The Unwanted Wife
A love that perseveres, a heart that breaks, and a choice that changes everything.
--
Lara married the man she cherished most, believing their vows would bind them forever. But love, as she soon learned, was not always enough. Lucas Gabriel Dela Merced never wanted her. To him, she was nothing more than a wife in name-an unwanted presence in his life.
Still, Lara refused to surrender to despair. She clung to hope, determined to prove her love and salvage their broken marriage. She poured her heart, hoping, praying that one day he would see her, choose her, love her. But fate was cruel. Lucas' heart was never hers to begin with.
Faced with the agonizing truth, Lara stands at a crossroads. Will she keep fighting for a love that may never be hers, or will she finally find the strength to walk away?
Will she finally allow herself to heal from the wounds of unrequited love or will she continue to confine herself within this loveless marriage, forever branded as Lucas Gabriel Dela Merced's Unwanted Wife?
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 104: Not Contesting AnymoreMonday arrived with its usual noise and rush. The city was alive with the honking of impatient drivers, the scent of freshly brewed coffee drifting from roadside cafés, and the slow crawl of traffic that seemed to stretch endlessly.Inside her brother Levi’s car, Lara sat quietly in the passenger seat, her tote bag resting on her lap. Her school ID was already clipped neatly to her blouse, and her hair was tied up in a clean ponytail.“You sure you don’t want me to pick you up later?” Levi asked as he kept his eyes on the road, one hand on the steering wheel.Lara turned to him with a small smile. “No need, Kuya. I’m heading back to my condo after school. Reagan offered to pick me up.”Levi raised an eyebrow, casting her a knowing side glance. “So he’s still around?”“He is,” she replied, trying to keep her tone casual but the subtle curve of her lips gave her away.Levi gave a soft shake of his head but didn’t press further.The drive took longer than usual. Her parents’ house was qu
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-26
Chapter: Chapter 103: Ripped & FlusteredThe second Lara’s screen lit up with the image, her jaw dropped.“Oh my God—” she gasped, slamming the phone against her chest like it had burned her.Her eyes widened in mild panic. Her face flushed all the way to her ears.She threw a frantic glance around the living room.Her parents were still engrossed in the movie, eyes glued to the screen. Her kuya Levi was slouched on the single couch across from her, eyes glued to his phone. None of them noticed her little crisis.Thank God.Once she was sure no one was paying attention, she slowly peeled the phone away from her chest and looked again.Yup. She wasn’t hallucinating.There it was. Reagan’s mirror selfie. Shirtless.Her lips parted slightly. “You’ve got to be kidding me...” she muttered under her breath.Her phone buzzed and another message slid in, casually if she might say so.Reagan: Currently working out.She just stared at the screen like it had offended her. Or maybe blessed her. She wasn’t quite sure yet.Her thumb hov
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-25
Chapter: Chapter 102: Way With WordsLara spent the weekend at her parents’ house.No one mentioned Lucas—not even once. Not in passing, not even accidentally. It was as if they had all silently agreed to erase him from conversation, like the name itself was forbidden. As if he had never existed at all.She wasn’t sure if they were all just being considerate... or if they were just afraid that hearing his name would still hurt her. That uttering it might reopen wounds they weren’t sure had healed.But the truth was… Lara was okay.She had already made peace with her feelings for Lucas, long before their talk the night before. She might not be fully healed, but she wasn’t hurting anymore. Not the way she used to. The sharp edges of the hurt had dulled, replaced by something steadier. In fact, she felt more like herself than she had in a long time.She didn’t need them to walk on eggshells around her, but she appreciated the quiet understanding anyway.Her mother, in particular, made a gentle effort to keep her distracted.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-25
