Four

CHAPTER 4

Mercy

Bradley held my arms very hard. His fingers pressed into my skin. It felt like he was holding a stranger, not his wife. His face was dark with anger, like he did not know me anymore.

His grip hurt so much. My bones felt weak, like they could break. I did not know what he was thinking. I never knew what went on in his mind, and that always scared me.

As he pulled me down the big stairs, his chest moved fast with anger.

“Bradley, please calm down! I… I didn’t do anything!” I cried. Tears ran down my face. Outside, heavy rain was falling, just like my tears.

When he dragged me out of Serenity Pines Estate, the cold rain hit my body. Every drop felt sharp and cold. My head still felt strange from the drug the kidnappers forced on me before. My eyes were blurry and my mind felt slow.

“No, Bradley!” I begged. I hoped he would stop and listen to me. I needed him to believe me. I was not guilty. Someone set me up.

But his voice was cold.

“Stay there!” he said and pushed me out of the gate.

“No, Bradley! You must believe me!” I shouted. But the loud rain covered my voice. Bradley already thought I had cheated.

“Bradley, please trust me!” I cried again. My chest hurt with pain. I knew the man in the hoodie never touched me.

Then the gate closed with a loud bang.

The sound felt like my life was shut outside.

I fell to my knees on the cold road. The ground hurt my skin. I looked up at the big Serenity Pines Estate. Tears kept falling from my eyes.

My body shook badly. The cold rain soaked my clothes. But the pain in my heart was worse.

I used the little strength I had and stood up again. I hit the gate hard.

“Bradley!” I shouted.

But no one answered.

My hands soon hurt badly. They went numb. I slowly sat down and hugged my knees. I did not want to leave. This place was my only home.

I kept hoping Bradley would open the gate again.

Time passed. The rain kept falling. My clothes were fully wet. I felt colder and colder.

Then, through my blurry eyes, I saw a black car stop near me. A man came out of it. I tried to see who he was.

But before I could see his face, everything went dark.

The cold ground was the last thing I felt before I fainted.

 

 

When I opened my eyes again, my body felt hot and painful. I heard a machine beside me making a soft beeping sound.

The rain was gone, but I still felt cold inside. The white walls around me told me I was in a hospital.

“So cold…” I whispered.

Someone covered me with a thick blanket. The warmth made my eyes close again.

As I fell into sleep, I heard a voice I knew well.

“Mercy… what happened to you?”

It was Amir, my older brother.

In my dream, I saw him standing near me. He looked worried.

“I came to Highland Hills City for work,” he said. “I didn’t think I would see you like this. I thought you were living well here. You studied and stayed in a big house.”

“I’m fine,” I said, hiding the truth.

“I love Bradley very much. Our marriage is fine. Your check was right.”

I did not want Amir or anyone else to worry about me.

Most of all, not because of Bradley.

But tears still filled my eyes. Sometimes I wished I could stop loving someone so much. I gave Bradley my time, my work, and all my love.

But I could not stop loving him.

Slowly Amir’s face faded.

Then Bradley’s face appeared in my blurry sight.

 

 

Bradley

Anger burned inside me after seeing that scene.

I wanted to trust Mercy. I wanted to believe our marriage was real.

But doubt filled my mind.

Outside, I heard Mercy hitting the metal gate while the rain fell hard. A part of me wanted to go out and bring her back inside.

But another part of me did not want to look like a fool.

My marriage with Mercy was never very close. Now I wondered if that was my mistake. Maybe she was tired of this life and found another man.

For the second time in my life, my pride felt broken.

“She would not cheat on me… would she?”

My mother spoke beside me.

“That woman has no shame!” she said. “What does she think of our family? We helped her when she had nothing. And now she does this? I will not let her ruin this family!”

My mother has never liked Mercy. She has shown it for three years.

“Where did you get those photos, Mom?” I asked.

“I had someone follow her,” she said. “One day I came here and she was not home. Why would she go out when food is sent here every week? And that man in the hoodie who meets her outside? I checked him too. I’m sure they have something going on.”

