Chapter 239 Henry, Once I Leave, I Won't Come Back
Henry took a beat, locked eyes with Grace, and said, "Let's call it quits!"
Grace didn't jump to respond. She kicked off her heels, slipped into some comfy slippers, and shrugged off her light coat, hanging it up by the door.
As the door clicked shut, she stared at it and muttered, "Henry, you sure about this? Once I'm out, I'm not coming back. No one likes being ignored all the time! Owen and I ended ages ago, and nothing ever happened between us."
Grace was being as humble as she could.
But Henry wasn't budging. He said, "I can't keep doing this to myself! Grace, let's end it!"
Grace stayed by the door, avoiding his gaze because if she looked at him, she knew she'd lose it.
She blinked, fighting back tears, but her voice still cracked a bit. "You call it torture! So being with me has been that bad for you!? Henry, I always said love isn't about owning someone. If you're in pain, then let's break up! But don't let it mess with the kids; they're too young to get it."
As she spoke, she clutched the document in her hand, her fingers shaking.
After a bit, she heard Henry agree, followed by the sound of his wheelchair creaking as he headed upstairs.
When she was alone, Grace lowered her eyes. She didn't wallow in self-pity for long, nor did she cry much.
Grace didn't sleep a wink that night. Knowing Henry was in the study, she went to the master bedroom. She ironed all his usual clothes, sorted his meds, and even changed his bedsheets to his favorite dark gray ones.
At dawn, she woke the kids and took care of them like always.
Grace told Avery she'd take him to drop Taylor off at school today. She said Henry needed to focus on his treatment and they shouldn't bother him. She'd bring them to visit Henry during the holidays.
The kids were super well-behaved. Grace got everything sorted and left with them at 8 AM.
Today seemed just like any other day.
Grace's heart was clearly hurting, but she kept the damage to a minimum. This was how 31-year-old Grace loved Henry—gracefully stepping back, not making things hard for him, and respecting him.
She didn't cry because she was a mom of two now, not the naive girl she used to be.
But like she said, once she left, she wasn't coming back. She'd still take care of Henry but from a distance.
The silver Rolls-Royce slowly rolled out of the villa.
Henry was in the study, watching quietly until he couldn't see them anymore.
Grace was gone! He'd pushed her away with his harsh words. He knew how brutal he'd been last night.
Henry tried to light a cigarette, but his hands were shaking so bad he couldn't get it lit. Frustrated, he snapped the cigarette in half.
Later, he wheeled himself to the guest room, which was spotless, like no one had ever stayed there.
Henry rolled back to the master bedroom. The bedsheets were fresh, and the closet still had that scent of freshly ironed clothes—a smell he always loved. His meds were all neatly organized.
A thin necklace lay on top of a document.
It was a gift he'd picked out for Grace when she came back. Not some fancy thing, but something he spent two hours choosing at a mall. He remembered how happy she looked when she got it. Grace was always easy to please.
Henry's eyes got misty as he looked at the document. He realized Owen had been in the country and they might've met yesterday because of this document.
His fingers started to tremble. The last page of the document was a letter from Grace to him, and it was simple.
[Henry, you said self-torture is painful. But I want to tell you that forgiveness is also painful, and it takes great courage to start loving someone again. I have loved you and hated you! Henry, my love for you is like a spark in a barren land. Even if it's just a tiny spark, it has the power to ignite everything around it in an instant. I have been lost; I have struggled and suffered. Once love has touched our life, regret has no place. Henry, I have no regrets. Yet between us, it's finally over!]
Henry stared blankly.
The words in front of him were blurry. His mind was filled with Grace's words, saying she had been lost and had struggled and suffered.
But he only saw his own pain and ignored hers. And last night, he had said, "Do you find it more thrilling to be with me?"
Grace said that once she left, she wouldn't come back.
Henry stayed in the closet, not going downstairs.
At 10 AM, Celeste showed up!
Celeste didn't know about their fight and split. She brought Henry a newspaper with Owen's scandal splashed on the front page.
Henry looked at it quietly, his heart almost trembling.
Celeste spoke softly, "Grace must have broken up with Owen before getting together with you! She's always been a woman of principles. I've always believed in her."
Henry tilted his head slightly, his Adam's apple bobbing, and the veins on his neck bulging.
'Grace, that fool, chose me over Owen!' he screamed in his mind.