Reclaiming the CEO's Heart

Chapter 18 Giving Up

Chapter 18 Giving Up

Before Avery could land on the ground, someone pulled her back.

It wasn't Jacob, but Jason. She looked up, only to find Jacob watching with cold eyes in the distance.

There were no signs of concern but only indifference in his eyes.

Apparently, he believed it was another trick played by her.

All that remained for him was hatred, so how could he care?

"Mrs. Hill, are you okay?" Jason asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. It's just hypoglycemia." Avery laughed self-deprecatingly and followed behind Jacob.

It had snowed all night, and the courtyard was all white. The servants of the Hill Mansion were nowhere

to be seen, and no one had cleared the accumulated snow in the yard. It was a short distance, but

Avery was out of breath.

She braved the wind and snow to reach the room, hoping to warm herself up. Standing at the door,

Jacob sneered at her. "I have to admit that your acting skills have improved."

Back then, to keep him, Avery had used all the tricks she could think of, even resorting to desperate

measures she had previously despised.

Avery felt ironic, but instead of explaining, she sneered. "Thank you for your compliment."

With an indifferent expression, she walked past Jacob into the room. The comfortable heating inside

made her feel slightly better. She took off her thick down jacket, poured herself a glass of warm water,

and leaned softly on the sofa before asking, "So, are you going to divorce me or not?"

"When it's time for a divorce, I will let you know. For the time being, you will stay here."

Sitting opposite him, Avery remained composed as she fiddled with the fluffy ball hanging from her hat.

"Jacob, on the seventh day after I gave birth prematurely, you asked me for a divorce. I never

understood why you were in such a hurry until I saw that child who resembled you in every way. You

were eager to leave me to give Layla a home."

A quiver in her voice, she continued, "In this past year, no matter how cold you were toward me, I

stubbornly used the kindness you once showed me to cover up your betrayal and heartlessness. I

thought maybe you were just fooling around for a while. After all, I am your legally wedded wife. There

must be something wrong with me for you to ignore me. I can change and even tolerate your mistakes.

"Looking back, I realize how foolish I was. While you were enjoying life with someone else's wife and

child, I stayed in that desolate home, waiting for someone who would never return.

"It took me a year to accept this reality and understand how foolish I was. So now, I'm letting go. If you

want to find your happiness or give them a home, I don't care anymore."

Avery stood up and stumbled toward Jacob. Tears streamed down her face, dropping onto the cold

floor tiles.

She stopped in front of Jacob, studying the man sitting there upright with a calm expression. Although

he didn't show any emotions, his aura was intimidating, and his anger seemed to break out at any

moment.

In the past, this expression was reserved for others. In his eyes, there was always a hint of subtle

warmth when he looked at her.

But now, she had become just like the others to him.

So, she should have let go a long time ago.

Keeping her head low, Avery opened her mouth. Rare despair appeared on her face.

"Jacob, I'm letting you go. Can you let me go too? Please?"

Her almost pleading voice caused his heart to tighten. He saw the exhaustion on Avery's face.

It was like a crumbling dam standing tall amidst the turbulent floodwaters for years. The dam, which

was once thought to be indestructible, suddenly developed a breach. In the moment it gave way, the

entire structure was engulfed by the raging waters, causing its stones to be battered and shattered by

force.

Giving up was always easier than staying firm.

In the instant the flood swallowed the entire dam, no one knew how long it had held on, how difficult it

had been to guard against the onslaught, and how heartbroken it must have been to abandon its long-

standing faith.

She was right. Besides seeking revenge, Jacob was eager to divorce so that his son could be

registered.

After nearly a year of struggle, Avery finally let go, but Jacob wasn't as happy as he had imagined.

"You think I'll let you off so easily? Dream on! From today onward, you'll stay in the Hill Mansion. You

belong to me in this lifetime, and after you die, you will remain mine."

Avery's tears landed on his face, and a hint of moisture seemed to seep into Jacob's heart.

He irritably took out his phone and opened a photo, which displayed the moment of Nicholas being

taken away by the ambulance.

"If you have any contact with this man again, the ones lying there will be his entire family. Avery, don't

even think about living as you wish."

"You b*stard! If you hate me, come after me. Why did you do that to Nicholas?" Avery's slap was

intercepted by Jacob before it could land.

Jacob's eyes were filled with resentment. "Do you care about him so much? Don't forget, until the

divorce is finalized, you are still Mrs. Hill."

"I..."

Before Avery could explain, she suddenly felt weightless as Jacob picked her up and unceremoniously

threw her onto the bed in the master bedroom.

Fortunately, the mattress had been customized to her preferences. It was soft and resilient, and she

wasn't injured.

But the heavy fall caused her to feel even dizzier. She lay weakly on the bed and looked at the man in

fear.

Jacob impatiently loosened his tie and, as if possessed by a demon, approached the trembling woman

with a cruel smile.

"Avy, have you been with him these past few days? Did he touch you?"

The term of endearment that hadn't been used in almost two years suddenly sounded perverse when it

came out of his mouth. It brought her goosebumps.

The man seemed like a beast restrained by chains, ready to break free and pounce on her.

Avery shook her head and tried to explain, "We're just friends. It's not as dirty as you think."

"Dirty? Hmph..." A sneer tugged at his lips, and he reached out to grab her feet.

Despite her discomfort, she struggled, but her feeble strength was useless, like punching cotton.

Little did she know that Jacob had searched every corner these past few days, barely sleeping for ten

hours over several nights. Filled with hatred for so long, he was like a demon absorbing negative

energy, desperately in need of an outlet.

He removed Avery's shoes and socks. He hadn't touched this woman in hundreds of days and nights.

The rush of blood coursed through his veins, and lust clouded his eyes.

Avery knew exactly what that kind of gaze meant. She pleaded with a trembling voice, "No, Jacob, you

can't..."