Isla glanced at her watch and stood up.
“Alright, the doctor said you can be discharged. Have the driver take you home. I still have things to do.”
A few minutes later, I heard a man’s startled voice coming from downstairs. I got off the hospital bed and looked out the second-floor window. It seemed Isla had twisted her ankle.
The same sign language interpreter from that day, dressed in a trench coat, was crouched beside her, gently massaging her exposed ankle.
So that was it, her so-called allergy only existed for those she didn’t care about.
It felt as though countless blades cut through my chest, leaving me unable to breathe.
Without another word, I picked up my phone and called my lawyer.
“Please prepare a divorce agreement for me. Yes, I want a divorce.”
When I got home, my phone buzzed with a message from Isla.
“Because of your behavior, you affected the client’s emotions. I’ll be hosting a banquet. Make sure to come and apologize properly.”
But what exactly had I done wrong?
Was it because I tried to save her when I should have let her fall from that cliff? Or was it because of that ridiculous ‘allergy to men’?
Even so, I agreed.
On the day of the banquet, I arrived almost at the same time as Isla.
Walking beside her was Cassian Reed. Their outfits, her gown and his tie, were both sapphire blue, made by the same designer. It was a couple’s set released to celebrate the designer’s tenth wedding anniversary with her husband.
We stood several meters apart, distant like strangers. When guests began whispering and glancing our way, Isla paused for a moment, then started walking toward me. I turned away before she could reach me and went straight to the client, handing over the gift in my hand.
The client was a kind lady. Though she couldn’t speak, she signed warmly, “Mr. Raye, you don’t have to be so formal. Are you feeling better?”
“I heard you’ve always wanted a child. Please take care of your health…”
Cassian quickly stepped forward to translate, but I lifted a hand to stop him. I raised my glass toward the client with a small smile.
“Thank you for your concern, and thank you for helping when my wife was too afraid of her allergy to save me.”
“But I don’t wish for children anymore. If a mother sees her husband as a virus and a monster, how could a child born into such a family ever be happy?”
“So, I’ll be divorcing Isla. I don’t want to hold her back any longer.”
Then I turned to Cassian, making sure everyone could hear me.
“Mr. Reed, even though my wife was holding you that day to comfort you, I heard you were really scared.”
“So tonight, let’s not trouble you. I’ll handle everything myself. Please, enjoy your dinner.”
The crowd around us began whispering, their voices growing louder.
“What does that mean? Mr. Raye fell off the cliff because President Monroe was busy hugging another man? But isn’t she supposed to be allergic to men?”
“Her husband was the one about to fall, and that other man was perfectly fine; what was there to be afraid of? Why did he need her to hold him? What’s going on between them?”
“It’s obvious, isn’t it? Their clothes even match, the same designer, same color. That man’s clearly more than just a coworker!”
Cassian’s face turned pale as paper, and I caught a flicker of surprise in Isla’s eyes.
Yes, I knew sign language too, though she had never cared enough to learn anything about me.
I looked away, gave a polite nod to the guests, and turned to leave. Just as I stepped out of the hotel entrance, someone blocked my way.
“Landon, do you even know what you’ve done?!”
Isla’s face was dark with anger. “Who told you it was okay to embarrass Cassian in public?!”
“There were reporters inside! If this spreads, how is he supposed to face anyone again? Who would still want to work with him?!”
