I Stopped Waiting for His Reply

Chapter 4

Chloe cut off the doctor.

"I know my own body. No need to ask."

Leon sat down by the bed. He watched her for a while, then gently took her hand.

"I had the family chef make soup. Want some?"

Chloe wore a strange smile. "Sure."

Leon opened the thermos, poured a small bowl, and scooped a spoonful to her lips.

The same congee he made for Mandy. The same gestures he used to care for Mandy.

Chloe knocked his hand away, sending the bowl crashing to the floor. She pulled out a tissue and slowly wiped her hands.

"Sorry. I hate soup. And I hate sweet soup. The family chef has worked here 5 years and still doesn't know my taste. Your effort was wasted. Fire him."

Leon called someone in to clean up, his mood steady. "What do you want to eat? I'll have the chef make something else."

Chloe didn't want to talk.

Leon called the chef and asked about her preferences, then listed dish after dish, watching for any reaction.

"Shrimp pasta. That one," Chloe said coldly. "What happened to me has nothing to do with the Lancaster family. Leave. Don't waste your time here. We're already divorced."

Leon ignored her. He went to the bathroom, washed a towel, and came back to wipe her hands and face.

There was a time when she wanted him to come, begged him to come, and he didn't hear. Now she wanted him to leave, told him to leave, and he still didn't hear.

Chloe threw a water glass at him.

"Get out!"

Leon's shirt was soaked. He didn't glance at it, just moved everything on the nightstand within her reach.

"Keep throwing. When you're done, I'll keep wiping you down. You're sticky with sweat. You're the one who's uncomfortable."

Chloe threw them at him. After she threw everything, Leon picked them up and let her continue.

The 3rd time, Chloe couldn't throw anymore. She let him wipe her down like she was a paralyzed old woman.

After he fed her the congee, Leon's phone made a special notification sound. He stood up. "Mandy is still in post-miscarriage recovery. She's not well. I'm going to check on her."

He didn't come back all night.

In the morning, Chloe's doctor friend came for rounds and asked why she had hidden her miscarriage from Leon the night before.

"When he brought you in for emergency care, his chest wound was covered in blood. He wouldn't listen when people told him to get bandaged. He only went after you came out of the ER. Chloe, if you'd seen how distracted he was, you'd know you're definitely in his heart."

"I know. I was slightly conscious. I felt it."

Chloe looked out the window. The sunlight made her squint.

"That's why I'm scared. If he feels even a little sorry for me after he finds out, I'll fall for him again. With him... my bottom line is pathetic."

But a life lay between them. Leon could never cross that barrier to be close to her.

The illness took a heavy toll on her.

Chloe stayed in the hospital for 5 days, then rested at home for a full week. For those 5 days, Leon, for the first time ever, pushed aside work to take care of her. The following week, he was away on a business trip.

But from the provocative videos and photos Mandy sent, Chloe knew he had brought that woman along.

Leon had always hated mixing business with personal matters. Early in their marriage, when she wanted to accompany him on trips and help arrange his life, he refused, saying she was too playful.

Now, she didn't know how many times he had made exceptions for Mandy.

Mandy: I said I'd never been to Paris, so Leon brought me along. Your husband is so thoughtful.

Mandy: He took me to a revolving restaurant, Disneyland, and promised to show me a broader world.

Mandy: He took all these photos for me. I love taking pictures. We shot for a full 2 hours. Your husband is so patient and his photography is great!

Chloe had never experienced any of this, not even once. She didn't know his heart could be so soft, that he could be so agreeable, that he was so good at taking photos...

How ridiculous. She was learning about her own husband from another woman.

Chloe typed back: Why no bed photos? Is it because you don't want to sleep with him?

The other end went silent.

She tossed the phone aside and called the nanny.

"Pack up all of Leon's things. Box them."

This was the marital home her father had bought for her, the one she had decorated herself when she was full of happy fantasies about love.

In a week, they would divorce. The one who should leave was Leon.