My Crippled Ex-Husband Is An Emperor

Separation

Styles woke up to a cold cloth placed over his head. He winced as the light penetrated his eyes triggering a light headache.

“You're awake, thank goodness!” He heard a feminine voice. “You know your condition yet you still anger them. Do you have a death wish?”

Styles forced his eyes open to see the owner of the voice. It was a young woman, probably around Mona's age or younger but unlike Mona, the girl was no incredible beauty.

She had an average appearance. A cute nose, small lips, and soft brown eyes. Her hair was concealed in a bonnet. Taking a good look at her now, she was clad in a servant's uniform.

He wasn't sure he'd seen her before.

“W-Who are you?” He asked weakly.

“Someone who found you half-dead in the hallway after your in-laws beat you to pulp,” she responded.

Reality slapped him in the face once again and he became sullen. This wasn't the way he envisioned his marriage with Mona to be.

The girl noticed his expression and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, there is no need to be discouraged, alright? This is not the end of the world,” she assured him.

Later that day, Mona came to see him. Styles pretended not to notice the envelope in her hands and waited for her to speak.

“I'd like this discussion to be as brief as possible. So I stopped by the court today and got the separation papers. They said if the signing is completed by tomorrow morning, we can begin the separation rites immediately,” Mona informed him, handing over the papers to him.

Styles didn't make any attempt to take it from her.

“Go on and take it. Don't leave my hand hanging,” she urged.

“There is no need to take it because I won't be signing those papers,” he stated.

Mona’s expression scrunched with annoyance, “what do you mean by that? I do not wish to remain married to you. I want my freedom back.”

“That is your decision. Now this is mine, we took an oath to stick together for better or worse and you want to alienate yourself from me in the face of such a small problem? I am afraid I cannot allow that to happen,” he stated.

Mona was irritated by the man's stubbornness. Why couldn't he understand that she wanted nothing to do with him?

“You will sign these papers, Styles. That, I promise you,” she gritted.

“Perhaps you should tell your brothers to assassinate me this time. One can never run out of options when separation is involved,” he taunted.

The words easily came out of his mouth, although fragments of a broken heart lay carelessly behind its walls.

All through the day, Styles waited for his in-laws to confront him, beat him up and possibly kill him but nothing of that sort happened.

Had Mona given up already?

It didn't sound like her. The woman he married was stubborn. She would press on until she got what she wanted, no matter the cost.

So when the guards arrived three hours later to inform him that the Lady needed him in her room, he didn't think much about it.

As they helped him up the flight of stairs, he imagined the worst possible scenarios but nothing prepared him for what went down that night.

His beloved wife, in a skimpy seductive night dress, made him watch as she made love to another man.

If Styles’ heart was broken before, it was crushed now. Crushed to powder so there was nothing left except pain. Her moans clawed his chest, ripping him apart bit by bit.

He didn't know who the strange man was, but the stranger didn't mind sleeping with another man's wife in the presence of the husband.

Worse, the room was locked from outside so there was no way he could escape the heart-wrenching sight.

Like he said, Mona was one to get her way at every cost no matter who or what was involved. Whatever her plan was, she had achieved it.

A part of him wanted to yank the man off her and beat him to a pulp but that was greatly impossible. He couldn't allow himself to get this heartbroken and still get beaten up.

There was no iota of love left in him for her. Their wedding ring began heavier on his finger with each thrust.

With a deep breath to calm his breathing, he took off the burden and dropped it on the table. The papers were lying there as well with a feather and bowl of ink, waiting for to sign.

Without further hesitation, he took out the scroll from the envelope and read through it. It stated that he would leave with nothing just the way he came but Styles couldn't be bothered with it.

He wanted nothing from them anyway.

Dipping the pointed end of the feather into the ink, he signed the papers.

Now all that was left was to endure the torture to the end.

After what seemed like an eternity, the man stopped pounding Mona and they both fell on the bed panting.

Styles looked away as they chatted about their intimacy. He hoped they would let him out before going for another round.

Mona got off the bed with the sheets wrapped around her. She checked the papers and chuckled mockingly.

“Not so tough anymore, huh? You finally gave up on the stupid clause. I hope you don't mind staying for another round?”

“Can… you please let me out?” Styles asked. His voice was shaky with emotion. The room atmosphere was already suffocating him.

“That is quite sad but don't worry. I do not mean to keep you here against your wish. You may leave.”

She rang the doorbell and he heard the doors unlocked.

“Goodbye, Styles.”

He didn't waste time before rolling out.