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The Cruel Wife
The Cruel Wife
Author: Local Universe

Chapter 1 The Last Room

Author: Local Universe
To make room for Skye Whitley's dog, my hospital bed had been pushed out into the hallway.

When the door to the ward shut, my son was still clutching the St. Christopher medal he had just given away. His tiny fists were already bruised purple, but he pounded the door again and again. "Mister, please give my dad back the room! Mister, please, I'm begging you, open the door!"

His young voice echoed down the hallway, but it couldn't reach Skye, who was inside playing with his dog. The louder Ash cried, the more entertained Skye seemed. "Good boy, don't pay attention to the trash outside."

Ash's voice grew hoarse. He was once the kind of child who would cry for a hug if he scraped his knee. Now, he just used the hem of his shirt to wipe the blood seeping from his fists. With tears in his eyes, he gritted out, "You big bully! This room was mine, I traded my St. Christopher medal for it! How can you steal it just to keep your dog here? You're a big bully!"

His voice had grown so raw it was barely understandable, even his accusations fragile and breaking. I lay on the bed in the hallway, my tears running together with the blood.

'I'm sorry, Ash. I couldn't protect you,' I silently apologized. 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

But no one opened the door. Ash stumbled back to my bed, his eyes swollen and red. "Daddy, I'm sorry. I'm useless. I let the bad guy steal your room. Daddy, I'm sorry."

I could feel my life draining away. I knew I was close to the end, but I didn't want to scare him. Forcing the last of my strength into a smile, I whispered, "Ash, I'm feeling a little cold. Can you get me a blanket?"

He froze for two seconds, then quickly wiped his tears and nodded again and again. "Okay! I'll get you a blanket right now. Daddy, you have to wait for me, okay? You have to wait!"

I watched his small figure running down the hall, and slowly, I closed my eyes. "Ash, I'm sorry. I can't wait."

…

The next time I opened them, I was no longer alive. I was a soul, following my son.

Ash was smart. He knew the walk home was too far, so when he spotted an open room, he darted inside.

Another young man lay on the bed. His wife was gently tucking the blanket around him, making sure not a single corner was left uncovered. Beside them stood a five-year-old boy holding a cup of warm water, calling "Daddy" in the sweetest voice.

For some reason, Ash's eyes welled up again, but he didn't let himself cry. He still had to borrow a blanket for his dad.
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  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 8 Retribution

    "Forgive you? Sure. Kneel before my son first and beg him to forgive you."Skye stared at Eira in disbelief, but the sharp pain in his scalp from her bodyguard's grip reminded him he had no choice. "Alright. I'll kneel."He dropped to his knees and began slapping himself . "Ash, I was wrong. Please forgive me. I've learned my lesson." Over and over, he slapped, each slap heavy and deliberate.I watched the scene with frozen eyes, feeling no satisfaction at all. Even if he beat himself to death right here, it would never erase what my child had suffered.Then a doctor, his voice shaking, spoke up. "Ms. Chase… I have something to report."The sudden words made everyone turn their heads. Skye, especially, felt a surge of dread.Eira narrowed her eyes, her tone icy. "Speak."The doctor swallowed hard and blurted out, "I want to report our department head, Dr. Robert King, for taking bribes, colluding with patients to falsify medical records, and…" He glanced at Ash, a flicker of pit

  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 7 Exposed

    My heart gave a violent jolt as I hovered at the ICU doors, my whole body trembling. 'What's he planning? Is he going to hurt my boy again? No—never again. My child won't suffer any more. I won't allow it!'The faint smirk on Skye's face made me want to tear him apart piece by piece.Unaware of my presence, he made up some excuse to send the nurse away before quietly pushing open the door, walking straight through my incorporeal body, and stopping at Ash's bedside. Curling his lips, he traced his icy fingers across Ash's forehead, eyes, and mouth before finally pausing at his fragile throat."Tell me," Skye sneered, his eyes glittering with malice, "if Howard could see the state you're in now, would he hate me for it? Too bad your father was too weak. All I did was have his heart cut out and shoved back in, and he couldn't handle it. Just another short-lived fool."A chill spread through me so fast I could hardly breathe. 'What's that? My heart hadn't been transplanted into Skye?!

