Please Let Me Go, My Contracted Ex-Husband.-Chapter 227- be released from prison

Perhaps this is what life is about—those pains and hardships that once seemed impossible to bear, when you look back at them now, they seem insignificant.

Later, when he heard that she was still alive, he cried alone on his narrow bed for an entire night, and then his heart felt a sudden relief. After experiencing the terror of death, he thought that as long as she was alive, that was the best outcome.

Then he heard that she had returned, bringing with her the daughter she had with that man. Although it was said that she was still at odds with that man, he knew that one day she would return to him.

Even though that man had hurt her so much, she still chose to have his child, still chose to return. That, he realized, was love.

"Vince—"

Cynthia called out his name and wiped away her tears as she took a step forward. A taxi stopped across the street, and a woman got out of the car. Cynthia froze in place.

The woman was Grace. Even though many years had passed, she still had that indifferent, arrogant look, as if nothing had changed. Even though the Lancaster family had fallen from grace, she still carried herself with the pride of the second daughter of the Lancaster family, though now her eyes bore the marks of life’s hardships.

Grace saw Cynthia too. She glanced at her coldly and then walked toward Vincent. Only when facing Vincent did she show any hint of femininity.

Vincent remained in the same position, silent and expressionless. After a deep look at Cynthia, he allowed Grace to take the bag from his hand and bent down to get into the taxi.

"Vince—"

Cynthia, still in a daze, barely managed to call out his name. The taxi, raising dust, quickly disappeared from her view.

She never expected that Vince would... get into Grace’s car...

At that moment, she felt that the man who had once warmed her heart had finally and completely drifted away from her.

"Vince! Vince—"

She stood alone in front of the empty detention center, muttering his name, before crouching down, crying like a child.

She knew that by making this decision today, Vince had firmly decided to withdraw from her world. Yet, she hadn’t had the chance to apologize to him.

She wasn’t unwilling to let go, she was just saddened. What saddened her was why people always had to learn to grow after enduring so much pain. Like her, like Vince, if they hadn’t been so stubborn and persistent back then, would their fates have been different now?

Would Vince be living a peaceful and quiet life with Grace, and would she have been with Albert without the four-year separation?

She squatted there, hugging herself and crying, as if trying to release all the sorrow, bitterness, and unwillingness from deep within her heart. No matter how tough those four years had been, she had never cried like this, like a child throwing a tantrum, not caring about anything.

Behind her, steady footsteps approached. A large pair of hands scooped her up and carried her toward the car. Although she didn’t want him to come along, he knew she would never accept this reality, so he followed her all the way.

After all, Grace had stayed by Vincent’s side for four years without leaving. If Vincent was still stubborn and obsessed, he would truly be too hard-headed.

The car turned around the corner of the detention center, and Grace asked the taxi to stop. She turned to look at the man beside her, who was silently staring ahead with his lips pressed tightly together, and after a difficult pause, she spoke.

"If you can’t let go... then get out of the car."

His dry palm covered her cold hand. Her hand trembled with nervousness, curling into a ball. Vincent, gathering his scattered thoughts, turned his head to look at her. His eyes were calm but hollow. He spoke faintly, lazily:

"Grace, I owe you a lot over the years. Please give me a chance to make up for it..."

His little princess had ultimately become just a beautiful dream in his life. She only stood there crying, oblivious to the man standing behind her. That one glance was enough to take away any courage he had left to chase after her.

The man silently stood not far behind her, gazing at her. It seemed that no matter how the world might abandon her, he would stand by her side, abandoning the world for her.

He thought to himself, his little princess had exchanged four years of separation for such a deep and faithful wait. It was worth it. The four years in prison had taught him some things. Life was short. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so obsessed with loving someone who didn’t love him. Perhaps he should have turned around to look at the one who had always stayed by his side.

Upon hearing his words, Grace’s tears immediately fell. She had always been strong, and from a young age, she rarely cried. Not even when he suggested divorce did she shed a tear. But at this moment, her tears suddenly came rushing down like a broken dam, and she couldn’t stop them.

She became a bit flustered and quickly lowered her head to cover her face. But through her blurry, tear-filled vision, she saw him gently grasp her large hand. The hot tears fell in a steady stream, landing on the back of his hand.

After so many years of tangled relationships, separations, and reconciliations, she had finally waited for this man to look back at her. Yet now, neither of them were young anymore. The best years of their lives had been wasted in the struggle of her loving him and him not loving her.

She felt a pang of sorrow for their past, but also a flutter in her heart for finally receiving this answer.

Vincent didn’t say anything. He simply reached out to gently wipe away the tears on her face, then instructed the taxi driver to continue driving. He looked out the window at the passing scenery, and eventually, he closed his eyes gently, letting all the past drift away with the wind...

Albert held Cynthia in his arms and helped her into his car, then made a phone call to have someone drive her car back. She remained there, crying silently. He reached over, pulling the seatbelt across her and fastening it, trying to sound casual as he said,

"Since you’re so upset, why don’t we go home and find our little joy?"

Sure enough, her face softened a little. She turned to glance at him, perhaps realizing how messy she looked—her face was streaked with tears from her hysterical crying. She quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe her face and then curled up obediently, nodding her head.

When she heard him mention Olive, Cynthia’s attention finally shifted. After not seeing Olive all night, she felt anxious. Olive really was her little joy. Just seeing her made all the hardships feel worth it. A kiss on her little face made all the pain seem insignificant.

"Go ahead and sleep for now. I’ll wake you up when we get home. You didn’t sleep well last night..."

Albert tenderly ruffled her long hair. She immediately blushed, turning her head to look out the window, avoiding looking at him.

He chuckled softly, starting the car. After driving for a while, she leaned against the seat, eyes closed, and suddenly mumbled,

"Albert, thank you."

Thank you for staying by my side when I was at my most helpless, for giving me your gentle comfort, so I didn’t fall too hard, too miserably.

Albert gave her a complex look, then reached over with one hand to hold her small hand that rested by her side. He held it tightly, squeezing it hard.

The truth was, he wasn’t as magnanimous as she thought. He just felt that she needed to sever ties with those two men. Once that was done, he wouldn’t allow her to have any lingering attachment to them. She would be his and his alone.