[BL] Dear Hushand, I want divorce-Chapter 97: Why...he’s back?

Ash stood at his usual spot in the bustling village market, arranging the fresh strawberries neatly in baskets. The vibrant red fruit gleamed under the morning sun, attracting the attention of passersby. He glanced around, a twinge of nostalgia hitting him as he remembered the first time he came here as a kid.

He came with his father when he was a kid once, and this village had always held a special place in his heart.

Today, Grandpa wasn’t with him. The old man’s back pain had flared up, making it impossible for him to join Ash at the market. Ash felt a pang of concern but knew Grandpa would be fine, especially with all the care he was putting in.

Ash’s mind wandered as he worked. When he first left everything behind and came to this village. He needed a place far away from Elijah, somewhere that wouldn’t remind him of the past. This village, with its strawberry fields and small markets, had felt like a safe haven.

He remembered the joy he’d felt as a child, running through the fields with his father, eating the sweet fruit straight off the vine. And so, when it was time to run, this was the place he’d chosen. Familiar, yet distant enough to start over.

As Ash packed up the baskets for the day, Kian appeared at his side. He was a hulking figure of a man, all muscle and strength, his broad shoulders a stark contrast to Ash’s lean frame. Kian had always been a quiet soul, the kind of person who let his actions speak for him. He didn’t need many words to get his point across—his fists usually did the talking.

"Everything set?" Kian’s voice was low and gruff as he lifted a crate of strawberries onto his shoulder with ease.

"Yeah, all good," Ash replied with a smile. "Let’s head home."

They began to walk. Ash was always the one doing the talking. Kian wasn’t much of a conversationalist; he preferred to listen and observe rather than engage. But that didn’t bother Ash.

In fact, it was what made their friendship work so well. Kian had been the one to step in when Ash was first targeted by local thugs, who saw him as an outsider—a stranger with no place in their close-knit community. Kian had scared them off with nothing more than his imposing presence, and since that day, they’d been inseparable.

"I still can’t believe you were able to scare those guys away just by looking at them," Ash chuckled, adjusting the basket in his arms. "They didn’t even try to argue after you showed up."

Kian grunted in response, his lips curving into the faintest hint of a smile.

"Guess it helps to look intimidating," Ash continued, glancing up at his friend. "But seriously, you’re aiming for nationals now, right? How’s that going?"

Kian shrugged, his face impassive. "It’s fine."

Ash knew better than to push for details. Kian wasn’t one to brag about his achievements, even though everyone in the village knew how much he trained, how hard he worked.

"You’re too modest," Ash teased lightly. "I bet you’ll make it, no problem. Then you’ll be the village hero."

"I dont need to be a hero," Kian replied quietly. "Just doing what I have to."

Ash smiled at that. Kian’s family had been struggling financially for a while, and weightlifting was Kian’s way of trying to provide for them. Ash admired his determination, but he also worried. They both worked the strawberry business together now, selling in the markets and splitting the profits. Ash had insisted on it, even though Kian tried to refuse the help at first.

"Speaking of doing what you have to," Ash said thoughtfully, "we should think about expanding. Maybe try selling to some of the neighbouring villages too."

Kian glanced at him, his dark eyes thoughtful. "You’re always thinking ahead."

"Someone has to," Ash replied with a grin. "You’d just let the strawberries pile up."

Kian huffed, a rare sound of amusement from him. "Maybe."

The conversation died down after that, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Ash enjoyed Kian’s company, even when they weren’t talking.

As Ash and Kian continued walking down the dusty road, they passed by a group of villagers gathered outside a small tea stall. The buzz of conversation caught their attention, and Ash couldn’t help but overhear snippets of it. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"Did you hear? Some rich guy came into town and booked the entire luxury hotel on the main road," one man said, his voice filled with awe. "Apparently, he’s got enough money to just rent out the whole place. Talk about luxury."

"Ridiculous," another voice chimed in. "All that for what? So he can sleep in peace? These rich folks don’t even know what to do with their money."

"Wouldn’t mind staying in that hotel myself," an older woman muttered. "They say the rooms are like palaces, with silk sheets and chandeliers. But who has the kind of money to rent out the entire place?"

"Rich people," he said simply, his tone laced with mild disdain.

"Yeah, well, that’s how they live. Comfort over everything. Money buys them whatever they want."

"I never understood that. Why waste all that money just to book an entire hotel? Seems unnecessary."

"That’s just how they are."

As Ash continued walking, his ears pricked up when he heard the conversation shift behind him.

"What’s the name of that rich man again?" a voice asked.

"Alija, I think," someone replied.

"No, no, it’s Elijah," another corrected.

The basket slipped from Ash’s hands, the strawberries tumbling to the ground as he froze in place.

His breath hitched, his heart pounding so hard it echoed in his ears. His mind went blank, every sound around him drowned out by the sudden shock that flooded his system.

Elijah. Elijah.

His legs trembled beneath him, threatening to give out, and his hands started shaking uncontrollably. His chest felt tight, almost suffocating as his lungs forgot how to breathe. The name—the name he had fought so hard to forget, the name that had haunted his nights for years—was suddenly there, in this village, in the air around him.

Kian, who had stopped when he noticed Ash’s sudden stillness, frowned in concern. He stepped closer, his voice low and steady. "Ash? What’s wrong?"

Ash couldn’t respond. He couldn’t think. His mind was spinning, his body acting on instinct alone as he suddenly bolted, his feet carrying him down the road without a second thought. He ran blindly, not even knowing where he was going. His heart pounded in his ears, louder than the sound of his own rapid footsteps.

"Ash?! Ash?!!" Kian called out after him, but Ash didn’t hear it.

He just ran, desperate to escape the name that had brought back every buried feeling, every memory he had fought so hard to leave behind.

The name that had shattered his fragile peace.