CHAPTER 329: REJECTION AND COMFORT

"I’m fine." Coco said, smiling at Alhai, "I’m just tired.. That’s all."

The corner of Alhai’s lips twitched downward, the blatant lie that Coco had told him left him feeling upset and frankly, her action towards him should have been enough for him to back off.

However, he took himself by surprise when he felt those words only splurging him on to insisting.

"You’re not fine." The mediator said, stating the obvious, "And it’s okay to admit that you’re not. You don’t have to lie or hide it from me— from us, your husbands."

His words were ironic, and he had the urge to punch himself for uttering that sentence.

He’s the one who said Coco Coison is not their wife, or at least pretending to be not their wife, but now, he’s standing in front of her telling her that she can lean on them.

Lean on him? Of all the people she knows?

Alhai’s grip on Coco’s wrist tightened again, but not too tight, just enough to make Coco tense up.

"I.. I appreciate the thought." Coco murmured, turning her gaze away from Alhai and not bothering to cover her face anymore, unlike earlier.

Coco’s expression softened, her heart clenching at the possibility that Alhai was merely trying to get a reaction from her, and a small part of her feared that accepting his offer would only give him the satisfaction of witnessing her crumbling.

So, no, she can’t have that.

Sure, he looked like he was completely fine to see her tears and didn’t seem like he would run off to tell others that she was crying.

In fact, he looked like he wanted to be a pillar at this vulnerable time of hers.

"You look like.." You don’t need me.

The words got caught in Alhai’s throat, the sound dying down by his tongue.

Alhai’s heart took a plunge to his stomach, the weight of Coco’s refusal sinking into his chest like a heavy stone, causing his expression to falter, a mixture of disappointment and something he couldn’t quite identify creeping into his gaze.

He had surprised himself by offering to listen to her and now it felt as if his efforts were being brushed aside without a second thought.

Alhai’s mind raced with a sudden surge of guilt and self-blame, his thoughts spiraling into conclusions.

He assumed that Coco’s rejection may be related to his past behavior— the biting remarks, the harsh words, and the countless sneers he had directed toward her.

The weight of his own actions pressed upon his conscience, surprisingly, and he could feel the guilt of his own cruelty seeping into his veins because the consequences of his past actions are now coming back to bite him in the ass.

Alhai shifted nervously on his feet, his lips parted and poised to speak, but before he could utter a word, the door to Coco’s bedroom creaked open, interrupting the moment.

Both Coco and Alhai turned their heads in the direction of the door, curiosity piqued, and through the crack in the door, a sliver of the bedroom beyond could be seen, revealing a particularly fluffy creature.

Konoha’s head peeked through the slightly ajar door, her form now back to its usual size, standing at waist level to Coco, when her piercing gaze landed on Alhai, making her eyes narrow into an intense glare.

Coco’s face softened before she gently pulled her wrist free from Alhai’s grasp, her body turning towards Konoha.

She quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around the large feline’s neck, burying her face in the soft, silky fur of Konoha’s cheek with the cat’s whiskers tickling her skin.

Alhai’s mouth parted in disbelief and was about to speak, only to get cut off when he witnessed Konoha raise a paw and casually close the door in his face with a slam.

The audacity of the cat’s action left him momentarily stunned, then his expression morphed into a frown.

Coco flinched at the loud sound of the door slamming shut, her body tensing in response to the abrupt noise.

Reluctantly, she pulled away from the comforting hold of the cat as her gaze fixed on the closed door, her mind raced with one question.

Did Alhai close the door to give her some privacy?

"Meow." Konoha mewled softly, a soothing sound that caught Coco’s attention, pulling her focus away from the closed door.

The giant cat affectionately nuzzled her head against Coco’s cheek, offering comfort and reassurance through the gentle contact, the gesture alone was a silent message, a promise of protection and companionship.

It was enough to put Coco’s tension at ease, the weight of her worry temporarily lifted as she leaned into Konoha’s loving touch.

While Coco leaned into Konoha’s comforting presence, the tears that dried up earlier are now welling up in her eyes once more, the pain and exhaustion that had been weighing her down returned, and it was as if a dam had burst within her.

Sobs wracked her frame unexpectedly as she clung to the fluffy cat, her body shaking.

Coco slid down to the floor, her body collapsing under her weight, and Konoha followed her movement, letting Coco bury her face into her fluffy white fur.

As Coco sought refuge in the soft, comforting embrace of the cat’s coat, Konoha began purring softly, the rhythmic sound filled the air, a gentle and soothing accompaniment to Coco’s tears.

The vibrations from the purring sent light tremors through Coco’s body and as the sound of the purring intensified, it triggered a flood of emotions within Coco, causing her to cry harder.

Her heart ached with loneliness, a longing for the familiar warmth of her family’s embrace.

The absence of their presence pained her, the intensity of her sadness got stronger each moment that passed without them by her side.

Unfortunately, no matter how much she cries, the reality of her dying, being in another world won’t change, nor would it bring her back to them.

I miss my mama.