# 44
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It is true that he made a mistake against her, and it is also true that it is an unforgivable mistake. However, hasn't he apologized repeatedly? However, she seemed unwilling to accept his apology. This behavior was not fair.
…If he had swallowed his pride and apologized so much, shouldn't she at least pretend to accept his apology? Eric couldn't get over his impatience, so another fish idea came to him.
"You should get some rest. This is great."
Eric couldn't hold back his emotions at that moment, and was sarcastic.
“Do you want me to follow advice about a disease you didn't even tell me the name of?”
“Eric.”
“I mean, you can at least tell me a little about where the pain is and how to make you feel better, right? But why do you keep hiding it? It’s like you never intended to tell me!”
“Because you don't like me being sick.”
Chloe answered calmly to the one who was nervous. Eric's eyes twitched.
"I don't like it. I never liked it...I'm just worried."
“You're always busy, and you don't want to worry about me being sick. Doesn't it bother you that I'm sick when you're still busy? It must be a big burden for you to take care of me.”
“How can you say that...”
Eric tilted his head back with a pale face before thinking about it.
Was it really so? Was it true that he didn't like kidney disease?
He could not quite deny the remark, for he was deeply disturbed by her illness. He didn't like seeing Chloe sick. Although the reason for his aversion was not clear, he was not satisfied with it anyway, and was upset. He didn't want her to get sick.
So, he couldn't deny Chloe's words.
Instead, he turned his head and wiped his face with his hand.
“You seem very sensitive. Any further talk will be pointless.”
Eric got up.
It was a uess conversation, though he thought it fortunate that they had not quarreled, and tried to compromise. However, it was Chloe's soft voice that captivated him.
“I want to ask you something.”
Chloe said as she held onto the blanket tightly.
“…Why did you tell my mother that our divorce wouldn’t happen?”
At first, she thought Eric was saying that to cover up the situation. But he seemed serious when he said he wouldn't divorce her after she thought about it again, even though he had already agreed to it!
"Aren't you going to divorce me? Did you lie to me...?"
Eric hesitated to answer, but quickly nodded his head in agreement.
“That's right. I don't intend to divorce you.”
“…why?”
Chloe asked as she pulled the blanket tighter.
"For what reason... Why are you doing this when you don't love me? Why won't you let me go? Why...? Why won't you divorce me?"
“Should I be honest?”
“You must be honest, even though you accuse me of lying. Because I did not lie to you.”
As he hesitated for a moment, Chloe thought, looking at Eric, who was hesitating like this, how nice it would be if he confessed his love at this moment.
If that were the case, all the anger she had felt for him until now would melt like snow, and a new love for him would blossom like spring mist... Chloe was filled with the hope she longed for. Although she had hoped, her hopes did not come true as usual.
“I can't lose what I have.”
The words that came back were his possessive desire, which was completely different from her expectations and something she had never imagined.
“I never intend to give up what I have in hand. That's all.”
Chloe's jaw twitched.
Even though she didn't want to… she didn't really intend to do it, she still stared at Eric with a look full of disdain.
“…Is this the reason you don’t want to divorce me?”
"This is correct."
“Then there is no love for me among them.”
Eric was getting tired of Chloe, who wouldn't stop talking about love. He looked at her as if to say, “Here you go again,” and she noticed immediately. He was right. He's tired of her.
She looked at her slender hand, it was so thin that she couldn't find any flesh in it.
Chloe bit her lower lip hard.
“Even if I were to die in your hands… wouldn’t you let me go?”
Eric paused for a moment and took a deep breath. He was confused by her pale skin and her words, so he approached her and grabbed her arm. Her arm was so thin that he could hold it with one hand.
“Why did you say that?”
He asked, loosening his grip on the hand that was holding her arm.
"Chloe, tell me. Where and how does it hurt?"
She suddenly remembered the words of her doctor in the north.
“The lady’s heart is slowly weakening.”
“Two years.”
“I'm very sorry about this, ma'am, but I must tell you that you only have two years left.”
Except for the time she spent here, she could have survived for another year and a half. Chloe wanted to spend the rest of her life in happiness and joy, she didn't want to spend every day filled with pain and sadness like she was now.
Having made a decisive decision once again, she was determined to divorce Eric.
“It's because of you...”
So, she opened her mouth with a sharper, colder voice.
“You're hurting me.”
Eric's eyes shook and lost focus. He stared at her with blank eyes.
When she saw this, Chloe felt a sharp pain in her chest. However, she could not back down from her resolve. This is because if she backed down, everything would go back to square one.
She gritted her teeth and continued talking.
“Then we have to break up.”
"renal".
“If you don’t want to divorce me, I will leave the house.”
“Are you going to get through this snow?”
“I think there has to be a place where I can take care of myf.”
“It seems naive.”
While Eric responded firmly, she was also adamant in her choice. An idea quickly occurred to him as he looked into Chloe's blue eyes, the only thing still shining on her thin face.
“…Ah, it’s irreversible.”
He was angry when I made that decision. Why? Why is Chloe doing this?
“I tried.”
Eric spoke and gave every word force.
“I have done my best to be a good husband to you, I have tried to be a considerate husband who seeks to resolve the misunderstanding between you and the Duchess, and I have tried to be a good husband who reflects on his mistakes...”
He sighed deeply and wiped his face with his palm.
“However, you are not satisfied with anything.”
That was true.
She was not satisfied with any of his efforts. Chloe had many wishes, but he couldn't fulfill them. Maybe they weren't the right person for each other, or maybe their lives were different from the beginning. After all, they were living such different lives that they didn't understand or know each other at all...
Eric closed his eyes tightly and let out another deep sigh.
“…Okay, fine.”
I spoke honestly this time.
“If you say so.”
He slowly raised his eyelids and stared into her eyes again. It was hard to guess the feelings in Chloe's eyes, though the only thing that was certain was that she wanted to divorce him.
He was tired now. Eric didn't want to argue with her anymore.
“I will divorce you.”
Thus, he said something that ended their relationship.
Afterwards, Chloe had a fever again, but Eric did not visit her.
***
Chloe didn't remember her conversation with Eric until after she regained her body and was able to walk around the room.
A week has passed.
She slowly closed her eyes as she recalled her vague memories. Eric said he would divorce her...
This time, he didn't seem to be lying. He was really honest when he said that. She was sure of this because he never visited her again, even though he knew that she had recovered after the doctor's visit.
Chloe thought she could end her relationship with him this time.
It was unfortunate, but it was also the right decision. In the first place, the relationship between her and Eric was very tense. She also had a similar idea about Eric – she thought they were completely incompatible and different, that they didn't get along at all.
Therefore, it will be very difficult to return to a normal relationship with him no matter how hard you try.