All Chapters of The Silent Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

77 Chapters

Beginning: Meet Me at Smith House

Beginning: Meet Me at Smith House“I, Justin Smith-Montemayor, take you, Jo—”“Joanna! Wake up already!”I jolted upright, heart pounding and completely disoriented. My forehead instantly met the palm of my hand when the dizziness hit me from getting up too fast. Ugh. Not the dream again.“Girl, it's your first day at work and you're out here drooling like a toddler? It’s already seven o’clock!” Katastrophe’s voice was half annoyed, half amused.Wait.Seven. O. Clock.My eyes widened in pure panic. I threw off my blanket and practically launched myself into the bathroom. The sound of water filling the bucket was the only thing calming my nerves for a second.Still half-asleep, I grabbed the dipper and poured water over my body without testing the temperature.“WHAT THE—!”I hissed through my teeth. Cold. Freaking cold. Of course, it was freezing—it’s Baguio! What was I thinking?“Stupid, Joanna! You should’ve heated the water first!” I muttered to myself, shivering but determined. I w

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 1: The Boss Who Stole My Breath

Chapter 1: The Boss Who Stole My Breath“Joanna! Why are you still standing there? I have to show you things outside!” Mrs. Thompson barked again. Had she said we were leaving? My eyes darted between her and Justin—yes, Justin—and then she called me again, forcing me to follow her out of the office.Technically, yesterday was her last day, but she agreed to stay overtime today to guide me on my first day. She said she wanted to make sure I’d do things right. Apparently, my new boss was very strict.I wiped the invisible sweat from my forehead when lunchtime came, and Mrs. Thompson invited me to eat at the cafeteria. Thank God she was the one who asked permission from him—ugh!—to leave. I still couldn’t believe it. Justin Smith-Montemayor was the CEO of Smith House. He was my boss.If I could’ve backed out, I would’ve. But I had already signed a six-month contract, and if I broke it, I’d have to pay a huge penalty—for the remaining months. Six million pesos. Where was I supposed to get

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 2: His Giant Mushroom

Chapter 2: His Giant MushroomI sat on a bench, watching people walk their dogs, couples jogging, kids running around. I hugged myself, letting the early morning breeze hug me back.“Joanna!”The sound of my name pulled me from my thoughts.I looked around, confused.“Joanna!”The voice was familiar. Too familiar.I turned—and my heart skipped a beat.It was him.Justin.Wearing a sleeveless workout shirt, jersey shorts, basketball shoes, his phone strapped to his arm with headphones trailing from his ears. And of course—sunglasses almost covering his whole face.Still, I’d know that jawline anywhere.I stood up, pointing at myself. “Me?”He didn’t answer, but raised his hand and crooked his finger. “Joanna. Come here.”My legs moved before my brain could stop them.Our eyes met halfway, and for a moment—it was like the world around us blurred into nothing. Just me. Just him. And that stupid, irritatingly handsome face.That’s when I heard it.A bark.I looked down and saw a huge gold

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 3: His Cold Gaze, My Burning Heart

Chapter 3: His Cold Gaze, My Burning HeartThank God I brought my bag along—because inside was my umbrella. I quickly grabbed it and hurried to catch up with Justin’s long strides. I raised my hand to shield him from the brutal sun. He glanced at me briefly, his gaze cold and unreadable, but I smiled awkwardly anyway. A small gesture, hoping to soften his icy demeanor.But no. He ignored my smile, turning his eyes back to the dusty, unfinished path ahead.My shoulders slumped from the weight of his indifference. What had I done to deserve this cold treatment? It was like we were strangers — no, worse — like he wanted me to forget our past. And yet, wasn’t he the one who walked away?Just as my mind spun in frustration, Justin spoke suddenly, his voice low and calm as he stared ahead, seemingly talking to himself.“It’s not really that hot. I guess you can keep your umbrella.”Wait — did he just talk to me? I was the only one holding the umbrella between us. I blinked, unsure if I had

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 4: Between Duty and Desire

Chapter 4: Between Duty and Desire“Is this your first day here? And what’s your name?” he asked, clearly curious.“Joanna. I just started Monday, working in the CEO’s office,” I answered, still trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach.“Oh, so you’re Justin’s new secretary,” Dusty said, nodding knowingly.I forced a smile. “Yes…”Dusty raised an eyebrow. “Lucky you. Miss Leni didn’t seem too thrilled when Justin got a new secretary around her age.”My brow furrowed. “Miss Leni? What do you mean?”Dusty hesitated, then quickly said, “Nothing, forget I said anything.”If we were closer, I’d have grilled him for details. But with only ten minutes left of my break, I politely excused myself.Back at the office, I noticed Justin’s door was slightly ajar. Curiosity took over, and I quietly peered inside.My heart nearly stopped.There was Justin, sitting in his swivel chair, and in his lap—there was a woman. Their faces were so close it was obvious what was happening.They were kissing

