Chasing Dreams (Dropped)

Chapter 110: Husband

Michael fell silent after hearing Irene's words. It was difficult to say anything after being hit with a bombshell such as this one. His face ran through a series of expressions, while his hands mimicked a series of gestures, but none of which were able to replicate the amount of insanity in his mind.

Irene, The Great Irene, The Dancing Dragon, The Azure Flame. Never once in Michael's entire life had he heard of her being married to anyone. Never once in Michael's in entire life had he heard about her being in a relationship with anyone aside from casual flings.

Michael shook his head lightly almost not believing it, partially expecting Irene to spring on him moments from now that she was joking. Or that she was merely pulling his leg to get some sort of reaction. But the longer he waited, the longer the silence lasted and the sooner Michael realized Irene was only speaking the truth.

"A husband?" Michael repeated, saying the title as if it were foreign to him. "I never knew-" Michael tip toed around the subject, second guessing whether or not it was his place to say anything. There were heroes in the world that preferred to keep their personal lives secret from the public. Either by not having their real names revealed to the public and strictly going by their heroic names or epithets. Or by hiding their faces with the costumes they chose to adopt, never revealing their face as well as never revealing the faces of those they are intimate with.

But Irene never seemed to do either. From Michael's recollection the list of titles given to her were just titles and not real names she went by. Like when people would call her the Azure Dragon, Irene would normally respond by requesting they call her by her actual name.

Irene Wolfe.

Irene never hid her face from the public with a mask or even an elaborate costume.

Michael gave Irene and Zhu Li a soft look quickly looking over their matching costumes. A low cut shirt with fishnet stockings and sleeves. If it weren't for Irene's sword, and Zhu Li's gauntlets you'd think they were in their casual clothes.

"I didn't realize you were married." Michael finally muttered choosing to break the awkward silence. "I guess I just assumed since you never abandoned your family name you were just..." Michael trailed on his words once again. He tried his best to shoo away the awkward tension, but no matter how much he tried it always managed to find ways to slip back in.

"What single?" Irene quickly discarded her somber smile quickly choosing to adopt a more gleeful one. "Do you really think a woman as beautiful as I wouldn't have a ring on her finger?" Irene's question quickly sparked her own aura, causing a red veil to overwhelm her and radiate like a miniature sun.

"It's not that, I think he didn't expect a woman with a ring on her finger to be sleazy enough to sleep with other men."

Zhu Li's words crackled like lightning, shattering Irene's confidence in a flash. Zhu Li couldn't help but smirk at this, while Irene's face was as cold as night.

"Sleazy..?" Irene frowned at the word "No I definitely wouldn't call it that..."

"Then what would you call it?" Michael asked now raising his head. He seemed to had discarded his awkward shell, now adopting a harsh stare similar to before. "Being unfaithful, disloyal, fucking around?" Michael's insults grew worse with each passing word. Of course it wasn't his place to judge, but simply hearing of a wife being openly disloyal set his heart on fire.

It was cruel, it was messed up, and it was flat out wrong. How could someone be so carefree about smashing another man behind their husband's back.

Irene's stare grew flat. From the corner of her eye she noticed Zhu Li's face cursed by her a frown, while she wore a calm stare. "No I wouldn't call it those things either. All of those terms are simply names created to chain down those who wish to roam free." Irene briefly closed her eyes reopening them to produce a light glow. "I'd call it freedom."