I stopped, still wary. She looked at me for several seconds before slowly speaking. "I really did despise you before. I thought you were weak and clingy, always willing to give in. I couldn't understand why Vincent had chosen you to be his wife. But later, I realized I wasn't much better."
She looked down with a bitter smile. "When I first opened my studio, I wanted to ask his opinion before I even decided which painting to hang. Halfway through asking, I suddenly realized how absurd it was. I said I didn't care about anything, but in truth, I did everything while waiting for his approval. As long as he didn't choose me, I felt as though I had lost to you. Looking back, it was incredibly stupid."
I said nothing. After a silence, she spoke again, her voice lower. "That day at the gas stat
