Ewan continued to remain silent. He drooped low while staying motionless, but his breathing was becoming ragged and his chest was swelling and contracting visibly. He looked like he was in an immense pain.
Rachel thought that he was finally shaken, so she continued to coax him in a soft voice, “We are really not suited for each other. Instead of continue to be together while suffering, we should get a divorce, since that nobody has known of this matter yet.”
“Ewan, what do you think of this idea?”
“I will still fulfill your other conditions since you’ve saved my mother. I will do whatever it takes to repay your kindness. Ewan…”
Ewan suddenly interrupted her in a stony and cold voice, “Do you know what my identity is?”
Rachel was stunned by his sudden question. She was confused momentarily.
Ewan answered his own question, “I’m the general of the country, and I won’t marry more than once.”
“I don’t want to force myself to marry Sienna. If you think that you are suffering, you have to put up with it.”
After finishing his words, Ewan let go of her wrist and turned around with his back facing her.
He raised his head slightly and took a deep breath while staring at the ceiling. Somehow, he felt that his eyes were moist, and they seemed to be bloodshot too. He continued in a hoarse voice, “Don’t even bring up the word ‘divorce’ again, there is no such thing in my understanding. As long as you don’t turn traitorous in our marriage, you can do as you please. I won’t force my ways on you.”
Finally, he marched forward with long strides, while Rachel was sunken in her own confined space of emotions, not being able to snap out of it.
He said that he wouldn’t want to force himself to marry Sienna, but couldn’t the same logic apply to her?
He was a general of the country and he would never remarry in his life. Did this mean that she would be with him forever?
Rachel snapped out of her stupor and immediately chased after him. “Ewan…”
By the time she was out in the courtyard, Ewan was already gone.
…
The night was lonely and depressing.
In an elegant and finely-decorated bar, there were barely any customers.
Yellowish lamps were casting a glow on the interior of the bar, giving it a mysterious yet premier ambience.
A table situated in a corner had beer bottles perched on top of it messily, and Ewan was leaning against a sofa, his hand holding yet another empty glass. His other hand was covering his forehead.
An unspeakable loneliness was shrouding him. Dane and Bently were sitting nearby him, and the two of them were toasting to each other while sipping alcohol gracefully.
In contrast, Ewan was just trying to get himself terribly drunk. He wanted to wash away all sensible thoughts in his mind.
Dane poured Bently a glass of beer while sighing, “Ewan is drinking himself to oblivion right now. What could have caused him to have such fervent anguish?”
Bently took a sip of the beer while replying in a low voice, “Since ancient times, heroes always succumb to beauties. I have been following Ewan since the army days, and I can know how painful he has always been…”
Dane chuckled, “Ewan has long been the celebrated general of C Country with an affluent background, not to mention his grip on the affairs concerning the military. The President of C Country has to acknowledge his presence as well. He has a bright future ahead of him. I wonder what kind of suffering he could be going through if he has all of that?”
Bently shook his head while placing the glass in his hand onto the table. He let out a deep sigh as he started to explain, “He has always prepared a thoughtful gift for a girl he is fond of every year, but he could only look at her from afar while never being able to hand her that gift. In the end, the gift would end up in the trash can, and this kind of disappointment has been going on for a decade.”
“He has a photo of that girl in his phone, and whenever he has reached his limits in physical training, he would look at that photo and kiss the phone screen with a stupid smile on his face. He told me that she was his sister, but all I could ever see were love in his eyes.”
“I originally thought that he was someone highly ambitious. That was why he could ascend to his current position. However, he told me that his sister liked great men, therefore he is always trying hard to become someone his sister likes.”
“He is always straightforward and honest, but in order to take his precious sister for his own, he even used despicable means to lure her into a marriage. The outcome of that is just pain on his part.”
Dane knitted his brows while looking at Bently with a quizzical look, “Are you telling me that Rachel is his sister?”
“She used to be his sister, but now she is his wife.” Bently poured another glass of beer as his mood gradually became somber.
“Why do I feel that Rachel has always been staring at Ewan with eyes full of love?”
Bently suddenly felt indignant for Ewan, “There must be something wrong with your eyes. Do you think a woman who would give away an inherited treasure which had been given to her by Ewan someone full of love?”
“Do you think she loves Ewan even though she has been writing love letters to another guy?”
“Do you think she loves Ewan even though she always spends her birthday with another guy and sleeps with that guy?”
Dane had a stunned expression on his face as a film of sweat formed on his forehead. He could only speak again after a while, “How do you know all of this?”
Bently was talking as if this was his own experience. He polished off the beer in his glass while casting a glance at Ewan who had long been drunk. He muttered, “Ewan told me all of this when he was drunk last few times. Rachel has always been thinking about another guy.”
Dane slammed his glass on the table and made some noise upon hearing that. He retorted indignantly, “She has gone too far. A woman like her doesn’t deserve to be the general’s wife.”
Bently smiled bitterly while replying, “I agree with you, but it seems that Ewan intends to make her his own even though he might suffer for the rest of his life. What can we do about that?”
Dane remained silent for a long time before snatching the beer bottle and pouring Bently another glass. He then raised his glass defiantly, “We will get rid of Ewan’s love rivals, so that Rachel can only remain loyal to Ewan.”
“This is a good idea.”
The two of them toasted to each other and exchanged a smiling gaze. Then, they gulped down their alcohol.
The gathered night was dark and depthless.
It was already dawn, and Rachel was staring at the clock while turning about in bed. She couldn’t fall asleep.
Where did he go? Why hadn’t he returned yet?
Rachel’s heart was wrenched at that moment, and her mind was filled with Ewan’s images. She wanted to make a call to him with her phone, but in the end she forced herself to abandon this idea.
“Knock knock…”
There was a knocking sound coming from the door.
Upon hearing the sound, Rachel jumped out of bed and wore her slippers swiftly. She jogged towards the door to open it.
When she opened the door, she saw Dane and Bently breathing rapidly while helping Ewan to stand. “Rachel, Ewan is drunk.”
Rachel was at a loss upon hearing that. She just followed them while they helped Ewan in, “Why is he drunk?”
Dane and Bently placed Ewan on the bed.
Bently was about to remove Ewan’s coat and shoes, but Dane stopped him in time. He was hinting at something with his eyes.
Bently was able to capture his signal as he turned around to face Rachel. He said politely, “Rachel, please take care of Ewan. We will take our leave now.”
Rachel was very anxious at that moment. She chased after Dane and Bently, “What exactly should I do?”
She had never taken care of a drunkard previously, so she was really at a loss as to what she could help with.
Dane flashed a faint smile and replied, “You can use a towel soaked in warm water and wipe him all over to get rid of the alcoholic smell. Change his clothes and boil him some soup for him to drink when he becomes sober. If he loses his mind and starts bashing everyone around him, give us a call.”
Losing his mind and bashing everyone?
Rachel’s face was extremely pale. Her heart was racing nervously.
After memorizing their instructions and sending them off, she immediately rushed back into the room.
She was scared that he would really lose it and start beating her up, so Rachel could only pace back and forth by the bed. After giving it some thought, she felt that she had to take care of him first and foremost.
She carried a basin filled with warm water from the bathroom and put it on the table. After that, she carefully sat by the bed, and she started to undress him while swallowing hard, “Ewan, I am helping you to remove your dirty clothes, please don’t be mad at me…”