At a private party five years after my divorce, my ex-husband’s childhood friend, Declan, suddenly asked me,
“Maya, do you still hate Cole for hooking up with your best friend while you were pregnant?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I stopped hating him a long time ago. After all, he was young, foolish, and drugged back then.”
The smile on Declan’s lips deepened. “Then do you still love him? He waited for you for years. He’s still single.”
I looked at him in disbelief and flashed the ring on my left ring finger. “But I’m already married with children.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, everyone’s pitying gazes fell on the man in the corner.
He was staring daggers at me, his eyes looking like he wanted to kill someone. I only felt surprised.
I remembered back then, when I was three months pregnant, I had gone to buy clothes for the baby in my belly.
Instead, I saw my best friend, Paige, walking out of a baby supply store arm-in-arm with my husband.
“Cole, the baby is only two months along. We don’t even know the gender yet. You bought out the whole store—how could we possibly use it all?”
Cole brushed a stray strand of hair blown by the wind away from her face.
“This is our first child. It should be grand.”
Behind them, our mutual friends scrambled to chime in.
“A child of the Mercer family must use the best, of course.”
“I’ll gift the crib!”
“Formula is on me!”
It went on until someone hesitantly asked, “Paige’s belly is getting bigger by the day. We won’t be able to hide it sooner or later. What about Maya?”
Cole’s voice was deep. “Keep it a secret for now. At least until Maya has her baby. Her health is fragile, and she can’t take the shock.”
I lowered my eyes and booked an appointment for an abortion.
You didn’t need to hide it anymore. I didn’t want the baby, and I didn’t want you either.
The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 13 The sound of police sirens happened to echo from the end of the alley. Paige abruptly stood up, her pitiful act vanishing without a trace. “Maya! You bitch! Why are you acting so high and mighty? Just because Cole doesn’t love you anymore, you want to destroy
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 12 The next afternoon, while I was keeping my mom company in the yard trimming herbs, someone rang the doorbell again. This time, it was Paige. She was wearing a plain, modest suit. Her hair hung loose, and her face was devoid of makeup. With her reddened eyes,
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 11 Cole’s face turned a shade paler. He looked past my mom’s shoulder and saw me, his eyes suddenly lighting up. “Maya! Listen to me—” I didn’t want to listen. I pulled the door wide open and stepped outside, standing on the steps and looking down at him.
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 10 On the evening of the third day, Owen really did come over. He stood at the door holding a bag of roasted chestnuts, which I loved. He wore a simple white button-down shirt and black pants. His features were gentle, and when he smiled, he looked just
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 09 Hundreds of miles away, I stood at the front door of my family home, dragging my suitcase. The old oak tree in the yard was still there. My dad’s old shirts swayed gently in the wind on the clothesline. I took a deep breath and rang the
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 08 Cole gripped the document tightly, his knuckles turning white. It was clearly him who had signed it. It was him who had told the lawyer to handle it. But at this moment, the stamp felt like a branding iron against his palm, burning with pain. She left
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 07 From the hotel to the estate, he blew past three security gates along the way. When he pushed the door open, the butler was startled. “Mr. Mercer?” “Has Mrs. Mercer returned?” “No… Mrs. Mercer hasn’t returned at all. Her things are all here. Nothing is missing.” Cole
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 06 Cole grabbed her wrist and lowered his voice. “What are you making a scene for? Do you know how many people are watching today?” “Making a scene?” Tears poured from Paige’s eyes, and her voice rose uncontrollably. “Cole, you slept with me for six months and led
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 05 For the banquet celebrating Paige’s appointment as the executive director of the foundation, Cole booked the ballroom of the oldest hotel in the city. The crystal chandeliers were blindingly bright, and a live band was playing. Cole personally took the stage to announce her appointment, and the
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The Wife He Couldn’t Bring Home Chapter 04 When I woke up, I was already pinned tightly to an operating table by two corporate security guards from the Mercer Group. This wasn’t the hospital where I had made my appointment. Cole, Paige, and a group of people were sitting not far away, watching me. “What
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