Her words made the scene come back to my mind again.

My wife Mercy lost her parents when she was young. I met her when she often came to the Cornell house to study with my half sister, Jane.

When work at Luminary was not busy, I sometimes talked with them.

Jane told me Mercy studied with a school grant because she was an orphan. But Mercy was very smart. She did well in many classes. What I liked most was how hard she worked.

Then came my wedding day.

Mayra ran away.

Mercy offered to marry me so I would not feel shame.

“Why did you agree to marry me?” I asked her then.

She stayed quiet for some time before she spoke.

“I… I need money. I need safety so I can live.”

Her words left a bad feeling in my heart. It made me think she only wanted a chance to enter the Cornell family.

I have always hated people who use chances for their own gain. Maybe because I see the same thing in my parents.

My mother came from Maple Grove, a small farm town. She was once a simple village girl who got the chance to marry my rich father.

Her strong love for money and power always annoyed me.

Jane is the only person who brings out the good side of me. Even though we have different mothers, we care about each other a lot. I always want to protect her from my mother.

“Are you listening, Bradley?!” my mother shouted.

“What right does that woman have to enter the Cornell family? Mayra is better! Her family is rich!”

“Her name is Mercy,” I said. “Not that woman.”

I felt very tired.

Work stress, my father’s pressure, my mother’s anger, and now Mercy’s betrayal were all too much.

“She is just another gold digger trying to be your wife!”

I sighed.

“Mom, please leave.”

“What?!” she shouted. “You want to let that cheating wife back inside?”

“Stop it!” I said loudly.

“Roque!” I called.

Her driver and bodyguard came inside.

“Yes, boss?” he said.

“Take Madam Cornell back to the mansion,” I ordered.

My mother looked angry but followed Roque out.

After she left, the house became quiet.

I looked around.

Mercy was gone.

Worried, I quickly called Alex.

After about twenty long minutes, he answered.

“Boss… your new neighbor, Amir Benner, took Madam Mercy to the hospital.”

Bradley

For a moment, my mind went blank when I heard that Mercy was in the hospital. What shocked me more was the person who brought her there.

I knew Amir Benner from the racing world. He was the president of TerraTraxx Automotive, a big car company based in Dubai.

“From what I found,” Alex said, “Mr. Benner came to Highland Hills for work. He is also working with Luminary Productions to promote their new car.”

I barely listened to him. I didn’t care about Mr. Benner’s business. What mattered to me was why he was with my wife.

Maybe Alex noticed how angry I looked, because he quickly added, “Boss, Mr. Benner just arrived in the city. I don’t think he even knows Madam Mercy.”

But his words did not calm me.

Just minutes ago, I saw Mercy with another man. My anger was still burning inside me. Now she was with a different man again. I didn’t even know what I felt anymore.

By the time we reached the hospital, the heavy rain had become light.

The car stopped at the entrance. I got out quickly, with Alex following behind me. I walked fast through the hospital hallways. I just wanted to reach the room where Mercy was.

“Madam Mercy is in that room, Boss,” Alex said, pointing ahead.

Without thinking, I pushed the door open.

Inside the room, I saw Amir sitting beside the bed. He was holding Mercy’s hand.

Anger exploded inside me.

“What the hell are you doing with my wife?!” I shouted.

Amir slowly looked at me. His eyes narrowed.

“Wife?” he said, raising his eyebrow. Then he stood up. “If she is really your wife, why did you leave her outside your house? She has the flu, yet you left her in the rain until she fainted.”

Every part of me wanted to punch him. But I held myself back. My father always warned me to avoid trouble.

Amir was here for work with Luminary Productions. I had to stay calm.

Still, I would not let him interfere in my life.

“I never thought the president of TerraTraxx Automotive would get involved in my private life,” I said coldly. “This is between me and my wife. So tell me, Mr. Benner, what is your relationship with her?”

He clenched his fists but didn’t answer.

