Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Caden took a moment before replying, “What would be the point?”
“She’s upset, but she might still care about you. This could be a chance to win her back, don’t you think?”
Caden looked down and replied, “No, that won’t be necessary.” Strategies like that would only be effective for minor disputes. Informing her now would likely irritate her further.
“Keep this to yourself,” Caden instructed before he headed back to his apartment alone.
As soon as he opened the door, Cade, who had been well looked after by the housekeeper, came bounding over. Caden knelt and caressed its head tenderly. Cade nuzzled him and then circled behind him. Its tail stopped wagging and drooped when it saw Alicia wasn’t there. It gazed up at Caden, head tilted, whimpering softly as if to inquire about her whereabouts.
A bitter sensation welled up in Caden’s throat as he shook his head in response.
The Moss family was engulfed in their own chaos. They had made a hurried trip to Terriland last time, only to find they were too late. Yolanda had already been taken away by Marlon.
At first, Yolanda had only faked her disappearance to worry Caden, but now, she was truly missing.
Marlon returned with just two severed hands. Dorian instantly recognized them as belonging to his daughter and was so overcome with emotion that he became bedridden for weeks. During this time, he had his people search for Yolanda, but she seemed to have disappeared completely.
Regina, on the other hand, stayed composed. She visited him one day, bringing gifts and maintaining a cool, detached presence.
Feeling distant, Dorian, weak and vulnerable, said to her, appreciative of her visit but longing for more, “Regina, something terrible has happened to Yolanda.” His heart was shattered.
With a slight smile, Regina responded, “She has only herself to blame. Don’t carry the guilt.”
Dorian reacted with surprise.
“Why would you say that? After all, she’s our daughter, the one you struggled so much to have.”
Regina replied with detachment, “I disowned her as my daughter long ago.”
Her intention was to leave not just Yolanda behind, but Dorian as well.
“Dorian, I think it’s time we divorced.”
Dorian lay motionless on the hospital bed.
“What?” He was utterly dumbfounded by Regina’s words.
“Regina, what did you just say?”
His agitation was so intense that he attempted to sit up, forgetting his frailty from his illness. His struggle appeared particularly distressing.
Regina was resolute, her eyes showing no trace of tenderness as she looked at him. Worried he might not have understood her the first time, she repeated, “I’m filing for divorce. The paperwork is ready. Next week, meet me at the courthouse.”
She kept a deliberate distance, choosing to have the lawyer waiting outside bring in the divorce documents instead.
Dorian’s mind went blank. As he recognized the lawyer, he squinted and said, “Jeffery.”
Caden’s top lawyer?
He quickly grasped what was unfolding and looked at Regina with disbelief.
“You’re this heartless?”
Regina didn’t flinch.
“I knew you wouldn’t take this easily, so I’ve arranged for my divorce lawyer to handle it.” Her tone was calm, yet completely emotionless.
“So, if you prefer not to complicate things, it’s best we part ways peacefully. Go to the courthouse, and I’ll leave without claiming any assets.”
Dorian sank back onto the bed, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at the woman he had loved deeply. Years of love were dismissed so effortlessly.
“Why?” Dorian was confused.
“What’s wrong with me loving our daughter?”
Regina sneered.
“You love Yolanda, but does that excuse neglecting others?”
“Is Alicia more important than our own daughter?” he asked.
“She was pregnant then!” Regina’s voice was thick with bitterness and grief as she said, “Two months along, and she nearly died because of the car crash you caused. Did you know that?”
Her shout plunged the entire ward into stunned silence.
Dorian was shocked. The memory of Alicia struggling to crawl toward him flashed in his mind, causing his heart to ache severely.
Regina’s voice broke as she said, “That was supposed to be her and Caden’s first child, and now it will be their last. Dorian, how can I forgive you for that?”
Dorian felt a piercing pain and asked hoarsely, “And now she…”
Regina wiped her tears.
“She’s recovering from the miscarriage. Her health has greatly deteriorated, and she can no longer have children.”
She had looked deeply into the situation and was now consumed by sorrow.
“Your daughter destroyed their happiness, and you took their child’s life. Dorian, I can’t forgive you for as long as I live.”
Dorian stared at the ceiling, his emotions in chaos. For a moment, he found himself unable to speak.
After Jeffery handed over the divorce papers, he promptly left.
The ward fell silent, leaving just the two of them.
Regina said, “Caden still has no idea that you are the one responsible for the accident. Since we are on the verge of divorce, I don’t want to interfere in your life.”
“It’s your decision whether you want to hide away for the rest of your life or come forward.”
With those words, she turned and walked away.
