Interlude 7 (Ex-Wife Finale) The Chains That Ensnared the Ex-Wife and the Path of No Return

(Ex-Wife Finale) The Chains That Ensnared the Ex-Wife and the Path of No Return

“…Haah. I never knew he was such a psychopathic freak.”

Gasping for breath, I leaned against the wall.

Tilting my head back, I let out a stream of complaints.

I’ve always made decisions quickly, relying on my instincts and intuition.

And honestly, they’ve never failed me—I’ve always been sharp, always right.

That’s why, this time, I trusted them and decided to “run away.”

There’s no way he’d expect me to leave on that very day.

While I was with him, I played up a facade of indecisiveness, pretending to be a helpless girl who needed his protection.

I never thought that act would save me in a situation like this…

But because he believes it, he doesn’t suspect a thing.

As expected, I managed to escape effortlessly. There’s no sign of him following me.

“…The real problem starts now.”

Where do I go?

I need to figure out my next steps—think everything through.

Should I seek help from Taa-kun’s family?

—Absolutely not.

If they couldn’t stop him from turning out like that, there’s no way they could handle things now.

Even if I could rely on them, I have a feeling he’d find me immediately… I’d be caught before I could even act.

—My parents’ house?

No, that’s not an option either.

My parents adored my ex-husband, but after the divorce, they distanced themselves completely.

They even went as far as to declare, “Never show your face here again! We’re cutting all ties with you as our child!!”

I can’t possibly go back to them now.

The same goes for my friends—they’ve all drifted away.

I thought living in Taa-kun’s house, with all that money, would mean I didn’t need friends.

Who would’ve thought that choice would backfire like this…

If that’s the case…

As I searched for an answer, I faintly heard cheerful voices nearby.

“Haha, Kanade, you always say such funny things~.”

“Hey! Don’t laugh! I’m being serious here!!”

“Okay, okay. There, there.”

“Stop treating me like a child already!”

The playful exchange sounded oddly familiar.

Instinctively, I turned toward the voices.

There he was—my ex-husband, walking happily alongside that woman from back then.

His radiant smile, one I’d never seen when we were together, sent a wave of unease, irritation, and desperation crashing over me.

—Why does he look happier than I do!?

Why!?

Why… when I worked so hard to claim happiness for myself!!

Out of frustration, I punched the wall.

A sharp pain spread through my hand.

The pain helped cool my agitated emotions, just a little.

There’s no point in being angry now.

More than that, I should ask him for help.

Even with the restraining order, he’s so ridiculously kindhearted that he might listen.

I’m sure he’d help me, even if just a little.

I’ll use him as much as I can…

Damn it. That woman from back then is annoying, but… yeah, desperate times call for desperate measures.

I started to approach my ex-husband from behind.

Just as I was about to reach him—

“Hey, Aya. If you were going on a little trip, I wish you’d taken me too.”

—The words were whispered right into my ear.

My heart pounded violently, and an unpleasant sweat broke out across my back and neck.

When I turned toward the voice, I found Taa-kun standing there, wearing a bright, cheerful smile.

“Honestly~. Leaving me behind is so mean. If I weren’t such a forgiving person, I’d have to discipline you. Oh, or is that the kind of thing you’re into?”

“Wh-why are you here?”

“Why? Do you really think I wouldn’t know what someone like me would do in your shoes? Prioritizing yourself above all else, caring nothing for others, chasing selfish happiness. You’re as predictable as I am.”

My face stiffened, my lips twitching uncontrollably.

As if to comfort me, he patted my head, saying, “Yosh, yosh, yosh, don’t worry about it.”

Then his mouth curled into an eerie grin.

“Relax. I’ll take full responsibility and make you happy.”

“Happy?”

“Of course! Being with me is happiness, isn’t it? You said you loved me so much. So, as long as you have me and our baby, you don’t need anything else, right?”

“That’s… not…”

Desperate, I turned my gaze toward my ex-husband’s retreating figure, silently begging for help.

But fear choked me, and no sound came out.

Noticing where I was looking, Taa-kun chuckled softly.

“Fufu, seeing Kanade-chan back then surprised me too. I almost panicked, but luckily, nothing weird was said. I couldn’t let my happy family plans be ruined, after all.”

“Happy family… Kanade? Who’s that?”

“Ah, Kanade-chan? Just someone I know… well, more like an acquaintance through wealthy connections. Ah~ When I talked to her a long time ago, she said, ‘You’re suspicious.’ Ahahaha!! Spot on for a first impression, right?”

Laughing as though he found it hilarious, he clutched his stomach.

Despite the charm in his smile, I felt an icy chill run down my spine.

…Wait.

Didn’t he say something unpleasant just now?

“Wait, did you just say… wealthy?”

“Fufu. I knew that would catch your attention.”

“That’s a lie…”

“It’s not a lie. Your ex-husband was walking with someone incredibly wealthy. If they get married, it’d be like marrying into money~. How fortunate, how fortunate.”

Clapping his hands gleefully, he beamed.

In stark contrast, I slumped against the wall with a heavy sigh.

The contrast between us.

The ideal I had envisioned had been achieved first—by my ex-husband.

Realizing this left me utterly speechless.

“So, you see—there’s no one left for you to rely on but me.”

“That’s not true…”

“Oh, but it is. After all, we’re bound together by these ‘chains of love.’”

Lowering my head, I said nothing as he continued talking on his own.

“First, Aya, you met me while I was underage and made your move. You don’t need me to spell out what that means, do you? Of course, I still have footage from back then. Next, the divorce—and on top of that, you committed adultery. Naturally, if you do something like that, your acquaintances will abandon you~. Even Kanade-chan cut off your escape route. Now, you’re completely isolated. And lastly—there’s the pregnancy.”

I cradled my growing belly, trying to calm my nerves with deep breaths.

But the more I tried, the harder it became to breathe.

—No.

No, no, no, no, no!!!

This can’t be real!!!

Tell me it’s not true!!!

I want to start over!

Let me redo everything from the beginning!!!

“Aya. You can’t go back now.”

His childlike tone cut through my despair as if he could read my thoughts.

Collapsing to my knees, I looked up to see him leaning over me.

“You see, I believe ‘true love is born from sharing guilt,’” he said, his voice almost soothing.

“You committed a sin, Aya. But I’m the sinful one who created the opportunity. We’re a perfectly matched couple, aren’t we? A deep, karmic bond, an inescapable entanglement. This is true love.”

Narrowing his eyes as if reminiscing, he added, “It took a lot of work to get to this point.”

Faced with this inescapable reality, I let my arms fall limply to my sides.

“Let’s move somewhere rural. This time, I don’t want anyone interfering… Maybe an island? We could build our own little world. It might even be fun to create a village together.”

He took my hand and led me forward.

I had no strength left to resist.

I had been completely manipulated by this man.

In the corner of my vision, my ex-husband’s figure grew smaller and smaller.

On impulse, I reached out toward him.

…But my hand could no longer reach.

Because I had arrived at a point of no return.

Pulling my empty hand back, I let it fall limply to my side.

At the same time—tears began to spill from my eyes.