CHAPTER 171: CHAPTER 171: YOU RETURN TO FRANCE

After more than a month in the hospital, Florence Fuller couldn’t stand being there any longer.

She wanted to be discharged.

Luke Gardiner asked her if she was returning to Cloudsea. Florence really had no intention of going back for the time being, but she wanted Luke to go back.

Luke seemed to see through her intention: "You’re staying in Cloudsea just to be with him."

Ethan Harper, who was packing things, paused and continued to organize the clothes in his hands.

Florence sat on the sofa and said calmly, "Think what you want."

Luke’s heart caught: "Why are you still staying in Cloudsea? Look at how many times your mother has come looking for you during the month you were in the hospital. Didn’t you want to ignore her? If you return to SJ City, she could still find you."

Florence said nothing.

Luke gritted his teeth, looking at her steadily: "Come back to SJ City with me, and your body hasn’t fully recovered. I will arrange a doctor for you."

"No need." Florence firmly refused, "I said I have no plans to go back for now."

Luke’s eyes darkened: "Florence, because of your health, I’ve endured him being here for a long time. Please don’t..."

"Don’t what!" Florence interrupted him coldly, "Don’t start something you can’t finish? Do I need your attitude? Did I ask you to stay with me in the hospital? How many times have I told you to go back, did you ever?"

Luke took a deep breath: "I am your husband now."

"Just because of a piece of paper, you’ve taken on the role of a husband. How come when you were fooling around outside for those two years, you didn’t think you were a husband."

Luke’s breath paused, feeling a kind of rupture in his heart.

He saw the mockery in Florence’s eyes.

"I said I will change," Luke said.

There was no way he would let Florence and Ethan be together; he would not let go.

"Whether you change or not is your business and has nothing to do with me," Florence said, "You are you, I am me, and I am determined to divorce."

"You’re insisting on getting a divorce for this man," Luke glanced at Ethan, who was on the side packing things, "What’s so good about him? You’ve broken up for so long; as soon as he came back, you ran back to him, is your love for him so deep?"

"Of course!" Florence replied without hesitation.

Both Luke and Ethan’s hearts shook, but with two different emotions.

Ethan seemed to not dare believe what he heard, staring blankly at Florence, only feeling his heartbeat accelerate.

Luke felt shattered into pieces; her unhesitating, resolute answer deeply hurt him.

Luke sneered: "Don’t think you can fly off with him, I won’t agree to the divorce."

After speaking, he looked coldly at Ethan, "I don’t believe you can be a side piece for your whole life."

Ethan looked at him, eyes dark as a storm brewing.

Luke left.

Florence was discharged and returned to the Starlight Residence.

Ethan poured her a cup of hot water and handed it to her, watching her silently.

Neither of them said anything.

After a while, Florence put the cup of water to the side and looked at the man she deeply loved in front of her: "Go back to France."

"No!" he answered firmly.

Florence leaned back into the soft single sofa, and Ethan crouched down in front of her: "Florence, don’t drive me away."

"You could leave quietly back then. Why can’t you leave now even when asked?" she said.

Grief appeared in Ethan’s eyes: "Once was enough for that sort of thing."

Florence sighed softly.

"When I was unconscious, I thought about our past," Florence said slowly, "from the time Aunt Monrose brought me home to when I met you, and then to us being together, with you leaving as the ending."

Ethan grasped her hand.

That was not the end.

"You should have never come back, never appeared before me again," she said.

That sentence crushed Ethan; he buried his head into her hands, "You can hate me, blame me, but I beg you, don’t say such things."

"For a while, I want to live my life well, alone."

"I won’t disturb you," Ethan said, "You live your life, but you definitely can’t drive me away."

"But if I need you to go back to France so that I can live alone..."

Ethan looked at her, eyes full of pain.

"Go back."

The response was a long silence between the two.

Who knows how long passed, Ethan spoke: "I can go back to France for a while if you need it, until you get through this time you need for yourself, then I will definitely come back, and after that, you will never have time alone again; I will always be with you."

"Did you forget what Luke said in the hospital today?" Florence looked at him, "With your current status, do you really want to be the third party?"

"I don’t want to deal with whether or not there will be a divorce anymore. The three years away was already my limit. I miss you more than you can imagine, Florence. After my mother died, you’ve been my only hope of living."

Florence closed her eyes, suppressing the ache inside her.

"Take care of your health, get plenty of rest." Ethan gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I’ll only give you a month’s time."

The warmth on her forehead vanished, as footsteps gradually receded, and Florence heard the door close.

Three years were long, torturous, and difficult for her.

Was it the same for Ethan?

Florence lived alone for half a month before receiving a call from Old Mr. Gardiner.

He still didn’t know about her car accident, and after some small talk, he asked when she would return to SJ.

"These next couple of days." Florence couldn’t be bothered to say much more, "These next couple of days."

"It’s been a while since I last saw you. When you’re back in SJ, remember to come to the old house for a meal."

"Okay."

___

The next day, Florence boarded a flight to SJ City. After a few months, returning felt strange to her.

In the evening, she visited Old Mr. Gardiner at the old house.

As dinner approached, Luke also came back.

He seemed to have completely forgotten the words spoken in the Cloudsea hospital two weeks ago and walked to her side, gently asking when she got back.

Florence responded with "Today."

"You should have told me earlier; I would have picked you up."

"No need, you were busy."

"No matter how busy, I’ll always have time to pick you up," Luke said with a smile.

Old Mr. Gardiner surely could discern the attitude in Luke’s words, but he said nothing, standing up and said to Florence, "Come, Florence, let’s eat."

Florence nodded.

Luke followed behind them.

There were only three of them at dinner.

At the table, Luke was very attentive to her.

Florence found it annoying and eventually couldn’t be bothered to say anything more. She didn’t touch any of the food he placed on her plate.