My Blind Wife Wants Divorced

Chloe has been staying at her old house for the past three months. She feels an increasing sense of peace within herself. Her smile grows wider every day. It’s not just Peni who notices the positive changes in Chloe. Almost everyone agrees with Peni that Chloe’s condition has greatly influenced her recovery.

Indeed, now Chloe truly feels remarkable progress. Upon returning from the hospital, she wears prescription glasses to see more clearly as her blurred vision still bothers her. Peni’s face is quite clear to Chloe for the first time. Tia, whom she remembers as skinny, is now much fuller. Some of the other staff members are unrecognizable to her.

“It’s so touching, Pen,” Chloe said with teary eyes. Her tears began to flow as soon as she arrived home. She had already cried tears of joy in front of Darren.

“I didn’t expect your recovery to be this quick, Chloe,” Darren said with a genuine smile. “Congratulations. I’m so grateful for your healing.”

“It’s not complete yet, Darren, but it already feels joyful.”

“Yeah.” Darren longed to give Chloe a warm hug in his practice room. But he had boundaries. Darren was afraid someone might suddenly visit, even though they would have to knock on the door first. But as a doctor, he had to uphold his professional ethics. “I’m also happy about your recovery, Sa.”

“I can’t believe it, Darren. I can see again.”

“Your blindness was semi-permanent. It was the effect of your accident back then.”

Chloe thought for a moment but then quickly changed her expression. What’s the point of dwelling on the past? She was free now, and it felt much more enjoyable. “Yes, I’ll remember the accident.”

“Never drive alone again, Chloe. Use a driver, or if you don’t mind, I’m willing to be bothered by you.”

Chloe laughed. “You’re busy, Darren. I don’t want to take up your time.”

Darren smirked. “But this is my way of caring for you.”

The graceful woman wearing a bright blue dress and a soft pink cardigan continued to spread her laughter. “You’re something else, Darren.”

“Lunch?” Darren offered, using it as a way to change the direction of the conversation. He didn’t want to show that his actions led to a severe approach to Chloe. But Darren didn’t want to rush things too much. He wanted to enjoy his time with Chloe without any interruptions from others.

This time, he was severe and had made up his mind. Chloe had become his new purpose in life. After almost thirty-three years of being single without entering into a serious romantic relationship that would lead to marriage, Darren was determined this time.

“Wouldn’t that be troublesome for you?”

“I’ll finish my practice in another hour. Will you wait for me?” Darren smiled faintly. He had many prayers in his heart, hoping Chloe wouldn’t mind. And…

“Sure. I’ll wait for you at the café shop over there.”

Darren’s smile grew even more comprehensive. “Okay, Chloe. Thank you for waiting for me. You decide where we’ll have lunch.”

Chloe smiled just as wide. Talking to Darren was indeed enjoyable. She couldn’t deny that. There was a growing sense of unfamiliarity towards the man who, in her eyes, was now quite handsome-wearing the typical white coat of a doctor, thin-framed glasses as an aid, and his friendly and sympathetic words. It made Chloe feel cherished as a woman.

It would not be perfect if Chloe couldn’t sense how eagerly Darren approached her. Now it was even more apparent, as she could directly see the facial expressions of the doctor taking care of her. And there was nothing wrong with having someone new in Chloe’s life. She was no longer bound by marriage. Her love life was dull. Not to mention her feelings being ignored without a second thought.

So, why not open up?

Throughout the nearly eight months of knowing Darren without knowing what he looked like, his gentle tone, attentiveness, and patience in dealing with Chloe’s fluctuating emotions, in the beginning, had already provided enough evidence that Darren was a good man.

“You’re welcome.” Chloe smiled, bidding farewell as she left Darren’s practice room, with Peni following closely behind. Peni had been suppressing a smile on her face for a while now. These two kind-hearted individuals seemed to be falling in love without words. Peni hoped that they were meant to be.

“Ma’am,” Peni called out.

“What is it, Pen?” Chloe stopped in her tracks, focusing solely on the administration desk at the end of the room. She was also cautious with her steps as she was still getting used to wearing the glasses provided by Darren. Peni never strayed far from her, ensuring Chloe walked smoothly without obstacles.

Peni didn’t say much because the person who made her stop walking was getting closer. But it seemed that Chloe was unaware of their presence.

“What’s the matter? After we pay, let’s go to the café over there. I’ll wait for Darren there,” Chloe said.

Peni still didn’t want to speak until

“Chloe,” the voice of the person called out.

Chloe quickly turned around, taking a step back. She stumbled slightly but fortunately managed to grab onto Peni for support. The hand that had reached out to help her up was immediately pushed away. “What do you want?”

The man, Leonel, could only sigh. After not seeing Chloe for so long, his ex-wife seemed even further out of his reach. He knew he no longer had the right to be near Chloe, but it appeared that she had set up high boundaries and distances that he couldn’t breach. His attempts to show his sincerity were met with no response. Not once did Chloe respond to the things Leonel sent to her old house; everything was returned to him.

“I… will accompany Mama to her check-up.”

Chloe fell silent.

