The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway — Chapter 30

ORIGINALLY, IT DIDN'T ACTUALLY BELONG TO LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE.

...FIRST THINGS FIRST, SEÑORA SALVATORE,

I UNDERSTAND THAT IT DIDN'T BELONG TO HIM, BUT IF YOU WANT TO THROW UP...

INÉS RECENTLY CHANGED THE CARPET.

I'M NOT DRUNK! I'M NOT DRUNK AT ALL...

OF COURSE NOT... BUT STILL...

I'M NOT THE ONE WHO'S DRUNK. IT'S MY DAMN HUSBAND...

THAT MAN DOESN'T EVEN NEED ALCOHOL. HE'S ALWAYS OUT OF HIS MIND.

I'M ALWAYS THE ONE WHO... NEEDS ALCOHOL.

BUT WHO DO YOU THINK SPENT ALL OF OUR MONEY ON BOOZE? HUH?

IT'S NOT LIKE THIS IS MY FIRST MARRIAGE EITHER, BUT THERE'S A GOOD REASON WHY THAT MAN KEEPS GETTING DIVORCED.

HE RUINS WOMEN'S LIVES.

I KNOW. I KNOW IT VERY WELL...

ALCOHOL HAS NEVER TOUCHED MY LIPS IN THIS LIFE,

BUT I STILL REMEMBER THE YEARS I SUFFERED WITH ADDICTION IN MY PAST LIFE VIVIDLY...

...WHEN I WOULD DRINK FROM THE MOMENT I WOKE UP AND STAY DRUNK JUST TO GET TO SLEEP AT NIGHT.

MY MONEY, MY HAIR, MY BEST YEARS, THE CHANCE TO LIVE WITH A NORMAL MAN, ANY HOPE I HAD FOR MY LIFE...

I'VE LOST IT ALL THANKS TO THAT BASTARD.

THIS IS WHY HIS OTHER WIVES HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RUN AWAY.

THEY PREFERRED DYING OVER LIVING THAT WAY...

AT THIS RATE, I'M GOING TO DIE.

OR...

...I'LL END UP KILLING THAT MAN.

...THERE IS AN AMAZING SYSTEM IN ORTEGA KNOWN AS DIVORCE.

IF YOU JUST GET DIVORCED, YOU WON'T HAVE TO DIE OR KILL ANYONE.

DIVORCES ARE FOR PEOPLE LIKE HIM!

THEY'RE NOT FOR ME! I'M NOT THE KIND OF WOMAN WHO GETS DIVORCED...!

...BUT OF COURSE, HOW COULD SOMEONE LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND?

YOU'RE THE PRECIOUS DAUGHTER OF DUKE VALEZTENA...

...AND A LADY WHO IS SET TO BECOME A DUCHESS...

...YOU HAVE NO IDEA.

I KNOW BETTER THAN ANYONE.

...YOU EVEN...

...MARRIED CÁRCEL ESCALANTE...

INÉS?

YOU SHOWED UP JUST IN TIME. WHERE IS LIEUTENANT SALVATORE?

THE SAME PLACE HE WAS EARLIER.

BUT I DOUBT HE'LL BE OF ANY HELP.

HE LOOKS ABOUT THE SAME AS HER RIGHT NOW.

AT SOME POINT, HER HAIR GOT GRABBED.

SEÑORA SALVATORE, THE LIEUTENANT IS LOOKING FOR HIS DEAR WIFE.

TELL HIM... TO GO KILL HIMSELF...

I'LL TAKE YOU TO YOUR HUSBAND.

!!

THIS IS A BIT MUCH...

HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SWOOP IN AND SAVE THE DAY LIKE THAT...

I SEE YOU'RE QUITE EXPERIENCED.

I'M NOT DOING THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO...

HE'S OFFICIALLY HER ESCORT.

OH, I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW WELL YOU DO THINGS WHENEVER THERE'S A WOMAN INVOLVED...

I MEAN, IT'S NO SKIN OFF YOUR BACK. HONESTLY, I BET YOU'RE ENJOYING THIS.

AFTER ALL, SEÑORA SALVATORE IS QUITE PRETTY.

...WHAT ON EARTH...?

...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

SEÑORA!

WAS THAT LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE JUST NOW?

I'M SURE HE JUST CAME HERE BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS NEW WIFE OH SO MUCH.

Why Bother Asking When You Saw Everything?

Señora, It Must Be So Nice!

HE WAS ONLY APART FROM YOU FOR A MOMENT, BUT IT SEEMS HE COULDN'T STAND EVEN THAT!

BY THE WAY, DID YOU SEE THAT JUST NOW? LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE WAS SO STRONG...

I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON WHY EVERYONE AT THE HEADQUARTERS KEPT TALKING ABOUT HIM!

THEY SAY LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE SETTLED DOWN IMMEDIATELY ONCE HE GOT MARRIED...!

...SHE WASN'T PRETTY AT ALL.

LIEUTENANT SALVATORE'S WIFE, I MEAN...

