Too Late For Regrets [Extra #1]

Part 33

He was standing in the hallway, right in front of the door to our suite, which I had no idea how he found out about, and judging by the look on his face, he wasn't pleased to see me with my King.

"Please give us a minute," I quietly asked my King so I could talk to my husband. I was slightly concerned that my King would pummel my husband's face in, and I didn't really want to make a scene. The trip was supposed to be a pleasant experience, not a source of trouble.

My King kindly listened to my request and went away, saying he would bring us something to eat for later.

I reluctantly invited my husband to our suite. "What do you want?" I asked him without wasting a moment.

"You can run, but you can't hide, my dear wife," he retorted cryptically. "I will always find you."

"You spied on me," I stated rather than asked.

"I did."

"You fucking asshole," I snarled at him. "Get out."

"I can't. Not without you," he didn't back off easily.

"You're fucking kidding me. What right do you think you have to spy on me and chase me around like this?"

"You're my wife."

"On paper. And had you signed the divorce papers, I wouldn't be your wife anymore."

"True. Which is why I didn't sign them," he admitted. "I won't let you divorce me."

"Why the fuck not?"

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Because I don't want you to be with someone else."

What the fuck was even that? He didn't like seeing me with another man? What a load of bullshit. Even if I wasn't with someone else, that didn't mean I would be with him.

And I told him exactly that.

"I know I blew my chance, but that doesn't mean my feelings aren't genuine. Do you even know how much you mean to me? I want to make things right between us."

"You can't fix what's broken. You can't undo what's been done," I sighed heavily in pure exasperation. He was tiring me out.

"I will still take back what's rightfully mine," he said with determination, taking a step closer to me.

"And what's that?"

"You."

I was stunned for a moment, then slapped him in the face. "I'm not your fucking property!" I shouted at him, shoving him away. The audacity! He actually dared say that to me!

"You're my wife!" he argued.

"That doesn't mean I belong to you! You can't just come and tell me to go back with you!" I exclaimed, not caring if anyone heard us or not.

"Then stop disappearing for fuck's sake!" he yelled furiously then roughly tousled his hair with his hand. "If you didn't run away, I wouldn't have to look for you. Every fucking time you disappear, I feel like I'm going crazy. Stop leaving and I'll stop chasing you."

I only scoffed in incredulity. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe I am. But it doesn't change the fact that... I need you close."

"Oh really?" I mocked, "And why is that?"

"How else am I supposed to redeem myself? How am I supposed to show you that I'm not the monster you think me to be?"

So, he felt guilty.

"I told you I forgave you, what more do you need?" I sighed, resigned.

"I want you to see that I'm not a monster. I know you didn't truly forgive me for what I've done, and I know it's because I did something truly unspeakable to you. That's why I want to earn your forgiveness. And I can't do that if you're so far away."

"So, you chase me down..."

"I want us to start again, but only if you forgive me."

It was too late for that. There was no time for us to start again, though I wouldn't agree to that even if I had more time to live.

Suddenly, the door opened, and my King barged in with pure rage etched on his face. "You fucking scumbag! What right do you think you have to treat her this way?!" he got in my husband's face and unceremoniously punched him. "I should kill you for what you've done to her, and you have the balls to tell her you want to start again?! Because of you she's d-" I covered his mouth before he could blurt out the truth and gave him a quick glare that said, 'don't tell him'. He understood quickly.

My husband, on the other hand, seemed confused. "Because of me, she's what?" he asked skeptically, looking between me and my King.

"Nothing," I retorted sternly. "Now leave. And don't follow me again. I won't go back with you. I can do whatever the fuck I want."

"And you want to do it with him?" my husband pointed at my King with distaste.

"I don't have to answer that, but yes."

"So, you're cheating on me... just like your sister did."

"Don't compare me to that little bitch. And it's not cheating if we're not in a relationship," I rebuked harshly. He knew how much I detested my family, and he dared compare me with the same bitch that destroyed my life. Asshole.

"You don't consider marriage a relationship?" he asked brokenly, seemingly hurt by my words.

"At least not ours. It's only a contract."

My husband had no answer to that, so he stared at me in stunned silence, which was broken by my King. "I can't fucking watch you try to force your way into her life anymore, so get the fuck out or I'll throw you out. And don't ever show yourself to her again," he gently pulled me behind him to shield me from my husband. "You've hurt her enough. Do you think she wants to see your face after what you did?"

"I... I'm sorry for all the things I've done. I don't know what else I can do to..." my husband paused when his voice broke. "I'm trying, okay? I'm really trying to show you that I'm not like that, but you don't want to give me the chance to prove it to you. I will leave, I see that I'm an unwanted intruder here. But I won't leave you alone. Don't forget you're still my wife. You signed the contract, so you know that there are some responsibilities we must fulfill. If you don't want to see me, fine, but at least answer your phone when I call."

"I'll consider that," I replied.

My husband left quietly without as much as a goodbye. He looked like a dog beaten by its owner. His face was a picture of pain and defeat.

Just like I'd wanted.

"I heard a part of your conversation," my King said after a moment. "You said you forgave him..."

"I didn't. I mean, I did say that, but it was a lie. I couldn't possibly forgive something like that. He was just so... desperate when he asked me to absolve him of his sin that I simply went along with it. I hoped to destroy him completely so he would feel absolute agony, just like I did, though I can no longer do it. I don't have enough time. He's not my father, whom I could ruin with a few phone calls."

"Then I'll do it for you," my King said firmly, holding my face in his hands. "I'll do everything for you. I will kill him if you want me to, I will ruin him and drag him to the pits of hell if need be."

"There's no need. I don't see any sense in revenge now. I'd rather spend the last moments of my life with you than worry about my husband and some petty revenge I had planned for him."

"You've never given up on revenge or punishment..." my King frowned, pulling me into his arms before he kissed my head. "I'm worried about you."

"You don't have to be. It's just that... knowing that my time is limited made me more conscious of how precious life really is. I don't want to waste it on people who don't deserve my attention. I'd rather enjoy it instead."

"Do you always think about... you know?" he meant my death, but he couldn't say it out loud.

"Not always," I smiled softly. "But denying the truth won't change anything. I don't want to live in an illusion that everything will be fine, because it won't. I can't escape the inevitable, I can only prepare for it," I sighed quietly, hugging my King tightly.