Chapter 9

Luther glanced at the time. It was exactly 10:00 am. Just as he was about to call Grace to see if she had arrived, he spotted her standing under a large tree in the distance. She was wearing dark-colored clothes. From afar and in the light drizzle, she looked incredibly thin, as if a slight breeze could knock her over. He remembered how Grace used to be when they first married. She used to be full of life, youthful and vibrant. Now, she seemed drained and lifeless. With an umbrella in hand, Luther walked straight toward her. It took a moment before Grace noticed him. In these three years, Luther hadn't changed much. He was still as handsome and confident as ever, with an added air of maturity. Grace felt a wave of dizziness. It was as though these years had passed in a flash, yet had drained everything from her. When Luther reached her, he silently demanded an apology. In his mind, the drama should have ended by now. Instead, Grace said, "Sorry for taking up your time. Let's go inside." Luther's expression stiffened. "Don't regret this," he muttered. Then, he turned around and walked toward city hall. As Grace watched him walk away, she felt a pang of sadness. She wasn't sure if she regretted her choice of leaving him. All she knew was that she was emotionally drained. Grace's decision to leave came only when hope was completely gone. The weight of her disappointment had finally become too much to bear. When the staff at the divorce filing counter asked if they were sure about the decision, Grace firmly answered, "Yes." Her resolute gaze made Luther feel stifled. After completing the paperwork, they were informed of the mandatory cooling-off period. They would need to return in a month to finalize the divorce. If they didn't return, the application would be automatically voided. As they left the city hall, Grace looked at Luther with a calm expression. "See you next month. Take care." With that, she stepped into the rain, hailed a cab, and left. Luther stood there, watching the car drive away. He wasn't sure if what he felt was relief. At least now, he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore or face the mockery of having a disabled wife. Just then, Elijah called. "Luther, is it done?" "Yeah." "I heard there's a cooling-off period now. Don't let yourself be swayed by that deaf woman. She's probably got something planned." Luther thought Elijah's words made sense. Grace had clung to him for over a decade, so he refused to believe she would just let go so easily. ... Grace leaned against the cab window, watching the raindrops slide down the glass in a daze. The driver noticed blood trickling from her ears and was startled. He called out, "Miss, miss!" several times, but she didn't respond. Worried, he pulled over. Grace was confused as to why they had stopped early. She looked at the driver and realized she couldn't hear him. "What did you say? I can't hear." The driver typed a message explaining her condition. Grace touched her ears, feeling the warmth of the blood. She seemed accustomed to it and said, "It's nothing. I'm used to this." Her hearing loss had never involved bleeding before. It started two years ago when Elijah pushed her into a pool at a party. Grace, who couldn't swim, almost drowned and suffered from ruptured eardrums. After being taken to the hospital, she developed this problem. Although it had been under control, it had recently become more frequent. The driver was worried about her condition, so he took her to the nearest hospital. Grace thanked him and went in for an examination. Nigel Harold, her regular doctor, greeted her. "Dr. Harold, I've been having trouble with my memory lately. I often forget what I'm doing," Grace said. That morning, she struggled to remember that she was supposed to divorce Luther. Only then did she go to the city hall early to wait for him. To avoid forgetting it again, she kept checking his messages. Nigel reviewed her recent diagnostic reports with a worried expression. "Ms. Mitchell, I recommend further tests, including a psychological evaluation." Following his advice, Grace underwent a psychological evaluation. It revealed that she had severe depression, which could cause significant memory issues. Before returning to her motel, Grace bought a notebook and pen to record everything that had happened recently. She placed it by her bed so that she could see it as soon as she woke up. As she lay down to rest, she opened her phone to find ways to treat her depression and came across a statement that read, "Do your best to heal yourself, rather than expecting someone to save you." After that, she turned off her phone and closed her eyes. Divorcing Luther had stirred up a lot of drama. Carolyn called her numerous times that night, but Grace didn't hear any of them. When she woke up the next day, she saw Carolyn's messages. "Where are you right now? Who do you think you are? If anyone should be ending the marriage, it should be Luther! You're nothing but trouble. Your father had that accident when you got married, and now, you're trying to ruin the Mitchell family with this divorce?" Grace was used to these kinds of messages. She typed a reply, saying, "Mom, we need to become self-reliant and not depend too much on others." Soon, Carolyn's reply came, "You ungrateful wretch! I shouldn't have had you!" Grace didn't respond further and set her phone aside. She planned to finalize the divorce with Luther in a month and then leave Taseville to start anew. ... In the following days, Grace's health deteriorated. Her hearing loss became more frequent, and recovery took longer. Her memory was also failing. The day before, she even forgot the way back to her motel after dining out. Fortunately, she had the GPS on her phone. Her hearing might not improve, but she hoped to address her depression. She tried to stay positive and keep busy. She signed up online as a volunteer to help elderly people without families and some orphans. Seeing the help she provided seemed to give her a sense of purpose. Grace woke up on another ordinary morning, reviewed her notes as usual, and got ready to head to the orphanage. When she checked her phone, she found several unread messages from Carolyn, Matthew, and Casey. Carolyn's message said, "As you wished, the Mitchell family is finished now." Matthew's message read, "Just stay away. I've never seen such a heartless and cowardly sister." Casey's messages were more supportive. She typed, "Grace, please accept my condolences. Mitchell Group will be better off in Luther's hands. Since the Mitchell family supported me in the past, let me know if you need anything. I'll help if I can." Grace was confused about what had happened. Moments after she closed the messaging app, a push notification for breaking news appeared on her phone.