Apocalypse Rebirth: My Ex-Wife Begs for Mercy

DIVORCING YOU WAS THE SMARTEST DECISION EVER

"What am I doing here?" Xavier let out a quiet laugh before lifting his gaze to meet Selene's eyes. "I'd rather ask what you're doing here. Is this your so-called busy schedule? I thought you were occupied with company affairs."

The smile on Selene's face froze.

For the first time since she arrived, a flicker of panic crossed her features. She hadn't expected Xavier to appear here, much less catch her walking into the restaurant with George.

Before she could think of an explanation, George stepped forward with an anxious expression.

"Brother Xavier, you've misunderstood." His voice trembled ever so slightly as though he had been wronged. "Sister Selene only brought me here because my kitten finally recovered. I wanted to thank her for taking care of us these past few days."

He hesitated before forcing a bitter smile.

"But... didn't you also tell Sister Selene you were unconscious in the hospital? If you're here now..." His eyes lowered guiltily. "Were you actually following us?” 

Selene's expression darkened almost instantly.

"So that's what this is." Her eyes filled with disappointment as they settled on Xavier. "You lied about your accident just to stalk me?"

George cautiously moved closer to Xavier, wearing the expression of someone trying to calm an angry family member.

"Brother Xavier, please don't be upset. Sister Selene didn't mean to ignore you. If anyone is at fault, it's me."

Before Xavier even moved, George suddenly stumbled backward, his face turning pale as if he had narrowly escaped being attacked. His shoulders trembled violently as he instinctively hid behind Selene.

"P-Please don't blame Brother Xavier..." he murmured. "He must think I'm the reason you've been ignoring him. I can understand why he'd be angry... After all, this started because of me.”

Selene immediately stepped between them, glaring at Xavier.

"Have you lost your mind? Geo was only trying to explain things, yet you're already trying to intimidate him."

Xavier looked from George's frightened expression to Selene's protective stance and couldn't help laughing quietly.

Years ago, he would've desperately explained himself. Now, watching the two of them perform this ridiculous act together, Xavier almost found it amusing.

The scene before him was painfully familiar. In his previous life, Selene had stood in exactly the same position, shielding George with her own body while looking at Xavier as if he were the enemy. She hadn't hesitated to protect George, nor had she hesitated to point a gun at Xavier when the time came.

Looking at them standing together once again, Xavier finally accepted the truth he had spent years refusing to face.

It didn't matter how many times life gave him another chance. In Selene's heart, there would always be only one person she would choose without hesitation.

That person had never been him.

Without uttering another word, he calmly began unbuttoning his shirt.

Selene's eyes widened. 

"Xavier! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her sharp voice attracted the attention of nearby diners. "Have you become so shameless that you're trying to harass me in public? I'll call the police if you don't stop that perverted behaviour of yours!” 

Xavier ignored her accusations and pulled his shirt open just enough to expose the thick layers of bandages wrapped tightly around his chest.

The noisy restaurant suddenly became much quieter.

Several customers instinctively looked toward the horrifying injuries concealed beneath the white gauze.

Xavier's voice remained remarkably steady.

"The doctor told me I was lucky. If the metal fragment had shifted another inch during the crash..." His fingers lightly brushed the bandages before returning to his side. "It would've gone straight through my heart and I wouldn't be standing here to listen to your accusations.” 

A humorless laugh escaped Xavier's lips as he continued, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge that cut through the restaurant.

"And yet, here you are... dining with him. Just a few minutes ago, you called to complain that the hospital kept interrupting your day and irritating you while you're busy with the company's affairs. You didn't have time to visit your own husband after a car accident, but you somehow found the time to take his pet to the hospital, celebrate with him at a restaurant, and keep him company."

His gaze remained fixed on Selene. "So tell me, Selene... am I really the unreasonable one for questioning it?"

The restaurant gradually fell into an uneasy silence.

The nearby customers had heard enough to piece together the situation for themselves. One after another, they began casting subtle yet unmistakably disapproving glances toward Selene and George, their hushed whispers spreading from table to table.

Within moments, the atmosphere had shifted completely, and the sympathy that had initially been directed toward Selene now rested squarely with Xavier.

Selene's lips parted slightly.

For the briefest moment, guilt flashed across her face.