“Don’t you want to meet Mama?”

“No,” Chloe quickly replied. “Come on, Peni. I need some rest.”

“Alright, ma’am.” Peni immediately followed her employer’s quick steps, ignoring Leonel’s grumbling and the piercing gaze of his former employer.

“Mama said, are you feeling better?”

Chloe hesitated to answer.

“Mama asked about your condition, Chloe.” Leonel refused to give up. He followed Chloe’s steps and gently pulled her to a stop. His action took Chloe aback, and she immediately struck his arm hard.

“Get your hands off me!”

“Chloe,” Leonel pleaded. “Can we talk? I want to talk to you.”

Chloe scoffed softly. “What do you want to talk about? There’s nothing left between us. I know about Mama Agatha’s condition. Before I even checked on myself, I visited her. We communicate almost every day. Never again use your parents as a shield to get closer to me.”

Leonel ran out of words.

“Come on, Peni,” Chloe said again.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“Can we talk like friends?” Leonel asked again. He didn’t care about whatever label Chloe had for him; he would accept it. He is a shameless, stupid, clueless man begging for forgiveness from his ex-wife. Anything. He didn’t care anymore. Even Chris’ remarks about being trapped in the past didn’t bother him much. He couldn’t shake off Chloe’s shadow now.

His regret was immense and couldn’t be easily dismissed.

“Sir,” someone called out, interrupting the commotion between them. Ah, no. It wasn’t Chloe who caused the uproar but Leonel.

Chloe turned around. After all this time, the face of the beautiful woman with a devilish heart was still ingrained in her memory. The scene where she last saw the woman’s eyes closed during their intimate encounter with her ex-husband repeatedly played in her mind. Disgust, nausea, anger, frustration, and hatred again flooded her heart.

But…

“Chloe,” she called out softly. She also walked confidently. A sweet smile adorned her face, but Chloe wouldn’t be fooled. Her eyes locked directly onto the woman with a deep sense of hatred. She couldn’t deny that, no matter how hard she tried to forget the past, that pivotal moment had left a lasting impression on her.

As Ester drew closer, Chloe chose to continue walking. In her sight, she refused to see Ester’s smiling face; as far as Chloe was concerned, the woman didn’t exist. She kept walking confidently, disregarding the words echoing in her mind.

“We’ll be getting married soon. Should the ex-wife be invited?”

Maybe ten to fifteen steps ahead of Ester, Chloe stopped. She took a deep breath and began to feel if there was any pain in her heart from Ester’s earlier words. After a moment of reflection, Chloe realized there was none at all. So, she turned around, smiled widely, and looked at the two people standing close to each other with a sense of disgust and absurdity. Ah, no. It was Ester intentionally getting close to Leonel. There was a hint of dislike and a growl that Chloe could see, indicating that her ex-husband was not pleased with the proximity between them.

“I will send a flower arrangement as a congratulation. Please prepare a wide space because the flower arrangement will fill the reception area in the lobby.”

Ester smirked. “We don’t need it.”

“Well then… do I need to witness your disgusting acts that are now legally and religiously sanctioned? No, Ester Gisela.”

Ester grimaced in displeasure. “I won this battle, Chloe. What did you gain? Nothing at all.”

“Ester!”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, sir. Remember what I can do for your life,” Ester said disapprovingly. This statement left Leonel stunned. He released their connected hands immediately, but Ester quickly held onto him again. “Remember, Leonel. You are not the one who can oppose me now.”

Chloe didn’t pay much attention to their words there. She also didn’t care about what they were talking about. “I indeed didn’t gain anything. I don’t want anything, Ester. In this world, all I want is genuine happiness. One that is achieved together, not with one party being oppressed. I don’t want that to happen again in my life. I hope you enjoy what doesn’t rightfully belong to you.” Chloe’s smile widened. “I don’t care. I can still find wealth in this world with God’s blessings. And you? Just wait for the deserving consequences of destroying many people for your desires.”

Ester couldn’t accept it. She was furious. If Ester could, she would scratch Chloe’s face, but she couldn’t do that. Cameras consistently monitored her every move, especially since her offer to save Leonel. Since Ester had nothing more to say, Chloe continued, disregarding the two hypocritical and repulsive individuals. She had her own life. She wouldn’t bother with them because, fundamentally, they were of the same kind.

“They have no shame, Ma’am,” Peni commented. “I hope we move soon. If you stay in the old house, they’ll still be on our minds.”

“I’m not thinking about them,” Chloe defended herself.

“That’s not what I meant, Ma’am. But Mr. Leonel is extraordinary. I am always sending things here and there. Doesn’t he think about your well-being in the future? Snake women can twist the facts around. I don’t want you to be involved in that cheap gossip, Ma’am.”

Chloe chuckled, understanding Peni’s words.

“Just pray that my plans can be realized soon. We’ll move. We’ll leave the past behind. Start a new chapter.”

“I agree, Ma’am. I’m confident you’ll succeed, be happy, and have many people caring about you. I’m confident.”

“Thank you, Peni. Thank you for always supporting me and being by my side.”