Chapter 1211
A new spark of hope ignited in Felix’s eyes.
But Claire only looked at him. “You really should have told me all this sooner. I would have stepped aside, and maybe that tragedy could have been avoided.”
She was referring to Melanie.
At the mention of Melanie’s name, the light faded from Felix’s gaze. His fists clenched involuntarily. “It all happened too fast.”
“Before I even knew about the arranged marriage, we had a huge fight. She broke up with me and completely vanished for two months. She was dead set on ending things. I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find her.”
“Eventually, I had to accept the breakup. And then I accepted the marriage arrangement.”
“But I never expected that the next time I’d hear about her… it would be the news of her suicide. On our wedding day.”
He hadn’t been able to stop it.
He never even had the chance to say a word.
Claire was genuinely shocked.
If Melanie was the one who insisted on breaking up, why would she choose to take her own life on Felix’s wedding day?
It was too bizarre.
But it wasn’t her place to judge someone else’s past relationship, so she kept those thoughts to herself.
“Since things have come to this, you need to let it go,” she comforted him gently.
Felix’s tone turned resolute. “I’ll handle the Madeline Lynwood situation. She’s leaving the country next week and she’s never coming back. I won’t see her again.”
Hearing this now, Claire felt it didn’t really matter.
Whether Madeline stayed or left had no bearing on her decision.
“Just focus on your recovery. I asked the doctor, and you’ll be discharged in five days at the latest. Once you’re out, we’ll go get the divorce papers,” Claire said, completely ignoring his plea.
The air in the room seemed to vanish.
Felix stared at her, his hands slowly tightening until his knuckles turned a ghastly white.
“Do we still have to get a divorce?”
His voice was incredibly hoarse, the light in his eyes visibly dimming as a
suffocating wave of despair washed over him.
“Can we… not divorce?” he asked so quietly it was almost a whisper, swallowing
every ounce of his pride in a desperate attempt to test the waters.
He reached out and grabbed her hand, his fingertips trembling.
Claire looked down at him. His grip was so tight it actually hurt.
She stayed silent for a few seconds, neither pulling away nor agreeing.
“Can we… start over?”
“No Melanie, no Madeline. Just us. A fresh start. Please?”
Finally, Claire let out a heavy sigh.
She pulled her hand back very slowly, as if meticulously peeling away the dead
layers of a relationship that had expired a long time ago.
Careful, but leaving absolutely no room for doubt.
“There are no fresh starts in life. Our
pacing is different now. Some
people want to stop and rest, while
others want to run faster. If running
alone makes the journey easier and happier, isn’t that a good thing?”
“Rest well. Let me know when you’re discharged, and we’ll go get the paperwork sorted.”
Having said her piece, she didn’t linger.
The door opened, and then gently clicked shut behind her.
He was left all alone in the massive hospital room.
Less than five minutes later, the door swung open again.
Felix looked up, a glimmer of hope returning to his eyes.
But upon seeing who it was, his gaze darkened once more.
Shawn Selwyn caught his reaction and teased, “What’s wrong? Were you waiting for Madeline?”
“No,” Felix denied flatly.
Evan Young walked in right behind him. “If you weren’t waiting for her, who • else could it be? Who else do
you pay that much attention to?”
Felix closed his eyes, looking entirely drained and unwilling to speak.
He radiated a deep lethargy.
Evan set down a basket of health supplements. “Oh, by the way, I just saw your wife. She’s been the. ope
staying at the hospital to take care of you these past few days, right?”
He let out a scoffing laugh. “What did I tell you? She simply can’t live without you.”