My Heart Went with the Tide

The sound of the waves failed to drown out the hurried footsteps behind me.

Vincent grabbed my wrist. "Lena, are you still mad at me? Back then, I divorced you because I thought it was best for everyone. Since nothing happened, you—"

Before he could finish, I abruptly cut him off by yanking my hand away.

Vincent froze when he saw the pain on my face.

"What's wrong?"

I took a step back and shakily wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. Eventually, I looked him in the eye.

His face had hardly changed. If anything, the years had given him a more mature and composed air.

Even Hannah, who followed him, had clearly been well cared for. The insecurity and timidity she had once carried as a salt worker had disappeared completely.

As for me, years of illness had worn my body down.

I had once refused to yield, even when Vincent had pushed me to the brink. That stubborn woman had become so fragile that even the slightest touch hurt.

However, there was no point in explaining any of this to him anymore.

I struggled to bend down as I hoisted the fishing net onto my back.

Then, I turned away since I had no time to waste on them.

After all, the fish would not fetch a good price if they were not fresh.

"Lena, wait!" Hannah called out anxiously from behind me.

She reached out to grab me, but the torn fishing net suddenly gave way with a loud rip. The fresh seafood spilled out in a rush, and a few even landed on the tops of her feet.

Hannah screamed and turned deathly pale.

Almost instantly, Vincent pulled her into his arms. He nearly knocked me over in his haste.

Once she recovered, Hannah asked with teary eyes, "Lena, are you alright?"

She stroked her slightly rounded belly beneath her silk dress.

"I already lost a child before because of you, so I have to be more careful this time."

As her words sank in, Vincent looked at me with renewed wariness.

I had left Vincent deeply scarred. Even after ten years, he still remembered how I had once dragged Hannah to the rooftop in a frenzy. I had screamed that I wanted her dead. He also remembered the child she had lost because of me.

That was enough for him to commit me to a psychiatric hospital himself.

Back then, he stood on the other side of the iron gate, and his gaze was full of disgust.

"That prophetic phone call was right. You're a lunatic who'll have Hannah killed."

This time, I did not lose control and break down as I had in the past. I simply knelt on the ground and scrambled to gather the fish and shrimp scattered around me.

Vincent's frown deepened as he watched me. Finally, he could not take it anymore and yanked me to my feet.

"Enough! Just look at what you've become. Have you forgotten who you used to be? Don't you think you look ridiculous doing all this for a few lousy fish?"

Indeed, had he not reminded me, I might have forgotten I was once a highly acclaimed marine biologist.

Swallowing the metallic taste in my throat, I looked at him with a hollow and numb gaze.

"Who do you think made me a joke?" I signed.

Vincent froze and stared intently at the practiced hand signs I made.

"What happened to your voice?" he said with a quiver.