Chapter 320
With a mild smile, Hadley responded, “It’s irrelevant now. We’ve moved past all that.”
“Yes, it’s all history now…” Eric reflected silently.
He sighed deeply, offering a wry chuckle. “You might find this hard to believe…”
“What is it?” Hadley inquired, her expression one of confusion.
“Back when we just married,” Eric said, his gaze lingering on Hadley’s calm face, his tone rough with emotion. “I genuinely tried to make our marriage work…”
Eric had been intimate with Hadley, despite his reservations, because he was trying.
He believed then that a sense of duty could sustain their marriage. If only the tragedy with Linda’s miscarriage hadn’t occurred…
“Really?” Hadley’s smile was tinged with skepticism. Those words might have held weight once, but now they felt hollow. She gestured toward the exit. “May I go now?”
“Yes,” Eric agreed with a slight nod. “You’re free to leave.”
“Farewell.”
Hadley waved once, turned, and began to walk away, her stride becoming brisker until she started running. As she sprinted, her breaths came sharply.
At the doorway, Denver noticed her accelerated pace and hurried out of his car. “Hadley!”
“Denver!”
Hadley’s face lit up as she dashed towards him. At that instant, she craved the company of someone who could share in her newfound happiness.
Denver extended his arms, concerned she might stumble. “Be careful.”
“I’m completely okay!”
A broad grin spread across Hadley’s face, showcasing her bright teeth. “I’m just so, so happy!”
“Yes, I see that.” Denver gazed down at her, his smile wide in response. “It’s clear as day.”
Even amid her smiles, tears started to shimmer in her eyes.
“Is this the joy that brings tears?” Hadley pondered aloud.
Overwhelmed, Hadley suddenly burst into tears, covering her face with her hands as her shoulders shook gently.
“Hadley?”
Taken aback, Denver stood frozen, uncertain how to comfort her. At this moment, Denver felt at a loss. Fumbling through his pockets, he realized he was unprepared.
“Just a second,” he said as he dashed to the car. After retrieving a box of tissues, he offered them to Hadley.
“Here, take these.”
“I don’t need them!” Hadley protested, tears streaming down her face.
“I just need to cry this out.”
Respecting her wishes, Denver refrained from insisting. Empathy filled him, though he hadn’t experienced what Hadley was going through. She was closing a chapter on a marriage devoid of love. Denver surmised that her tears were a mix of relief and liberation.