A Moment in Destiny

“Let’s call a truce!” Vincent said after a long pause. After Leila’s outburst, his voice was a bit hoarse even as he said this.

What!?

Leila was dumbfounded.

“Let’s call a truce!” He repeated.

Leila was still frozen in her tracks. She didn’t respond at all.

From his tone, he sounded very sincere yet indifferent. “I’m really tired!”

Leila’s heart continued to tighten until it felt as though it was about to burst and jump out of her chest. This was the first time she ever heard him speak in such a tone, and she was beyond belief.

“Cut it out already!” He said.

“You’re the one making a ruckus, not me!” Leila said in a low voice, filled with a sense of being treated unfairly, “I just don’t want to be a pawn in someone’s game, I’m really tired too.”

... Vincent opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Leila continued softly, “When I was young, I always imagined how wonderful marriage would be. Just like the songs, I always thought it’d be incredibly romantic, growing old with you together. Even when we’re old and can’t go anywhere, I’d like to think that you’d still treat me with love and respect. But this marriage is nothing like that. Keeping this marriage is pointless; we just keep hurting each other. Besides, even your mom said so, we’re going to get divorced sooner or later. We might as well get it over with now, right?”

“Since the day I married you, my entire life was ruined; I won’t ever get happiness in this life. I never naively believed in fairy tales like love lasting for a lifetime. I don’t want to fight and bicker with you to no end. I don’t want to argue with you or endure your verbal abuse. I always hoped that you’d be the same Mr. White as before, who could smile leisurely and isn’t filled with hate. Just you being you? Even if we get divorced, I can still call you Mr. White!”

“But, I don’t know how much longer we’re going to continue hurting each other like this. I don’t know if I will still have the strength to call you Mr. White! Now, you’re standing before me, saying how tired you are. I just want to say, being someone filled with so much hate, how can you not be tired? Your heart is enduring pain and suffering every day, right? If I guessed correctly, you married me just to shame my family, right? So why do you have a face like that, as though you’re suffering so much?”

Leila carefully observed Vincent and noted the pain in his eyes. She noted the bags under his eyes, as though he hadn’t slept all night. Looking at the blood traces on his bandaged hands, she felt a hint of pain. She pulled his hand over and redid the bandage. The second their hands touched together, Vincent felt as though an electric shock ran through his body.

She continued to speak, “I don’t want to continue like this, Mr. White, I’m really depressed, really!”

She looked at him with a worried expression; he could see the kindness on her face as well as the tears that were about to come out. She was about to let him go, when he suddenly grabbed her and held her tightly.

“Leila, what if you’re not just a pawn?” His shoulders were shaking a bit, and there was a strange tone mixed with uncertainty.

Leila felt as though something was amiss; it felt as though he was a bit fragile. Did he ever had this side to him?

for you to hate my father, but I know you won’t quit. Even so, I can’t change that. But I won’t be a part

expression suddenly

him away, and reminded him, “I don’t want to make your mom constantly unhappy, and I don’t want to see how

together. He was quiet for a long time. It was

the gently held her face with his other hand. Her face instantly became hot from his warm

better senses made her move her head to the side, and his hand slid to the side. His eyes

did he

could get through to him. Just what did she

this; what can we do?” Leila shed all

out to her in a deep voice with such sadness in his eyes, which made her feel incredibly

However-

so weak? It made her heart tighten. It was as though he was going to ask her, did he

she quickly swallowed this

possibly like her?

She has even seen him change women plenty of

His words made her blood freeze. “I’ll tell

pained expression, then spoke in a soft voice, “It’s because he has something to do with my father’s death. If it weren’t

“Didn’t your father commit

“It was suicide!”

got to do with my

incredibly upset. “He was a prideful man. At the age of 35, he became F City’s mayor. Yet, due to his delay in issuing a document, 120 workers were trapped in a well due to a heavy storm in July, and their whereabouts became

stunned; she held her breath as she listened to him continue.

document was sitting on my father’s desk. Your father wrote an anonymous letter to the province to report my father’s negligence at work.

it was his responsibility, of course he had to issue the report! That concerned the lives of 120 miners. My

“That’s true

“What do you mean?”

I did some investigating. Someone intentionally withheld notice of that

“What do you mean?”

to him were accidents, and out of all the accidents, the well mining was the most severe. If something were to happen, the top brass would definitely get punished. This was the only way to get my father to resign!” Vincent lit a cigarette. “Tell me, should I hate the mastermind

Leila felt a knot begin

after my father died, that man became the mayor of F City, to this day!”