C23
Terence muttered after hearing Sharon's concise explanation.
"So, something like this happened."
Is it my illusion that there's somehow a slight joy in his voice?
"You didn't know this before you got married?"
When I shook my head, Sharon let out a groan.
"This guy is crazy...!"
"...Eh?"
She didn't say anything, but judging by her expression, Terence seemed to have similar thoughts.
"This is obviously a fraudulent marriage! It's still grounds for divorce."
"He's the worst human being."
Seeing these two people more indignant than I expected gave me a strange sense of exhilaration.
...Come to think of it, this is the first time I've told someone about it in detail.
It's good and comforting to know there's someone on my side.
I want to feel a bit more empathy.
I also want to tell them another story. In previous consultations, I only presented my situation briefly and objectively.
"Well, it's not directly related to this, but... Is this even a reason for divorce?"
"What else is there?"
"This is before we got married, when choosing the wedding dress."
I confessed that I had to choose my wedding dress according to Liena's taste.
"Crazy. It's insane."
Other things came out of Sharon's mouth in response to her enthusiastic response.
Before I knew it, I had confessed many things that had made me feel miserable, such as the couple having trouble seeing each other once a day, the Cassius family alienating me, and Leandro forgetting our wedding anniversary.
I left out the topic of the abandoned mines because it involved future matters, but almost everything else was mentioned.
But suddenly I thought, "Oops."
"I feel embarrassed."
I spoke too much. I don't know about Sharon, but Terence clearly had a harder life than mine. It's like you're crumpled in front of a chrysalis.
"...Haha, I complained too much, didn't I? Even if it's not important..."
"Thank you for your hard work!"
Sharon took my hand.
"It's been a very tough time, hasn't it? I can't completely understand how you feel, but now it's okay. Let me help you. You're not alone. And... Oh, what should I say? I do this job, but it's always difficult to choose the right words."
She clumsily consoled in unsophisticated language but with a sincere heart.
"Oh?"
A tear ran down my cheek and reached the back of Sharon's hand.
"Wow, where should I wipe...?"
She handed over a navy blue handkerchief without saying a word while getting nervous.
The owner of the handkerchief didn't smile as usual. His eyes were serious.
Wasn't that Terence Friheiden's own comfort?
"Thank you."
The corners of his mouth loosened slightly as I accepted his favor.
"You're welcome."
The soft fabric had a scent similar to its owner.
After a while.
"I'm so sorry!"
Sharon bowed deeply.
"Oh, it's okay."
"It's not okay. Due to my personal biases, I unintentionally committed a rudeness. I never dreamed there would be such a background story for Ethel..."
By rudeness, she referred to the decision Sharon made the other day to suspend my divorce. She blamed herself for casually saying something without knowing anything.
"I didn't tell you everything."
"Even so, I was off-topic. Didn't I deny you today without even listening properly?"
Well, actually, as she kept trying to refuse, there was a part of her that became more trustworthy.
If Sharon had been a villain, she would have pretended to extend her hand and joined Cassius.
If she did that, she would receive money from me and also a large sum of money from them. Even if she hadn't gone that far, she could have defended me and taken the money.
When I pointed this out to her, Sharon hung her head and seemed to hide her embarrassed expression.
Anyway, finally.
"I will fulfill my responsibilities sincerely."
Sharon officially represented me.
"Please take care of me. It's best to be sure of the calculations."
I took a large bag out of my purse and placed it on the table.
"It's a fee. I've saved enough money, so use it to pay off debts and hire trustworthy people."
I don't know, but Cassius's defense team would undoubtedly be nothing short of spectacular, but Sharon couldn't bear it alone. Even if it costs a lot of money, she'll need colleagues who won't be bribed by the other side.
"Goodbye, my emergency fund."
I swallowed my tears inside.
That bag contained the money I had secretly saved from my side job and the money I got from selling the valuables I brought when I escaped from Cassius.
For reference, the side job was a small way to make money using the future information found in the novel.
Unfortunately, I couldn't make much money because Liena, a returner, had already taken everything that could be worth money.
"It's a bit ridiculous to set the stage for a divorce with jewels received as a gift from your husband, but..."
What do I have to do? As it's in my hands, no matter how I use it, it's my heart.
It wasn't money given to me for maintenance expenses; it was simply a gift for me.