Chapter 205
The atmosphere in the hospital room was oppressively tense, only Elora and Leopold's breathing was audible, like dying beasts.
Elora suddenly broke free from the wall, a trace of desperation in her eyes. "You... since you've remembered everything, why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you lie to me?"
"Lie to you?" Leopold gazed deeply at her, the pain in his eyes no less than hers. "I lied to you? Haven't you been lying to me all along? You deliberately imitated, deliberately approached, deliberately played the person from my memory! You made me live in deception for three years!"
His voice trembled with agitation. The injured area on his temple throbbed dully, but he couldn't care about that now.
Those obscured memory fragments rapidly pieced themselves together in his mind. Every detail combined to form the bloody truth.
Like sharp blades severing his nerves.
Why could he be so stupid! How could he be this stupid!
Stupid enough to believe Elora, truly thinking he'd found his soulmate!
All fake, all of it fake! He'd treated a grand illusion, a lie, as reality and spared no cost trying to make it real.
The truth was, he'd pushed away the person he loved most without even knowing it!
Leopold covered his face and laughed lowly.
How could there be someone as foolish as him in this world?
Elora's face was deathly pale as she hastily retreated. "I... I didn't... I didn't know what Lisbeth liked to wear. I just... I just..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller amid Leopold's breakdown. "I just loved you too much..."
"Loved me?" Leopold pointed at his own chest, his tone full of sarcasm. "This is how you love me? Making me live in a fabricated lie? Making me treat a complete stranger as my wife, making me hurt the person I truly love?"
"She doesn't love you at all!" Elora looked at his regretful expression and lost control as well. She couldn't accept Leopold's complete denial of love for her.
As if all their sweetness over three years counted for nothing.
"Lisbeth doesn't love you at all! She married you to repay a debt. She never truly loved you! Only me, only I truly love you!"
Leopold laughed lowly. "So what?"
"I'm the one who loves you!" Elora grabbed Leopold's sleeve like a drowning person clutching at straws, her eyes full of emotion. "I really love you. No matter what happens, I'm willing to be with you. Even if you hurt me, I won't leave you. But Lisbeth can't do that. Her love for you is so light it has no weight. She can abandon you at any time!"
"So what?" After her lengthy speech, Leopold only repeated his question.
"Leopold..." Elora's tears instantly burst forth, as if realizing that everything seemed irretrievable.
Leopold spoke deliberately, word by word. "So what? Whether she loves me or not—does it matter?"
Elora shook her head repeatedly. "Don't say it, please don't say it..."
"My loving her is enough." But she couldn't stop him. Leopold still said it.
In that moment, he felt relieved.
All the long struggles and hesitation vanished in this moment. He could finally face the hidden, suppressed emotions in his heart openly.
Elora slowly released him.
She saw it—the deep disgust in Leopold's eyes.
Everything was over.
The lie she'd carefully maintained for three years was completely torn apart in this moment, beyond repair.
Elora staggered and collapsed by the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to. I just..."
"Stop lying." Leopold looked at her almost numbly. Her pain evoked no pity in him. "Your so-called love isn't love at all."
Elora's head shot up. "How do I not love you? I stayed with you for three years. When the company was most difficult, I was there with you! Where was Lisbeth? She was living carefree with Sebastian, living comfortably abroad! And you? You drank until you had stomach bleeding to entertain clients. You desperately raised investments to get the company shareholders' approval. I was the one with you through it all!"
After she finished, the room fell into silence.
Before Leopold could react, Elora grabbed his sleeve again, humbly begging. "Leopold, even if our beginning was based on a lie, there's no going back now. Neither of us can return to the past. Isn't it good to just continue like this?"
Leopold stared at her blankly.
"As long as you're willing, we can still be together, just like before. Why must you shatter everything?" She seemed to be bewitching him. Give up, give up investigating the past, give up chasing impossible dreams.
But Leopold shook his head. "No, it's not like that."
If it were meaningless, he wouldn't have recovered his memory. His body, his instinct, was trying to wake him up, telling him not to indulge in lies.
Leopold closed his eyes, then opened them again, his gaze unwavering. "Elora, we can't go back."
Elora lowered her hand in despair. She'd never seen Leopold like this. He'd always been so gentle with her, cherishing her in his palm, afraid she'd suffer the slightest hurt.
But this time, she knew—everything was different. "You insist on separating from me?"
"Yes." Leopold's tone was resolute.
Elora knew it was irretrievable. She took a deep breath, choking back her sobs. "For the sake of my three years with you, give me some time... My parents, my friends... they all know about our relationship. I also work at the Hearst Group. At least give me some time to... to prepare. Otherwise..."
She didn't dare imagine what gossip she'd face after the breakup.
All those envious, blessing voices would turn into the most vicious mockery. She needed time to cope.
Leopold looked at her without speaking.
A tear fell from Elora's eye. "Three months. I only need three months. When the time's up, I'll publicly announce our breakup. I'll give you your freedom."
Leopold stared at her for a long time. Finally, he closed his eyes and nodded. "Just three months. Whatever compensation you deserve, I won't shortchange you by a cent."
Elora's body stiffened.
Three months...
That was just a dignified breakup, not some grace period. He'd already decided to separate from her.
"Okay." She choked out, finally able only to nod. "I agree."
She knew that if she didn't agree, he wouldn't even give her these three months of "dignity".
Two days later, Lisbeth received a call from Officer Cliff, notifying her to come to the police station to cooperate with further investigation of the car accident. "Regarding that accident, we have some new developments. We need you to come make a statement."
Lisbeth agreed. Sebastian wanted to accompany her, but received a last-minute call saying there were some company matters to handle.
He was about to refuse outright when Lisbeth stopped him.
"You go ahead. I'm just going to the police station. I'll be fine."