Chapter 26: Divorce is Impossible

"Eleanor,you said so much just to come up with the idea of divorcing me by claiming that I have late-stage stomach cancer. You really will do anything to get a divorce,even colluding with the hospital to deceive me!" With one sentence,Sebastian had already convicted Eleanor.
He viciously slammed the stack of medical reports in his hand onto Eleanor's hand. The needle on her backhand poked out against her vein and liquid dripped down onto her hand.
The spot where the gauze was tied quickly turned red from bloodstains. Although she couldn't feel any pain,Eleanor opened her eyes calmly and looked at Sebastian's ferocious gaze. Without a doubt,if she wasn't lying half-dead on the bed right now,Sebastian would have slapped her across the face.
She turned her head to look at the medical report beside her and tremblingly picked it up page by page.
She truly hoped that these few pages of "healthy" medical reports were real.
"At that time,only you were qualified to sign a surgical agreement for me," Eleanor reluctantly spoke up. "I told the doctor to tell you about my late-stage stomach cancer because I was afraid that if it sounded too mild then you wouldn't sign my death notice and therefore wouldn't receive treatment."
Although she could control the tremble in her voice,tears streamed down uncontrollably from her eyes as they half-closed in fear of being seen by Sebastian through their mistiness.
Eleanor took a deep breath before continuing: "But what you said about wanting a divorce is also true. Mrs Hastings isn't something I want anymore; now I'm suffering from gastric bleeding because of your torture and who knows how long until I actually develop stomach cancer."
"You're just concerned about your own life," Sebastian retorted coldly.
Eleanor asked back: "Who isn't concerned about their own life? Doesn't your Victoria care about her life? If I remember correctly,I've donated blood to her at least fifty times in the past four years."
Sebastian's eyelids drooped as he spoke coldly: "Eleanor,are you saying these things now just to make yourself seem pitiful? You voluntarily gave blood; it was clearly written in our prenuptial agreement. What right do you have to bring up how many times you've donated blood for Victoria?"
He was protecting his lover. Eleanor gritted her teeth so hard that she felt like they might break and clenched the bedsheet tightly under the covers.
"Sebastian,I volunteered because I liked you. But you can't abuse me just because of my feelings towards you! I've given enough blood and been your wife for four years; from now on,love whoever you want. Eleanor doesn't care anymore."
"Forget about getting a divorce; if you don't want your father to be treated poorly in prison then listen carefully!"
Eleanor's body stiffened as she stared at him incredulously before shaking with trembling lips: "What are you going to do with my dad? You promised that he would be spared!"
Sebastian looked down on her contemptuously. Eleanor wasn't indestructible - on the contrary,there were too many things she couldn’t let go of which made them all vulnerable spots for him to exploit. As long as he held onto them tightly enough,she wouldn’t be able escape from him for the rest of her life.
With a slight curve of his lips,Sebastian gently pinched Eleanor's chin with his hand and spoke softly yet coldly: "Did I say that? Where is your evidence?"
Was Sebastian trying to back out now? On what grounds?
Tears began streaming down Eleanor’s face again while looking at Sebastian who had clamped onto her chin. Her eyelids drooped as she bit down hard,almost breaking her teeth.
"Sebastian!"
"Eleanor,I only promised to spare your father from the death penalty. But what happens in prison is beyond my control; you know that there are all sorts of people in prison and it's possible that your father will end up sharing a cell with some murderers who have lost their arms or legs."
He spoke calmly but his threat was vicious. He lightly rubbed Eleanor's fair chin with his thumb while looking at her contemptuously,seemingly mocking her naivety.
Eleanor’s already pale face suddenly became transparent. She lowered her eyes to look at Sebastian's hand holding onto her chin and tears flowed out uncontrollably again - this man whom she had loved for sixteen years had deceived her time and time again,yet she still foolishly believed him.