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?

hate me. I don’t know what happened for you to hate my father, but I

suddenly became

mom constantly unhappy, and I don’t want to see how you’re going to

knit closely together. He was quiet for a long time. It was as though time froze at this

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

her head to the side, and his hand slid to the

he

as though no words could get through to him. Just what did she have to do to get through to him?

can we do?”

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

However-

always been such a prideful person; why did he suddenly behave so weak? It made her heart tighten. It was as though he was going to ask her, did he

she quickly swallowed this

he possibly like

time. She has even seen him change women plenty of times. If she were to ask, it’d only make her look bad.

father?” His words

towards the car window, with a pained expression, then spoke in a soft voice, “It’s because he has something to do with my father’s death. If

was shocked, “Didn’t your father commit

“It was suicide!”

got to do with my father?”

35, he became F City’s mayor. Yet, due to his delay in issuing a document, 120 workers were

her breath as she listened to

were accounted for, 120 were missing. At that time, the province issued a document addressing safety issues. But that document was sitting on my father’s desk. Your

why you hate my father?” Leila was in shock, “But it was his responsibility, of course he had to issue the report! That concerned the lives of 120 miners. My

true on

“What do you mean?”

of that document

“What do you mean?”

the accident. Afterwards, I found out someone set my father up! Because he always took care of everything in an airtight manner. The only thing that could get to him were accidents, and out of all the accidents, the well mining was the most

withheld the document?” Leila felt a knot begin to form inside her.

after my father died, that man became the mayor