Chapter 528 Only Through Pain Did He Learn to Love
Calliope lay still, unmoving.
Her delicate shoulder blades trembled slightly, beads of perspiration glistening like pearls in the dim light. She appeared both fragile and alluring.
Octavius felt desire stirring again, but the urgent matter demanded his attention. After a moment's consideration, he withdrew, though his concern for her remained. Having composed himself, he draped a silk robe over her shoulders and spoke with tender consideration: "I must return immediately. You and Elspeth stay here for now. Once I've handled this crisis, we'll be together as a family."
Calliope took time to recover.
She leaned back against the vanity chair, eyes closed, murmuring softly: "Octavius, what family reunion could there be between us when all we have is coercion? You want to cage me, make me your kept woman, don't you? No work, only devotion to you? A world containing only you. "
She slowly opened her eyes.
Meeting Octavius's gaze, her voice remained calm, "I refuse. Whether you're merely Harmony City's Octavius or the world's most powerful man, I won't return to that life. Neither will Elspeth. I finally understand—she doesn't need an influential father; she needs a family that nurtures her independence."
Her composure was absolute, devoid of love or hatred.
It wasn't that she was indifferent to what had transpired, but as a mother, she bore greater responsibilities.
Her words struck Octavius like a physical blow.
These years consumed by ambition, he had never truly considered his wife's needs, never contemplated her dignity or authentic desires. Now that she had voiced them, the chasm between them seemed insurmountable.
He called her name softly, "Calliope."
Calliope smiled bitterly. "Let me go. Out of respect for your position and our shared history, I won't expose you. But there can be no future between us."
Octavius felt his heart constrict.
Despite Harmony City's urgent crisis, he desperately sought to win her back. "We're perfectly matched! Even in intimacy! Though you resisted tonight, can you deny you found pleasure?"
"I cannot."
"But what does that matter? That's merely physical."
Calliope reached up, touching his face one final time with the tenderness of a true wife. "Octavius, how can a lost heart ever be reclaimed?"
Night deepened around them.
Though they had been husband and wife, though they had just shared intimacy, they felt like strangers.
Suddenly, Octavius grasped his ex-wife's hand.
He finally understood they had chosen different paths. This had nothing to do with others—she simply no longer wanted him. Pain colored his voice: "Will you be with him?"
"No." Calliope's smile was bitter. "I'm not worthy of him."
Octavius paled.
After a long moment, he drew her into his arms completely, burying his face in the curve of her neck, his voice hoarse with apology. Perhaps this farewell was also his goodbye.
Between them, it was finally over.
Ending in absurdity.
Though Harmony City awaited Octavius's leadership, he remained one more night.
This final evening with Calliope, he watched her sleep beside Elspeth in the darkness, leaning against the headboard, pretending they were still his wife and daughter.
Dawn broke across the horizon.
Only then did he blink away the sting in his eyes, gently caressing Elspeth's small face. The child murmured "Daddy" in her sleep, nuzzling against his arm before settling back into slumber.
Octavius nearly wept.
How deeply he regretted his arrogance when Calliope's letter arrived at year's beginning. Had he accepted her invitation to the gala, had he embraced Elspeth sooner, they would now be a happy family of three.
Despite his efforts at restraint, his face betrayed him with involuntary tremors.
Born into poverty, he had known little warmth, but reviewing his life, Calliope remained the only person he could trust completely—the one to whom he could entrust his very existence.
Though men's tears come hard, he wept.
Octavius kissed little Elspeth softly, "Daddy will make breakfast."
As he left the bedroom, the morning breeze brushed against his face, filling him with a profound melancholy.
At breakfast, they sat together like a true family, the scene heartwarming.
Octavius treasured this feeling, his gaze lingering on mother and daughter, reluctant to look away until the driver approached: "Sir, the car is ready. Percival has called several more times."
Octavius's displeasure was evident. "Elspeth hasn't finished eating."
But Calliope interjected, "She can finish at home."
Octavius froze.
After a pause, he smiled faintly, repeating, "Yes, she can eat at home."
His reluctance to part was palpable. Though he gave Calliope nothing, he deeded the villa to Elspeth as her dowry, expressing his desire to visit whenever business brought him to Evergreen City.
Calliope refused.
Octavius personally drove them home.
An hour later, the car stopped before her small townhouse. Calliope sat quietly, observing the scene outside.
A black Range Rover waited at the curb.
Pembroke, dressed entirely in black, leaned against it smoking. He appeared haggard, his eyes bloodshot as if he hadn't slept in days. When Octavius's sedan arrived, Pembroke's gaze pierced through the glass, fixed on the interior.
Elspeth waved her small hand. "Uncle! Uncle!"
Tears gathered in Calliope's eyes.
Octavius also looked ahead, asking quietly, "Shall I explain?"
She shook her head slightly.
How could she explain? That her ex-husband had coerced her into playing temporary wife for a week?
Calliope didn't flee from the confrontation. Unwilling to string Pembroke along, she opened the car door, her hand trembling. Octavius suddenly covered it, calling her name.
"Let go!" she said fiercely.
She stepped out and walked toward Pembroke.
Still loving him yet needing to bid him farewell, she approached, wanting to speak but finding her lips trembling uncontrollably.
Her time with Pembroke had been the most beautiful of her life.
The breeze stirred around them.