Chapter: Chapter 101: Lucas’ PleaThe rain was still coming down hard when Lara stepped out of the house, an umbrella in her hand, her coat already damp from the mist in the air. The night was cold, the kind that bit through skin and settled deep in the bones. As the gate creaked open, she saw him. Lucas. Soaked from head to toe, standing under the downpour as if he didn’t feel the cold. His clothes clung to him, drenched, his hair plastered to his forehead. When his eyes found her, they lit up with desperate relief—like he had been holding on to nothing but hope. “Lara,” he breathed, his voice was barely audible over the storm. She approached him slowly, her footsteps quiet against the pavement, and stopped just in front of him. She held the umbrella over them both, shielding him from the rain. Her face remained calm, her voice steady. “Go home, Lucas,” she said gently. But Lucas didn’t move. Rain slid down his cheeks like tears, but Lara quickly realized they weren’t just from the storm. He stared at her, ey
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-25
Chapter: Chapter 100: This Ends Tonight By the time evening fell, rain was pouring relentlessly outside, drumming steadily on the roof and against the glass windows as they finished dinner. Her older brother, Levi, had arrived home from work and joined them at the table. It had been a while since all four of them shared a meal together. Despite the heaviness of the day, there was comfort in the familiarity. After the meal, they all moved to the living room. Lara found herself curled up on the couch, nestled in her mother’s embrace like she was a child again. Her father and Levi had made their way to the bar area just a few steps away. From where she sat, she could hear the low rumble of their voices, and although they tried to keep their tones neutral, she could pick up enough of their words to know they were talking about Lucas. “That bastard thinks he can just hurt her and walk away?” Levi muttered, jaw tight, eyes glinting with fury. “If it were up to me, I’d bury his company into the ground.” “He may have been a busi
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-24
Chapter: Chapter 99: Precious Daughter It didn’t take long before the gate opened with a familiar creak, the familiar security guard greeting her with a polite nod. As Lara stepped inside, she heard Reagan’s car quietly pulling away in the background, the engine fading just as the gate closed behind her with a soft clang.She walked up the short path to the front door, the familiar scent of home welcoming her like a memory. When she entered the house, she found her parents in the living room.Her father was seated on the couch, engrossed in whatever he was watching on his iPad. Her mother sat beside him, sipping tea. Her mom’s phone was propped up on a small stand on the table, but her attention was fully on whatever video her husband was watching.Both of them looked up the moment Lara stepped in.Her mother’s face instantly lit up. “Sweetheart!” she exclaimed, standing and hurrying over. Her arms wrapped around Lara in a warm embrace. “You’re finally here. I’m so happy you visited us again.”Lara returned the embrace wit
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-24
Chapter: Chapter 19: Eighteen The next day arrived, warm and glowing, as if the sun itself knew it was someone's special day.It's Sunday, and that means it's finally Ivan's 18th birthday. His party wouldn't start until 3 p.m., but Luna insisted we leave by 1 p.m. because, apparently, their friends were arriving early to hang out before the actual celebration. Naturally, she didn't want to miss even a second of it. Some of their senior high classmates were invited too, so the villa was going to be packed with people their age.Honestly? I had a sinking feeling I was going to feel totally out of place there.It was pretty obvious the crowd would mostly be around Ivan and Luna's age—kids who just graduated from senior high and a few just barely in college. And then the rest? Probably adults around Mama and Papa's age. So where does that leave me? Somewhere awkwardly in between, I guess.What was I supposed to do there? Sit around and smile like some wallflower on display? Be the older sister who tried not to look
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-31
Chapter: Chapter 18: Torn & Tempted My mind was a mess. I was still stuck on what happened earlier with Ivan in the kitchen. That damn smirk. That infuriating closeness. The way he looked at me like he knew exactly what he was doing to my body—and my brain. God, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, no matter how hard I tried. I was lost in a loop of overanalyzing every word he said when— “Ate Lou… hello?” Luna waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Ate Louela?” I blinked and looked at her, snapping out of the spiral in my head. “Huh? Sorry. What?” She eyed me curiously, one brow raised. “Are you okay? You’ve been zoning out since we got here. What’s going on with you? You’re totally out of it.” Crap. I forced a chuckle and straightened my posture. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I was just… thinking about what kind of gift would suit Ivan.” That was a lie. A big fat one. Luna squinted at me for a second, probably sensing something was off, but thank God she didn’t press. “Hmm. Okay, if you say so,” she muttered,
