Getting My Ex-wife Back

After Xanthus left, she began to take care of Jepherson. Although there was not much to do, she didn’t get a wink of sleep at night. After all, she was looking after a patient with a high fever.

In the morning, Raeleigh fell asleep leaning against the bed. Jepherson got up and opened his eyes, looking at Raeleigh. She was exhausted all over. He raised his hand and touched her. Then, he continued to lie down.

Raeleigh woke up to Jepherson staring at the roof. Sitting for a while, she raised her hand and touched Jepherson’s forehead. She finally breathed a sigh of relief.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Jepherson raised his hand and held Raeleigh’s. “I don’t think death is all that terrible. On the contrary, I feel so warm that it wards off the cold. Do you know why?”

Raeleigh froze for a moment, trying to pull her hand back, but she was held down by Jepherson.

Staring at Raeleigh, Jepherson said, “It’s you. You’re the source of the warmth!”

Raeleigh said sarcastically, “Yeah, right.”

“It’s enough that I believe it. I won’t impose it on you.” Jepherson smiled and loosened Raeleigh’s hand. “I’m famished.”

“I’ll grab you something to eat.” Raeleigh left and got Jepherson a bowl of soup.

Jepherson sat up and stared at his own hand in a daze. Raeleigh came in and gave him a bowl of soup. Jepherson had a cannula stuck in his hand, so he drank the soup with his movements restricted. Raeleigh watched him for a while and sat down on the bed. “I’ll feed you.”

Jepherson handed the bowl to Raeleigh, waiting to be fed. Raeleigh fed him, spoonful after spoonful. He began to cool down as he ate.

He was eating when he said, “I have found another child. I will go and see him later. Would you mind accompanying me?”

Raeleigh paused for a while upon hearing what Jepherson had said. Her gaze settled on his face. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”

Jepherson just looked at Raeleigh without saying anything. Raeleigh hesitated for a long time. “Santiago told me…”

Not waiting for Raeleigh to finish her words, Jepherson immediately interrupted her. “I know. To have fallen from such a high place, anything could happen to normal people, let alone a pregnant woman.”

Raeleigh shut her mouth and said nothing.

Jepherson continued, “So, I always think it will be a miracle if I could find the child.”

“You know that the child has…”

“I’ve been looking forward to it for so many years. If it weren’t for me, then my mother wouldn’t have fallen from the cliff and the child would be like you, having a good brother, right?”

Raeleigh remained silent for a long time, unable to answer Jepherson’s question. She said, “Even so, you have been looking for her for so long, but you haven’t found her. When are you going to stop?”

“When there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“You are crazy, that’s what I think. Santiago was right. You know the child is dead. You are just guilt-tripping yourself and withholding that forgiveness.”

“But don’t you think it’s ridiculous?”

“No matter what happened in the past, you were kidnapped. As your mother, it was normal for her to risk everything to save you.”

“Okay, there was a lovely life growing in her belly, but in the eyes of your mother, you were the only one. The flesh in her belly was one with her. She could bear her fetus getting harmed, but she could not bear any harm that comes to you.”

“No matter what your parents think, they haven’t told you the truth. You should not be tied up by this matter anymore. You have to know, your parents love you, and they love the other child, too.”

“You have a good family, so why do you have to struggle like a caged beast? Why do you have to struggle with such torment?”

“It’s neither good for you, nor is it good for your family.”

“No? Xanthus has never given up on you. Even when he heard that you were dead, he still found you by sensing your presence.”

Jepherson had a concrete will. His eyes were full of determination. Raeleigh knew that she couldn’t dissuade him. She even found it funny. She did this knowing that it was a lost cause, and she didn’t know which screw was loose within her.

“I know. If you insist on the search, then go ahead, but I won’t go with you.”

Raeleigh got up and left the ward. She closed the door and looked back. She could understand what Jepherson was doing. They were two of a kind. If it were her, then she would have done the same thing.

But she would never accompany him to find that person.

Just because of a person who did not exist, her child was gone. In the story that was so-called founded on love, that character inside was tethered to one too many burdening shackles. Raeleigh could no longer accompany Jepherson on his odyssey of self-deception.

Raeleigh was cooking. Jepherson didn’t know what had happened. He came out from the room, glanced at Raeleigh, and went back to his parents.

If Raeleigh had time to rest, then she wouldn’t pay attention to other things. Even if Jepherson wanted to do something, Raeleigh would turn a blind eye to it.

In the afternoon, Xanthus came back to have a rest. Raeleigh took care of him for a while and she then went to rest herself. They were all human beings, so they had to give themselves some time to bounce back. After all, wasn’t physical strength what helped in mankind’s survival?

Raeleigh lay down and said, “I really hope that Stuart can get better as soon as possible.”

Xanthus had closed his eyes. Hearing what Raeleigh said, he opened his eyes and looked at her for a while. “Did he make things difficult for you again?”

Raeleigh shook her head. “He didn’t.”

“Then, why are you in such a hurry to leave?”

“I just don’t want to see him.”

Raeleigh was really tired. She felt tired, down to the very last cell of her body.

“I see. I will cure Stuart as soon as possible and try to leave here before the New Year.” Xanthus closed his eyes and began to rest.

Raeleigh also began to rest, but no matter how she rested, she could not sleep well. It took her a long time to fall asleep. When she fell asleep, Raeleigh started to dream. In her dream, she saw a little girl of her age chatting with her…

Raeleigh woke up from her dream when she saw that child fall into the water. The child kept shouting for help, which woke her up.

It was dark when Raeleigh opened her eyes. And she was panting with sweat on her forehead. Xanthus had stood up in front of Raeleigh. He sat down and asked Raeleigh what was wrong with him while stroking her head.

Jepherson also pushed the door open and came in. He was going to leave, but when he heard Raeleigh’s cry from outside, he came in to have a look.

Raeleigh raised her head and looked at Jepherson. Then, he walked through the door and stood in front of Raeleigh. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just had a dream.” Raeleigh lowered her head, her palms clammy.

Jepherson asked her, “Did you dream of the fire?”

Raeleigh had survived the fire, so she always had dreams about it. It was traumatic for her, and for a long time, she had been forced to relive it.

After sitting down, Raeleigh shook her head. Jepherson raised his hand and held Raeleigh’s chin. “What’s going on?”