After I Died, My Husband Went Mad - Chapter 117
However, Sebelia knew that, despite the temporary relief from escaping, running away recklessly was not the right solution in the long run.
“If Denisa hadn’t held me back, I would probably be holed up in some unknown mountain lodge, dragged there by my father’s hand.”
A bitter smile crossed her lips. Her father might have kept her locked up for life, accusing her of tarnishing the family’s honor by daring to run away. It was a grim thought, but one that didn’t bother her. Her father was the type who would do that.
Slowly climbing the shadowed stairs, she reaffirmed her resolve.
Don’t look away, face reality head-on.
Whether or not Dehart regained his memory didn’t matter. What mattered was what she could do right now. When hardship reached out, she would find a way to push it away. That’s all there was to it.
“Bella, you are courageous and strong.”
So, she would trust herself. She had managed well up until now.
Sebelia smiled at her reflection in the living room mirror, as if to encourage herself. Seeing her sparkling eyes and bright smile, she felt as though everything would fall into place.
“Meow.”
Maya, sitting in the living room, yawned while watching her. Sebelia didn’t realize it, but she had changed so much compared to the past.
She no longer shrank in fear of reality, nor did she sabotage herself with impatience or cowardice. She was no longer the weak person who couldn’t express her opinions for fear of the unknown. And Dehart was one of the people who felt that change the most deeply.
* * *
The next morning, Sebelia greeted Dehart with a vibrant energy.
“Good morning.”
“Ah, good morning.”
Dehart looked at her with unfamiliar eyes. Just yesterday, she had been keeping her distance for reasons he couldn’t understand. But within a single day, everything had changed.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Dehart chewed on his lower lip in confusion. He wanted to talk to her, now that she seemed to have opened up to him again, but the words wouldn’t come. Nervously, he clenched his fist, and as he relaxed it, Sebelia spoke.
“I got an earful from Mr. Watts yesterday.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve been feeling increasingly impatient, thinking that the treatment was slowing down as time went by.”
Dehart looked at her in surprise. It was the first time she had opened up like this. He hid his trembling heart and spoke casually.
“I didn’t know you were feeling that way.”
“I’m not the type to show when I’m struggling. Anyway… I brought it up today and got scolded for it. It’s not about speed, but about complete recovery. Somehow, I had forgotten that.”
Dehart lowered his head, his face dark with guilt. He hadn’t expected Sebelia to be thinking like this. He realized how selfish he had been.
While she’s battling illness, I’ve only been focusing on my own pain.
A wave of self-loathing overtook him again. He felt so worthless that tears nearly welled up. But then, the words that followed made him feel as though his heart was being ripped out.
“So, how have you been enduring this moment, Mr. Dehart?”
“I…”
He stammered, at a loss for words. His golden eyes wavered slightly. Sebelia continued speaking without taking her gaze off him.
“To be honest, I’m scared and confused. There’s no guarantee of full recovery. I can only wait vaguely, hoping that one day it will happen.”
“…”
“But then I thought, losing a memory feels like an illness too. You don’t know when your memories will return, and until then, you can only wish for it to happen.”
Dehart felt his heart slow down. The quick, rushing pulse from the fleeting joy now quieted, and his entire body froze. The sincerity in her face, without a single lie, terrified him.
“But when I saw you, Mr. Dehart, you always seemed so composed. You took care of me and were considerate. So, I’ve always wondered.”
At that moment, Dehart wanted to strangle himself. Every word coming from her lips pierced his heart and froze his breath.
“Is Mr. Dehart, perhaps, satisfied with the present and don’t want to seek your past?”
“I… I mean…”
He could barely breathe. The weight of guilt gripped him. The reality he had been running from suddenly stood in front of him.
But this time, he couldn’t escape.
“If my question was rude, please forgive me. But I’ve always been curious. Unlike me, you never seemed anxious.”
There she was, standing right in front of him, Sebelia.
I can’t run from you.
So, is this the end? If I confess the truth, there will be nothing left between us. You wanted to leave me, and you think I killed you.
You will leave me again—not the ordinary, nothing going Dehart, but the husband you despise and hate.
“I…”
He struggled to say something, anything. But his tongue twisted, his breath became shallow, and his eyes stung with tears. As his flushed face quickly became pale, Sebelia moved as if to stand up.
At that moment, Dehart kneeled beside her.
