12
C
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“Are you still planning to leave?” Lucas asked, extremely sensitive to even the slightest changes.
“You don’t want me anymore.”
“You’re trying to find someone to replace you.”
“I don’t want her to take care of me.”
“I only want you.”
Lucas glared at me, looking like he might eat someone.
I waved my hand, dismissing the caretaker.
“Lucas, taking care of you is a very tiring job. I need to catch my breath too. You can’t just torture me alone.”
Lucas’s eyes turned red, looking very hurt.
“Am I that bad?” he asked.
I closed my eyes, not saying anything.
He moved over slowly like a child who had done something wrong, and held my hand.
This was the first time he had actively approached me.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’ll learn to take care of myself from now on.”
“I won’t throw tantrums randomly.”
“Please don’t leave, okay?”
Lucas kept pleading.
If it were in the past, I would have been very happy.
But now, I only felt deeply tired.
I nodded half–heartedly. Half of the month had already passed, there was no need to provoke him.
He was overjoyed and pulled me to the dining room to eat.
10:57 AM
<
C
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. It was Chloe, whom we hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Why are you here?” Lucas snapped.
“Get out!”
“I don’t want to see you!”
Lucas’s attitude changed so quickly that I was taken aback.
I wondered what had happened in this past month.
“Mr. Foster, please don’t misunderstand. I sincerely came to ask for your guidance. I want you to take a look at this painting, Chloe said.
“No!” Lucas refused firmly.
“Paintings are like people.”
“All dirty!”
Chloe’s face turned pale, and she swayed, almost losing her balance.
“Lucas, you can’t treat a guest like this,” I said, stopping Lucas from continuing his harsh words.
He was very displeased, snorting loudly before turning away.
I led Chloe to the sofa. She bit her lip, her face full of indignation.
“I don’t understand, Mrs. Foster. You knew about my background all along. Why didn’t you expose me?” she asked.
“Because I hoped someone could enter Lucas’s inner world and teach him how to love, even if that person wasn’t me. I would still sincerely
wish you well,” I replied.
tared into my eyes intently, making sure I wasn’t lying before opening up.
“At first, I did approach him for money. I knew he was ill, not a normal person. But as I got to know him, I discovered he truly has talent. Every painting he creates is full of spirit, even those famous professional artists can’t compare.”
“I was happy being with him. We shared the same hobby and had endless topics to discuss. When he guided me in creating art, his expression was so serious, so charming.”
“Gradually, I think I started to fall for him. I carefully tested the waters, and he did treat me differently from others. I thought he liked me too.”
“When I heard you had left home, I was overjoyed, thinking I finally had a chance to take your place, I came to find him, to confess my feelings. I promised I would take good care of him, make him happier than before.”
“But he rejected me.”
Chloe’s tone changed, her face filled with bitterness.
“He said he had never thought about divorcing you. Especially your departure made him deeply realize how important a place you held in his
life”
“The reason he treated me differently was that I could provide him with some novel inspiration, helping him create more perfect works.”
“I didn’t believe it. That night, I stood naked in front of him. I was confident that no man could resist me. But he suddenly turned on me, pointing at my nose and cursing, saying I was shameless, ugly, and disgusting. He told me to get out and never appear in front of him again…
Chloe’s whole body trembled as she covered her face and cried bitterly.
I sighed and handed her a tissue.
10:57 AM D
<
“You have to forgive him. He’s ill. He’s not just like this with you, he’s the same with me.”
C
“No! It’s different!” Chloe insisted. “Although I don’t want to admit it, when he was with me, he would unconsciously mention you. When eating, he would instinctively pick out things you like; when walking, he insisted on staying on the right side; he said you liked him clean and tidy, so before going home every time, he would carefully groom himself, afraid of displeasing you…”
I hadn’t noticed these details before.
But even if what Chloe said was true, it didn’t mean much.
The kind of relationship I needed was one of honesty and passion.
I didn’t want to confine myself anymore, using a magnifying glass to search for evidence that he cared about me.
Because it wasn’t worth it.
After seeing Chloe off, I turned back to the room.
Lucas stood blankly by the bed, his gaze unfocused, his face ashen.
He was clutching a newly printed acceptance letter in his hand.
I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore, so I decided to be honest.
“I’m sorry, Lucas. I lied to you.”
“No! This isn’t true!” Lucas crumpled the acceptance letter and threw it on the ground violently.
“You are my wife.”
“I won’t allow it. You can’t go anywhere!”
“Lucas, you can’t be so selfish. For you, I’ve already stayed far too long. Now, I want to pursue my own dreams. If you have any conscience, you should wish me well.”
*No, I won’t let you go!”
“What will I do if you leave?”
Lucas suddenly used force and tore out a large chunk of hair from his head.
I knew he was having another episode.
I walked forward, one hand embracing him, the other gently stroking his back.
His body stiffened, but he didn’t push me away like before.
