Her Return, His Regret

~ Kidnapped

A divorce?

Ryan couldn’t believe his ears.

That wasn’t a word he was expecting to hear coming out of Larisa’s mouth.

He took a look at the documents in his hands and sure enough, they were divorce papers and Larisa’s resignation letter.

He glared at Larisa and questioned, “Are you throwing a tantrum because of what happened earlier today? Is that why you’re giving me these documents?”

Larisa shook her head and replied, “It’s not that. I’ve been wanting to have a divorce for a long time now. Now that Ivy is back, you can freely be with the woman you love.”

Ryan scoffed. He tore the documents in half, making Larisa gasp.

“Why did you do that? You don’t love me, why won’t you divorce me?” She yelled.

There was a desperation in her voice that even she was aware of. Her heart was racing and aching at the same time.

This was because, in their three years of marriage, Ryan never loved her. He had never opened up to her or showed her any affection.

Larisa was madly in love with him and that’s why she agreed to marry him, hoping that if she was devoted to him and loved him unconditionally, he would learn to love her.

Alas... three years had passed and Ryan’s heart was still as cold as ice. No matter how much she tried, Larisa couldn’t make her husband love her.

“Please, Ryan. Let me go so that you can be happy,” Larisa added in a low voice, her eyes watering with tears.

“Never. Divorce? You want a divorce?” Ryan sneered. “After ruining my life you think you can just wake up and demand to divorce? In your dreams, Larisa.”

“Why? Don’t you want to be with Ivy? Isn’t it why you spent the night with her last night?” Larisa couldn’t help but yell.

“Ah… so this is what this is all about? This is no time for unnecessary jealousy, Larisa. I didn’t do anything with her… Ivy wasn’t feeling well after her welcome party and I had to stay with her in the hospital. She was discharged in the morning,” Ryan explained.

Larisa clenched her hands into fists. She spat, “I don’t care about your explanations. There’s no love between us. It’s better to end this marriage.”

Ryan got closer to Larisa and grabbed her chin. Tilting her head up to stare into her hazel eyes, he declared, “I’m the one who’s going to say when this marriage will end. I don’t ever want to hear you speak about divorce, you hear me?”

“The woman you love is back and it’s clear you will never fall in love with me, why delay the inevitable?” Larisa questioned, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Her heart ached.

She felt like someone was squeezing it with a metallic hand.

Ryan didn’t love her but he didn’t want to let go of her regardless. It was hard to tell what he really wanted. He wanted to be with Ivy, right? Isn’t that why he rushed to her the moment she returned?

Ryan’s eyes softened when he saw the tears in Larisa’s eyes. He cupped her face and wiped them away with his thumbs before saying, “No one is getting a divorce. Grandpa loves you. Let’s not worry him with petty issues.”

Larisa was about to reply when suddenly, she smelt a pungent smell emitting from Ryan’s suit. It was a female perfume that she assumed belonged to Ivy Williams.

The perfume was repulsive, accompanied by the knowledge of who it belonged to, Larisa heaved and clamped a hand over her mouth.

She pulled back from Ryan and rushed to the kitchen since it was the nearest.

At the same time, Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He followed Larisa and found her puking her guts out in the sink.

“Are you ok?” He asked as he approached her and helped to hold her hair back as she vomited.

When she was done and rinsed everything off. Her heart raced… she didn’t know if Ryan had realised she was pregnant.

“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly vomiting?” Ryan asked again.

“Um… I had some spoilt food earlier today,” Larisa made an excuse.

Ryan narrowed his eyes down at Larisa. “You’re always careful with what you eat, Larisa. Are you hiding something from me?”

Larisa’s heart pounded hard against her ribcage and her stomach formed knots.

‘Has he found out?’ She asked in her mind.

Ryan studied Larisa for a minute. He could tell that she was pale and she looked like she had gained a little weight.

His eyebrows creased as he remarked, “Wait… are you-”

Larisa let out a sigh of relief when Ryan’s phone suddenly rang, interrupting his words.

Ryan frowned and answered the call, “Hello-”

“Mr Kingsley, Miss Williams is missing!” The voice said on the phone.

Ryan’s eyes widened in shock. “What? I’m coming!”

He didn’t even spare Larisa a glance and before she knew what was happening, he had already dashed out of the house with a look of worry on his face.

Larisa laughed at herself. ‘And here I thought he didn’t want to divorce me because he had some feelings for me. Turns out it’s my wishful thinking.’

At the mention of something happening to Ivy Williams, Ryan almost flew out of the mansion just to go and look for her.

Larisa wondered if Ryan would have that same look on his face if she were the one who was missing.

She left the kitchen and was about to head upstairs to the master bedroom. However, she suddenly felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and was plunged into darkness.