Obsession With My EX-wife

Chapter 6: You Didn't Trust Me

As Leonard and Catherine walked across the lawn to the castle's entrance, he said, "Do you still remember this lawn? You used to say that you loved this lawn."

Leonard's words cut like a knife. It was on this lawn that she'd first met Vivian, who told her that Leonard had played on the lawn with her as children.  

"Shall we take a walk on the lawn now?" Leonard asked. 

"No," Catherine replied. "I am not here to be your friend or companion. I am just your Personal Surgeon."

Leonard didn't understand why she had answered him so stiffly, and his eyes darkened. 

Moving forward, they came to a garden. "See?" he said. "That is a rose garden. You used to grow roses there to show me that you loved me." 

Yes – Catherine thought of those crazy days when she had fallen in love with Leonard. She had grown roses and promised that she would love him forever. In the end, though, Leonard had asked someone to destroy all of her roses. She had cried for a whole night and came down with a fever...

"Those days are gone..." she said, "And I regret so much ever loving you…"

Catherine thought of how badly she'd been hurt, she began to cry. When Leonard saw her tears, he said, "I'm sorry, Cathy. I just want to tell you that even though I divorced you, I've never forgotten about you, and I am really touched by what you have done for me." 

Catherine tried her best to hold back her tears and said, "You don't have to feel touched, and I don't want to be remembered by you."  

Leonard thought about that for a moment, and then he said, "Do you remember the pond and the time you and Vivian fell into it?"

Catherine's face turned pale suddenly, and she pushed Leonard away. "We didn't 'fall in,'" she hissed. "Vivian PUSHED me into the pond, and I lost my baby!" Once she'd fallen into the pond, Vivian jumped in, and then Vivian framed her. "She said it was an accident, but it wasn't, and you took her word over mine!"

After that, everyone said that Catherine had intended to hurt Vivian, and Leonard asked for a divorce. 

That had been a desperate time in her life, and she resented Leonard for bringing it up.

"C-Cathy," Leonard stammered. "I d-didn't trust you then, b-but...."

"Enough, shut up!" Catherine shouted, and she began to cry even harder. "Leonard Campbell, I can see now that you won't be content until you've finally tortured me to death." She turned and began to walk back to the street. "I'll take a taxi home."

"Wait!" Leonard begged, "You're still my Personal Surgeon!"

Catherine wiped the tears from her eyes, and she couldn't help but laugh, "Go get another doctor to help you," she said. "I quit. besides, you aren't even sick. You are a manipulative liar!" 

"I'm not," Leonard cried. "I really do need you, not to help me, but to help my Grandfather. He has heart disease!" 

Catherine froze when she heard this and couldn't take another step. When she'd been married to Leonard, his Grandfather was the only person in his family that had been nice to her.

She could ignore Leonard, but she couldn't ignore the old man. Catherine slowly turned around. She looked at Leonard and said, "I will treat Grandpa." 

Leonard was delighted. If he could get Catherine to treat his Grandfather, he thought he could also win her heart. After all, it would be a long road to recovery, so he would have a lot of time to spend with her. 

"I will only treat Grandpa," Catherine added. "If you need a doctor, just get yourself another one." 

Leonard nodded his head and said, "Deal." He smiled and offered her his hand. "Do we need to shake hands?" 

Catherine looked down at his hand, "No," she said. "If you break our deal, I'm out of here." Catherine didn't want to spend one more second with Leonard than she had to.

Leonard nodded, but what he was thinking was – I can promise her now. As for whether I can be true to my word, that's a problem for another day...

Catherine said, "Take me to Grandpa." 

Leonard sighed helplessly. He pointed to a tree and said, "Cathy, look at that tree..." 

Catherine interrupted him by saying, "Mr. Campbell, I don't want to recall the past. And please, call me Dr. Winston." 

Leonard's back stiffened for a moment, but he finally agreed. He knew that after how badly he'd hurt her, he deserved to be treated like this. "Okay, Dr. Winston," he said, "Let's go inside to see my Grandpa." 

Catherine nodded, and Leonard led her into the main building, where several people were milling about. One of them was visibly surprised to see Catherine, but when he opened his mouth to say something about it, Leonard glared at him, and he promptly shut his mouth.

Catherine looked around. They didn't like her, and she didn't like them. Catherine had played nice in the past, for Leonard's sake, but that was no longer necessary, so she didn't even say hello to them. 

Leonard looked over at Catherine and asked, "Would you like a cup of tea?" 

"No," Catherine replied. "I don't deserve to drink tea here. As you know, I am unworthy." That was something one of Leonard's relatives had told Catherine once, and she was repeating it out of spite. "Just take me to see your Grandfather."