---- Hedgar came over to wipe away my tears gently, which was unusual for her. "1m still around. Don't cry." I looked at her through the tears, and I found her sudden gentleness a shock. As she comforted me, I finally broke down. I hugged her and bawled. "Hedgar, I don't have the courage to meet anyone anymore." Hedgar patted my back. "Don't worry. I know that you got hurt to protect me. "Tt's all thanks to you that I'm still alive and talking to you." I broke away from her embrace and asked softly, " Are you telling the truth?" We had known each other for more than twenty ---- years, so I knew what Hedgar was like when she was truly happy. After our marriage, she always had a faint look of sorrow in her eyes. But at that moment, Hedgar wiped away my tears and made an earnest promise. "What about you? Henry, do you like me? Have you always wanted to be with me?" The love I had buried since I was a teenager was brought into the conversation. My heart raced so loudly that I could hear my own heartbeat. As I looked into her eager eyes, I whispered, "Yes." The next second, the gentleness in her eyes faded. It was replaced with mockery. Hedgar took a few quick steps back and yelled at me for not knowing what was truly good for me. ---- "you ran into that fire because of those dirty thoughts for me! You forced me to marry you!"