Chapt. 24 - Freedom

“Why does the freedom you give me feel so painful? Even though you survived, still, half of my soul feels detached from my body when you say those words. So, please stop, and let me stay by your side.” –Jiji–

***

Angie and Mike occasionally looked at each other awkwardly, then looked away. Neither of them understood what they were feeling at that moment—a different feeling had suddenly crept in.

It didn’t make sense to rush into calling that feeling love; maybe it was just habit. Several months passed without notice, and they, despite various complaints in their hearts, were still together.

Now, in the same room, Angie had been unconsciously holding Mike’s hand since earlier, who had finally woken up after exhausting himself trying to fend off Cintya’s henchmen who were almost about to kick him out of the room.

Mike shouldn’t have done that, as his condition wasn’t fully recovered yet. As proof, afterward, he felt as though he had moved his own forbidden belongings from the dock all by himself. Extremely tired.

“How are you feeling? Is anything hurting? Are your legs sore?” Angie asked, bombarding Mike with questions. She wanted to make sure he was truly okay. Not just empty words, but genuine concern she could see for herself. “Are you feeling better yet? The doctor said you might need a little more time to recover, given your condition after the surgery. But now—“

“Don’t believe the doctor’s nonsense. He doesn’t know who Mike Genosie is,” he replied arrogantly, unwilling to let his pride falter in front of the woman he hadn’t seen in so long.

For him, it felt like an eternity.

Mike noticed a change in Angie. The way the girl looked at him was no longer with a annoyed glance, but much softer, and for some reason, Mike felt better about himself.

It was a magical feeling he’d never experienced before.

“Ugh! Even in this situation, you’re still so arrogant.” Angie muttered, annoyed, but deep down she was grateful, because it meant Mike was okay. Even though some things weren’t ideal, she’d still be grateful.

“Because that’s my middle name.” Mike replied, pulling one corner of his lip into an asymmetrical curve. The smirk Angie used to hate the most. But now, for some reason, she was happy to see that sly smile.

Silence. For a moment, the two lovers fell back into silence before Angie picked up the tray from the nightstand and prepared it for her husband.

“The doctor said you should be discharged in two days, but if you’re feeling better, he’ll let you leave tomorrow.”

“I want to go today,” Mike replied suddenly, his cold tone startling Angie, who sighed. She knew her husband well; he was unpredictable. However, she, who was usually unaffected by his odd behavior, why did she now feel annoyed and wish Mike wouldn’t act that way toward her?

“Eat first. If you get better soon, we’ll go home today.”

Mike glanced at Angie with a changed expression, so Angie couldn’t decipher what was on his mind. Angie tried to brush aside the strange feeling that suddenly welled up in her chest. She offered a small spoonful to Mike, who, like a child, turned away and looked the other way.

“I don’t want to eat.”

“Mike, this is for your health. You said you wanted to go home today, but why won’t you eat?”

“Didn’t you hear me? Put that down and–“

“Hey, what’s going on here?” a voice greeted them, making Angie smile. Her father-in-law and mother-in-law finally arrived, and it felt better because in this situation, not only Mike needed moral support but she did too. “Why won’t you eat, you naughty boy? Do you want to stay in the hospital longer?”

“I don’t want him to feed me,” Mike said, startling Angie. She turned to Mike, making sure he wasn’t sulking as usual, but what she saw was a serious expression. There was no humor there, and Mike didn’t want to make small talk with anyone. “Tell him to leave this room.”

“Mike, what’s going on, son? Are you possessed by the devil, huh? You were fine, even saying goodbye to him when you were leaving, right?” Mike’s father, who had been silent until then, finally spoke up, unable to tolerate his son’s erratic behavior.

“I want him out of my sight. Don’t question my orders anymore!” Mike turned away, and in that moment, Angie’s heart felt like it was being torn apart by a thousand knives.

***

“Please, dear, don’t be offended by Mike’s behavior. He’s always like this when he’s sick. He doesn’t want the people he loves to see him suffering. Once his condition improves, he’ll be back to his old self.” Vivian, her mother-in-law, tried to comfort Angie, who was now overcome with grief.

“The people he cares about?” How could her mother-in-law say that, when they didn’t know what was between Angie and Mike? It wasn’t love that had brought them together in marriage. So how could there be any affection?

Angie also didn’t know why Mike suddenly became so harsh toward her. Just a few minutes earlier, everything seemed fine. It was true that Mike’s behavior had changed drastically, just like someone possessed by a demon. The man himself was a demon; being possessed by a demon meant he had become far worse than before.

Ah! Angie felt reluctant to stay in this unclear circle of life. Her feelings had been stirred up lately, and it made her uneasy.

“Do you want to go back inside? Maybe he’s already improved and can be nice to you again,” Vivian said again, trying to persuade her daughter-in-law not to take Mike’s behavior to heart.

Angie wasn't offended, nor did she intend to leave the man alone. No matter how many servants they provided to take care of Mike, Angie had resolved to take care of everything the man needed, because she was his wife.

Angie returned to the room, where a man had just exited and greeted her and Vivian with a respectful bow, which she returned despite her furrowed brow filled with questions.

She had never seen the man before, so she quickly followed him and asked about the purpose of his visit. Angie didn’t want any strangers coming in and endangering Mike’s condition.

“Young Master Genosie asked me to come for an important matter. You’ll find out later, Miss. I’ll take my leave.”

Hearing the man’s answer didn’t satisfy Angie. Nevertheless, she ignored the bad feeling that was now creeping in, and hurriedly headed toward Mike’s room.

She saw Vivian and Zack, her father-in-law, sitting on the sofa and massaging their foreheads, while Mike, lying in a higher position, was staring out the window. His gaze immediately fixed on Angie when she entered the room. Mike’s unusual gaze made Angie feel even more uneasy.

“I’m sorry I’m back. I can’t leave you, Mike. No matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side until you get better. Even if no one knows—”

Mike raised his hand to stop Angie’s words and immediately handed her a folder. Angie looked at the folder, then at her in-laws and Mike, one after another.

“What is this?”

“Just open it and read it. It’ll take too long to explain to you.”

With a deep breath, Angie opened the folder and scanned the lines of text inside. Her eyelids were now brimming with tears ready to spill at any moment, should her defenses crumble.

“What is this, Mike?”

“You can read, can’t you? Have you read it? That’s what it says. I don’t need to explain anymore.”

“Yes, but why? Didn’t you say–”

“Two years? A lifetime? I’ve changed my mind. I’m setting you free, Angie. You’re free to do whatever you want, with whoever you want, and live happily as you’ve always hoped. I won’t hold you back with threats or anything else. Please sign it and leave.”