Chapter 14 Nigel's Regret

Regina’s POV
I take a quick step back because Nigel’s appearance had really shocked me.
His handsome face had swelled to three of its original size. And there were bruises and bleeding scars everywhere on his face. He could hardly open his eyes because they were severely swollen.
“N—Nigel!” I gasped, “What happened?”
Nigel shook the iron bar abruptly and there was a desperate look on his face, “Regina! Regina, my love! You have to get me out of here! Alpha Gray he is—is crazy! He has 3 solders beat me from day to night! I can’t take it anymore! You have to save me from that monster!”
I clenched my fists in silence.
I didn’t like Nigel calling Gray a monster.
Yes, I was shocked by Nigel’s swollen face and Gray probably shouldn’t have beaten him so hard. But Gray did this for a reason. He was avenging me. If Nigel hadn’t tortured me in the first place, Gray would have never done such thing!
“Nigel, do you know why Alpha Gray did that to you?” I asked with a stern voice, “Because you have wronged me as my husband! And you have betrayed your wedding vows. And you deserve every single bit of this!”
Nigel’s body started to quiver, “Alpha Gray…he is your…”
I took a deep breath and confirmed with a nod, “Yes, he is my brother. I am the princess of Ever Moon.”
I had never thought I would tell Nigel the truth here in a cold and damp dungeon.
But the fate had its own twisted sense of humor.
Nigel remained stock-still for a few moments. His face started to twitch at a very rapid speed as though he was going into a seizure. I was afraid he would pass out at any second but then he suddenly roared at me:
“—Then why the fuck didn’t you say anything to me?!”
“…What?”
“I SAID—” he pressed his face against the bars and exposed his fangs at me, “—Why did you tell me you are the princess of Ever Moon! As a princess, you could have paid all my debts easily! So was it fun to see me struggle for money?! I had to bend over and begged that fucking bitch Angel to show me mercy! Why didn’t you tell me you had the money to me! To your own husband!”
I was stunned by his sudden change of attitude.
I thought knowing me as princess Regina would at least get him to shut it down a bit. But no. He was still yelling and roaring at me as though I was still his slave!
“NO—YOU SHUT UP!”
I cried loudly, talking over Nigel’s furious roar. I noticed a fleeting look of shock on his face because this is the first time I dared to talk loudly in front of him. And it gave me a sense of sweet victory.
“Hear this Nigel—” I tried to keep my voice steady, “I didn’t tell you about my identity for a reason. My grandfather didn’t think you were a decent person, and he was afraid that you would marry me for my power and money. So he asked me to keep my identity a secret from you. I thought it was uncalled for because I was so blinded by love…And now you proved yourself to be exactly whom my grandpa thought you were: Selfish, cold, manipulative and brutal! The monster is not my brother Gray…but you! You are the monster, Nigel!”
Nigel widened his eyes at me as though he didn’t know me at all. This was indeed the first time I acted so aggressively in front of me.
Back in the days, I had always been humble and submissive and tried to become the ideal wife Nigel had asked of me.
But I had had it enough.
“H—How dare you disrespect me like this!” Nigel spluttered with a furious look on his face. “I was your husband! You married into my family! You are my lawfully possession! All your money, title, and power are mine without question—”
“NONSENSE!”
I cried interrupting him.
“You are wrong, Nigel! I am not your possession. I never was! You are in Ever Moon now. Here, not only can my brother have you beaten up, I can also order you executed immediately! So what we are married! If I want, I can fill for a divorce right now!”
“No…NO! You won’t—”
Nigel shook his head frantically.
“—You can’t divorce me. You love me!”
I felt my heart ache.
How dared he use my love towards him against me?
I was so disappointed that I didn’t want to look at his face anymore.
“Just wait and see if I can divorce you.”
I gave him a bitter smile and turned on my heel, walking away from his cell determinedly.
I came here to talk to him and to hear his apology. But instead, I got scolded by him again. How could I have faith in a jerk like him? Nigel would never change. Bullies never change…
“WAIT!!!”
An urgent cry came from my back.
I halted in my track but didn’t turn around. Then I heard Nigel’s sobs behind my back:
“Regina…I—I was sorry. My mind was simply clouded by my thirst for money and power…I wanted us to have money and I wanted to give you a good life! I admitted that some of my behaviors were wrong, but my intention was good!”
I felt my chest tighten.
I wanted to turn around and scold at him, asking him about his gambling and drinking issues. Did he gamble and drink for the sake of this family as well?
“And have you forgotten all about those happy times we had, Regina?” Nigel cried sadly, “Because I haven’t. You are the only person I ever loved. You are so beautiful, and elegant, and delicate…And the day you run away from home—I remembered. It was our anniversary. I had a gift for you, but I never had the chance to give it to you. Do you want to see it?”
He—he had a gift for me?
My heart skipped a leap. And before I knew it, I had turn around facing Nigel.
Nigel’s face lit up instantly. He dropped down on his knees and fumbled something out of his pocket and presented it to me—
“Look!” he urged, “This is my gift, my heart, and my love for you, Regina!”
I held my breath and walked close a few steps.
There was a small, velvet box in his palm.
And inside the box was a huge, ruby ring.
A strong wave of happiness overwhelmed me.
This ruby ring wasn’t exactly expensive. I had a dozen similar ones in my jewelry box and my maids never let me wear because it didn’t fit my identity.
Yet since this ring was given to me by Nigel—and this was the first time he gave me anything since we married—it became so much more valuable.
“Do you like it, my love?” Nigel asked, “I carry this with me all the time these days, trying to find a chance to give this to you. Come, let me place it on your finger!”
He stuck a hand out of the bars and tried to grab my hand.
But I dodged quickly.
“Don’t…Wait!” I breathed heavily, “I—I don’t think I am ready yet.”
I wasn’t ready to forgive him.
And if I let him place this ring on me, I knew I would become soft again.
“Regina, what are you waiting for? This is for you! Please, just give me a chance! Let me be the husband you wanted me to be and come home with me, OK?”
He kneeled on the ground and begged. Then tears started to stream down his face. I was so shocked because this was the first time I saw him cry.
Was he really this sorry?
I was taken aback, and Nigel took this chance and shoved that velvet box into my hand. I wanted to toss it away immediately, but I also felt kind of attached to it.
I was so torn.
“I—I think I should go—”
Taking a quick step back, I murmured in a daze.
“I shouldn’t be here in the first place. I can’t let Gray find out I am here. I—I will talk to you later, Nigel…”
Then I turned abruptly and hurried off, holding that velvet box in my hand tightly. I heard Nigel’s cries behind my back, asking me to stay and begging me to let him go, but I didn’t stop for him this time.
I needed time to think. To think if I should forgive him and what will happen after that.
My mind was a complete chaos when I stepped out of the dungeon that I didn’t notice there was something peculiar about my surroundings.
And then an icy cold voice interrupted my line of thinking:
“What were you doing there, Regina?”
I snapped my head up and was shocked to notice that the dark entrance of the dungeon was now brightly lit! A group of armed soldiers blocked my way and were all pointing guns at me!
Standing up front was no one else but my brother Gray.
And there was a dark and intimidating look on his face. The way he stared at me now sent a cold chill down my spine instantly.
“Were you here to see Nigel?”
He asked with a strained voice.
“…Without my permission?”