"Harley."
Harley froze, thinking James had woken up. But then, she heard him murmur, "Why did you do this to me?" The same words he had mumbled in his hospital bed the day they broke up. Her hand stiffened, her face paling. She looked down at him. His eyes were shut, his breathing deep. He was still asleep. It seemed like he had a nightmare. Their entire history must have been a nightmare to him. Only in his dreams did he seem to remember.
Harley prepared to pull away, but a warm, strong hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Her heart clenched. She instinctively tried to withdraw, but before she could, James pulled her onto the bed. James was awake. He pinned her down, his eyes filled with murderous intent, red and sweaty as if he wanted to kill her. How much did he hate her to react like this? Harley clenched her fists, anxiety twisting inside her. She didn't dare to speak first.
James' gaze cleared slightly when he recognized her. The rage in his eyes faded, but his expression only grew colder. "What are you doing?" His voice was harsh, wary.
Harley answered calmly, "You were having a nightmare. I was just covering you with a blanket."
James pushed himself off her, his face still unreadable. Harley quickly sat up. Seeing his sweat-soaked forehead, she offered, "You're drenched in sweat. Let me get you a towel." After that, she got out of bed.
"Harley." His deep voice stopped her in her tracks. James stared at her silhouette. "How much longer are you going to keep this up?"
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she kept her composure. "I don't understand what you mean."
James' voice was sharp. "Three years. Aren't you tired of this yet?"
Harley understood exactly what he was referring to. Three years of marriage without love. Just her endlessly giving while he remained indifferent. No matter how much he resented her, how cold he was to her, she never got angry. She played her role as Mrs. Franklin quietly and obediently.
Sometimes, she would ask herself why was she doing all this. Did she hope that one day, he would change his mind? She never forced him, did she? It could be more out of guilt. She felt that if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have had to suffer so much. Yet, her kindness toward him had become a burden, making him hate her even more. It was as if she were trying too hard to please him only to push him further away.
Harley turned her head and met James' cold, handsome face. She smiled faintly. "It'll be over soon."
It would all be over soon. However, James didn't pay attention to the meaning behind her words. The man only showed indifference, not even wanting to look at her. He stood up and left the bedroom first. "That's for the best!"
With a loud bang, the door slammed shut. Harley was left alone in the room. She no longer needed to put on an act. Slowly, she crouched down and stayed there for a long time. Meanwhile, James sat in his study, his brows furrowed in a deep crease that never eased. The dreams were becoming more frequent. Over and over again, the same ones. Fragments of memories piecing themselves together, strangely familiar but just out of reach.
His head ached. A heavy feeling weighed on him, especially when he looked at Harley. The feeling became even stronger. She was like an endless abyss, something he dared not touch.
