Chapter 12

As Grace walked back alone, she halted halfway through and glanced at her surroundings. They felt unfamiliar to her, and it seemed like she had forgotten the way back again. She whipped her phone out and planned to use the navigation app to guide her back to the motel, but she only remembered the name of the motel after a very long time. Charles had been following her all this while, and he was worried when he saw her standing in the middle of the road after encountering Luther earlier. "Grace," Charles called out. When she heard that, Grace thought that Luther had returned, and a hint of anticipation flashed in her eyes. But it was soon replaced by disappointment the moment she turned around. Charles walked toward her and asked, "Have you really forgotten me?" Grace stared at him, but she couldn't make out who he was. "I'm Chubs. Do you remember now?" Charles reminded her. Only then did Grace remember who he was. Chubs, or known as Charles, was the friend she had made when she stayed in the countryside with Teresa. Back then, Charles had been very chubby, and he wasn't any taller than her. But now, he had grown to be six foot two, and his facial features had become more charming. "I remember now. You've changed so much that I couldn't recognize you," Grace replied. It could be considered a happy occasion to have met an old friend here, so Grace forced out a smile at him. But it only made Charles' heart sting even more. "Let's go. I'll take you home," Charles said. Only when they arrived at her place did Charles realize that she was staying in an old and worn down motel. He couldn't help but think that she shouldn't have been allowed to end up like this even if she had divorced Luther. After all, the Harrison family was wealthy and powerful. Grace felt a little embarrassed and said, "I'm sorry you have to see me like this. Please don't tell Teresa that I'm staying here. I don't want her to worry." Charles nodded in reply, but he didn't know how to comfort her. It was getting far too late, and it wouldn't be good if he were to stay for too long, so Charles told Grace that he would visit her tomorrow before he left. When Charles exited the motel, he failed to take note of the matte black Cadillac parked in the shadows below. It didn't mean much to Grace where she stayed, because it all felt the same. After Charles left, Grace felt the side effects of drinking too much. Her head was dizzy, and she had an upset stomach. Meanwhile, her mind replayed Luther's words like a recording. "You look so ugly with makeup on. Who do you think would like someone like you?" Then, she forcefully rubbed her lipstick away—so much so that her pale complexion began to swell up after her rough movements. After Grace learned of her depression, she researched the effects and situations that this illness could lead her to. Depression could lead to brain damage, which not only included memory loss but also cognitive dysfunction. It would make her think of unhappy things and even magnify the sorrows that she had. There was a series of heavy knocks on her door. Grace thought that Charles had returned, so she opened the door. In the next moment, her wrist was caught in Luther's strong grip. She felt as if her wrist was going to snap. "Grace, you're really something!" Luther locked the door and dragged her to the couch. "So, you've already picked your next target, huh? No wonder you were so willing to leave me behind!" Luther sneered. His words cut her deep, and Grace knew that he must have misunderstood because he had seen Charles with her. But she couldn't understand why she couldn't live her life or do anything when he had been thinking of his first love all this time. She looked at Luther, who was seething with anger, and her eyes turned red as she said, "Aren't we the same?" The Mitchell family had lied their way into this marriage alliance, while Luther had treated her coldly for three years without forgetting about his first love. Neither of them was better than the other. Luther had been drinking today as well, and he reeked of alcohol. His eyes were red when he grabbed her chin and asked in a low voice, "Who is he? When did you meet him?" It was the first time Grace had seen him like this, and she laughed all of a sudden. "Are you jealous?" At that, Luther's gaze darkened, and he mocked, "Are you worthy of it?" Upon hearing that, Grace felt a lump in the back of her throat. Luther then forcefully pressed against her and said right into her ear, "Has he touched you yet? Huh?" Because of the rules of the Harrison family, Grace gave up her job and even rejected her friends' occasional invites. But now, Luther was suspecting her. Somehow, she felt a little relieved. Then, she countered, "What do you think?" Immediately after, Luther became completely agitated and moved his palm downward. Grace couldn't believe what was happening and froze all over. She wanted to reject and resist him, but it was useless. The sky was bright by the time they were finished, and only then did Luther seem to calm down. Luther stared at Grace's frail and skinny figure before he turned to gaze at the stained sheets of red. He didn't know what to feel, but Grace slapped him hard on his face. This slap of hers also broke all the illusions she had held toward love. Grace's ears drummed, and she couldn't hear what Luther was saying, but she interrupted him all the same, "Fuck off!" Luther didn't know how he left, but his brain kept replaying the scenes from the day before. While he was in the car, he called Jamie and said, "Find out all of the men Grace knows." Jamie was a little stunned after hearing that. After Grace and Luther got married, there was no one else besides Luther whom Grace met every day. Where would she even go to meet other men? … After Luther had left the motel, Grace cleaned herself up. It was rather ridiculous that they fulfilled their marital duties only when they were about to get a divorce. At 9:00 am, Charles brought breakfast for Grace, but he didn't notice any abnormalities. "I left in a hurry yesterday, so I forgot to tell you that I have a place cleared out. You can move there. It's too dangerous for you to stay in a motel alone," Charles offered. But Grace shook her head. It wasn't easy to return a favor, and she didn't want to owe anyone. Charles had known that she would reject the idea, so he said, "It'll be empty anyway, so just move in there. I won't ask you to pay me rent." "But I can only live there for a month at most," Grace responded. "Then, a month it is. It's better than leaving it empty." Charles didn't know why she said that she could only live there for a month when it seemed like there was still a long way to go. He had driven over in his car to pick her up, and she only had a suitcase with her. After Grace boarded the car, she chatted with Charles about their time back when they were younger. Then, he told her about what he had been doing all these years. He left for overseas after high school and got into a work-study program. Then, he started a company at 20 years old and could probably be considered somewhat a wealthy boss now. When Grace heard of his rich experience, she soon compared it to her life experience. Right after she graduated, she got married to Luther and became a housewife. Grace could only look at Charles in admiration as she praised, "You're amazing!" "You too! I saw you on TV after you left the village. You won first place in the Youth Piano Competition, and you joined a singing competition as well, right? Did you know? You were like my idol back then…" Charles chatted away. He didn't tell Grace that it wasn't easy for him to start a new life in a foreign country back then. He learned to do a lot of bad things and even gave up on himself. Until he saw Grace on the news. Most people should know that the music industry wasn't kind or giving to people who were born with impaired hearing and that their doors would long be closed on them.