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The Wife Who Hid Me
The Wife Who Hid Me
Author: Bright Lights

Chapter 1

Author: Bright Lights
My wife, Claire Bennett, raised an irritated hand until the noise in the room died down.

"Everyone, enough. Ryan and I are just boss and employee."

Then she pulled out her phone and texted me right in front of everyone.

"Happy now?"

I opened Ryan Hayes's Instagram and pulled up a photo of the two of them with their faces pressed close together.

"You get this cozy with each other and still call it a normal working relationship? Ms. Bennett, do you think we're all idiots?"

The room burst into laughter. Everyone thought I was leading the teasing.

Claire's smile slowly stiffened, and impatience crept into her voice.

"It's just a cheek-kiss greeting. That's how people say hello abroad. You're reading too much into it."

I walked toward her one step at a time.

"Then give me one too."

With everyone watching, irritation flashed across her face.

"He lived abroad. You didn't."

"I didn't, but plenty of people in this company have. Funny how I've never seen you greet any of them like that."

Claire couldn't answer, so she changed the subject.

"What exactly are you trying to say?"

I shrugged.

"Nothing. I'm just sincerely wishing the two of you well."

That was when everyone finally realized I hadn't been joking.

A few coworkers I was close with hurried over.

"Ethan, that's enough. Picking a fight with the boss isn't going to end well for you."

Someone else tried to calm Claire down.

"Ms. Bennett, you know Ethan. Once he gets something in his head, he won't let it go. Don't take it personally."

I'd always treated people well, so plenty of them were willing to speak up for me.

They also couldn't understand why Claire always tore into me whenever something went wrong. She acted like she couldn't stand me, yet she never fired me.

I always told them it was because I was too good at my job to replace.

Secretly, I used to find the whole thing almost funny.

None of them knew Claire and I were married. Her scolding me in public was supposed to be an act, proof that she wasn't showing her husband special treatment.

Looking back now, I only felt stupid.

I'd believed every excuse she gave me, only to end up watching my own wife flirt with another man at the office.

As everyone tried to smooth things over, Ryan finally stepped in with the smug air of someone doing us all a favor.

"Sorry about that. I spent a long time in Europe, so greetings like that became normal to me.

"Mr. Cole should travel more when he gets the chance. It's not good to make such a big deal out of something this small.

"There really is nothing going on between Ms. Bennett and me."

I shrugged.

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  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 11

    Ryan couldn't believe it.He kept digging until he learned where Claire's money had gone.She had given it to Ethan.One night, drunk beyond reason, Ryan waited for Claire outside the office.When she appeared, he stumbled toward her, muttering wildly."Claire, how could you give all that money to Ethan? If you're broke now, how am I supposed to be with you?"My dad told me you were new money. He wanted me to marry you so we could use your money to plug the holes in our family business. If you don't have that value anymore, he won't let me marry you."Only then did Claire finally see Ryan clearly.So that was why he had approached her.All this time, she had treated him like the best part of her college memories.But those memories had gone rotten a long time ago.In the end, Ryan got nothing.His family's financial problems collapsed into bankruptcy, leaving behind enormous debts.His parents died by suicide under the pressure.Ryan was left carrying the family's debt an

  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 10

    Claire was still frantically searching for Ethan when a lawyer named Daniel Price came to see her.Ethan had hired him to handle the divorce.Claire's eyes reddened.Part of her was relieved to finally have some trace of Ethan.Another part was furious that he still refused to see her and had sent a lawyer to end their marriage for him."Tell Ethan he has to come back and meet me in person. We need to talk this through face-to-face. If he won't, I'm not agreeing to the divorce."Daniel smiled and took out a USB drive."Mr. Cole expected you might say that. He prepared a few videos for you. He hopes that after you watch them, you'll reconsider and let this end cleanly for both of you."Claire took the drive home.It was full of videos Ethan had recorded years ago.Back then, they had been poor, exhausted, and strangely easy to please.One clip showed the night they worked late and missed the last train. They had refused to spend money on a cab, so they walked home hand in han

  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 9

    A few people pursed their lips but said nothing.The meaning was obvious.None of them thought Ethan was irritating.But because Ryan had such a special relationship with Claire, no one dared say what they were really thinking.Ryan took a breath and knocked on Claire's office door."Come in."The moment Claire saw him, her expression turned cold."What do you want?"Ryan gave her a concerned look."You're upset. Want me to take you to a movie?""No. I have somewhere to go."Claire pushed past him, told the office she'd be out of town for a few days, grabbed her keys, and left.She bought a train ticket to Ethan's hometown.He had asked her for years to come back with him sometime.Claire had always been busy. The trip kept getting postponed.Now she convinced herself that Ethan had left the apartment, quit his job, and taken his mother's ashes home.For the first time in their marriage, Claire went to his hometown.He wasn't there.Linda hadn't been buried there eith

  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 8

    He wasn't answering her calls?Since when did Ethan have the nerve?In all their years together, he had never truly lost his temper with her. Now he was flat-out ignoring her?Anger flared in Claire's chest.She opened their message thread and sent voice message after voice message, pouring out everything she was feeling.Nothing came back.By the next morning, she'd sobered up.Ethan still hadn't returned.He hadn't answered a single message either.There wasn't even breakfast waiting for her, which meant he'd been gone all night.Now Claire was furious.She drove to the office with her foot heavy on the gas, already planning to find some mistake she could call Ethan out for."Where's Ethan?"In the morning meeting, Claire exploded."He's taken days off already. Now he doesn't even bother showing up?"Everyone exchanged awkward looks.Finally, someone spoke carefully."Ms. Bennett... Ethan resigned. Didn't you know?"Claire stopped mid-rant."Resigned? When? Why was

  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 7

    Claire lowered her eyes, sadness gathering in them."No. I didn't fall for Ryan. When I look at him, I remember how easy life was in college."Back then, there wasn't much to worry about. As long as I passed my classes, I could do whatever I wanted."But whenever I look at Ethan, I remember the years when we were broke. Living in a basement apartment to save money. Then a run-down complex. Waking up every morning to people screaming at each other through the walls."We ate badly. We dressed badly. No matter how often we washed our clothes, they always seemed to carry that cheap, stale smell of poverty."We're rich now, but I still have nightmares that none of this is real. That we're still that desperate couple drowning in debt, chasing money, looking exhausted and pathetic every day."Jenna sighed."So you don't love Ethan anymore? You only feel grateful because he sacrificed for you and stayed through the hard years, and your conscience won't let you divorce him?"Claire pour

  • The Wife Who Hid Me   Chapter 6

    Claire took Ryan to the hospital.He kept complaining about how much he hurt and insisted on every test the doctors could reasonably run.Nothing was wrong with him.Claire watched him from across the room."Ryan. What did you say to Ethan at the funeral?"Ryan stopped groaning."Nothing. I told him I was sorry for his loss, and he suddenly lost it and hit me."Claire's eyes sharpened."You're lying. I've been with Ethan for years. I know what kind of person he is."He's kind and patient to a fault. He would never hit someone unless they said something unforgivable."A bitter little smile crossed her face.If Ethan hadn't been that kind of man, she never would have been able to push him around for so many years. Whatever she asked, he did. Whatever she demanded, he endured.His mother had died, and even then, he hadn't raised a hand against Claire.Guilt finally began to creep in.Ethan's mother, Linda, had treated her well. Claire hadn't wanted her to die either.She ha

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