Chapter 36 Were the Fireworksb that Lucas Set Off beautiful?
Henry drove back to the villa.
The servants were surprised to see him; they thought he was just on a business trip and had no idea Grace was in the hospital.
One of the servants opened the car door and asked, "Mr. Montague, are you back for dinner? The kitchen didn't know you were coming, so it'll take about an hour to prepare."
Henry, looking a bit tired, replied, "Just make something light."
The servant hurried off to get it done.
Henry got out of the car and walked into the villa's hall. The place was spotless, thanks to the diligent staff, even though he hadn't been home for a few days.
He had been busy all night and was about to go upstairs to take a shower. But as soon as he opened the master bedroom door, he saw the large wedding photo hanging by the bed.
In the photo, Grace was smiling sweetly and beautifully.
Their wedding had been rushed, and Henry's lack of affection towards her led to his reluctance to participate in wedding photos with Grace. She had invested $150,000 to digitally alter a particular picture, a stark reminder of their strained relationship.
Henry had laughed at her for deceiving herself, but Grace had said he looked handsome.
When she said he looked handsome, her eyes sparkled like they held the stars and the sea.
But now, she was crying and begging him to let her go.
She said he hated her, that she didn't want to keep torturing each other, that she wanted to be an ordinary person and not his Mrs. Montague anymore. Henry thought Grace wasn't wrong; he still hadn't forgiven her.
Now, forgiveness seemed even further out of reach for him. He grappled with the fact that while he couldn't let go of the past, she was now seeking to break free from their entangled relationship.
Henry stood at the foot of the bed, quietly looking at the photo for a long time before walking into the dressing room to get a bathrobe. While looking for things, he still found it difficult and time-consuming. Life without Grace was something he wasn't used to.
He vaguely felt that he cared too much about Grace. Even if it was hate, he cared too much!
In the past, when Henry shared a life with Grace, her presence was constant. She would be by his side every night, always available to him. However, during that time, he didn't dwell on thoughts of her while working or sleeping, and her tears didn't stir much emotion within him.
He cared deeply, but for Henry, this wasn't a source of joy or contentment.
Especially since the person was Grace, the Grace he had hated for three years.
Henry finished his shower, but the meal wasn't ready yet.
He leaned against the vanity where Grace usually sat, lit a cigarette, and took a light drag.
Grace had left without taking her things. The vanity was full of bottles and jars.
He remembered that she would sit there for a long time every night after her bath, which was why her skin was so soft and smooth, and she had such soft and smooth skin, which felt great to the touch.
Henry gazed at the drawer for a moment before opening it to inspect its contents. Instead of finding skincare products, he discovered a thick, light pink diary that appeared well-worn, as if it had been a cherished possession for many years.
Henry opened it gently. The pages were filled with small, dense handwriting, all about 18-year-old Grace's feelings for Henry. The words were straightforward, passionate, and a bit silly.
"Henry didn't talk to me all day!"
"He didn't even look at the snacks I gave him. Does he hate me?"
"If he hates me, why did he lend me his jacket when I stained my dress with my period? Does he secretly like me? I don't care; tomorrow, Henry will definitely like me!"
Henry flipped to the last page. The date was the day the Windsor family went bankrupt, and the day Oliver went to jail.
Henry remembered the day Grace got the call. She had never faced anything like it before, and with tears in her eyes, she looked at him and softly murmured, "Henry!"
He knew she wanted to ask for his help.
But how could she not know the coldness in their marriage? So she couldn't bring herself to ask. She could only helplessly seek Henry's pity with her eyes, but that day, Henry was about to leave for a business trip to Harmony City.
As he carried his luggage downstairs, Grace's slender fingers gently tugged at his coat. She was about to cry.
Henry had no intention of helping because he didn't love Grace.
No matter how much she begged, he still got in the car and left.
He stayed in Harmony City for about a week. During that week, Elodie had her first leg surgery. The media exposed his relationship with Elodie, and it was the first time rumors of his infidelity during marriage surfaced.
When he returned from the trip, Grace didn't mention the Windsor family's situation. She packed his suitcase and ran his bath as usual. After his bath, he took her to bed and made love twice. It was the quietest sex they had ever had since their marriage. He didn't make a sound, and neither did Grace. She buried her face in the pillow, suppressing her pleasure, unwilling to make a sound.
After sex, he leaned against the headboard and smoked.
Grace told him quietly she needed money. Henry looked at her for a moment and then wrote her a check for $20,000.
It's been over a year, but Henry still remembered.
Grace's fingers trembled so much that she could barely hold the check.
Henry thought that it must have been from that moment that Grace no longer loved or liked him. From that moment, she went from being Henry's wife to Mrs. Montague.
A knock on the door interrupted Henry's thoughts.
A servant's voice came through. "Mr. Montague, the meal is ready. Are you coming down to eat now?"
"I'll be down in a bit!" Henry responded, but his eyes were still on the last line of the diary, the last bit of Grace's youthful feelings. It was a simple few words, but they echoed deafeningly in Henry's world.
"Henry will never like me again!"
Henry read it over and over. Finally, he took out a cigarette but didn't light it.
He wondered what Grace felt when she wrote those words.
Outside, the servant's voice came again. "Mr. Montague, are you asleep? The Montague family manor called and said Mrs. Seraphina Jones wanted to see Mrs. Grace Montague. When will you bring her over to talk?"
Henry put the diary back.
He changed his clothes and went downstairs to eat. While eating, the servant cautiously brought up the earlier matter again, adding, "Today is Mrs. Montague's birthday! Every year on this day, we would buy a cake to celebrate for her!"
Henry paused, his forks suspended in mid-air. Looking up, he inquired, "Today is Grace's birthday?"
The servant blurted out, "Yes! Mr. Montague forgot?"
Then she remembered that Henry and Grace didn't get along well, and Henry had a mistress outside. She had heard that he had recently celebrated the mistress's birthday with fireworks.
The servant regretted speaking up. Henry didn't blame her.
After a while, he suddenly said, "Prepare a cake."
The servant thought that the couple's relationship was improving and felt happy about it. She hurried to the kitchen to prepare a small cake.
Henry quietly finished the cake, pondering that this was the first time he had celebrated Grace's birthday, yet it might also be the last.
Grace felt miserable and wanted a divorce. If that were what Grace wanted, then he would grant her wish.
He thought to himself, 'There are so many women in the world, and surely there are plenty who would be suitable to be Mrs. Montague. Why should I cling to the events of three years ago and keep Grace by my side? I don't love her; it isn't necessary!'
It was totally unnecessary!
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