Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1134

This was Zoey's first time seeing Viola after everything that had happened recently.

Viola lay in bed, her face hidden beneath a thin blanket. Her posture sent a clear message—she didn't want to see anyone. From beneath the blanket, she trembled slightly as a servant brought over a chair, setting it next to the bed for Zoey to sit.

"Now that we've reached this point, what do you plan to do?" asked Zoey, getting straight to the point.

Her voice was firm as she explained, "Avoiding the situation won't help. It must be dealt with. Mother wants me to go to Mrs. Lewis and ask her to clarify things on your behalf. I don't know if she'll agree.

"As for Barrett, I went to Valor Estate today. He said he'd known about your situation for some time but never mentioned it. He said if you agree to stay married, everything can be forgotten and you'll live together as before. But there's one condition—he insists on returning to the army."

The blanket shifted, revealing Viola's swollen, pitiful face. Her eyes, red from crying, were still puffy. They were barely open and filled with a tremor of disbelief.

"He can't have known. How could he possibly know? What does he want in exchange for not divorcing me?" she asked.

"I told you—he said he's going to return to the army," Zoey replied.

"He wants me to live as the wife of a lowly soldier?" Viola's eyes filled with tears again. "I might as well return to my family. Mom said she would take care of me. No matter what, I'm still the third daughter of the Earl of Silverstone's family. My dowry will be enough for me to live on for the rest of my life. Why should I endure such hardship, struggling through days mired in poverty?"

She lay there on the bed, her neck still bearing faint red marks, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes as her breath came thick and heavy through her nose.

"I know you all look down on me, but I've thought it through again and again—where have I erred? Is it wrong to make plans for myself and to consider my own future? In your eyes, that makes me selfish, but who among us is not?

"Is it such a crime to want a better life and refuse to suffer in silence? I was born into an earl's household and blessed with better fortune than most. With such fortune and the strength of my family behind me, why should I abase myself?"

She took a breath, her voice trembling as she continued, "And I know what you think, even if you don't say it out loud. You think I'm always comparing myself to Carissa and Kayla, but who doesn't compare themselves to others? Who doesn't have a little vanity? I'm a woman who was once divorced and remarried, just like Carissa. Why can't I compare myself to her?

"Besides, it's not like I didn't want a peaceful life after marrying Barrett. Not only did he have Aurora, he also couldn't let go of Carissa. He didn't have a shred of affection left for me. Isn't it strange, Zoey? Even after finding out about me and Silas, he doesn't care and is still fine with staying married to me.