6. Enormous Regret

Edmund sat pensively on the bridge. His face was pale, expressionless. The people who detained him before had dispersed, replaced by the SAR team.

"How is it?" Edmund asked without turning his head.

The officer nearby fell silent for a moment. Instead of answering, he glanced at the people on Edmund's side. When he shook his head, Emma burst into tears.

"Alice is a good person, but why her fate's so unfortunate? She shouldn't have to go through all this, Henry. Is it my fault? If I didn't leave her at Edmund's office this morning, she might still be here with us. I shouldn't have left her alone.”

A single tear rolled slowly down Edmund's cheek. Just like Emma, he also blamed himself. It's just that he didn't have the energy to rage anymore. Let the guilt erode all his nerves until he could only feel pain.

Night passed into dawn. Emma and Henry had gone. The SAR team decided to continue the search after the sun rose.

However, Edmund was still unmoved. He was reluctant to leave Alice in the river alone, afraid that she would disappear forever if he turned around again.

“Ed, it's morning. How about you go home and rest? The SAR team will contact you if they find Alice," Giselle said when she arrived there with Elizabeth.

“Giselle is right. You have to stay healthy, Son. Don't waste your time on something useless here.”

Edmund glanced at his mother sharply. His jaw throbbed in response to the turmoil of anger.

"Are you happy that Alice is gone?" he asked hoarsely.

Elizabeth's head tilted back. Her eyes twinkled innocently as her eyebrows rose.

"Happy? Of course not. Alice is your ex-wife. I also grieve if something bad happens to her, even though this is her own decision.”

A second later, she let out a hiss. “Why was she so stupid? She shouldn't be reckless and trouble people like this.”

Sick of seeing his mother, Edmund got up. Without a word, he walked towards his car.

"Son, where are you going?" Elizabeth stared.

Edmund didn't answer. He slammed the car door and drove towards where he could find Alice.

Unfortunately, wherever he went, his wife was nowhere to be seen. Thinking that Alice had been lying at the bottom of the river, his head hurt even more. Only when his body reached the limit of tolerance did he gather the courage to go home— to the place where Alice usually greeted him with a sweet smile and a warm hug.

***

“Ed? Finally, you're home. Guess what! I have a surprise for you.”

Edmund hugged Alice with a small smile. After kissing her shoulder, he looked at her lovingly. "What are you preparing this time?”

Biting her lips, Alice took out a box. “Tada! Open it.”

Edmund's eyes spontaneously narrowed. One of his eyebrows pushed up. “Is this a new toy for tonight?”

Alice shook her head in amusement. “It's much better than that. Trust me. You will be very happy when you see what's inside.”

With a curious expression, Edmund opened the box. When he found a test pack, his mouth immediately opened wide. His eyes alternately twinkled at Alice and the two stripes.

"You pregnant? You are really pregnant?”

Alice nodded while letting out a laugh. Her eyes filled with tears seeing her husband's excitement.

“Yes, Ed. I'm pregnant."

With a lighter laugh, Edmund hugged Alice and took her for a spin. Alice let out a small shriek as her feet flew through the air.

"Be careful, Ed. Our baby will get dizzy."

“He won't be dizzy, Alice. He's our baby. He must be strong. Oh, Darling, I am so happy. I will be a father soon. We should celebrate it tonight.”

After showering Alice's face with kisses, Edmund bent down, pressing his cheek against her still flat stomach.

“Baby, is there anything you want to eat? Daddy will get it for you A.S.A.P."

Alice's laughter sounded light in the air. “He can't eat yet, Ed. I'm the one eating."

Edmund looked up with a playful look. “Isn't it the same? Come on. Where's Mrs. Klein? We should tell her to prepare a special dinner.”

All of a sudden, a single tear fell from Edmund's eye. Gradually, another sound caught his ears.

“Ed? Wake up, Ed. Move to your room. How long do you want to sleep in the car?"

When the knock on the glass reached his head, Edmund flinched. His red eyes immediately swept around. Not finding Alice, he opened the car door and got out.

“Alice? Alice?”

He walked past Scott, searching for an answer. The servants who were peeking spontaneously covered their mouths. Some of them failed to hold back tears. Some others looked away. They couldn't bear to see their master suddenly look thinner and depressed.

“Alice? Where are you, Dear? Come out, let's celebrate the welcoming of our baby. We've been waiting for this moment for a long time, right? Come on, Dear. Let's celebrate it together. Alice?”

Scott looked at Edmund with pity. He didn't dare move or interrupt.

However, Edmund's voice grew hoarser. He even choked on the tears. Scott could no longer stay still. He reached out his hand and grab his shoulder.

“Ed, be patient. Alice is still being searched. Soon, I'm sure the SAR team will find her. She's a strong woman. She is good at swimming and—”

“Shut up!” Edmund pushed Scott's hand away. “Alice is still here. She couldn't possibly leave me. We promised to always be together. She can't possibly go anywhere! Moreover, she is pregnant!"

After giving Scott a sharp glare, Edmund turned towards the entrance. However, just as he stepped on the porch, Alice appeared in his memory. She was falling on the tile right under his feet.

“If I knew it would turn out like this, I shouldn't have stopped you when you were about to jump from the bridge.”

Hearing the echo again, Edmund clutched his hair. Shaking his head, he let out a faint sigh. "No, that's not true. I've never regretted saving you, Alice. I never regretted making those promises. Marrying you is the best decision of my life.”

Unfortunately, the denial only deepened the wound. Edmund began to bend, trying to survive the pain that was consuming his heart.

“No, Alice. Please, don't listen to those words. I never meant to throw you out. I also can't live without you. Alice?”

When his breath hitched, Edmund immediately collapsed on his knees. His hands were clenched into fists, repeatedly hitting the floor. The servants could no longer bear to watch it. They entered, holding back the sobs any way they could.

Only Scott walked slowly towards him. But instead of comforting, he let Edmund vent all his annoyance and regret.

He knew very well that there was no cure for guilt. Edmund could only rely on time to put together the pieces of his broken heart.