All Chapters of His Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

“We need to start your father on dialysis. His kidney function is still declining,” the doctor tells me in the hall.I nod, “Okay, when can he come home?”The doctor shakes his head, “I’m not sure. The pneumonia is bad, one of the worst cases I’ve seen.”“His platelets were normal, he didn’t have a fever, he said he was fine,” I explained to the doctor.The doctor nods, “The autoimmune disorder your dad has primarily affects the kidneys. His platelets were in the 'low-normal' range. I didn’t realize he was sick either. We will keep him in the hospital and monitor him. It might be time to think about a care facility for him.”I look at the doctor in disbelief, “I am taking care of him fine. He is fifty-two! He shouldn’t need a care facility.”With a sympathetic look the doctor says, “Miss Davidson, your father needs medical professionals to take care of him. You’ve done a great job over the years, but I believe it is to the point that he is a risk to himself. You work and are trying to

I sit in front of the coffee shop near the hospital at one of their outdoor tables. Linda, the charge nurse on my father’s floor, gave me the classifieds from her paper. I applied to a few places online but haven’t heard back.“Shouldn’t you be at work young lady?” a voice states before a coffee is sat in front of me. I look up to see Ben, “Is this seat taken?” he asks.I shake my head, “No, it’s all yours.”Ben sits down. “Why are you here so late?”I take a hard swallow. “They terminated my position.”Ben looks displeased for a moment, then says, “You must have something good coming.”“Why do you say that?” I ask curiously.Ben sips his coffee, “My first business I ever started did great. I made a lot of money. There were interested buyers, so I sold it and moved. My second company struggled. One month, we had ten dollars for groceries. I felt like such a failure during this time. Bea saw a single mother struggling, and in those days, there wasn’t much help for single parents, so sh

Ben and Thomas met in front of the cafeteria. Thomas is holding a folder and Ben seems his normal cheerful self. We get our food and sit at a table in the corner. We make small talk while we eat. Everything feels light until Ben says, “My grandson has been getting into trouble lately. We think it might be beneficial for him to have someone help him.”“Like a mentor?” I ask.“No, like a wife,” Ben says matter-of-factly.The look of shock and horror must be evident on my face, because Thomas is quick to intervene. “My son, Max has already agreed to the marriage. He believes this will give him a reason to stop going out to clubs.”I blink a few times, then ask, “Why me?”“Because you will be a good influence on him. You are capable of giving him a good tongue lashing and you know when he may need compassion,” Ben explains.Thomas then says, “I hired a private investigator to look into your background. I know you are currently without a job and you were denied unemployment. What I plan to

“Wow, Ellie, you look amazing. You could be on the cover of a magazine,” Kendra says.I stare at myself in the mirror. The dress is a cream satin trumpet-style dress with a sweetheart neckline. The sleeves drape off the shoulder. There isn’t much detail on the dress, but the dangly diamond earrings make up for the lack of drama in the dress. My hair is curled, and the front is twisted and tucked to keep it out of my face. My makeup is supposed to look natural, but I don’t have these red lips or flawless skin. Overall, I look very elegant.“Thomas said that there was someone here from a magazine. He reassured me there wouldn’t be an interview.” I tell her.Kendra then asks, “Are you nervous?” I nod, but don’t say anything. Thinking for a moment, Kendra says, “Only two years. If he is a jerk, you only need to deal with him for two years.“Thomas said this is what Max wants. It feels weird marrying a man I never met, but I think this is the right decision,” I explain.A knock at the door

I lay out the clothes Thomas brought for Maxwell, leaving some water and medicine to help with his hangover. Then, I go sit on the couch and read a book I had in the bag that Kendra brought me.It isn’t long before I hear Maxwell waking up. He leaves the bedroom and looks at me, “Did you get me breakfast?”I put down my book, “No, I wasn’t sure what time you would wake up, and I didn’t want it to get cold,” I explain in a soft voice.Maxwell looks irritated, “You’re going to have an excuse for everything, aren’t you?”I feel flustered, “I’m sorry. I just didn’t think-“Right, you didn’t think. Why am I not surprised?” he says in a condescending tone.“What would you like for breakfast? I will gladly go get you something.” I say in a soft voice.Maxwell just shakes his head, “Let’s go home. You can cook something there.” He pauses for a moment, then looks at me, “You can cook, right?”I nod, “Yeah, I know how to cook.”“Good, maybe you’re not completely useless,” he says.We leave soon