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《I Gave Him His Freedom》全部章節：第 1 章 - 第 10 章

11 章節

Chapter 1

“Is it over?”As soon as I stepped out of the courthouse, my mother walked over to me.“It’s over.”“He still didn’t show up?”“He didn’t.”“Does he know?”I shook my head.“The court published the notice for sixty days. No one could get in touch with him. I don’t think he’s had the time to see it.”My mother’s voice trembled. “All because of Natalie?”“Yes. She was in surgery back then. She was hanging between life and death.”My mother wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.“So... is she getting better?”“Maybe.”“Yvette, you’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”“For three years, he took care of every single one of her meals without missing a day. Mom, maybe there’s a place for me in his heart, but there’s a place for her too.”The sorrow on my mother’s face deepened, but she said nothing more.Five years ago, we had met at the hospital.He was already the most renowned thoracic surgeon in the province.I was his patient.Every day at 8 a.m., he led the o

Chapter 2

I called Orion.The call connected.“Orion, we’ve already di—”“Sorry, I’m not Orion.”It was Natalie.“Who are you?”“I’m a friend of Orion’s.”I stayed silent for a few seconds.“Did you need something from him? He stayed up all night packing. He hasn’t slept.“If you have anything to say, you can tell me.”I let out a quiet, bitter laugh.I was about to hang up when I heard Orion’s voice on the other end.“Who is it?”“It sounds like… your wife.”Orion took the phone.“Yvette, what’s wrong?”“Who is she?”There was a long silence.“A friend.”“Just a friend?”“Just a friend. Don’t read too much into it.”“Are you going back together?”“Yes. She’s not well. I’m a doctor. I can take care of her.”The airport announcement came faintly through the phone.“By the way, you like flowers, don’t you?“I’m bringing you some seedlings.”Then, he hung up.I walked out to the balcony.The flowerpot sat on the rack. The soil had already cracked dry.The wind blew past

Chapter 3

The doorbell rang.Orion went to open the door.Natalie stood outside.She wore a white dress and held Orion’s phone in her hand. She lifted it slightly and waved it.“Why are you here?”“I came to return your phone. Your grandmother called me and asked me to bring it over.”Orion’s tone was light.The corners of his mouth lifted. It almost mirrored Natalie’s smile.In just three years, they already looked like a couple.But I was his lawful wife.Orion’s eyes landed on her bare shoulders. He frowned.“Wait here.”He walked past me, crossed the living room, and went into the guest room.He came back with a shawl in his hand.“I’ll take her back. Go to bed first,” he said to me.“Are you coming back?”“Of course.”He shook out the shawl and placed it over Natalie’s shoulders with practiced ease.The warm yellow fabric was covered in small flowers.It was Natalie’s favorite color.“It looks nice.” Natalie said, “Orion bought it. He has good taste. Next time you go s

Chapter 4

The food was served on the table. There were sauteed vegetables, boiled shrimp, chicken soup, and glazed ribs.It was a full meal.Orion stood up. He took Ruby’s bowl and served her a bowl of soup.“Grandmother, here’s a chicken drumstick. Your favorite.”He placed the glazed ribs into Natalie’s bowl.“Don’t eat too much. The doctor said you should cut down on meat.”When it came to me, he hesitated. Then, he silently added some vegetables to my plate.Natalie smiled.“Do you like vegetables, Yvette?”“I already said she’s not picky. She eats anything.”I did not like vegetables.Ruby did not want Orion to serve us, so she pulled him down to sit. She placed a rib into his bowl.“Stop standing around. Sit down and eat with us.”“Madam Young, he’s just finished cooking. He probably can’t eat meat right now. He said it feels too heavy.”“Then, what should he have?”“It’s just temporary. A bowl of soup will be enough.”A bowl of clear chicken soup was placed in front of Ori

Chapter 5

On Saturday morning, I was planting flowers on the balcony.Orion walked over.“Yvette, what are you doing?”The floor was full of soil, and the flowerpot was empty.“You’re awake? Come plant flowers with me.”“All right. You left the seedlings there for days. Why did you suddenly want to plant them?”“I just felt like it. Will you help me?”“I will!”He rolled up his sleeves and took the shovel from my hand.I held the seedlings steady and watched him closely.“Why are you looking at me like that?”“Nothing. It’s just been a long time since we last saw each other.”“We’ll have plenty of time in the future.”“Orion, do you still remember what you said when you proposed to me three years ago?”“Of course I remember. How could I forget?”“Could you say it again today?”He clapped the dirt off his hands and looked at me affectionately.“Sure.“Yvette, I once imagined many ways to propose to you, but none of them ever accurately conveyed how you make me feel. I want to wa

