Flames of Regret

Lying in a hospital bed, I brought up divorce to Benedict Langley.Rubbing his temples in exhaustion, he sounded impatient. "I was up all night dealing with the fire in Norham and just lay down to rest, yet you drag me here for this? Is this some kind of joke?"Ignoring his irritation, I coldly took out the divorce papers. "I'm not joking. Let's get divorced. You bought the house in full before marriage—I'm not asking for it. The car is mine, so I'll take it. As for the money we earned after marriage, we split it 50-50. You don't have any objections, do you?"Seeing that I wasn't joking, Benedict finally took me seriously. "Why are you divorcing me? Is it because I saved Cece first?At those words, the fury I had been suppressing finally erupted.Benedict was a firefighter. A week ago, I ran into Celestine Aldridge at the supermarket while shopping. Back then, I naively thought she and Benedict were nothing more than former classmates, so I stopped to chat with her for a bit.B

"Cece, what are you doing? The fire wasn't your fault, and she wasn't injured trying to save you. Why are you blaming yourself?" Benedict said.Celestine clung to his chest, sobbing and shaking her head. "But I just feel awful! I wish I had been the one burned instead. If I were the one lying here, I'd feel a little better about it."Watching this pair of shameless lovers put on such a melodramatic show in front of me almost made me gag.With a mocking sneer, I said, "You should feel guilty. My dear husband chose to save his old flame while leaving his actual wife to fend for herself. If I were to spread the word, do you think the two of you would be drowned in public outrage?"Celestine stiffened for a moment at my words, but she quickly recovered and suddenly lunged toward the wall as if to bash her head against it. "Let me die! Let me die! It's my fault Ophelia got burned. I'll compensate her with my life!"Benedict paled and rushed to grab her. "Cece, don't do anything rash! O

Just as we were about to leave, Benedict returned with Celestine.The four of us met at the doorway in an awkward standoff.Benedict instinctively asked, "Why are you here?"Celestine leaned weakly against him, her tone a mix of apology and provocation. "Ophelia, I didn't know you were coming. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dragged Benedict out to have fun."She thought her little act would provoke me into losing my temper.If I exploded in anger while she played the pitiful victim, it was obvious who Benedict would side with.Did it hurt? Of course. Saying it didn't would be a lie.After being married to Benedict for three years, I couldn't help but feel something for him. Even if you raised a pet for that long, you would develop an attachment—let alone a husband.But was it unbearable pain? Not really, in fact.After all, pain faded with time.During my hospital stay, I had spent countless sleepless nights, lost chunks of hair, and cried more tears than I could count. By now, I

Not caring that we were in a public place, I doubled over and vomited. Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!I had never imagined that beneath his polished and respectable exterior lay something so vile it made me sick to my stomach. Today, I finally saw his true colors.Wiping my mouth, I snapped, "Cut the nonsense and sign the papers!"Benedict wiped his face, frustration written all over him. "Ophelia, I know you hate me, but the child is innocent. You can't let an unborn baby grow up without a father. I never wanted to divorce you, but now that the baby is here, what do you expect me to do?"Even a beast wouldn't abandon its own offspring. Do you really want me to force Cece to get rid of it?"I was beyond exhausted, and it was all his fault. He was the one who had an affair with Celestine while we were still married—the one who chose his so-called first love over me. I had already stepped back, yet he kept dragging this out.Did he do this because he loved me? Obviously not

When Anwen found out, she couldn't hold back and hugged me tightly, crying, "Is it because of that bastard Benedict? Is he harassing you again? Is that why you want to leave the country?"Don't be afraid. Just tell me, and I'll gather my mentors and senior colleagues. We'll form a legal team and sue him!"I couldn't help but laugh through my tears and reassured her, "It has nothing to do with him. I just realized if I want to be a great food blogger, I can't limit myself to the cuisine within my immediate surroundings."I want to explore different cultures, broaden my experiences, and create dishes that will make people truly crave them."Who knows? Maybe by the time I come back, I'll be a prestigious chef!"Hearing my reasoning, Anwen finally gave up trying to persuade me to stay."Fine. Since this is your choice, I won't stop you from chasing your dreams, but you have to stay safe. You have to check in with me every day, or I'll call the police to track you down!"I promised h