Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 439: You want the polite answer or the honest one?
"Babe, that’s rude."
Ethan lounged lazily on the cushioned recliner, one arm draped over the side, watching Kathrine absolutely obliterate the punching bag in front of her. The bag swung violently back and forth, its printed face—unfortunately resembling Roseline—taking hit after merciless hit.
"You didn’t even spare the nose," he added with a wince. "That thing had a family."
Kathrine ignored him.
Her fist connected with a loud thud, followed by a sharp exhale that sounded more like a growl than a breath.
"HAH!"
The bag jerked again.
Ethan shifted slightly, reconsidering his position in the room. Not that he planned on stepping in—he valued his life far too much—but watching Kathrine vent all her bottled rage without pausing to breathe made him rethink how close he wanted to be to ground zero.
"Just saying," he muttered, inching the recliner back a fraction, "I support emotional release. I just don’t support being collateral damage."
Kathrine finally stopped.
Her chest rose and fell as she wiped sweat from her brow, eyes blazing. She turned sharply and marched toward the phone lying facedown on the table. She unlocked it, her thumb hovering with expectation.
Nothing.
No new notifications.
No reply.
Her jaw clenched.
"You have got to be kidding me," she muttered.
She stared at the screen as if sheer willpower might summon a response.
Nothing.
The silence felt louder than any argument she’d had the night before.
Last night had wrecked her.
After confronting her parents, Kathrine hadn’t slept—not really. She’d lain awake staring at the ceiling, chest tight, heart bruised in ways she hadn’t known were possible. She wanted to scream. To cry. To break something other than a punching bag.
But she refused.
She hated the idea of looking weak—especially now, when everything she thought she knew had been ripped apart. Her parents might not have confessed fully, but she had made damn sure her father saw Roseline for who she truly was.
That had to count for something.
She unlocked her phone again and typed furiously.
"This girl," she scoffed aloud, "how dare she leave me on seen after the entire fiasco. Is she not ready for gossip? Trauma gossip?"
Ethan snorted. "You’re upset your sister didn’t immediately text you back after you emotionally detonated the family?"
"Yes," Kathrine snapped. "It’s rude."
She paced the room, phone clenched in her hand.
Yesterday, when Anna had shown her the proof—the records, the sessions, the cold, clinical confirmation that her memories had been tampered with—Kathrine had nearly broken.
The ache had been unbearable.
She had wanted to cry.
She had started to.
But Anna had stopped her.
Not harshly. Not dismissively.
Just firmly.
"I don’t want you to break," Anna had said. "I hate seeing you fall apart when you didn’t do anything wrong."
And that—that—had steadied her.
Anna hadn’t pitied her. She hadn’t coddled her. She’d looked at her like an equal. Like someone strong enough to face the truth.
So when Kathrine started spiraling, Anna had told her to confront them.
At first, Kathrine had been shocked.
"You want me to just... walk in and blow everything up?" she’d asked.
"Yes," Anna had replied calmly. "Because they need to know we’re not children anymore. And they need to stay alert."
That had changed everything.
They had played with their lives like chess pieces for years.
Not anymore.
Not when Kathrine finally had her hands on the reins.
Anna’s respect for her mother had already been crumbling the moment she learned the truth about her own father. But after discovering what Roseline had done to Kathrine—how deeply she’d violated her—whatever love remained had quietly evaporated.
And now—
Kathrine stared at her phone again.
Still nothing.
"Oh my God," she groaned, throwing herself onto the couch dramatically. "She’s ignoring me. On purpose."
Ethan glanced over. "Maybe she’s... sleeping?"
"It’s been hours."
"Maybe she’s busy."
"She’s married, not dead."
Kathrine typed again.
hello???
Nothing.
She flopped back against the couch cushions. "I poured my soul out. I risked exile. I went full dramatic heroine—and she can’t even send a thumbs-up?"
Just then—
Her phone buzzed.
Kathrine shot upright so fast Ethan nearly applauded.
She stared at the screen.
A single message.
From Anna.
Good job. Proud of you. Get some rest.
Kathrine blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then her shoulders sagged as something inside her finally loosened.
"That’s it?" she murmured. "That’s all she wrote?"
Ethan leaned over. "Read it again."
She did.
Then a small smile crept onto her face.
"...Okay," she admitted softly. "That was enough."
The rage drained out of her like air from a punctured tire.
She dropped back onto the couch, exhausted now, not furious. Just... human.
Ethan stood up quietly and walked into the kitchen. When he returned, he held a glass of chilled juice—fresh, slightly frothy, exactly the way she liked it.
He handed it to her without a word.
Kathrine accepted it, fingers brushing his.
"Hydration," he said gently. "Before you punch another face off."
She huffed a laugh and took a sip.
"Thank you."
He sat beside her, close but not crowding, letting her lean into him if she wanted.
For the first time that day, Kathrine relaxed.
The storm inside her didn’t disappear—but it softened.
"I hate that she did this to me," she murmured.
"I know," Ethan said quietly.
"I hate that I doubted myself for years."
"I know."
"And I hate that part of me still wants my mom to say sorry."
Ethan didn’t rush to answer.
"That part doesn’t make you weak," he said finally. "It makes you honest."
Kathrine rested her head against his shoulder, juice glass balanced carefully in her hand.
"Stay with me today," she said.
He smiled. "I wasn’t planning on going anywhere."
For the first time since the truth had come crashing down, Kathrine allowed herself a moment of peace.
"By the way," Kathrine said suddenly, breaking the quiet, "what do you think Anna must be doing right now?"
The words were barely out of her mouth when she caught Ethan’s look.
It wasn’t judgmental. It was knowing as if are you serious right now look
His brow lifted just enough to say Really?
Kathrine coughed and waved a hand. "Okay, don’t look at me like that."
Ethan tilted his head. "You want the polite answer or the honest one?"
She smiled awkwardly. "Hahaha—of course sleeping."
He stared at her but didn’t smile back.
