A Marriage Beyond Reach

The reason why Ian Langham visited the hospital was to treat his migraine, even though it had been ten years since he suffered from it. However, he did not expect to see me at the hospital as well.Ian's childhood crush, Jewel Hersch, was dressed exquisitely, and she had her arm around Ian's while looking at me daintily. It was as if I, Ian's legitimate wife, did not exist in that hospital ward. I laid quietly in bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze."It's just an argument. Can't you be more gracious about it?" Ian turned to look at the sign on the door, which stated 'Traumatic Orthopaedics', and he continued sarcastically, "Where's the trauma when none of your limbs are broken?" When the car crash happened, the car tires crushed my hands. Those were the same hands that had massaged Ian for ten years. My right hand suffered a fracture, while my left was starting to feel numb. However, none of my hands suffered any surface wounds.Ian pulled Jewel gently into his arms when a nurse

He had a black cloth as his arm band, and was looking solemn, while Jewel had on light makeup, and her foxy features bore a tinge of sadness. An elder of the Herschs had recently passed, and it became major news in the city. However, no one found it strange that Ian was the only outsider among the Herschs and their extended family members attending the funeral.I bowed at the director's tombstone alone, a stark contrast to their huge group. The director was the one who had helped me find someone to teach me massage techniques through various connections. When Ian left the Langhams, the director became worried for us, and she transferred half of her meager pension to me for six months.Ian was a man who harbored gratitude, and he was the only person aside from me who truly respected the director. After she retired from her post, he made sure that the orphanage received higher donations than before. However, she was now gone, and the respect she once had followed suit.It was not ea

Each of my accusations tore apart Ian's persona as a discerning and considerate man. "You have never given me any chance, Ian. I have always been a troublemaker from your perspective, and everything I did was a nuisance to you. To you, all of my actions are driven by only one reason, and that is to be at odds with Jewel, and now you're suddenly acting like a spurned husband? How much more laughable can you be?" Ian was initially shocked by my words, but he eventually turned silent, and I could not fathom the change. I wondered what was going through his mind. Could this moment of regret allow him to continue listening to my hurtful accusations? It had been a long time since I said so much to Ian, and I suddenly felt exhausted."Tiana, Ian only accompanied me that day because I had an urgent document I needed to hand over to him. Why must you make things sound so serious? It's enough that he's having a hard time at work. You have no idea how much he's sacrificing for the company.

Now that I had decided to leave him, I had to make sure he suffered as I did. Only then would we be considered even. Why not leave him a few words that would make him toss and turn in bed at night if I had the power to do so?Sheila was relieved to see that I was determined not to get back with him. "By the way, I've told my husband to help you look out for anyone who can treat your hands."Her husband was a doctor at a hospital. Even though their love story was not as dramatic as Ian's and mine, they had a stable yet happy family. After finding out about my injury, they showed great concern and started helping me look around for a good doctor to treat my hands. However, there was nothing I could do to repay them."An orthopaedic specialist from my husband's hospital is returning from overseas soon. He’s helped you make an appointment on Saturday for a consultation." I considered rejecting the offer as I lowered my head. I had nothing to my name to thank them for the help, but my

The recovery process with orthopedics was extremely painful. Even though Myles used every trick in the book to distract me, I still cried tears of pain. He tried everything he could think of to keep my spirits up, even going as far as using candy on me like a child.I thought it was the way he treated his patients, until I witnessed him being all business-like with his other patients by accident. That was when I knew that his ridiculous methods to comfort me were used only on me.Myles treated me as more than a patient, and it had crossed the line of a doctor-patient relationship. I started to consider drawing a line between us and keeping my distance by visiting the hospital when he was not around, and getting his assistant to help with my rehabilitation instead.However, the first time I attempted it, Myles noticed it right away. He did not shy away from the issue when he saw me trying to keep my distance. "Are you avoiding me?" His candor made it difficult for me to hide from i