Throughout the journey home, Darwin and Veronica both chose to remain silent. After what had happened earlier, neither of them was willing to give in and speak first.
Even when they arrived home and were cleaning Darwin’s arm wound, Veronica didn’t say a word to reprimand her husband. Even though Darwin had nearly lost his life trying to rescue her from Darrel’s clutches.
“Ve…” Darwin finally called out.
They were currently in the living room. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Darwin decided to break it first. He realized he might have been too prideful and that Veronica hadn’t forgiven him yet. “How long are you going to keep me in silence like this? How much longer are you not going to give me a chance to resolve the misunderstanding between us?”
Veronica glanced up briefly towards her husband, then continued wrapping the bandage around Darwin’s injured arm.
Staying indifferent as if intentionally ignoring Darwin’s words. Despite being rescued, she still felt upset about what her husband had done earlier.
“Ve… Please,” Darwin pleaded once again. “If you’re not willing to forgive or if there’s no chance left for me, why don’t we just get a divorce now? Why wait for six months but keep silent like this?”
“Alright, let’s get divorced tomorrow.”
After a long silence, Veronica finally spoke up. But, this wasn’t the sentence Darwin wanted to hear from her.
“Instead of feeling hurt all the time, it might be better to just get divorced now.”
“Uh… no… no,” Darwin corrected, his face showing panic. He had intended it as a joke, but Veronica ended up agreeing. “I’m not serious, Ve. I’m not. It’s just that, a one-month trial period isn’t over yet. How could I want a divorce already? Plus, why don’t you listen to my explanation first?”
“Really, what else is there for you to explain? Everything is clear. I’m obviously not worth more than Vivian to you.”
“Ve, that’s enough!” Darwin retorted with a slightly raised voice. His demeanor suddenly turned cold after Veronica mentioned Vivian’s name in front of him. “For God’s sake, even in the past month, I haven’t thought of Vivian at all. Let alone think, I haven’t even considered her. You have to appreciate my effort to focus on you. Whether you’re angry or upset, I always try to communicate or protest directly,” Darwin complained at length. Apparently, he couldn’t take it anymore. He was letting out all his frustrations tonight to Veronica.
“Remember…” Darwin continued. Given the chance to speak, he wouldn’t stop. “When did I ignore you? When did I intentionally neglect you, let alone deliberately provoke you by going out with other women? Never, Ve,” Darwin said, shaking his head. “Since I promised, I’ve always tried to live up to my commitment to you. And now? You’re angry at me for one thing that I could explain. You even disregarded my request, and then what? You were almost in danger yourself, right?”
Veronica fell silent. She wanted to argue, but it felt pointless. Everything Darwin just said was true. So, should she give her forgiveness now? However, her lingering annoyance hadn’t completely dissipated.
“Now, it’s all up to you. If you still want to be angry, it’s okay. I’ll keep waiting for you to give me a chance to explain what you should have listened to.”
After saying this, Darwin stood up and headed to their bedroom. He changed his clothes, intending to rest immediately. His body felt sore after the fight with the man who tried to hurt Veronica.
Before he could even close his eyes, he heard the bedroom door open. Turning around, he found Veronica walking in with a glass of milk in her hand.
“Drink first,” she offered, holding out the glass to him.
Darwin was actually surprised by Veronica’s presence, considering he believed she was still angry. But since he couldn’t refuse his wife’s offer, he accepted the glass and drank the milk she had prepared.
“Thank you,” Darwin muttered briefly. Just as Veronica was about to leave, he quickly reached out and took her wrist, pulling her to sit beside him. “Wait.”
“What now?”
“After thinking about it, I don’t think I can wait for you to give me a chance to explain everything. Even if you’re still angry after this, I surrender.”
Veronica took a deep breath. Since Darwin had been asking repeatedly for a chance, she thought that now might be the right time to listen to what he really wanted to say.
“Okay, what do you want to say?”
Darwin smiled. Before explaining, he took the glass Veronica was holding and placed it on the nightstand. Then, he reached for her wrist, holding it while he began to explain.
“First of all, I apologize because I’ve probably disappointed you several times. I didn’t mean to embarrass you by refusing to have a physical relationship with you. By God, I rejected you because I felt unworthy of you. I knew I was too low for you, who’s nearly perfect.”
Veronica was taken aback by Darwin’s explanation. She hadn’t expected that the man she used to consider a jerk would think this deeply.
“You’re exaggerating, Win,” Veronica retorted, gazing intently at the man in front of her.
“This isn’t an exaggeration, Ve. I just don’t want you to regret or be disappointed for giving yourself to me.”
Veronica continued without pause, “Are you sure everything is just to avoid disappointing me? Not because you’re still too loyal to Vivian? Or could it be that you promised her during our marriage that you won’t touch me at all?”
Darwin sighed deeply. Hearing Veronica’s words made him feel guilty. He couldn’t forget how he had acted recklessly in the beginning of their marriage. He had even intentionally betrayed his wife.
“From the depths of my heart, I sincerely apologize for what I’ve done in the past. I know my actions were unjustifiable.”
Veronica clicked her tongue and then smiled faintly. She really didn’t want to recall the painful events from the beginning of their marriage.
“There’s no need to make it bigger, Win. To be honest, I actually hoped that our marriage could last and not end. Especially recently, I’ve started to feel comfortable with the attention, protection, and all the sweet gestures you’ve shown. However, it seems that our marriage might not last. I also know I’ll never be able to replace Vivian’s position in your heart.”
Initially, Darwin made a slight sound of exasperation upon hearing Veronica indirectly reference Vivian again in their conversation.
However, on the other hand, he was also surprised. Darwin never expected that after what he had done, Veronica still held a significant hope that their marriage could last and return to normalcy.
“What do you think, should I end the relationship I’ve had with Vivian all this time?”
Veronica shrugged. Instead of answering or giving advice, she threw the question back at Darwin.
“You should ask yourself that question. Between me and Vivian, which one should you hold onto? Should you choose me, who has recently become a part of your life and is now your lawful wife? Or should you stick with Vivian because she’s been with you through thick and thin?”
Veronica then stood up and walked away, leaving Darwin deep in thought about what she had just said.