Their trip ended in bad terms.
On their way home from Mauritius, Nora tried not to speak with Alan, at least not to talk voluntarily.
She didn't give many responses to Alan's caring voice, but only told him that she wished to be quiet
and wanted no disturbance.
Alan felt awful about Nora's aloofness. He could not understand what had went wrong that the rest of
the journey had to be so awkward.
When they returned to their house at the Asgard lake community, Nora jumped straight to bed without
even taking the shower. Too tired, she soon full into sleep on her soft bed.
It was in the evening when she finally had enough of sleep. She got up and took a bath.
Nanny Freya called her to supper, but Nora had no slightest appetite, and she hated to face Alan
during that time.
Nora dressed a white long dress and picked a brown coat that looked like the color of roasted caramel.
Then, she went downstairs.
"Freya, I need to go out to attend some business. Don't wait for me." Nora went to the entrance to pick
her shoes.
Alan was sitting in the dinning hall and eating his breakfast when he heard Nora's voice. He walked
toward her, "Where do you think you are going?"
"I don't want to start an argument!" Nora's word was meant to talk Alan out of this conversation before
he asked too many annoying questions.
"Even if you meant to get out, you shouldn't leave without your meal. It's bad for your stomach." Alan
still maintained a gentle tone.
"Thank you for your concern! But I knew what I am doing！You can continue without me!" Nora had
already changed to a high-heeled shoes with brown color.
As an elegant beauty, Nora always liked to wear a pair of high-heeled shoes, even during the winter
season when the chilly wind was blowing outside. She belonged to a typical type of women who would
choose fitness over their health.
"Where are you up to? I can drive you." Alan picked his coat which suspending in the rear-door and
was ready to get dressed.
"I said leave me alone!" Nora felt that his attention had made her more stressful. She couldn't forgive
herself for being disloyal to him during their holy betrothal, "Alan, about what I said, I mean it. So,
please don't be so nice to me. You are a good man! But you deserve someone better! Our marriage is
a mistake!"
Having said those words helplessly, she turned around and wandered off immediately.
Though Alan could forgive her, she, on the other hand, would never truly forgive herself and accept
Alan's kindness without self-blame ever again.
Alan pulled his wrist to prevent her from leaving the house, "And I am too when I say I am serious. I
won't accept your offer."
"Allan! Don't force me to act hysterically!" Nora stared at him with an anguish face.
"I don't care!" In Alan's eyes was a silent glance as though he was determined not to release his grip of
her no matter what she would do.
"Let go of me, Alan!" Nora struggled to break free from his firm grip.
But Alan pulled her wrist tightly. The more she struggled, the tighter the grip got. He wasn't going to let
her go at all.
"Have your dinner! Don't be such a baby!" Not only Alan didn't let her go, but he also tried to drag her
to the dining table.
Wearing the high-heeled shoes, Nora had no choice but to move her feet along with him to the dining
hall.
Alan pulled out of an armchair for her, then sat next to her without a moment of chance for her to
escape.
Alan's another hand stretched out, in order to fetch some food and to place it in her plate, while one
hand was still holding Nora, "This is your favorite beef. Nanny Freya's cooking is very good! Go on,
taste it!"
Nora turned her face to the other side and remain silence, ignored Alan's gentle voice,
Still, Alan was not angry. Instead, he picked up a spoon, scooped it up and sent it to Nora's mouth,
"Open it!"
Nora was still untouched. She thought that she could not be soft. The problem would never be
permanently fixed unless she kept it cool to the letter.
Nora won't open her mouth, so, Alan had to raise his head constantly, with eyes staring at her.
Freya sensed in the kitchen that something was not quite right between the couple. She was slightly
concerned that a big quarrel would break out in the next second. But she was merely a humble servant.
How dare she get in the middle of those? Her concern should be with the house chores, not the
business of his employers.
At last, Alan threw the spoon away and yanked Nora upstairs.
Nora finally protested: "Alan, have you gone mad? Let me go! You psycho! You have no right to restrict
my freedom! Release me!"
Alan didn't care to hear her grudges. He just dragged her all the way to her bedroom and locked the
door.
He hustled her to the flexible bed and said, "Nora，take your word back if you ever want to get out!"
"What word?" Nora sat up from her bed and asked.
"The word about divorce." Alan reminded her of her own word.
"You can forget it!" Nora firmly rejected.
"Why?" Alan frowned his eyebrow, and placed his hands at his waist, looking dreadfully worried, "Can
you grow up? Do you really enjoy tormenting me this much? We were both agree that we should give
our marriage a chance. I think it went pretty well for the time being. And you also agreed to bear
children for me. What has changed your mind?"
"I don't love you! It's for the best that we should end our marriage and went our separated ways!"
Nora's eyelashes lowered, for she dared not to look directly into his eyes, "I wasn't thinking when I
gave you those promises!"
"But I took it serious!" Alan gave a bitter smile with a mild twitch of his lips. "Do you know how thrilled I
was when you told me you want kids? I wanted to have a kid that belongs to us immediately! Nora, you
can't lie to me! If you really, really don't have any feeling for me, how could there be a delightful time
between you and me? How would you think of having kids with me? I really don't give a damn of your
past, honey! All I care is the present and the future. Our future, you and me! Would you entrust me with
your future? I promise I will take good care of you! Love, I don't care whether you love me or not. As
long as I try my best to love you and to give you a happy life, nothing matters anymore! Honey, let's get
back again, like old times, isn't that great?"
Alan had tried all his patience with her. It never occurred to him that one day there would be a woman
who he would be so humble to cherish and to fall in love with that he would trade everything just for an
opportunity to be with her
Alan stooped and carefully held Nora's hands.
Nora shrunk. She retracted her hands to avoid Alan.
As Alan's speech got more and more sensible, she experienced even more sadness. But she couldn't
get through herself.
Alan froze. The look of how she evaded him once again broke his heart and left a deep wound.
He slowly retracted his hands and placed it at sides. The raspy tone demanded, "You will go nowhere!"
"Alan!" Nora suddenly stood up, staring at his tall back, "I really don't love you! You are just a burden to
me. And being with you, I will suffocate! Please let go of me!"
"Then we will die together!" Alan stopped looking at Nora and walked away.
Very upset, Nora returned to her bedside, holding her fingers together.
All she ever wanted was to reject Alan of any hope on her, because she wished to pardon them of the
possibility of facing the awkward situations in the future. Better to drop things fast than let it stain
forever. Was she wrong?
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