman would have spent her life with him.
She said she could live well with someone else. That meant he was no longer her only choice.
"But I had no choice. The ten million was the last straw. I could only give in to fate."
"I had no hope at first. Later, I was grateful for what fate gave me."
"I met you in the darkness."
"You don't understand what it's like to finally fall in love with the man you never dared to hope for."
"It's like winning the lottery. Sometimes you don't even care about the prize. You just finally got what you wanted."
"For you, I have nothing to complain about. You are good. Really good."
"Even if it weren't me, there would be better girls for you."
"And I'm just a month's mistake. The red string tied us together by accident."
"When the matchmaker finds out the mistake, we'll untie it." Evelyn looked at Alexander and spoke seriously.
"I don't care if the string was tied wrong. Since it's tied, it's for life." Alexander insisted.
Evelyn shook her head helplessly.
"I know it's wrong. Why should we keep making the same mistake?"
"From the beginning, we were never meant to be together."
"You are too stubborn. I am too stubborn too. If we had met at the right time, maybe it would have been perfect. But we didn't."
"Even if we force ourselves to stay together, we'll only torture each other."
"I don't feel tortured. I'm happy with you."
"But I'm in pain." Evelyn looked directly at Alexander.
Alexander stared at her. Her eyes were so stubborn. This was no joke. For a moment, he heard a string snap deep inside him.
"I don't want to live like this anymore. I don't want to keep pretending. Telling myself that if I don't face it, don't care, cover my eyes and don't look, nothing will happen."
"Really, I can't."
"If I keep living like this, I'll only be more miserable than I am now."
"I don't love Grace anymore." Alexander tried to explain.
"Alexander, the problem between us has never been about anyone else. It's about us."
"To put it simply, I don't have faith in you anymore. And I don't have the patience to wait any longer." Evelyn answered bluntly.
"Evelyn, you can't accuse me of something that doesn't exist. Then tell me that whether it exists or not, we can't go on."
"If you're going to sentence someone to death, you need proper evidence."
"Alexander, I don't have the right to sentence anyone. I just want to set myself free." Evelyn replied quietly.
"Leaving me... for you, is that freedom?" Alexander couldn't accept this reason.
"Yes." Evelyn admitted without hesitation.
A deep sense of defeat washed over Alexander.
He knew Evelyn could be stubborn. Like a stubborn calf that never looks back. But he never expected she would not only refuse to look back, but also plan to run far away.
"Evelyn, I can't give you an answer right now."
"Let's both calm down and think about it."
"After all, we haven't reached the point of divorce. We still have the baby."
"Give it some time. If you still feel there's no way forward..."
"Then we'll consider divorce. Okay?" Alexander backed down, trying to negotiate.
"If you need time to accept the result, I can give you three months."
"But if you're hoping to change my mind, don't bother."
"I've already given you a chance. I don't want to repeat it." Evelyn answered calmly.
"Evelyn, don't you love me anymore?"
"Love isn't the only thing in life." Evelyn didn't answer his question directly. She just looked out the window and said it calmly.
Some people could make love their whole life. She wasn't like that.
For her, love was beautiful. But there was also family, children, and her own worth. She would cherish and fight for all of them.
Alexander stared at Evelyn.
Her words were straightforward. She didn't love him anymore. But even if she still did, she had the courage to abandon him.
"Three months then." Alexander finally sighed.
Evelyn said nothing more.
Just then, the nurse came in with the dressing change supplies.
"The soup is a little cold. I'll heat it up." Alexander picked up the soup and walked to the small living room to microwave it.
The nurse looked at the gauze on Evelyn's wound and frowned.
"Did you strain yourself again?"
"Sometimes when I turn over, I accidentally pull the wound." Evelyn had to explain.
"Be careful. If you tear it again, it'll be trouble." The nurse said as she carefully peeled off the tape.
Evelyn, who was afraid of pain, frowned and gripped the blanket with both hands. She didn't know what else to do.
At that moment, a figure sat down beside her. He took her hand and held it in his.
Evelyn looked up at Alexander. He turned to the nurse and said, "My wife is afraid of pain. Please be gentle."
His face was calm and indifferent.
"Don't worry, Mr. Sterling. I'll be gentle." The nurse smiled. "But Mrs. Sterling really is afraid of pain. Before I even start changing the dressing, she's already shaking."
"She likes to scare herself. Just like a child." Alexander said.