Her REV LOVE

C-4

A divorce?

I stared at the neatly stacked papers in my hands, the crisp edges pressing into my fingers like tiny blades. The words on the page blurred as Larisa-no, Ruth-stood before me, arms crossed, her gaze unwavering.

"Are you throwing a tantrum because of what happened earlier?" My voice came out sharper than I intended. I exhaled, trying to rein in the storm brewing inside me. "Is that why you're handing me these?"

Ruth shook her head, her expression unreadable. "Frank, this isn't impulsive. I've been wanting to do this for a long time. Now that Ivy is back, you're free to be with the woman you truly love."

I gave a harsh, mirthless laugh and wrung the papers in my grasp. Then I tore them into two halves in one swift gesture, letting fragments fall to the floor. Ruth gasped-a sharp intake of breath that had caught in her throat.

"Why did you do that? You don't love me, so why won't you let me go?" she asked, and her voice finally cracked, like a raw, desperate edge cut through.

She wasn't wrong. Three years into marriage, and I'd never given her the affection that she so longed for; she had brought love into this union, her hope being that time would dissolve the ice encasing my heart. The sad truth was, time had accomplished nothing but build a wider gap.

She merited better, and I did know that; yet, even the thought of letting her go kept a nagging hollowness there in my brain.

"Please, Frank," she whispered, her eyes aglow with unshed tears. "Let me go so you can be happy."

I moved even closer, tipping her chin up and forcing her to look at me. "You think you can just walk away after ruining my life? Divorce? In your dreams, Ruth."

She recoiled slightly but didn't break eye contact. "Why? Don't you want to be with Ivy? Isn't that why you spent the night with her?"

"Is that what this is about?" I scoffed. "Ivy wasn't feeling well after the party. She was in the hospital, and I stayed with her. That's all."

"I don't want to hear your explanations." Ruth's hands had turned into fists. "There is no love between us. This marriage is a prison.

I moved even closer, lowering my voice. "I decide when this marriage ends. Until then, don't ever bring up divorce again."

Her body shook, and I thought she would strike, but instead, she closed her eyes, willing herself to disappear. When she opened them again, something inside her had shifted.

"The woman you love is back. You'll never love me, Frank. So why delay the inevitable?" Her voice shook, but the resignation in it was unmistakable.

I hesitated. My thumb grazed the corner of her lips, pulling back. "Grandfather adores you. There is no need to worry him with petty matters."

As I turned away, Ruth's expression changed. Her nose crinkled, her lips pressed tightly together. Then, in a heartbeat, she spun on her heel and took off running toward the kitchen.

I followed, frowning, as I found her hunched over the sink, heaving violently.

"Ruth?" I hastened to her side, pulling her long hair back as she continued vomiting. "Are you okay?"

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her face pale. "I must have eaten something bad."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're always so careful about what you eat. What's going on that you're not telling me?"

She tensed, her fingers into the countertop as if anchoring herself. My mind started racing, the pieces falling together: the weight she'd put on, how tired she always seemed, holding her stomach as if protecting something.

"Wait. are you—"

The shrill of my phone cut through the heavy air like a knife. Irritation crossing my face, I yanked the device from my pocket. "What?"

"Mr. Kingsley, Miss Williams is missing!" The frantic voice at the other end took precedence.

My body turned rigid. "What? I'm coming!"

I hardly acknowledged Ruth standing and staring at me. Without a word, I snatched up my keys and ran out the door. I had one consuming thought in my mind-find Ivy.

Driving through the bustle of Seoul, all I saw was the neon glow, the chatter of pedestrians, and the hum of life moving on without me. All I could see was Ivy's face, and all I could feel was this pounding urgency in my chest.

Back in her house, Ruth stood amidst the empty kitchen, holding the sink for support. A cold laugh escaped her lips.

"And here I thought he wouldn't divorce me because he had some feelings for me." She wiped a stray tear off. "Turns out it was just my wishful thinking."

The moment she mentioned Ivy, Frank was out flying out of the house. Would that be the same reaction if it was her that had gone missing?

She shook her head and turned toward the stairs, her footsteps heavy. But just as she reached the first step, a sharp pain pierced her skull.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

Ivy wasn't at the hospital. She wasn't at home. She wasn't answering her phone. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

Then my phone rang again.

"Sir, we found her," my assistant reported. "She's at Han River Park."

The feelings of relief that swarmed over me were then followed by the deep-seated fear that took its place. I rushed to the location with a racing mind. When I finally reached there, I saw Ivy sitting alone on a bench, hugging herself, staring out at the water.

I rushed to her. "Ivy! What the hell were you thinking? Disappearing like that?"

She turned to me then, her face streaked with tears. "Frank. I just needed time to think."

I sat down beside her, letting out a heavy sigh. "You scared the hell out of me."

She wiped her tears away and forced a smile. "I didn't mean to. I just. I don't know what I expected coming back here. Maybe I thought things could go back to how they were. But they can't, can they?"

I didn't answer. Because I didn't know.

As the silence drew out between us, my phone buzzed again. This time, I answered it distractedly, expecting still another work call.

"Mr. Kingsley," a voice on the other end said, "your wife has been taken to the hospital. She collapsed at home."

A chill went down my spine. "What? What happened to her?"

"We're still running tests, but. sir, she might be pregnant."

Time slowed. The sound of the city faded. The weight of those words crashed over me, leaving me breathless.

Pregnant?

Ivy touched my arm. "Frank? What's wrong?"

I stood up abruptly, the bench scraping against pavement. "I have to go."

"Frank—"

But I was already moving, my mind spinning. Ruth was pregnant?

And I had just walked out on her.

To be continued.