The Sway and Slide of Love

Irene had never been well-liked in the village. The other women claimed she'd brought misfortune to her husband, and in her younger days, they accused her of seducing their husbands.

After earning her reputation as a shrew, no one would even speak to her.

Truthfully, she held no attachment to this village. She had stayed at first to wait for her husband and later to wait for Nelly.

But after that, none of it mattered anymore.

Yet tonight, for the first time, she found someone to tell these things to.

Hendrix sat quietly and listened. He'd never been good at comforting people, so after a long silence, he finally said, "When I thanked you earlier, it wasn't just for saving Noelle. It was also because you gave her things she's always wanted."

Irene looked at him, puzzled.

Even with her limited understanding of the outside world, she could tell Hendrix was wealthy. Which meant that everything he gave Noelle must have been the best. And what could she possibly offer Noelle?

"When she was little, she got separated from her family," Hendrix told Irene. "She was trafficked to a remote mountain village. Her adoptive father treated her terribly. The only one who protected her was her adoptive mother.

"But in the end, her adoptive mother was badly injured defending her, and she's still in a coma to this day.

"Her birth parents finally found her when she was 15 years old, but by then they'd already had another daughter. And because her adoptive father had touched her inappropriately, her parents always held that against her. They never treated her

well.

"Later, she married me. But at the time, I was far from being a good husband neglected her feelings and failed to give her enough care and love, which ultimately led to the loss of our first child. She went through a very difficult time back then and visited her adoptive mother in the hospital often.

"I think that even with her adoptive father's mistreatment and their financial struggles, she might have been willing to endure it. In her eyes, if all of that could have been exchanged for her adoptive mother's health and those years she spent protecting her, she probably would have thought it was worth it."

Hendrix spoke slowly. This wasn't just Noelle's past-it was his, too. And he knew

exactly how terrible his role in it had been.noveldrama

Looking back now, he didn't even understand how Noelle had survived those years.

So when she'd said some things

could never be forgiven, she'd meant it. Her choice to be with him again wasn't about forgetting or forgiving the past. She'd simply decided to move forward.

During this time, Irene's protection clearly reminded her of the past—of what it felt

like to be unconditionally sheltered.

Hendrix explained all of this to Irene.

"So, I'm begging you. Please don't cut ties with her," he said in a low voice. "I

know she's not Nelly and that she could never replace her. But—"

He didn't finish. Even he knew his request was unreasonable.

Irene studied him for a long time.

Hendrix thought she was going to reject him outright. But instead, she said, "You two will have to leave here eventually. As for me, I'm too old to move, nor do I want to."