In the evening, I poured a glass of milk for Thaddeus and carried it over on a tray. He stared at me for a long time, and suddenly, his eyes turned red.
In a hoarse voice, he said, "I'm sorry."
"Irene, I don't want this... but I really have no other choice."
"Once you have the baby, I'll take you out, I'll take good care of him. Please don't hate me... hate me a little less, please?"
I smiled, pushing the milk in front of him: "Drink it."
When he fell asleep, I sat by the bed, gently stroking his face. Including in the previous life, I had been entangled with him for over twenty years.
Joy, anger, sorrow, greed, ignorance, and resentment—all the extreme emotions of the world, we had experienced them all.
I once loved him deeply.
Now... I wouldn't say I hated him. His parents' actions were not his fault.
I would always remember that summer vacation after our graduation.
The boy won the basketball championship, ran to me, kneeled on one knee, and held up his medal high.
He shouted loudly in the crowd:
"Irene, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
The boy's eyes were bright and shining, a spirit that I would never see again.
"Thaddeus."
I whispered, "I'm leaving. Take care of yourself, alone..."
---
I changed into the prepared maid uniform and quietly left the house.
In a phone booth not far from the villa, I called Xavier. While he was abroad, I went to the police station.
I reported Thaddeus for illegal detention, domestic violence, and filed for divorce.
When Xavier arrived from abroad, I was talking with my lawyer about the issues between Thaddeus and me. He listened and hesitated.
"It's... quite interesting," he said, diplomatically.
I didn't respond, only asking, "Can you stay with me for a few days?"
"With you here, I'll feel a little more at ease."
"No problem."
He nodded without hesitation.
After the lawyer noted down the key points, he asked, "What are your demands?"
"Do you just want a divorce, or are you seeking a more serious penalty for abuse and mistreatment?"
I stayed silent for a long time.
Finally, tired, I pressed my temples, "A divorce is fine."
"Alright."
After the lawyer left, Xavier poured me a glass of warm water and asked, "He has imprisoned you, and you're only asking for a divorce. Do you really not care about him anymore? He had his reasons."
I shook my head. "It's still pretty tragic... Let it go." I had a small, unrealistic hope left.
I still hoped that the two of us could walk out of our past pain and start a new life.
---
I stayed in the country for a few days, and vaguely, I started to feel unwell. I didn't want to eat, and I felt a little nauseous.
Xavier went with me to the hospital. When we got the test results, he pressed his lips together and told me, "You're pregnant."
"What should we do? Should we keep the baby?"
I instinctively shook my head as I touched my abdomen. "This is Thaddeus' child. I can't keep it."
"Please schedule the procedure for me."
Xavier nodded without saying anything and went to find the doctor.
I sat on a plastic chair in the hospital, absentmindedly touching my belly.
It wasn't that I didn't care; I was just torn about whether I should tell Thaddeus before getting rid of it. If I didn't tell him, it would feel wrong, but if I did, I was afraid he'd go crazy...
While I was thinking, I got a call from my lawyer.
He said, "Mrs. Thaddeus, Mr. Thaddeus... last night, he slit his wrists in the bathroom at the suburban villa. When he was found, he had no vital signs."
"As his spouse, you'll need to handle the inheritance..."
BANG!
The phone fell to the ground, the screen shattered, and the shards pierced my exposed ankle, bleeding profusely...
