He Traded My Trauma for Her Redemption - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Instead of sinking endlessly into despair, I held a simple funeral for Grandma in my hometown, laying her to rest alongside my long-departed parents.
The neighbors were incredibly kind, offering their help without hesitation and assisting me in many ways, both big and small.
With newfound determination, I decided to stay in my hometown.
Due to my strong academic background, I was able to secure a teaching position at a local school.
Most of my colleagues were young, fresh graduates. They were the same age as Tessa, yet they were bright, optimistic and full of energy.
In our free time, we would chat and go shopping together.
Life was simple and peaceful.
Until one day, Cassian appeared before me.
The stench of alcohol on him made my head ache. I tried to avoid him, but he blocked my way.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t understand.
"Leona, I miss you so much."
"Cassian, we are already divorced." My expression was calm, as if I were looking at a stranger.
But Cassian kept shaking his head, stubbornly holding up that wedding ring in front of me.
"I don’t accept it, Leona. I can’t live without you. The time you were gone, I missed you so bad. I never had the courage to tell you, but the truth is, I truly, sincerely loved you."
"The time I first spent with you was the happiest period of my life. I thought, at last, there was someone in this world who could love me wholeheartedly. I thought I had finally found a home."
"But then, the contract you signed with Grandpa shattered all my illusions. I couldn’t accept that the woman I loved so deeply had approached me with a purpose. Out of revenge, I did so many foolish things..."
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, as if he had suffered an unimaginable grievance.
I lifted my head and looked at him. "Do you remember our wedding anniversary?"
Hearing my words, Cassian visibly froze. His lips moved, but no sound came out. The emotions in his eyes shifted from shock to guilt, then to something resembling helplessness.
I let out a cold chuckle, my voice steady but sharp.
"I remember our anniversary. I will never forget it. Because on that day, your lover personally told me…" I paused, letting the words sink in. "That the first time she slept with you was on our wedding night."
That girl was the bridesmaid Cassian had personally chosen, the so-called distant cousin he had always talked about.
Not long after our marriage, she openly admitted their relationship.
However, Cassian quickly grew tired of her.
When a new favorite appeared, she was discarded before me.
Exposed, Cassian was left speechless.
Yet, my long-standing compromises and tolerance made him believe that as long as he lowered his head slightly, he could win me back.
After that, Cassian began sending me flowers and gifts, just like during our passionate courtship.
However, I was no longer the naive girl I once was, nor would I make the same mistake twice.
On the very day I resolved never to see Cassian again in this lifetime, I received a call from the lawyer.
Thomas was critically ill and wished to see me one last time before he passed away.
Over the past seven years, he had treated me with respect and care. Both emotionally and morally, I owed him this final act of filial piety.
Setting aside my grievances with Cassian, I rushed back to the Harland Family overnight.
Lying on his sickbed, Thomas was experiencing a final burst of lucidity before death.
His aged face was filled with sorrow.
“Leona, I have made you suffer. The Harland Family has made you suffer.”
When I married Cassian, I was still young and naïve. But Thomas, a man who had battled in the business world for half his life, could not have been unaware of how unfair that contract was.