When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 1

The Day We Part (0)

Prologue

“I’m leaving.”

“…Leilly.”

If you had loved me even once, I wouldn’t be this miserable.

Even in this moment, facing him, she felt suffocated.

She knew. She knew he loved someone else and that he only thought of her as a woman to bear children to continue his family line.

Leilly had thought it would be enough if Theo was just by her side.

Foolishly. Stupidly.

Even when she became pregnant and he finally started to pay attention to her, Leilly didn’t understand.

Love.

How much had she lost, captivated by the invisible illusion of love? If he had truly loved her, this wouldn’t have happened.

Perhaps it was a doomed encounter from the start.

She had covered her eyes to escape and grabbed his hand, believing only what she saw. He had deceived himself and manufactured emotions for the sake of her family’s power.

Still, she wanted to believe.

Wouldn’t he change? Wouldn’t he come back?

Wouldn’t he whisper that he loved her, smile kindly, and embrace her as he once did? Even if they couldn’t go back to how they were, they were still family.

She believed nothing would change.

But her desperate wish was not granted. Their precarious relationship was nothing more than a struggle to avoid falling from a rotten rope.

She was the only one who plummeted to the ground when it snapped.

Carrying her only hope and escape in her womb, Leilly’s child had died. The feeling of the baby kicking her belly still lingered, bringing a wave of sorrow.

The warmth, the shared presence, was something no one else could understand. Only she could feel it.

Leilly slowly stroked her now empty belly, where nothing remained.

‘I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry I had to send you away without even letting you be born. Mommy is sorry.’

She squeezed her eyes shut. She tried to imagine the baby’s unheard cries, smiling face, and tiny hands holding hers, but she couldn’t.

“The child… it was unexpected.”

Unexpected….

Leilly couldn’t help but laugh in despair. Even now, standing before Theo, who was spouting nonsense, was a torment to her.

“Was that child mine alone…?”

Leilly was dragged down into endless despair by his indifferent expression and emotionless tone.

Yes, it would have been better if the child had been hers alone. Then she wouldn’t have to worry that her child, who had left her womb, might hear her.

Theo hurriedly tried to explain, seeing Leilly’s hardened gaze.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“When that woman… when the woman you love pushed me down the stairs….”

You didn’t see it, did you? The bewilderment, surprise, and joy on her face.

No matter what she said, Theo wouldn’t listen. What was the point of revealing the truth now?

She was just leaving.

Theo still frowned as he looked at Leilly. His patience was not long.

No, did he even have any patience in the first place? He spent every night with his mistress, determined to get her pregnant.

“It was an accident. She wouldn’t have done it on purpose.”

“It was our child. My child, your child! It’s dead… I still feel like my baby is alive in my belly.”

The pent-up anger and despair washed over her again.

Wasn’t it enough for her to just disappear? She couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her go.

‘Don’t you really understand? No. You know what he’s thinking.’

Theo was still not giving up.

Leilly felt a chill at the sight of Theo’s eyes on her. There was no guilt or sadness in them. She was tired of curling up in bed every night, struggling to fall asleep.

In this mansion, no one except her mourned the loss of the child.

It was as if the fact that she had been pregnant had never happened, as if the child had never existed.

“Leilly, I understand how you feel. But I can’t let you suddenly get a divorce.”

We can always have another child.

‘Even if we can’t, I have to hold on like this for now.’

He lied without batting an eye.

Leilly’s clenched fists trembled at Theo’s words. She didn’t want to be in the same space any longer. It was a relationship that would end if he just let her go.

He said he wouldn’t let her go, even though he didn’t love her, simply because she was the daughter of the powerful Trailla family, for his own reputation and power.

Theo had Anna live not far from his house.

He visited her every day, sharing his love, and even brought her to Leilly to introduce her. Leilly closed her eyes and deceived herself, unable to let him go.

It won’t last long. I’m the mistress of the house, so she can’t threaten my position.

But that vain hope was not fulfilled, even after a month or a year. Anna didn’t pay much attention to Leilly.

Because she knew she was in a superior position here.

However, when Leilly became pregnant with Theo’s child, Anna felt that the situation was gradually changing.

What Anna couldn’t have was Theo’s child and the position of Duchess.

Was that when she started to feel that the food tasted strange? Not long after, Leilly felt nauseous and almost lost her child.

After that day, she realized something was wrong.

‘If this goes on, both I and my child will be in danger.’

The longer she watched Anna, the more Leilly felt like she was being eaten away.

Leilly always watched the preparation of the food before eating it.

She had suspicions, but no evidence. Theo wouldn’t listen to Leilly, and here she was just a nominal Duchess.

Until Anna pushed her down the stairs, she thought she just had to be careful.

When she grabbed her to kill the child she was carrying, Leilly finally realized that she had been living with foolish thoughts.

If only she had left this place sooner….

Leilly felt suffocated by the guilt that weighed her down.

She stepped back from Theo, who was grabbing her hand, and composed herself. Even the slightest touch made her feel sick.

“I hope you’ll be happy with that woman you love and who will bear your children. I hope that place is hell….”

Her anger leaked out through her clenched teeth.

The grinding sound seemed to show how much she was suppressing her emotions.

“Leilly, why are you doing this now?”

“It’s a good thing I’m getting out of here now.”

Theo bit his lip. It was impossible to communicate with her.

‘Damn it, this wasn’t supposed to happen.’

Leilly could almost hear Theo’s mind racing. She gave a faint smile and looked down at Theo with contempt.

“The reason you’re holding onto me so tightly is because I’m the daughter of the Trailla family. The woman you love is a noble with nothing but a paltry title.”

“Leilly!”

The reason she hadn’t told her family was because she was sure nothing would change. Would it have been better if she had run away?

Why had she clung to the illusion she wanted to believe in, enduring and becoming miserable?

The reason she hadn’t told her family was because her family was no different. Honor, the eyes of the people. It wouldn’t do any good for her father to know.

So she decided to break away from him now. From the emotions that had consumed her, from the one who had caused her to lose her child.

To erase the terrible life she had lived here.

“So let’s get a divorce. I’ll leave this place.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is what I’ve suffered here reasonable?”

“Leilly.”

Theo’s face twisted. It was only after the word divorce came out that his expression changed. Leilly couldn’t help but let out a sneer.

For me, and for my child who left because of my foolishness.

“Let’s never see each other again.”

She reached out and shook off Theo, who was grabbing her arm, and got into the prepared carriage.

No more tears came out. A pattern appeared on her neck as she looked out the window, and it tingled.

“Are you really okay? They’ll notice if you use your powers.”

A long-haired man appeared across from Leilly, along with a low voice.

“I’m fine. I knew I couldn’t hide it forever anyway.”

“….”

“Just let me live as myself.”

“If that’s what you want.”

Leilly’s silver hair turned black with a single touch from the man.

Her vision seemed to darken, and she felt a dull pain in her heart. Tears streamed down Leilly’s face as she closed her eyes.

Without even knowing why she was crying.