Chapter 0020 Chapter 0020 Caroline’s POV A tense silence filled the room . William and I were too stunned to speak as the red mark in his cheek burned . Finally , as if in a fit of sobriety , William got off of me . William endeavored to speak , but he couldn’t seem to find the words . After a minute of floundering for what to say , he spoke , his voice cold and simmering with something I couldn’t quite pin . “ You want to be alone ? Fine , be alone . With a scowl and a biting look , he left , leaving me completely by myself . Sitting up in bed , my first priority was to calm my racing mind and pounding heart . I could hardly process all that had just taken place . What had he been planning to do with me ? Was he insane ? The motives behind William’s behavior eluded me , but at least he was no longer in the room . It gave me the opportunity to finally get some rest without having to worry about his invasive presence . Laying down in the master bed , my eyes slipped shut and I fell into a slow and uneasy sleep . When I awoke , it was due to a sharp rap of knuckles at the door . I was startled awake , lifting my head groggily and asking , “ Who is it ? William ? ” A piece of me feared that William had come back to continue what he’d started . “ Caroline ? ” called Gerald , the housekeeper on the other end . “ I’ve prepared a meal for you . Would you like to come down , or shall I bring it to you ? ” Rubbing the sleep from my eyes , I asked , “ What time is it ? ” “ It’s mid – afternoon , Miss , ” he replied stiffly . “ Supper time , to be exact . Had I really slept that long ? I suppose my body needed it after chemo had zapped away all my energy . The roaring of my stomach demanded I get some food , though that ache was preferable to the other pains I received due to my stomach cancer . “ Where’s William ? ” I half – demanded , approaching the door . If William was anywhere nearby , I wasn’t going to leave the room . “ Is he downstairs ? ” “ Master William isn’t home at the moment , ” Gerald informed me , beaming at me once the door was opened . The news had a sigh of relief leaving my lips . I was simply glad I was able to enjoy a meal in peace without William glaring and demanding to know about Martin . The meal was excellent , as per usual , and I thanked Gerald for his thoughtfulness . He wasn’t obligated to help me or cook for me , but he did so out of the kindness of his own heart , and I was thankful for it . 125 BONUS Chapter Donḥ With so many of my things left behind , I decided I might as well pack up so I could leave at my earliest possible convenience . I hadn’t been given a chance to retrieve my possessions after I’d been unceremoniously booted from the villa . As I worked , those all too familiar stomach paltis began to sting my body . The aches increased in intensity as time ticked by and I worked myself to the bone but through sheer determination , 1 finished packing before my body gave out . By then , it was dusk , and I was left feeling rather accomplished . Tired and in pain , I curled up on the nearby sofa , planning to rest for a while . The manual labor sent a wave of exhaustion over me , and gradually I fell asleep . It was as I was sleeping that my senses were overcome with the distinct smell of alcohol . It was only then that I found a pair of hands on me . My heart began to pound at the familiarity of the situation and I forced myself to wake up . Looking up , I expected to see William looking down at me with contempt or hatred , but what stared back at me was the complete opposite . The heavy odor of alcohol on his breath told me he was completely drunk . I didn’t know if I was hallucinating , but at that very moment , his eyes looked so pitiful . “ William … ” I whispered , too captivated by his sad eyes to think about getting away . Against my better judgment , my heart ached at seeing my ex – husband in pain . At the sound of his name from my lips , William released a trembling breath I hadn’t known he’d been holding . “ Please , ” he murmured , his voice ragged and weak . “ Don’t leave me . Please … don’t … ” My lips parted in stunned silence as words caught in my throat . The man who had hurt me so deeply was now begging me not to leave . It wasn’t until I felt a wetness on my cheeks that I realized I was crying . “ You abandoned me first , William , ” I reminded him , my voice barely a whisper . could you Frustration and confusion swirled behind that drunken stupor . “ Impossible , ” he stated , distinct slur to his words . “ I love you . Despite how pitiful he looked in front of me , a nameless anger clawed its way into my chest . After all that he’d done to me , he now expected forgiveness . What right did he have to ask for my mercy ? “ William , look at me ” I whispered , my voice uncharacteristically stern . His gaze flicked down towards me , following my words with rapt attention . I swallowed my anxiety and sadness and simply asked , “ Who am I ? ” A drunken smile was scrawled onto his face , and for a brief moment , I could imagine there was love behind it . “ You’re my wife , ” he said with full confidence . “ My only love . Chapter 0020 +25 BONUS Tears began to spill freely down my face like a waterfall . Sadness enveloped me like a suffocating blanket as my broken heart struggled to plece Itself back together . Why was William making this so hard ? Why was he doing this to me ? It took him a minute , but William soon noticed my despair, and he looked genuinely angry at the sight . For once , however , his anger was not directed towards me . “ Why are you crying ? ” he demanded , his voice wobbling from how intoxicated he was . “ Who hurt you ? I’ll teach that idiot a lesson . William swayed as he turned around wildly in place , looking for whomever had “ hurt ” me . Couldn’t he understand it was he who had caused my pain ? In a moment of desperation , I grabbed him by the shirt and forced his gaze onto me . wwilliam … ” I couldn’t take the silence anymore . I had to tell the truth , if only for tonight . began , my voice thick with tears . Genuine concern swirled behind my ex – husband’s eyes . At that moment , I believed he actually cared about me , unlike the man who constantly berated me and forced himself into my life . “ Yeah … ? ” he rasped softly . I was unable to stop the tremble of my voice as I tried to speak . “ What if I told you I was dying ? ” Shock and devastation marred William’s perfect features . Today’s Bonus Offer