Chapter 76 Toast to the Past

Morgan quietly ate the noodles in front of him. It didn't taste great, but it wasn't too bad either. Madelyn used to rely on this bowl of instant noodles to sustain herself when he was not at home. No wonder she had lost so much weight since he last saw her.

Seeing her fidgeting in front of him, as if she had something to say, Morgan changed to a more relaxed position, leaning against the back of the chair, and looked at Madelyn.

Madelyn was afraid of his gestures and expressions. She always felt powerless in front of him, despite being married for five years. Whenever she saw him like this, she couldn't help but feel inferior. She felt so ashamed.

"Do you have something to say?" Morgan asked with as much ease as possible because he could sense that Madelyn was afraid of him. Indeed, this marriage didn't start as he had hoped, but there were many things that were really hard to explain until today.

Madelyn placed the divorce agreement on the table without saying a word. In that instant, Morgan was at a loss. Something unexpected stirred in his heart.

Morgan took the agreement in his hands and looked at it carefully for a few moments. He didn't read the contents. He just tried to feel the emotions behind this five-year marriage and what it meant to replace it with this piece of paper.

Madelyn's clenched fist was sweating. He was too overpowering, and she was truly panicking inside.

Morgan held the divorce contract firmly and asked, "Well, what did I do wrong as a husband?"

Madelyn was speechless. She stared at him, trying to understand the meaning behind his words, but she couldn't understand anything. Wasn't this absurd marriage a burden for him? Now that she was willing to let go, why was he asking this?

Morgan stood up, holding the contract, and said, "Hmm, I'll think about it." Then he turned and walked into the guest room.

Now Madelyn was completely confused. What does this mean?

Morgan stared at the divorce contract for a long time. Was he really going to sign it? He seemed unable to do it.

Morgan felt a little helpless. Perhaps it started five years ago when his body began to feel uncomfortable, as if a huge weight was pressing on his mind all day long.

He was always stoned and drowsy, and he frequently felt pain in his body, but he couldn't pinpoint the source of the symptoms. He never revealed any of these to anyone. Medication seemed to offer slight relief, but the heavy stone in his mind never left.

In the past few years, no matter how much he slept, he never felt rested. His mind remained heavy. He was always ready to doze off, no matter the time or place. During this period, he couldn't even work or communicate with others properly. Socializing and talking had become exhausting.

Over the years, he consulted many doctors, but regardless of the medication, the relief was only temporary. Morgan sensed his dependency on the medication, and recently, his insomnia symptoms started to resurface. In his haste to return home, he had forgotten to bring sleeping pills. He thought Madelyn might have some, so he knocked on the bedroom door. Madelyn almost thought she was hallucinating. At this time, how could there be a knock on her door?

Madelyn was extremely surprised when she opened the door and saw Morgan standing outside. But when she noticed his dark circles, it seemed like he had just woken up. His hair was slightly messy, and his clothes were loose, giving him a lazy appearance and barely concealing his exhaustion. She couldn't help but feel pity. "What's wrong?" she asked, startled by her voice. How could it sound so gentle? Was that really her?

Morgan seemed a bit down, and his voice was different from before. It was somewhat low and hoarse. "I came to get something."

With just that sentence, Madelyn quickly moved aside, letting Morgan into the room. However, she cursed herself silently. How could she be so useless? How could she agree with everything he said?

Morgan went straight to the nightstand. He remembered there was a box there, so he crouched down and rummaged through the cabinet. Madelyn's scent filled the room—a delicate fragrance that brought tranquility and peace. Surprisingly, Morgan felt captivated.

Even after being married for so long, they rarely slept together. No wonder they were getting divorced. It must be unbearable for anyone to endure such an incompetent husband. And yet, she endured it for five years. Perhaps she couldn't bear it any longer, which led to the divorce.

Madelyn stood by the door, watching him search through the cabinet. It seemed he couldn't find what he was looking for, so he moved to the other end. Still no luck. "What are you looking for?" Madelyn asked with a polite tone resembling that of a waiter serving a customer.

