Never Failed, But I Chased Him Relentlessly

Chapter 2

Three days later, Dominic was discharged from the hospital. When he walked through the door with a gauze patch still taped to his forehead, he paused for a moment at the sight of Valeria sitting in the living room before changing his shoes as usual.

Dominic walked over to her side and reached out to touch her cheek. "Does your face still hurt?"

Valeria turned her head to avoid his touch, her voice calm. "We need to talk."

Dominic sat down on the sofa beside her. "Talk about what?"

"About getting a divorce," Valeria said, looking right at him. "I already know that my dad used Celeste's medicine to force you into marrying me. A deal is a deal. I didn't know back then, but now that I do, we must get this divorce. There is a thirty-day processing period, and I hope you can cooperate so we can get through the procedures as quickly as possible."

Dominic furrowed his brows tightly. "Valeria, stop causing a scene."

"I'm not causing a scene," she replied, her voice remarkably calm. "Dominic, I refuse to accept a marriage that started with deception and a transaction. I was foolish before, but I am awake now. I am letting you go, and I am letting myself go. This is for the best for everyone, isn't it?"

"I told you, that is all in the past!" Dominic's tone grew heavier, laced with a hint of impatience. "I used to like Celeste, but that was in the past! We have been married for two years now. Don't you know in your heart how I have treated you during these two years? We are husband and wife now!"

"Husband and wife?" Valeria finally smiled, though her eyes were ice-cold. "Dominic, look me in the eyes and tell me, 'Valeria, I married you because I love you.' Do you dare to say it?"

Dominic's Adam's apple bobbed as he pressed his lips into a tight line. Silence spread through the room like a cold tide, drowning out the very last sliver of hope Valeria had left.

"See, you can't even say it," she said with a nod, taking a step back. "Let's just leave it at this. I'll handle the paperwork and notify you."

With that, she turned to leave.

"Valeria!" Dominic abruptly stood up and strode forward, grabbing her wrist with such force that it brought a flare of pain. "I said, I am not agreeing to a divorce!"

"Let go of me!"

"I won't let go!" Emotions she couldn't understand surged in his eyes. It looked like anger, yet it also resembled the wretched stubbornness of someone whose lies had been exposed. "We are already married, and what happened before doesn't matter! I will treat you well from now on, and we will live a good life together. Isn't that enough?"

"It's not enough!" Valeria struggled violently as tears welled up uncontrollably. They weren't tears of sorrow, but of sheer anger. She was furious at her own pathetic, laughable devotion over the past two years. "Dominic, what I want is love! I want to be your one and only! I don't want you to just settle for me, and I certainly don't want your sense of responsibility or your charity! I don't want it!"

"You..." Dominic felt stung by the absolute resolve in her eyes as an inexplicable wave of panic and frustration seized him. He didn't want to hear these words, nor did he want to watch her walk away with such finality.

In a moment of impulsiveness, he forced his head down and crushed his lips fiercely against hers. There was absolutely no tenderness in the kiss; it was driven purely by punishment and fury, tasting faintly of blood.

Valeria stiffened before she began struggling desperately, pounding her fists against his shoulders. However, he only held her tighter and kissed her more fiercely, as if trying to force all her resolute words back down her throat.

"Ah!" A shrill, piercing scream rang out from the doorway.

Dominic froze and abruptly released Valeria, turning his head to look. Celeste stood at the wide-open entrance, her face as pale as paper. She stared at them with her entire body trembling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Celeste..." Dominic called out instinctively.

Like a startled rabbit, Celeste spun around and bolted.

"Celeste!" Dominic darted after her without a single moment of hesitation.

Valeria wiped her stinging lips and instinctively followed them out. Her heart felt completely frozen, yet the sheer absurdity of it all made her want to laugh. See? His first reaction would always be her.

Outside lay the residential driveway. Weeping, Celeste ran toward a parked red sedan.

Dominic sprinted closely behind her, yelling, "Celeste! Listen to me, let me explain!"

But Celeste had already yanked the car door open and slipped inside. Suddenly, the sedan's engine roared to life with a deafening rev. Valeria's heart seized inexplicably.

In the next second, the red sedan lunged forward like a wild, untamed beast, accelerating madly straight toward Valeria on the steps. The tires shrieked violently against the asphalt.

"Valeria! Get out of the way!" Dominic's roar tore through the air, completely shattered.

Valeria tried to move, but her body felt nailed to the spot. Through the windshield, she saw Celeste's distorted face, twisted in absolute hatred.

Bang!

A dull, sickening thud echoed out. Her body was thrown into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground. Agonizing pain instantly swallowed all of her consciousness. The last thing she saw was Dominic's horrified, desperate face lunging toward her, and the manic, twisted smile of Celeste inside that red car.