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-30
Chapter: Chapter 17: Tangled EmotionsThe hours passed without me noticing. I only came out of my room when I got a text from Mama saying they might be late coming home, and asking me to prepare lunch. I dragged myself out of bed and went to the kitchen. I washed the rice, and put it in the rice cooker. For the main dish, I decided on something simple—chicken curry. The smell of sautéed garlic and onion helped calm my nerves a little, grounding me. I kept myself busy, wiping counters and tidying up while the chicken simmered. Right at 12 PM, I heard the front gate open and the familiar sound of Mama and Papa chatting as they walked in. I quickly set the table, then knocked on Luna’s door to call her for lunch. We all ate together. It was quiet. Normal, at least on the outside. After lunch, I slipped back into my room right away. Luna volunteered to do the dishes since I cooked, which honestly, I was grateful for. I just wanted to crawl back under my sheets and pretend none of this week ever happened. I had no plans o
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 16: AftershockI ran—no, bolted—from the garden, leaving Ivan behind without a word. My heart was pounding, my skin burning, and my thoughts were an absolute wreck. I slammed the door shut behind me the moment I reached my room, my back pressing against it as I struggled to catch my breath. What the hell just happened? I slid down to the floor, my fingers trembling as I touched my lips—lips that still tingled from his kiss. Ivan kissed me. And the worst part? I kissed him back. I didn’t just let it happen, I leaned into it. Responded. Melted. God, what’s wrong with me? I covered my face with both hands, humiliated and overwhelmed. I liked it. That’s what scared me the most. I liked the way he kissed me. I liked the way he looked at me, how his voice dipped low when he said my name, how his eyes lingered on my lips like he was sure about what he wanted. How could something that felt so wrong feel that good? I dragged my feet to the edge of the bed and collapsed on the mattress, my thoughts
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 15: The Gift He WantsI moved from pot to pot, careful not to overwater—Mama always reminded me that too much water could be just as bad as too little. Every now and then, I’d gently pluck away a few dried leaves, letting the plants breathe a little easier.The rhythm of watering, the warm afternoon air, and the quiet rustling of the trees made the moment feel almost meditative. It was one of those little pockets of calm that made summer days feel endless.Just then, I heard footsteps approaching from behind.I instinctively turned my head, only to see Ivan making his way toward me.Great. Just great.My brows instantly furrowed, and I saw the faintest smirk lift the corner of his lips at my reaction, like he was already expecting it. Of course he was.“What are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.“We’re on a break from practice,” he answered, casually eyeing the plants I was tending to. “Thought I’d step out for a bit and get some air.”I raised a brow. “And out of all the places in the
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-29
Chapter: Chapter 14: Birthday NewsI only meant to take a short nap. Just a quick power nap to recharge. But the next thing I knew, I was being jolted awake by a knock on my bedroom door.I groaned, my voice muffled against the pillow as I stretched out like a cat on my bed. My limbs felt heavy and my mind still foggy when the door creaked open and Luna practically skipped into the room, all bubbly, bright, and way too energetic for someone who went to bed at the crack of dawn.“It’s lunch time, sleepyhead,” she announced, hopping onto my bed without hesitation. “Get up!”I yawned and blinked up at her. “Alright, alright... I’m up,” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.Still half-asleep, I pulled myself together, and we made our way downstairs to the kitchen. The scent of warm food greeted us as we reached the kitchen. We found Mama and Papa already seated at the dining table. Judging by the faint traces of dirt on Papa’s shirt, it looked like they had just gotten back from work.They always tried to come home fo
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-29
Masuk