Morgan had been exhausted from work lately. If he didn't get a good night's sleep soon, he feared he might collapse. So he stood up and looked at Madelyn. "Sleeping pills. I remember you have them. Where are they?"

Madelyn was speechless. "I had them a year ago! How does he remember that? He really hasn't been in this bedroom for so long," she thought. "Um, it expired a long time ago, so I threw it away," she said.

Morgan was now embarrassed. "Okay, I got it," he said and prepared to leave. Madelyn looked at his exhausted and worn-out appearance, feeling a deep sense of distress. She imagined countless scenarios of him tossing and turning, unable to sleep through the night.

As Morgan passed by her, Madelyn couldn't help but ask, "Are you suffering from insomnia?" She felt incredibly foolish for asking such a question.

Much to her surprise, Morgan actually halted and leaned against the door, looking at Madelyn. "Hmm, why? Do you have any methods that can help me fall asleep?"

Madelyn stared at him in astonishment. This tone didn't sound like a joke; it seemed like a genuine plea for help. When Madelyn realized this, her heart softened immediately. Without thinking much, she blurted out, "I can only tell stories."

Morgan chuckled lightly as he lowered his head and covered his face. For the first time in five years, Madelyn felt that the person in front of her was laughing warmly.

Morgan was also surprised by his own laughter. It had been such a long time since he had expressed any excessive emotions. Everything seemed mundane, and nothing made him burst into laughter anymore. Everything was superfluous; this had been Morgan's mental state for many years.

Clearing his throat, Morgan turned around and headed back to the guest room. Madelyn knew she was being overly sentimental again, but she still felt a deep sadness. How long had it been since she had done something to please him? Initially, she used to, but after being rejected so many times, she became scared and flustered. So Madelyn learned to ignore him, just as he ignored her.

She stood dumbfounded by the door. After a few moments, Madelyn saw Morgan holding a pillow and turning off the lights in the guest room. He came walking toward her. In that moment, she couldn't help but question if she was dreaming.

Morgan pushed open the bedroom door and climbed into bed. Vaguely recalling that Madelyn preferred sleeping on the right side, he chose the left. He noticed Madelyn's confused expression and found it amusing. He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to come over.

Madelyn found this scene rather peculiar, but then she saw Morgan take out a book from somewhere. It was "The Grief Grocery Store". He handed the book to Madelyn and said, "Are you ready? Let's begin."

Madelyn was somewhat astonished. Did she really have to read him a story? Wasn't this a bit funny? What was this all about? However, seeing how serious Morgan was about this, she couldn't resist. She lifted the covers, fluffed the pillow, and opened the book.

With only the faint light of the bedside lamp, Madelyn started reading with a gentle voice. Her voice might not be sweet, but it had a faint rustling sound that was very recognizable, unique, and quite pleasant. Although Morgan wasn't lulled to sleep by her, he felt it was a different experience and somewhat beautiful.

After finishing two chapters, Madelyn turned to look at Morgan, who still had his eyes open. She had no choice but to turn another page; she had to continue.

The ending was quite boring. Madelyn herself didn't know what she was reading anymore and ended up falling asleep while holding onto the book, tilting her head.

Morgan took the book from her, adjusted his sleeping position, and gazed at her face quietly, with no trace of sleepiness. He didn't even want to turn off the light.

He stayed awake with his eyes open until dawn. Madelyn eventually woke up at some point. Seeing that Morgan wasn't sleeping and that his expression didn't seem like someone who had just woken up, she suddenly felt embarrassed. She had promised to lull him to sleep, but she ended up falling asleep herself.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then Madelyn asked him, "Did you sleep?"

Morgan nodded and got up. He walked to the door and said, "I've prepared the divorce agreement for you. We can proceed with the formalities whenever you're ready."

Madelyn's heart sank, but she managed to force a smile.