Dorian, overwhelmed by his emotions, tried to get up to stop her but accidentally fell from the bed with a loud crash.
Time passed slowly.
In this final month of the year, not only Caden but also Dorian found himself struggling. After Regina brought up the divorce, he didn’t go to the courthouse. Recently, Regina urged him again. These days, he was worn out, plagued by guilt over Alicia’s condition, and found himself restless at night. He longed to visit her, but he knew he had no right to.
When he learned that Alicia was nearing the end of her recovery, he made up his mind to leave the hospital, buy some gifts, and offer her an apology. After sorting out the discharge formalities, Dorian returned to the ward and encountered a man inside.
He recognized the man as Corey’s secretary. The secretary handed him a manila envelope and said, “Mr. Moss, Mr. Hampton asked me to deliver this to you.”
Dorian harbored a deep hatred for Corey and initially didn’t want to open it, but the secretary mentioned that it concerned Alicia.
“Alicia?” Dorian’s interest was piqued, and he accepted the envelope.
The secretary left without another word.
Dorian opened the envelope to discover a paternity test report involving him and Alicia. The results unmistakably confirmed that Dorian was Alicia’s biological father, establishing their genetic relationship.
The intensity of the information overwhelmed him, and Dorian’s sight momentarily failed him. It felt as though the words were blurred, and he couldn’t quite grasp them. He examined the document again, then again, until he reluctantly came to terms with the truth.
Alicia…
Alicia was his biological daughter? That couldn’t possibly be true.
The revelation struck Dorian with overwhelming force, making his entire body shake uncontrollably. The papers he was holding slipped from his hands, scattering all over the floor.
Dorian couldn’t understand why this news caused him such agony. As he stooped to gather the documents, he found some old photographs among them. They were birth records from more than twenty years ago for two children, Yolanda and Alicia..
Dorian’s eyes locked onto a photo of a child. He remembered that moment clearly-he had been present at the birth and had personally carried the newborn to show Regina. The baby’s chubby little face was carved into his memory, something he would never forget. Later, because the baby had fluid in her lungs, she spent the first half-month of her life in the neonatal unit. When he held her again, she looked different, having grown a bit. But as a new father, Dorian hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
He trusted Regina and the medical staff completely and never suspected any mix-up. Now, the photo in his hands was labeled with Alicia’s name. Alicia, the daughter of the Bennett family. The woman he had hurt repeatedly, whose life he had shattered, leaving her lonely on the roadside, was his own flesh and blood.
Dorian was in disbelief. He couldn’t accept the fact. He shook his head violently, insisting that it couldn’t be true. Yet, tears flowed down his face without restraint. Finally, he gripped the photo tightly and wept loudly, drawing the attention of several doctors and nurses.
Once he had calmed down, Dorian directly contacted Corey to inquire about the meaning behind this.
The revelation hit Dorian with overwhelming force. Corey’s reply was evasive and cunning.
“I came across this information accidentally. At first, I thought, considering your close relationship with Yolanda, it wasn’t necessary to reveal this secret. But now, with Yolanda missing and her whereabouts unknown, maybe it’s time for you to recognize your true daughter and ease some of the pain from your loss.”
Dorian remained skeptical of Corey’s seemingly selfless motives. He wanted to understand Corey’s true intentions, but the intense pain in his head made it difficult for him to think straight.
Meanwhile, a court summons had arrived. Regina had cornered him; the hearing was set for the next day.
The following day, Dorian arrived at the courthouse looking frail. He observed the woman he had once loved now opposing him, aloof and detached, as if she were a stranger. Consumed by heartache, he felt that everything he had held onto had crumbled in an instant. He began to come to terms with the reality. If Alicia was indeed his biological daughter, considering all the wrongs he had committed, he didn’t deserve a woman like Regina.
Dorian’s odd behavior led the proceedings to wrap up more quickly than expected. Regina cast a glance at him, her expression unreadable, uncertain of what he had endured recently. He seemed to have lost all his resolve, struggling even to sit upright.
As they exited the courthouse, Dorian quickened his steps to catch up with Regina, reaching for her hand. Regina withdrew it sharply, saying coldly, “We have no relationship now. Please show some respect.”
Dorian had never seemed so exposed. He murmured softly, “Regina, I need to speak with you privately. Please, just a moment of your time.”
Regina appeared taken aback by his demeanor.
Though they had once been a loving pair, Dorian had never shown such humility or so completely abandoned his pride, appearing so broken.
Turning away, Regina instructed, “Make it quick. Say what you have to.”
They moved to a quiet area, away from prying eyes.
Dorian said softly, “I want to see Alicia.”