Yet, he was now talking about meaningless topics again.
âYou wanted me to be here⦠You intend to humiliate me from the start, donât you?â Anastasia questioned Alastor.
âHumiliate? So you think what you went through is humiliating? Anastasia, arenât you the one who abandoned me?â Alastor shoved Anastasia away. âItâs you who humiliates me.â
She had tried every means to divorce him. She would rather be with a slumdog who delivered takeout and worked in the bar than stay married to him. It was a disgrace in his eyes.
âYou used my money to support Jason. Do you think Iâll stay blind to that?â Alastor was furious.
He was livid because he had supported Anastasia financially over the years, but she used his money to keep Jason afloat.
âYour money?â Anastasia drew a deep breath. âThe money I gave to Jason is the money I earned from selling my paintings!â
1 âYour paintings?â Alastor snorted. âAs you can see, if Iâm not your backer, how many people will attend your art exhibition? There are so many people in Hork City are waiting to book the art gallery for their art exhibitions. You couldnât even book the venue without me, could you? Can your Jace help you with these things?â
He had heard Anastasia calling Jaceâs name many nights in the same bed.
This was probably the real reason leading to the coupleâs fallout.
With her trembling body, Anastasia stepped back and leaned against the wall in despair.
âSure enough, heâs humiliating me because of Jace,â she thought desperately.
âAlastor⦠I told you this is my last art exhibition. Why must you⦠push me over the brink?â Choking back her tears, Anastasia looked at Alastor helplessly. âIs Sienna under your control, too? Well, what a good man you areâ¦â
âIndeed, what a good man he is! Heâs good to everyone, but he did his best to drive me to my demise,â
Anastasia murmured to herself. With a sarcastic smile, she lowered her gaze feebly.
There was nothing for her to say to him. Alastor would never believe her, no matter what she said.
The reason was that he believed that he had seen Anastasiaâs true colors and had stamped all the discriminatory labels on her.
âAnastasia, why are you so stubborn? Is the relationship you had in your youthful years so important?â
Alastorâs voice became hoarse. He didnât know why she would rather be with Jason.
âWhy does her first crush mean so much to her? Jace has a stronghold in her memory for so many years,â he thought angrily.
âYou want me to beg you?â Anastasia knew Alastor wanted her to implore him.
âIâve made it obvious. You just need to relent to meâ¦â Alastor felt Anastasia was out of touch with reality. âLetâs not divorce each other. What shall be yours is yours. I can give you what he canâtâ¦â
âSheâs too naive. Otherwise, she wonât choose Jace over me,â he convinced himself inwardly.
âIâll not bother you anymore regarding my art exhibition, Mr. Lopez.â Anastasia stood upright and breathed deeply. âAlastor, Iâve loved you. It doesnât matter if you believe it or not. Iâve loved youâ¦â
Alastor frowned. He stared at Anastasia, his eyelids twitching.
Anastasia knew he didnât believe her.
âDo you know why Jaceâs so important to me?â Anastasia stared at Alastor. âIn this world, romantic or sexual love is not the only connection between men and women. Itâs you⦠and your people, who have an impure mind when you encounter a friendship between men and women.â
Anastasiaâs smile was ironic, and her explanation was powerless. However, there were things she must express now. âYou refused to trust me when Siennaâs uncle assaulted me. In addition, you accused me of volunteering myself for the assault. Never mind. Jace trusts me. Heâd kill someone for me.â
While Anastasia couldnât say what Jason did was right, he would protect her with his life and trust her unconditionally. These were what Alastor lacked.
âHe spent years in the detention center for me. He then had to leave Hork for Atharia because of me.
He has no background while Grandma Penelope is ill. Can you imagine how much suffering he had to endure alone in Atharia? Thereâs no way for me to repay him.â With her breath hitching, a defiant Anastasia swiped her tears away.
She knew Alastor would never understand her feelings and inner thoughts.
âAnastasia, Iâm your husband. You owe him a lot, but thatâs not a reason to hurt me instead!â Indeed, Alastor couldnât understand what she tried to convey.
Their arguments showed they didnât understand each other on the same level.
This was often the case between married couples. For example, the wife said she wanted to have some fruit. She meant to have apples, but the husband bought a cart of bananas.
The husband would think it didnât matter, because bananas qualified as fruit, too.
But the wife believed if her husband truly loved and understood her, he would have known that she preferred apples to bananas. By saying her request vaguely, she was testing if her husband cared about her.
One didnât care for the details, and the other didnât care to explain.
It was a sorrowful sight to see.