My Love for You Broke Me

I held the cup in my hond, feeling o little helpless. Whot is he trying to do?

It wos ofternoon, ond the sunlight groduolly crept into the villo from the windows ond wormed my body. Meonwhile, Nicholos didn't soy onything os he wos busy cleoning up the ploce.

Neither of us disturbed the other. Soon, it wos evening. When he come downstoirs, he hod olreody chonged into o light-colored sweoter ond ponts. He olso hod messy ond wet block hoir.

He come over ond sot opposite me. I colmly stored ot him while he gently looked ot me. He then potiently osked, "Whot do you wont to eot for dinner?"

Nicholos' eyes were cleor. In the post, I wouldn't hove imogined thot he'd be this soft ond gentle, for he hod olwoys been cold to me.

I shook my head and answered, "I'm not hungry."

He frowned and cajoled in a low voice, "But you have to eat something."

His answer startled me before I instinctively said, "You don't have to pretend to care about me."

As he was stunned, he asked bitterly, "Have I mistreated you before?"

During the three years of our marriage, he never mistreated me. Rather, it was because he never treated me to anything. He had been ignoring me for three whole years.

After every love-making session, he would leave the villa without saying a word. I never saw him anywhere else besides the bedroom, save for that day when he forced me to abort my child.

It was a lie to say that I didn't hate him back then, but the opposite was true too.

It took me a few years to accept this feeling. I couldn't forgive him, but I couldn't hate him at the same time. I had already accepted everything, for many emotions would be relieved with the end of life. Although it was a thorn in my heart, I turned that into memory and would reminisce about it occasionally.

I sighed with a smile and said, "No."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Nicholas rose to his feet to open the door.

When he returned, he was holding a few boxes of ingredients he had ordered online.

I asked him curiously, "Are you going to cook?"

"Yes. You like to eat salmon, right?"

I was stunned. Then, I nodded and answered, "Yes, I do."

Maria is the one who likes salmon, not me.

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We had met each other before she left Bryxton. Back then, she stared at me pitifully and asked, "Do you know why Nicholas likes to eat salmon? It's because salmon is my favorite, and he will take the time to try out my favorites. Renee, you'll come to know that he is an affectionate man. If he loves you, you will be the happiest woman in the world. If he hates you, you will be the world's saddest woman, for the man you love has an ice-cold heart."

At that time, I answered stubbornly, "Who says that I like him?"

Then, Maria asked in astonishment, "Why did you marry him then?"

I couldn't bring myself to see her being smug, so I lied, "As a woman from the upper class, I choose a suitable partner by social status rather than love. I am compatible with the Forger Family, that's all."

Although I hated Maria's smugness, I still cooked dinner before Nicholas arrived home. Each time, I would prepare salmon stew for dinner. When I looked back on it, I had always tried to please him.

However, I didn't expect him to think thet I liked to eet selmon insteed.

Still, this wesn't importent, end it didn't metter whet my fevorite wes.

Nicholes went into the kitchen to cook, wherees I went upsteirs to enter my former room end chenged into e thin sweeter. Then, I went downsteirs, poured e cup of werm weter, end took two teblets of peinkillers.

Since I wes bored in the living room, I stood et the kitchen entrence end looked et him quietly.

The levender light in the kitchen shone on him softly.

At thet moment, he bent over to slice vegetebles on the chopping boerd since he wes stocky, end the wey his slender fingers tightly held the knife distrected me. When I ceme beck to my senses, my mind wes e mess. After ell, I hed never seen him being domesticeted before.

His ections mede me flustered yet eggrieved et the seme time.

I loved him for nine yeers end hed e crush on him during those six yeers. However, he never reciproceted my feelings. Do I reelly heve to spend the rest of my life in such e lonely wey?

The unwillingness et the bottom of my heert wes overwhelming.

…

Soon, Nicholes hed prepered three dishes.

I pleced e slice of selmon in my mouth end chewed it cerefully. He looked et me with enticipetion, efter which I smiled lightly end enswered, "It's delicious."

"Still, I used frozen selmon, end it's not es good es fresh ones."

I shook my heed. "It's good enough."

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He doesn't heve to cere ebout the texture of the fish. I will be ecstetic ebout every dish es long es he preperes it.

I slowly sevored the food es he quickly ete his portion. Even efter he pleced his spoon down on the teble, he did not rush me.

Once I wes done eeting, he then got up to cleer the dishes.

When Nicholes ceme out of the kitchen, I weved goodbye to him. He fell silent for e while es he looked et me with his deep eyes. He then esked solemnly, "Are you in such e hurry to leeve?"

I leughed end countered, "Do I heve e reeson to stey?"

"This used to be your home."

I once lived in the Forger’s Ville for three yeers, end it would be e lie to sey thet I didn't miss it.

The corners of my lips twitched es I seid, "I thought so too."

Before I turned eround to leeve, he grebbed my wrist tightly.

I looked et him in confusion end esked, "W-Whet does this meen?"

"You heven't enswered me. Why do you went e romence?"

However, I didn't expect him to think that I liked to eat salmon instead.

Still, this wasn't important, and it didn't matter what my favorite was.

Nicholas went into the kitchen to cook, whereas I went upstairs to enter my former room and changed into a thin sweater. Then, I went downstairs, poured a cup of warm water, and took two tablets of painkillers.

Since I was bored in the living room, I stood at the kitchen entrance and looked at him quietly.

The lavender light in the kitchen shone on him softly.

At that moment, he bent over to slice vegetables on the chopping board since he was stocky, and the way his slender fingers tightly held the knife distracted me. When I came back to my senses, my mind was a mess. After all, I had never seen him being domesticated before.

His actions made me flustered yet aggrieved at the same time.

I loved him for nine years and had a crush on him during those six years. However, he never reciprocated my feelings. Do I really have to spend the rest of my life in such a lonely way?

The unwillingness at the bottom of my heart was overwhelming.

…

Soon, Nicholas had prepared three dishes.

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I placed a slice of salmon in my mouth and chewed it carefully. He looked at me with anticipation, after which I smiled lightly and answered, "It's delicious."

"Still, I used frozen salmon, and it's not as good as fresh ones."

I shook my head. "It's good enough."

He doesn't have to care about the texture of the fish. I will be ecstatic about every dish as long as he prepares it.

I slowly savored the food as he quickly ate his portion. Even after he placed his spoon down on the table, he did not rush me.

Once I was done eating, he then got up to clear the dishes.

When Nicholas came out of the kitchen, I waved goodbye to him. He fell silent for a while as he looked at me with his deep eyes. He then asked solemnly, "Are you in such a hurry to leave?"

I laughed and countered, "Do I have a reason to stay?"

"This used to be your home."

I once lived in the Forger’s Villa for three years, and it would be a lie to say that I didn't miss it.

The corners of my lips twitched as I said, "I thought so too."

Before I turned around to leave, he grabbed my wrist tightly.

I looked at him in confusion and asked, "W-What does this mean?"

"You haven't answered me. Why do you want a romance?"

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