Chapter 279:
Freya caught him studying her, and her brow furrowed slightly. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You’ve changed,” Kristian observed, noting the dramatic transformation she had undergone in the past month, his tone deliberately detached.
Freya remained silent.
Unwilling to waste any more time, she steered the conversation back to its purpose. “What exactly do you want from me?”
“We’re not getting divorced,” Kristian declared without hesitation, convinced of the righteousness of his statement.
Freya thought her ears had deceived her. “I beg your pardon?”
“The situation with Ashley and me was merely a misunderstanding. I’ve discussed it with her, and we won’t be pursuing a relationship,” Kristian explained, his gaze never leaving her face. “Therefore, there’s no reason for us to dissolve our marriage.”
Silence enveloped the room again as Freya processed his audacity. She genuinely wondered what had given him the courage to utter such preposterous words.
Noticing her prolonged silence and interpreting her contemptuous expression, Kristian ventured, “Do you actually want this divorce?”
“Why not?” Freya retorted.
“Should I spend the remainder of my days with someone as unfaithful as you?” Kristian found himself speechless.
“Your relationship status is entirely your concern,” Freya continued without hesitation. Her only desire was to extricate herself from this situation. “From the instant I discovered, half a year ago, that you viewed me merely as her replacement, I resolved to end our marriage.”
Had he not objected then, they would have parted ways long before now.
While she appreciated his handsome features, that admiration didn’t translate into endless tolerance. She wasn’t desperate for his affection.
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“You were never a substitute,” Kristian insisted, feeling compelled to clarify this point.
Freya responded with a dismissive “Okay.”
“Initially, I was drawn to your independent spirit,” Kristian elaborated. “We aligned on numerous issues, and I believed you would make an acceptable marriage partner for me.” His assessment had proven accurate. In the first year and a half they were together, they navigated life without confrontation, addressing every challenge through thoughtful discussion. Their shared existence had genuinely radiated warmth.
“Acceptable?” The word ignited something within Freya. “Is that how you saw me?”
“Yes,” Kristian affirmed calmly. “You trusted me implicitly, never bombarding me with calls when work delayed my return home. Most significantly, you treated me with extraordinary kindness.” His words sparked a firestorm of emotions within Freya.
Gazing at the man seated across from her, she posed a direct question. “Then why did you reciprocate my kindness?”
“You showed me kindness, so naturally, I returned it,” Kristian replied, as if stating an obvious truth. “Moreover, since we are married, caring for you fulfilled my marital obligation.”
“Nothing more?” Freya pressed.
“Nothing more.”
His straightforward admission pierced through Freya’s carefully constructed defenses. Her heart, which had finally found tranquility after so much turmoil, ached once more with renewed intensity.
She had always believed that despite viewing her as Ashley’s shadow, Kristian must have genuinely appreciated her as an individual during their marriage.
Now this revelation struck her deeply—his care stemmed merely from obligation, from reciprocating her kindness, not from any wellspring of affection.
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