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 5: Trapped Between Love and Fear

Chapter 5: Trapped Between Love and FearSince I still had leftover work, I tried to keep busy to pass the time. The hours slipped by unnoticed until suddenly, I heard a voice behind me.“What are you still doing here?”Justin. His voice was flat, no hint of warmth. I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. “Just finishing up some work I left behind.”I didn’t mention the real reason I’d stayed—because I couldn’t bear the thought of facing the world like this.True to form, Justin gave me nothing but a single nod, his cold gaze drilling into me so intensely I felt flushed and self-conscious again. I pretended to be busy, fingers flying over the keyboard.“Are you done?” he asked after a while.I nodded silently, heart pounding at the huskiness in his voice. Memories of our first night together—the passion, the awkwardness—flooded me, making my throat go dry.“Let’s go home, Joanna. It’s late.”With that, he shut down my computer. I gathered my things slowly, careful not to draw attention to

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 6: No Escape from You

Chapter 6: No Escape from YouI swallowed hard, tears streaming down my cheeks despite my efforts to hold them back.I was terrified.Was this how it would end? Would he kill me here? Or worse… would he hurt me first?“Try screaming, Miss! I’ll slit your throat!” His voice was low and menacing.I bit my lower lip hard, muffling a sob.I closed my eyes and prayed, willing him to just take my things and leave me unharmed.The blaring horn deafened me. For a moment, it felt like the world stopped spinning. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a car slam violently into the wall behind me. My breath caught. My heart froze. My knees trembled like fragile leaves in the wind. I was sure—any moment now—I would faint from the sheer terror of what was unfolding before me.Whose car was that?Before I could think further, a loud, agonizing scream ripped through the air.“Holdup!” The desperate shout came from the man I had been watching.I whipped my head around—and froze.There was Justin.

Last Updated : 2025-05-26

Chapter 7: Is This a Date or a Disaster?

Chapter 7: Is This a Date or a Disaster?“Joanna, I’m asking you again — what are you doing here?” His voice was sharp, laced with a quiet intensity that made my heart skip a beat.My throat tightened. I wanted to snap back at him — ask what he was doing here, of all places — but one look into his eyes, and the words dissolved on my tongue. His gaze had that familiar pull, the one that made my knees wobble and my brain go fuzzy.Instead, I fumbled. “It’s not office hours… so… you don’t have to… uhm, care.” I tried to sound indifferent, tried to glare at him as I tugged my arm free from his grip. “Please just let me go — I have to find Katastrophe.”For a moment, he didn’t move. His fingers lingered on my wrist like he didn’t want to let go. Then, slowly, his hand dropped to his side.I took one shaky step backward, ready to vanish into the chaos of the night — but before I could get far, I felt myself losing balance. A gasp escaped my lips as I tilted forward, only to land against som

Last Updated : 2025-05-29

Chapter 8: What Now, Justin?

Chapter 8: What Now, Justin?I slowed my pace when I heard what he was saying."Yes, Babe, I know and I’m sorry. Yeah, I forgot, and it’s really important, that’s why I needed to go overtime tonight. I’m on my way home."Babe.I felt a jolt in my chest. Lenita. Of course. She was the "babe."I stood frozen, listening to a conversation I had no business hearing, but unable to tear myself away. Each word was a dagger to my already aching heart."Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."I held my breath, hoping — praying — that was the end of it. But then, he looked up. Our eyes met."Alright. Have a nice rest of your night… I love you too."I looked away as tears welled in my eyes.That voice. That tone. The softness I used to hear before he said those very same words to me. Now, it was meant for someone else.The betrayal still felt fresh.The Justin I loved was gone — or maybe he never existed at all.I tightened my grip on my bag, my knuckles turning white as I forced my lips into a

Last Updated : 2025-05-29

Chapter 9: Choosing You Again

Chapter 9: Choosing You AgainI closed my eyes, allowing myself — just for a moment — to be held by the man I once called home."Bakit mo pa sinabi 'yun? You have Lenita now," I whispered.Justin let out a breath. "I ended things with her earlier tonight."My head snapped up. "What?""I told her I couldn’t keep pretending. That I’m in love with someone else."My heart skipped."You don't mean—""I mean you, Joanna." His voice cracked. "I’ve always meant you."I stepped back, tears flooding again. "Then why did you leave me behind? Why did you let me believe I wasn’t enough?"His eyes glistened. "Because I was a coward. I thought I had to choose between love and duty. Between us and the future my family expected of me. But I was wrong. There is no future without you."It was too much. Too sudden. My heart couldn’t catch up.I turned away, confused and overwhelmed. My emotions were spinning like a storm, and I didn’t know where to hide.Justin reached for my hand, but I pulled away."I

Last Updated : 2025-05-29

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