Pembroke studied her for a long moment before his gaze shifted to the black sedan. His voice was soft and rough, "Is this why you wanted to break up? You chose him? These days when you wouldn't answer calls, you were with him?"
"Yes," Calliope said, her voice trembling as she gazed at Pembroke's youthful face, speaking as if in a trance. "I've been with him all this time."
She added, "Pembroke, our age difference is too great. Our worldviews and values are incompatible. After much consideration, I realize Octavius and I are better suited. Besides, he can provide Elspeth with superior opportunities and a brighter future. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
The words broke her heart even as she spoke them.
Yet she repeated, "Yes, he can give Elspeth a better life, greater prospects. Can you offer her that, Pembroke? You cannot! So how is my choice wrong?"
Pembroke's gaze remained profound.
After a moment, he smiled bitterly: "If you're pursuing a better future, why are you crying?"
He drew a deep breath and handed her two airline tickets. "I've accepted a position with a company in Helios Federation. I leave next week. Calliope, whatever happened this past week, I can accept it. We can start fresh abroad."
Calliope stared at the tickets.
He had prepared one for Elspeth too. His love was genuine—real affection born of careful consideration. His future plans included her.
For a moment, she wanted to weep.
How desperately she wanted to accept those tickets, to throw herself into his arms and say yes.
But reality remained merciless.
In the end, she could only force a smile through her tears. "I'm sorry. I can't go with you."
Unable to bear his disappointment, she turned away.
As she spun around, tears fell freely.
She had come so close to happiness.
Returning to the car, she sat beside Octavius, her voice devoid of warmth, "Remember this forever, Octavius—you destroyed my happiness. If you possess any conscience, never appear before me again. Between us, this is the end."
She added, "Drive. I don't want him to see me crying."
Octavius froze.
Because she was weeping—crying with such heartbreak for a young man that she abandoned all dignity, utterly unlike her usual composed self.
In that moment, he finally acknowledged the truth: he had become merely a footnote in Calliope's life. She loved another.
The black sedan pulled away slowly.
Octavius offered her tissues, speaking with bitter regret, "I'm sorry, Calliope. I never imagined that at our age, you could still encounter true love."
He said nothing more. After she exited the car, he watched her retreating figure thoughtfully.
He reflected that he had never lived passionately, never risked everything for another person. Though she loved someone else, in his heart she remained his Calliope.
He wanted Calliope to be happy.
Octavius flew back to Harmony City, spending two weeks handling the crisis with exceptional skill and remarkable success.
Evergreen City's business council courted him; his future seemed golden.
At this pinnacle moment, Octavius resigned from all positions and called a press conference to announce his departure from Harmony City's commercial leadership.
In the grand hall, over a hundred mainstream media outlets gathered.
Octavius stood impeccably dressed at the podium, at least eight microphones ensuring his words would reach every corner of the world.
He spoke calmly into the microphones, "Effective today, I resign from all commercial council positions. This is for personal reasons."
Octavius bowed deeply to the assembly.
He had wronged Calliope, but through this public gesture, he gave her another chance at happiness.
Though he was a contemptible man, perhaps he would act foolishly only once in his lifetime. For Calliope, he felt no regret.
The hall erupted in chaos. After the initial silence, voices rose in condemnation, some quite vicious.
Under security escort, Octavius walked toward the exit, leaving behind the arena of fame and power he had once cherished. But in this moment, it meant less than a single tear from Calliope.
Within minutes, the news exploded across the internet.
The world reacted with shock.
In the black sedan below, Octavius sat in the back seat, opening his phone to a photograph he had wanted to delete but couldn't bear to lose.
He studied it for a long time before finally, gently, deleting it.
He didn't call Calliope.
The driver asked softly, "Sir, where shall we go?"
After consideration, Octavius replied quietly, "To my parents. I've been too busy these years to properly care for them. Now that I have time, I should spend it with them."
The driver pressed the accelerator.
As the car moved smoothly through familiar streets, Octavius observed the cityscape he had helped build. Surprisingly, he felt no regret—only peace.
That evening, a black sedan from the Windsor Group pulled into Calliope's driveway. The passenger who emerged wasn't Sarah, but Oliver himself.
In the autumn night, he wore an elegant black double-breasted suit, cutting such a distinguished figure that even the tea-serving maid couldn't help stealing glances.
They thought, 'Mr. Windsor is stunning! I've never met anyone as handsome as he is.'
The maid stared so intently she nearly scalded herself with the tea.
Calliope descended from the second floor carrying Elspeth, apologizing to Oliver, "Elspeth was fussy just now. Please forgive the poor hospitality, Mr. Windsor."
Oliver smiled faintly. "I'm the one intruding."
He placed an envelope on the coffee table, sliding it toward Calliope. "You might want to examine this."
Calliope handed the child to the nanny and opened the manila envelope.
Inside was a transfer order.
The Windsor Group was offering her a lateral transfer to their Helios Federation division, with unlimited tenure based on her preference. Upon her return to Evergreen City, she would assume the role of Group Vice President.
Calliope's lips trembled.
Oliver played with Elspeth, speaking casually, "Sarah once told me that we have only one life—we should be brave. Ms. Lark, I trust you're not afraid of taking risks?"
After a long pause, Calliope spoke with a trembling voice, "Certainly not. I'll go. I want to go."
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