A small smile formed on my lips.

“Alex!” I called.

“Boss?” Alex quickly walked into the room.

“Take my wife out of this hospital,” I said firmly.

Mercy could not stay here. And I did not feel like explaining my reasons to anyone.

“You must be joking!” Amir said angrily. “Your wife is still sick!”

The way he spoke about Mercy made my anger burn even more.

“That’s none of your business!” I snapped. “She is my wife. Where I take her is my decision.”

“You’re a real jerk,” Amir said through his teeth.

Our loud voices filled the room. Soon a nurse and a doctor rushed inside.

This hospital was in Highland Hills, a place connected to my family. Everyone here knew who I was—Bradley Cornell.

“Mr. Cornell…” the doctor began carefully.

“I’m taking my wife home,” I said.

“Y-yes, Mr. Cornell,” the doctor replied.

“I won’t allow that!” Amir said loudly. “I brought Mrs. Cornell here because she is sick. Her fever hasn’t gone down yet!”

I suddenly grabbed him and pushed him hard against the wall.

The nurse and doctor gasped in shock, but Amir didn’t step back.

He kept staring at me.

The anger inside me grew stronger as I saw how much he cared about Mercy.

“Mercy is my wife!” I said angrily. “What I do with her is none of your damn business!”

“Mr. Cornell, Mr. Benner, please stop,” the nurse said nervously. “This is a hospital. You’re disturbing the other patients.”

The doctor spoke next.

“Mr. Benner, I’m sorry, but Mr. Cornell is the patient’s husband. We must follow the family’s decision.”

“This hospital is useless,” Amir said angrily.

The nurse and doctor looked nervous.

I let out a small laugh.

“Good thing you don’t own this place,” I said.

Amir looked at Mercy one last time before walking out of the room.

Soon after, I picked Mercy up in my arms and carried her out of the hospital.

Her body was cold, and she was shaking. But her skin felt very hot because of her fever. Her warm breath touched my neck.

I ignored the looks from the hospital staff as I carried my sick wife outside.

I didn’t care what anyone thought.

Right now, the only thing burning inside me was anger.

Trust was not something I could give easily—especially not to Amir Benner.

When we reached the car, I turned to Alex.

“Call Ethan Vanderbilt. Tell him to meet us at Serenity Pines Estate.”

“Yes, boss,” Alex replied.

I placed Mercy gently in the back seat of the car.

She held onto my arm weakly.

“I-it’s cold,” she whispered.

“Turn on the heater,” I told the driver.

The car slowly filled with warm air, but my mind was still burning with thoughts.

 

 

Mercy was lying on the bed while my friend Ethan checked her condition.

Ethan was a surgeon, but he worked in another hospital. Even though it was late at night, I still asked him to come and check on Mercy.

“Do you know when she last took medicine at the hospital?” Ethan asked.

I shrugged. I didn’t know.

Ethan sighed.

“I’ll call the hospital to check,” he said. “What happened to make your wife this sick?”

Since Ethan was both a doctor and my friend, I told him the truth.

“I left her outside the house… in the rain.”

“Seriously?” Ethan muttered.

While Ethan called the hospital, I looked at Mercy lying on the bed. My fists slowly tightened.

The memory of what I saw earlier kept coming back to my mind.

Before coming here, I told Alex to change the bedsheets.

Ethan’s voice brought me back to the present.

“I’ll give her an IV now,” he said.

After giving Mercy the medicine, Ethan packed his things.

“I’ll go now,” he said.

I walked him out of the house.

After that, I went back inside to change my clothes before going to bed.

A few minutes later, I lay down beside Mercy.

“So cold…” she whispered while shaking.

I pulled her closer to me so she could feel my warmth.

Her eyes opened slightly. She looked confused and weak.

Seeing her like that stirred something inside me.

I leaned closer to her.

“Haah…” she let out a soft sound.

I looked into her eyes and spoke firmly.

“Remember this. I am your husband. No other man is allowed to touch you.”