  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 6 Hidden Motives

    The swelling on Ash's face had gone down by half, and a nurse had carefully wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. But that only made the bruises stand out more—especially the deep handprints across his cheek, the kind made with real force.Eira stared at our son, her hands clenched into tight fists."Eira?" Skye called her name with a nervous edge.He had already received word from the hospital that morning: a man's body had been found in the corridor, and a six-year-old child had been nearby. Skye had been changing his clothes when he heard the news; he'd ripped the button off his sleeve on the spot.Having been by Eira's side for years, he knew her well. She was shameless in the way she always wanted what she couldn't have. Before, it had been him, and now…He was scared.So when he learned that Eira had come looking for him, Skye had made himself look fragile on purpose, layering makeup over his lips and face until he appeared flawless in his sickly act. Satisfied,

  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 5 The Price of Her Choices

    "H-Howard…" Eira whispered my name under her breath before suddenly shoving through the crowd and rushing to my bedside.She froze at the sight of my body—pale, stiff, stripped of any trace of life. Her heart clenched so tightly it felt like it might tear apart. Reaching out with trembling fingers to check if I was still breathing, she accidentally brushed against our son's bruised face. Almost without thinking, she scooped him up into her arms.Her eyes were bloodshot as she shouted at the gawking onlookers, "Doctor! Where's the doctor?!"The crowd rippled with murmurs and movement. Within moments, a few doctors and nurses stepped forward, guiding Eira toward a ward. She laid our unconscious son carefully on the bed.Floating above it all, I finally felt a small measure of relief. Watching the panic spread across Eira's face, I almost laughed. Wasn't all of this her doing? She'd had a chance to save our son last night.My chest ached with a pain deeper than grief. I bent over and

  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 4 The Blanket That Stayed

    "Aw, my poor baby, did that scare you?" Skye cooed, gently stroking his dog's smooth fur. Then, as though finally tired, he ordered the bodyguards to let Ash go. Lifting his foot, he pressed it down hard on the boy's bruised face, wearing a look of false pity. "See? Even your mom doesn't want you anymore. How pitiful."The elevator doors slowly slid shut, leaving only Ash's tiny body curled up on the cold tile floor.I knelt beside him, knowing it was useless, yet still trying over and over to pull him into my arms. It didn't work—nothing did. Without Eira's orders, no one dared come near to save my child.The blood at the corner of his lips had already dried. His eyelids fluttered, but he couldn't open them. Only the blanket in his arms made the faintest rustling sound through the thin plastic bag wrapped around it. The St. Christopher medal that once hung from his neck was gone—only a faint mark remained, proof that he'd once been someone's most precious treasure.I didn't know h

  • The Cruel Wife   Chapter 3 A Father's Helpless Rage

    Ash's arm began to twitch uncontrollably, but he refused to cry. He lifted his swollen eyes and glared fiercely at the impeccably dressed Skye Whitley. "My dad's not a scum. He's the best dad in the whole world. You're the bad guy—I won't let you hurt him!" Then he bit down hard on Skye's leg, thinking it would make him pull away.Already furious, Skye completely lost his temper. He kicked out with his leather shoe, driving it hard into Ash's fragile stomach. "You little bastard!"I roared and threw myself forward, desperate to shield my son, but he passed straight through me and slammed into the wall, coughing up a mouthful of blood. Even then, he didn't cry. He stubbornly stretched out his small hand, groping across the floor. "B-Blanket… Daddy needs a blanket…"Skye wasn't finished. He set down the dog in his arms and stepped toward Ash, raising his hand for another blow."Skye?"Eira's shocked voice suddenly rang out, freezing everyone in place.Ash's dim eyes lit up instantl

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