Unfortunately, it disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

George's eyes immediately turned red.

"I'm sorry..." His voice choked with emotion as tears welled up in his eyes. "It's all because of me. If my kitten hadn't gotten sick, I would've never asked Sister Selene to accompany me. We wouldn't have gone out to celebrate after my kitten recovered either."

He lowered his head miserably.

"Brother Xavier, if blaming me will make you feel better... then blame me.”

Selene gently rested a hand on George's shoulder.

"Enough." Her tone softened immediately when speaking to him. "None of this is your fault."

She turned toward Xavier once again, the warmth in her expression vanishing without a trace.

"You've always been jealous whenever Geo and I spend time together. This accident has nothing to do with him, yet you're trying to make him feel guilty." Selene's expression grew colder with every word. "If there's anyone to blame, it's you. You never explained things properly, and instead you came here creating a scene in public."

Her gaze hardened as she continued, "Geo has no one in this city except me. Of course he's going to rely on me when he needs help, and I'll always be there for him. But you..." She paused, disappointment evident in her eyes. "You're a grown man, Xavier. You should know how to take care of yourself instead of expecting me to drop everything whenever something happens."

Her eyes briefly swept over the bandages wrapped around his chest before returning to meet his gaze.

"Instead of reflecting on your own behavior, you're standing here embarrassing both of us." She drew in a slow breath, her voice turning even colder. "You really disappoint me, Xavier.”

Xavier simply listened. There wasn't even a ripple of emotion in his eyes anymore.

Selene folded her arms across her chest.

"If you insist on behaving like this, then consider it your punishment." She paused deliberately. "I won't be going home this entire week."

George secretly glanced at Xavier, clearly expecting panic or regret.

Instead, a faint smile slowly appeared on Xavier's face.

It was the smile of someone who had finally accepted just how absurd the woman he once loved truly was.

In his previous life, hearing those words would've left him unable to sleep for nights. He would've blamed himself, bought flowers, prepared gifts, apologised multiple times, and done everything possible to persuade Selene to come home.

Now… He genuinely couldn't understand how he had ever fallen in love with a woman like her.

Seeing Xavier smile instead of apologizing made Selene frown.

"You still think this is funny?"

Xavier calmly buttoned his shirt before meeting her gaze once again.

"No." His voice remained steady, devoid of any emotion. "I just realized that divorcing you might be the smartest decision I've made in years."

Selene's expression stiffened for a brief moment. Before she could respond, Xavier calmly walked past the two of them toward the restaurant entrance.

Before entering the private room, Selene stopped and turned back to look at him, her eyes filled with cold disappointment.

"If you had treated Geo with a little more kindness, I would've taken you inside with us. Unfortunately, you brought this upon yourself." A faint sneer tugged at the corners of her lips. "Consider this a lesson, Xavier. Maybe next time you'll learn not to make a fool of yourself out of jealousy."

Without waiting for a response, she turned around and walked toward the private room.

George followed closely behind her. As he passed Xavier, the corners of his lips curled into a smug, triumphant smile before he disappeared inside alongside Selene.

Only then did Selene pause at the doorway and glance toward the nearby waiter.

"Don't let him inside," she instructed indifferently. "He's only here to disturb our meal. If he refuses to leave, call security."

The young waiter hesitated the moment he recognized Selene.

After all, she was one of the city's most influential businesswomen.

However, the person standing before him didn't look like someone who had come to cause trouble.

After struggling internally for several seconds, he finally approached Xavier with an apologetic expression.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir." His voice carried obvious embarrassment. "Miss Selene has reserved the private dining area. Could I trouble you to leave? If this continues, I'll have no choice but to call security."

Xavier remained where he was. His expression didn't change, nor did he argue. He simply stood there in silence, making the poor waiter sweat beneath the uncomfortable atmosphere.

Just as the waiter reached for the intercom clipped to his uniform, the crisp sound of high heels echoed across the restaurant.

A cool female voice followed immediately afterward.

"Interesting."

Everyone instinctively turned toward the entrance.

A calm female voice suddenly rang through the restaurant, carrying an authority that made the surrounding conversations fall silent.

"Who," she asked in a calm voice that instantly chilled the atmosphere, "gave you the courage to drive away my distinguished guest?”