Chapter 6

~Adeline~

The moment those words left my mouth, Adrian’s brows drew together.

It was obvious he hadn’t expected that kind of response from me.

Understandable—considering I had played the role of a dutiful wife for so long. No one in their right mind would walk away from everything so easily.

He had probably expected me to break, to beg.

But when I didn’t, confusion flickered across his face.

“What?” he asked.

I held his gaze without hesitation.

“I won’t be going home with you,” I said calmly. “So go ahead and file for that divorce. Tomorrow, ten a.m., let’s meet in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau and put an end to this marriage. So, don’t go back on your word. Because I won’t.”

Without waiting for a response, I walked past him, heading toward the restroom as I had originally intended, ignoring the weight of his gaze on my back.

Once inside, I leaned lightly against the sink, listening to the steady sound of running water as I stared at my reflection.

Eight years of marriage, eight years of sacrifice and this was all it had amounted to.

A faint ache settled in my chest, but I pushed it aside, turning on the tap and running my hand under the water, trying to remove the stain on my dress.

No matter how hard I scrubbed, it wouldn’t come off completely.

Staring at it, I couldn’t help but see the resemblance.

What had already been spilled… could never be undone. There was no point trying to cover it up or wash it away.

The only thing left was to move on.

Straightening my back, I turned off the tap and walked out of the restroom.

The hallway was empty as I made my way back to the table.

Thomas looked up at the sound of my footsteps, a soft smile forming as his eyes landed on me.

But the smile faltered the moment his gaze swept over my face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

I shook my head, offering him a faint smile.

But before I could say anything, Thomas was already on his feet, gripping my arms gently as he examined my expression.

“Who was it?” he asked, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

Though Thomas was usually gentle with me, he was widely known as a tyrant. If anyone who knew him saw him like this—so openly concerned—they would probably think I had something on him, something forcing him to act this way.

I parted my lips, intending to brush it off, but at the last moment, I said, “I ran into Adrian—”

I hadn’t even finished when Thomas sneered.

“That bastard. I knew he was behind this. Where is he? I need to teach him a lesson.”

He was already about to move when I grabbed his hand, stopping him.

“Don’t cause a scene, Thomas.”

“A scene?” he frowned, a flicker of hurt crossing his face.

I quickly clarified, “I’ve already told him we’re going to the court tomorrow to finalize the divorce. There’s no need to get involved or waste your time on someone who isn’t worth it.”

He held my gaze for a moment, then looked past me, his eyes scanning the area before he let out a reluctant sigh.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he said. “There’s a river nearby. It’s a good place to clear your head.”

I frowned slightly. “And the food?”

He gave me a flat look.

“Knowing you, you won’t have much of an appetite after that encounter.”

Before I could respond, he was already walking, motioning for me to follow.

“Come on. There’s also something important I need to tell you.”

I glanced back at the table once before following him.

“So, what is it?” I asked.

Thomas reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a small flyer.

“There’s a medical exhibition in a few days,” he said, handing it to me. “Do you want to go?”

I looked down at the flyer in my hands.

Eight years—nearly a decade away from the field and now… it was finally time to return.

There was no way I would miss it.

I nodded. “I want to go.”

Thomas chuckled. “Uncle Holland said you wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

My fingers stilled at the name.

Uncle Holland.

Holland Grey—my mentor.

Back when Mikaela, Thomas, and I were just teenagers experimenting with our medical knowledge, he had discovered us and taken us under his wing, training us as his students.

However, after meeting and marrying Adrian, I had turned my back on him.

Now, a wave of guilt washed over me.

“He’s not holding it against you,” Thomas said, as if reading my thoughts. “None of us are.”

He offered me a reassuring smile to support his words.

My heart warmed, and I returned the smile.

But just as I parted my lips to respond—

Vroom!

A motorbike sped straight toward me.

“Lina, watch out!”

Thomas’s hand closed firmly around my arm, pulling me back just in time as the bike zoomed past.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

Then my attention shifted to the motorbike, which had stopped just a short distance away and my chest tightened at the sight before me.

“Huh? Adeline?” Elizabeth called, her voice as soft as ever as she took of her helmet.

But that wasn’t what caught my attention. It was the small figure in front of her.

Zora.

She wore a small helmet, though it did little to hide the angry pout on her lips.

“Mommy!” she snapped. “How can you walk around so carelessly without watching where you’re going? If Aunt Beth hadn’t swerved in time, you would have put both of us in danger!”

To my surprise, Elizabeth let out a soft laugh.

“Z, don’t speak to your mother like that,” she said gently. “She probably didn’t mean it. I’ll apologize on her behalf—”

“No!” Zora cut her off, jumping down and stomping her foot.

“Mommy is the one at fault. She should apologize, not you!”

After saying that, she turned to face me, her chin lifting slightly.

“Apologize to me and Aunt Beth, Mommy.”

Thomas and I stood there, both momentarily stunned.

For him, it was disbelief at a child speaking so rudely to her mother.

For me…

I was simply trying to understand why I should be the one apologizing.

I was the one who had almost been hit.

Yet this disrespectful, ungrateful child dared to demand an apology from me?

For a brief moment, I couldn’t help but feel as though I had failed as a mother—wasted my time on both marriage and parenting.

How truly pathetic.

“Zora,” I began, my voice calm. “If anyone should be apologizing… it’s you.”

She blinked, clearly confused. “Huh?”

“This is a busy area,” I said, my tone turning firm. “Only someone reckless would ride a bike like that without considering the safety of others.”

I paused, my gaze steady on her.

“Not only did you go along with that recklessness, but you’re now trying to shift the blame onto me—and speaking to me with disrespect.”

My voice hardened slightly. “I didn’t raise you like that. Apologize.”

Zora looked stunned, as though I had just given her an impossible task—or perhaps she simply hadn’t expected me to speak to her this way.

“M-Mommy…”

“Don’t be like this, Adeline.”

Holding her helmet in one hand, Elizabeth stepped forward.

“I’m sure we can resolve this peacefully, for the child’s sake.”

I met her gaze as she stopped in front of me.

For a moment, I said nothing.

Then, calmly, I asked.

“Who asked for the opinion of an outsider?”

Elizabeth’s expression faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered, her lips curving into a gentle, almost helpless smile.

“Adeline, I didn’t mean it that way,” she said softly, taking a small step closer. “I just thought—”

She reached out, as if to take my hand, but before her fingers could touch me, I pulled back instinctively.

But in the very next second, she stumbled.

Her body tilted backward as if she had been shoved, her balance completely lost.

“Ah!” A soft cry escaped her lips as she fell.

Before she could hit the ground, someone rushed past me, shoving me by the shoulder and catching her.

“Elizabeth!”

Adrian's voice rang out with worry as he held her securely in his arms.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice laced with urgency as he looked her over.

Elizabeth clutched onto his shirt, her fingers trembling slightly as she leaned into him. The corners of her eyes reddened almost instantly, tears gathering as she shook her head weakly.

“I… I’m fine,” she said, her voice soft and unsteady. “I was just trying to talk to Adeline, but she suddenly—”

She hesitated, lowering her gaze as if unable to finish.

Adrian’s expression hardened.

“But she suddenly what?” he pressed.

Elizabeth bit her lip, her voice dropping to a fragile whisper.

“She… she pushed me.”

Silence fell and Adrian’s grip around Elizabeth tightened, his eyes turning ice-cold as they locked onto me.

“Adeline,” he said, his tone dangerously low. “What exactly are you trying to do?”