Instead, he learned from my example, opening his arms and hugging me back.
I was very pleased. For someone with autism, this was a huge step forward.
“Lucas, believe me, you can do it.”
His voice was choked with tears.
“I don’t want to part with you.”
“Aria, I love you?
I closed my eyes, and a crystal clear teardrop silently slid down.
It was too late, really too late.
10:57 AM
<
In the following days, he didn’t cause any more trouble.
We were both very tacit, neither mentioning the impending separation.
“Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I want to go on a date with you.”
“A date?”
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, smiling a bit shyly.
“I looked up online what couples do on dates. Eating, shopping, going to amusement parks, we can try them all.”
I was a bit worried.
“These activities all involve a lot of people. Are you sure you can handle it?”
“Mm, I can do it.”
“As long as you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”
The next day, I put on light makeup and changed into a new dress.
Lucas was already waiting at the door early.
He wore a white sportswear outfit, smiling at the corners of his eyes, looking just like an unspoiled college student.
He refused the driver’s offer to take us.
For the first time, he tried using a ride–hailing app, and surprisingly succeeded.
We arrived at the most famous local market.
Inside were many novel and interesting little things that made Lucas’s eyes shine.
¡ encouraged him to bargain with the vendors.
But he refused no matter what.
Who knew the beautiful female vendor would be captivated by his looks.
She directly gave us a 40% discount.
After shopping, we went to the amusement park.
The screams around us rose and fell.
His lips turned a bit pale.
I told him not to force himself.
But he insisted on riding the Ferris wheel with me.
In the enclosed space, as the height gradually increased, he started to get nervous.
I was still thinking about how to comfort him when he forced himself to open his eyes and look out the window.
This was a perspective he had never experienced before, a scenery he had never appreciated.
In an instant, joy overcame fear.
“I’m sorry, Aria.”
10:57 AM
<
“This is the life you should have had.”
“I held you back.”
I shook my head and took out my phone to take a picture of him soaring in the blue sky.
When we got tired of playing, we decided to go eat.
His daily diet was usually bland.
But today he suddenly wanted to try authentic Mexican food.
With the first bite, we were both brought to tears by the spiciness.
“Do you still want to eat?” I asked.
“Of course! Why wouldn’t we?” he insisted.
The result of this stubbornness was that we had to visit the restroom three times before finishing the meal.
Fortunately, Lucas’s mood wasn’t affected.
As night fell, he actually took me to the hilltop to watch the stars.
“Thank you for giving me the most perfect day of my life,” he said.
“Without your company, I would never have been able to take this step.”
“My mom is a proud and ambitious woman, but she gave birth to such an abnormal child like me, which really frustrated her.”
“Because of this, my dad had an affair and never came back to see me once until he died.”
“Do you know why I like painting? Because only when I’m immersed in the world of painting can I escape that omnipresent sense of guilt.”
“Before I met you, I actually had thoughts of ending my life. Although my mom hired many people to take care of me, I still felt lonely.”
“That feeling was really torturous, as if I was the only person left in the world. No one understood me, no one cared about me. I couldn’t find any reason to keep going.”
“Until you appeared, completely changing my life. I knew you didn’t marry me willingly. I thought you were like those servants, treating taking care of me as a job. But gradually, I discovered that wasn’t the case.”
“There was no discrimination or pity in your eyes when you looked at me. No matter how badly I behaved, you never complained once. I could feel that you were trying hard to get close to me.”
“Unfortunately, I was too stupid. I chose to push you away roughly. Now I’ve finally realized my feelings for you, but it seems I no longer have the chance…”
This was the first time Lucas had spoken so much at once.
He tilted his head back hard, not letting his tears fall.
I didn’t know what to say, I could only silently keep him company.
We sat on the hilltop all night.
Later, I got too tired and fell asleep leaning on his shoulder.
When I woke up, I found that he had maintained the same posture, not moving at all.
I felt a bit embarrassed and hurriedly wanted to take him home.
But he shook his head firmly.
“Not going home. Let’s go get divorced.”
I was greatly surprised. Lucas was stubborn by nature, and once he made up his mind about something, it was basically impossible to change.
“Why? Didn’t you not want to?”
“A few days ago, your cousin came to see me.”
“She told me that truly loving someone isn’t about possession, but letting go.”
“I love you, Aria.”
“So I’ve decided to give you your freedom.”
After the divorce, I never went back to the Foster house.
Nor did I see Lucas again.
My former mother–in–law did contact me.
She thanked me.
Since I left, the relationship between her and her son had improved a lot.
She felt this was all thanks to me.
She also told me that I was the only–daughter–in–law she would ever acknowledge.
As long as I was willing to come back, the doors of the Foster family would always be open to me.
I smiled and declined.
The past is just a prologue, the future is full of light.
I will move forward to the next stage of my life with a smile on my face and courage in my heart.
