What Use Is a Belated Love?

Just as I thought Amy was going to give Mason a sedative, I saw her throwing herself at him, caging him between her arms, kissing him deeply.

He stopped lashing out at once, freezing in place. Even the anger and twisted expression on his face quickly melted away, replaced with calmness and quietness.

Mason dropped all the things he was holding and hugged her back, deepening the kiss even more.

They looked like lovers with the way they got lost in the kiss.

I felt my heart shuddering hard as I balled my hands into fists.

The scene cut deep into my heart, dragging out every ounce of pain and bitterness I carried. It crawled across my skin, gnawed at my chest, and struck so hard I could almost hear my soul shattering into pieces.

When I comforted Mason, I had to endure getting beaten black and blue. However, when Amy comforted him, she only needed to give him a kiss.

She used her actions to prove that Mason never needed me. He had always needed her instead.

For five years, I had managed every detail of his life, freeing him to focus on work without a single worry about the household.

When he lay paralyzed in bed, I devoted myself to him, waiting on him hand and foot. I even took care of his excrement by myself.

When his condition flared, I endured it all, gritting my teeth even when it meant getting hurt.

I never asked for his love in return. However, I had hoped that he would remember my sincerity and everything I'd done for him.

But now, Mason has crushed my heart beneath his foot.

The five years I'd given him were nothing but a joke.

I'd lost completely to Amy.

They were made for each other, just like how God must have meant for them to be.

They could only finally be together once I was out of the picture. Maybe, that way, Mason's mania would finally be cured.

I laughed bitterly. Eventually, I began crying in spite of myself.

Initially, I had thought of giving Mason another chance to try to salvage our marriage. But he had already fallen in love with somebody else and forgotten me long ago.

Even if he still held me in his heart, he had betrayed me.

If that was the case, should I really still continue trying to salvage this marriage he had already betrayed?

I didn't think so.

He wasn't worthy of my love anymore. I was going to give up on him and stop forcing him to love me back.

I numbly turned around and went back into my room, giving them space.

After managing to calm myself down, I called my lawyer, Philip Lawson, and got him to settle the divorce paperwork for me.

Then, I bought a flight ticket, planning to leave this city for good. I wasn't going to return for the rest of my life.

The next day, Mason walked into my room and sighed heavily.

"Sweetie, I need to discuss something with you."

I look at him curiously.

He hesitated for a while. Finally, he said, "Moving forward, you will be my wife, and Amy will be my mistress. The two of you should get along together to take care of me. Okay?"

I looked like he'd just told me the joke of the century.

How could he even say such vile words to me?

I laughed coldly and couldn't stop myself from asking him, "It's been five years, Mason. Do you still love me?"

Mason nodded at once without hesitation.

I smiled bitterly at him. "But you've also fallen in love with her, haven't you?"

Mason looked away from me and glanced at the scenery outside my window instead. His eyes turned dark, and I didn't know what was going on in his head.

I lowered my gaze with unexpected calm and said, "I’d be honest—my gratitude was a big reason I agreed to marry you. But love is a two-way connection, and marriage is a lifelong vow. We were only together for five years when things changed. Or perhaps we both had already changed."

I had put in a lot of effort so that Mason would fall in love with me. When he finally agreed to marry me, I thought that he would love me for the rest of our lives.

Even though he had never once touched me with desire, I still looked forward to the day when we would finally be joined as one.

But now, it was evident that everything had simply been wishful thinking.

He'd changed. His love for me was gone.

So I no longer wanted him either. I refused to give him any more chances to hurt me and break my heart again.

His footsteps drew closer to me until he stood before me, gazing down at the crown of my head.

I could see from the shadows that he had lifted his hand as if to pat me on the head, but he suddenly stopped mid-air.

A long while later, he finally spoke.

"You should be more gracious with her. As long as you agree to get along with Amy, this family is still an unbroken one. I will still treat you like I did in the past. We just need to continue living like this."

I couldn't stop myself from chuckling coldly.

I finally saw his true colors and his hidden intention now. He was greedy and wanted to continue basking in both my attention and Amy's.

He knew that doing so would be cheating on me, but he still did it anyway.

He was also telling me now, using my love for him and my reluctance to leave him as a leverage so that I wouldn't kick up a fuss and that I would cave and accept Amy into our lives.

How could he be such a selfish person?

I suddenly realized that I didn't know who Mason was anymore. I felt as though I had never known him in the first place.

I looked up at him in disappointment. Just as I was about to say something, someone knocked on the door, and Amy's crying voice could be heard.

"Hubs, I just had a nightmare. I got such a fright. Can't you please stay with me?"