I DIDN'T FIND HER PRETTY AT ALL.

WHY WOULD HE WHEN HE ALREADY HAS HIS OWN PRETTY FACE TO OGLE IN THE MIRROR EVERY DAY...?

...YOU'RE MUCH PRETTIER.

AND YOU WERE THE PRETTIEST ONE TODAY. YOU MIGHT EVEN BE THE ONLY WOMAN I CONSIDER PRETTY.

THAT IS WHY I FOUND ABSOLUTELY NO ENJOYMENT...

...IN HAVING TO ESCORT THAT WOMAN.

I HAVEN'T SEEN A PRETTY WOMAN HERE TODAY BESIDES YOU.

NOT ONE. AND THAT'S NOT JUST TODAY, BUT EVERY DAY.

IF YOU THINK YOUR HUSBAND ENJOYS...

...HAVING A DRUNK WOMAN FALLING ALL OVER HIM RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU...

...THEN YOU CLEARLY DON'T KNOW ME AT ALL, INÉS.

...PERHAPS YOU WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IT MORE...

...HAD IT HAPPENED WHERE I COULDN'T SEE YOU.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE BEFORE.

...DO YOU NOT REMEMBER WHAT WE HAD TO DO IN ORDER FOR YOU TO END UP LIVING HERE?

WE GOT MARRIED, OF COURSE. BUT I'M GUESSING YOU'RE USED TO THAT KIND OF LUCK, SO IT PROBABLY DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU.

WELL, I DON'T NEED IT. NOR DO I WANT IT. IF THAT'S THE KIND OF LUCK I HAVE, THEN I DON'T WANT TO BE LUCKY LIKE THAT. I REFUSE!

FINE. REFUSE, THEN.

ACK!

YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO FEEL HURT BY THIS, INÉS.

A KIDDIE FIGHT

AND YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO BE OFFENDED, CÁRCEL!

You're Being Childish!

...YOU'RE RIGHT.

...YES, YOU FEEL INSULTED BECAUSE I'M SUCH TRASH,

SO IN THE END, IT'S ME WHO INSULTED YOU.

SUDDENLY, THIS FEELS LIKE A CONFESSIONAL.

UM, I NEVER FELT INSULTED THOUGH...

Why Are You Saying This?

I SHOULD HAVE APOLOGIZED TO YOU BEFORE.

I RECALL YOU APOLOGIZING BEFORE OUR WEDDING.

I'VE LIVED A SHAMEFUL LIFE, AND I'VE BROUGHT SHAME UPON YOU TOO.

I DESERVE TO DIE IF I DON'T MAKE IT UP TO YOU...

...THAT'S ENOUGH.

HE NEEDS TO STAY ALIVE SO HE CAN HAVE AN AFFAIR...

I NEED HIM TO CHEAT ON ME...

...SO THAT I CAN DIVORCE HIM WITHOUT ANY HITCHES...

CÁRCEL... THERE IS ONLY ONE THING I WANT FROM YOU...

...AND THAT'S FOR YOU TO STAY JUST LIKE THIS.

KEEP THAT PERFECT FACE OF YOURS IN PRISTINE CONDITION...

THAT'S HOW YOU'LL MAKE IT UP TO ME.

... AND IF I BECOME ANY UGLIER, YOU'LL THROW ME AWAY?

YOU KNOW I WOULD NEVER ABANDON YOU FIRST, CÁRCEL.

SHE MADE...

...AN OBVIOUS CHOICE!

EVEN IF MY LOOKS WERE TO DETERIORATE,

THEY WOULD ONLY GO DOWN TO A 99 FROM A 100.

*FYI, A PERFECT SCORE IS 10.

SO IT MAKES SENSE THAT SHE WON'T THROW ME AWAY.

AFTER ALL, INÉS IS A WOMAN WHO SOLELY VALUES LOOKS IN A MAN...

LIEUTENANT ESCALANTE!

A SERVANT FROM LIEUTENANT SALVATORE'S RESIDENCE IS HERE.

THEY'RE CLAIMING THE LIEUTENANT LEFT SOMETHING HERE, BUT WE CAN'T FIND IT.

IT'S A DRUNKEN TANTRUM. JUST GIVE HIM SOMETHING SO HE'LL LEAVE.

THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. FROM NOW ON, JUST HANDLE IT ACCORDINGLY.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN...? HE'S ASKING FOR SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE...

HE SPENDS MOST OF HIS DAYS DRUNK,

TO THE POINT THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN NEED MONEY FOR ALCOHOL.

IF THIS IS JUST A DRUNKEN HABIT... WHY ARE YOU INDULGING HIM?

BECAUSE TELLING HIM THE TRUTH WOULD CREATE AN EVEN BIGGER HEADACHE.

AND ALSO, HE'LL BEAT HIS SERVANT.

...I STILL HAVEN'T TOLD MISS INÉS YET...

ABOUT HOW YOU...

...ARE MONITORING HER, LIEUTENANT.

To Be Continued