Chapter 4- I won’t cry

The sourness and pain simultaneously stabbed at Laurent's heart, and her tears burst forth once more.

How much had she failed, to let a marriage become like this, to turn her daughter's image of her father into something like this?

Because he didn't love her, he didn't love the daughter she gave birth to, and that's why he didn't get close to his daughter, even though she carried his blood.

Unable to bear hearing her daughter's cries any longer, she shouted out to the person on the other end of the phone,

"I'm not coming back tonight. You calm her down!"

And then she hung up the phone.

After hanging up, she tossed her phone aside and sat on the couch, biting her lip to suppress her emotions, yet her tears fell one by one, hot and unrelenting.

Adeline, sitting beside her, reached out and gently held her hand.

"If you want to cry, cry out loud."

As a mother herself, Adeline deeply understood the feeling of being separated from a child.

Adeline thought Laurent would continue crying, but instead, Laurent wiped her tears away with her hand and then, amidst the tears, forced a smile,

"I won't cry. I'm not crying. Ending this marriage is a relief to me. Why would I cry?"

Her tone was stubborn and defiant.

"I won't shed a single tear over this matter again. The reason I'm upset is because of Emma. But no matter how much it hurts in the future, it won't hurt more than tonight. I've come to terms with it."

Adeline sighed helplessly, looking at her resolute demeanor.

"You really are carefree," Adeline said, "I took almost a year to get over this, and only recently have I finally come to terms with it."

When Adeline first learned that her ex-husband was having an affair, and with such a disgraceful woman, she was so overwhelmed that she collapsed and passed out on the spot. After waking up, she went through a mental breakdown, even running to the rooftop and almost jumping off.

Now, Laurent was so quick to let go of her five-year marriage, and Adeline admired her freedom and resolve.

But what Adeline didn't know was that Laurent's carefreeness came from her heart being completely shattered—no longer holding any hope for the marriage, no longer having any thoughts of the man. That was why she was able to be so decisive.

As soon as Adeline finished speaking, Laurent's phone rang again, and the caller ID showed Dave Washington's name.

Laurent pressed the hang-up button and turned off the phone, then stood up and said to Adeline, who was still sitting there,

"Can I borrow your bathroom to take a shower and some clothes to wear?"

With that, she left.

Adeline glanced at Laurent's black-screened phone and had a rough idea of her decision to divorce. She said nothing more and went to the bedroom to find clothes for her.

If a relationship has been this hard and oppressive, why continue to hold on? This world can carry on just fine without anyone needing anyone else.

Laurent's marriage to Dave Washington had only lasted five years, while Adeline had ended her ten-year relationship with Grant just like that. What was five years compared to ten?

After taking a shower and changing into the loungewear Adeline had found for her, Laurent felt much more refreshed and clear-headed.

Adeline had also brought her a new set of clothes.

"I bought these a few days ago. Take them if you want, just don't mind how cheap they are."

Laurent accepted the clothes, smiling gently.

"How could I mind? Right now, I have nothing."

In the room of Dave and Laurent's home, the sound of earth-shattering crying echoed from the children's room.

"I want Mommy! I want Mommy!"

Beside the pink children's bed stood Dave Washington, his face pale and disheveled, holding his phone and repeatedly dialing Laurent's number. However, every time, he was met with the cold sound of the phone being off.

Dave was in this state because he had just returned from a dinner, carrying their daughter, who was still asleep. After placing her in the room, he went straight to the bathroom to take a shower. However, just after finishing, he heard his daughter's loud crying. He hurriedly wiped his face, threw on some clothes, and ran out.

Then came his daughter's endless cries, clinging to him, demanding her mother, leaving him flustered and helpless.

He had never experienced taking care of his daughter alone. Since her birth, Laurent had handled everything herself. Dave was either out late with social engagements, or he returned home late after working, or he was busy traveling for work. The time spent with his daughter was minimal, and he had no experience caring for a child, leaving him completely unprepared and overwhelmed.

At first, he tried to calmly comfort her, but after waiting and waiting for Laurent to return, his patience wore thin, especially as his daughter continued to cry.

He remembered that his daughter was usually intelligent and well-behaved. Why was she causing such a ruckus tonight?

After the embarrassment caused by that woman at the dinner, now his daughter was crying again as soon as he got home. His anger was understandable.

Yet, at this moment, he had no choice but to suppress his anger and call that woman. To his frustration, she told him she wouldn't be coming home tonight and left him to handle their daughter.

This was something he had never done before, and with his daughter crying so loudly, how could he possibly calm her down?

The closest Dave had ever been to his daughter was during the mornings and evenings when he came home from work. The little one would stand at the door, smiling and saying, "Goodbye, Daddy," or "Daddy, you're home."

Other than those moments, there was no real intimacy.

A lot of times, his instinct was to avoid getting too close to his daughter, to not look too closely at her bright, radiant face, because it reminded him so much of Laurent from years ago when they first met.

It wasn't just her appearance; even her cheerful, smiling demeanor was the same.

He didn't know where they got all their happiness from, or all their energy and vitality. But whenever he saw them, it always felt as if their bright smiles could burn his eyes.

He didn't like the way both mother and daughter were so full of sunshine, so he avoided interacting with them.

However, it seemed that over the years, someone had stopped smiling so much, had stopped being so radiant. She had become quiet and calm, sometimes to the point that he almost forgot she existed.

After dialing Laurent's number again without success, Dave Washington, having held in his anger all night, finally snapped. His hand shot up, and the phone in his grip flew across the room, crashing into the wall with a loud bang. The noise startled the little girl on the bed, who froze, her big, round eyes filled with fear, and the crying stopped abruptly.

She finally went quiet. Looking at his daughter cowering in fear, her small body shrinking back, Dave felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if his organs had shifted out of place.

He knew he had scared her.

Finally regaining some sense of control, he realized that no matter how much trouble he and Laurent were having, the child was innocent. He shouldn't have lost his temper in front of her.

He quickly forced the anger off his face and softened his tone as much as possible.

"Emma, I'm sorry. Daddy wasn't mad at you."