Chapter 6

It was Orion.“Yvette, are you really leaving?”Those were his first words as he stood in front of my car.The second thing he asked was, “Why?”His hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot with panic.I got out of the car.“If I hadn’t stopped in time, you would have died.”“Why?”“What are you doing here?”“Your mother told me you were leaving.”“If you know that, move aside.”“Yvette, why? We were fine.”I laughed.“Then, three years ago, why did you leave?”“My mother was sick…”“May 28, 2021. That’s your mother’s death anniversary. Do you still need to ask?”“So, you know everything?”“I do.”His voice turned hoarse.“I was just friends with her. I’m back now. I’ll never leave again.”He was back.So, I was supposed to erase the past three years?He did not cheat, so I was just overreacting.He finally came back, so I had to swallow all my grievances from those three years.Just a few hours ago, he had left with Natalie.

Chapter 7

The first stop was Highvale.People said May and June were the best months to visit Highvale.I saw the Silvercrest Mountains and Lake Evermere. I climbed Mount Frostpeak and watched the sunrise over the golden peak.In the end, I stayed by Lake Evermere.On the third night at the guesthouse, there was a group campfire chat.When I drew a truth card, the whole room burst into laughter.The owner raised a hand to calm everyone down.“Is Orion your husband?”I paused for a moment.“He’s my ex-husband.”The room fell silent.“Do you all know him?”One of the girls spoke up.“We saw his apology vlog.“He said you were traveling alone and asked people who saw it to take care of you.“He also asked us to tell you that he is waiting for you to come home.”I took a sip of wine.“What happens now? Would you try to persuade me?”The girl shook her head.“No. I just want you to be happy. I also want you to know he isn’t doing well, and you’re doing better than he is.”“Thank y

Chapter 8

A month later, Ruby called me.I hesitated for a moment and still answered the phone.“Madam Young, what’s wrong?”“Yvette, it’s me.”It was Natalie.“What is it?”“Yvette, Orion only did it to save me. You can’t treat him like this.”“I divorced him so he could take care of you without any burden. Isn’t that what you wanted?”“That’s not the same.”“What is different?”“He still has his grandmother to take care of.”“How is that a problem?”“But that used to be your responsibility.”I laughed.“She’s his grandmother, not mine.”“That shouldn’t be how it is. Everything is wrong. Did you say something to him? He said he won’t accompany me to future checkups anymore. He also said he has already done enough for me.”So, that was the real reason she called.She was questioning me.But she had no right before.She had even less right after.“If that’s what you called for, then we’re done talking.”Her voice suddenly turned soft and pitiful.“Yvette, don’t hang up.“I’

Chapter 9

Three years later, my travels finally came to an end.I returned to my own home.That night, Orion appeared downstairs in my neighborhood.I gazed down at him from above.He had lost a lot of weight. His beard was unkempt. His clothes had not changed from three years ago. Even his hair had turned grey.My mother walked up beside me and sighed.“You weren’t here these years. He often came to see me.“Sometimes, he listened while I talked about your childhood. Other times, he just stared at your photos in silence.“Most of the time, he stayed in your room. He would hold your marriage certificate and look utterly listless.”My mother pointed at the extra things in the house. Her expression turned complicated.“Two years ago, I said my back hurt. He bought that massage chair.“When I went for a checkup, the doctor said my immune system was weak. He filled an entire fridge with health supplements.“He brought me all of this.”My mother led me to the wardrobe.She asked me to o

Chapter 10

After Orion left my house, he did not go home. He went to South City instead, where Natalie still lived.Later, Natalie’s vlog, which had been silent for three years, finally started updating again.He never came back after that.Six months later, my mother arranged a blind date for me.It was at a coffee shop.When I arrived, the other person was already sitting there.“Hello, I’m Zach Watson.”“I’m…”“Yvette, Yvette Johnson.”“Did my mother tell you my name?”He shook his head.“Don’t misunderstand. Your mother didn’t say anything. I recognized you when I saw you.”“Because… of the videos?”“Yes. I actually didn’t want to go on a blind date, but when I saw it was you, I was glad I did.”“Thank you.”“Orion already regretted losing you a long time ago.”“Hmm?”“Didn’t you see it?”I felt a little confused.“What did I miss?”He did not answer. Instead, he picked up his phone and tapped it twice.It was the first time he had touched his phone since I sat down.H

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