Semua Bab 8 Times Almost a Wife: Bab 1 - Bab 8

I held the side of my face where Ian Murray—my fiancé—had slapped me. It burned like fire. My whole body trembled.Ian looked at me with utter disgust. He wiped the palm that had just struck me with a tissue, as if my skin had dirtied him."Daphne, you knew full well that Jess isn't in good health, and yet you still had to bring up our wedding in front of her. What were you thinking? Yes, I said I'd marry you. So what? That gives you the right to be this impatient? Are you so worried that aside from me, no one else would ever want you? Can't you just wait a little longer?"His face was clouded with frustration, his eyes full of contempt.Then, without warning, an old memory drifted to the surface—three years ago, when Ian had looked at me with eyes full of tenderness and asked me to marry him."Daphne, I want to marry you as soon as possible," he had said. "That way, we can spend our whole lives together."Not long after, I had brought up the idea of getting married.Ian promise

The next morning, Ian left early.No surprise there. He was likely on his way to pick up Jess and visit his grandfather.I washed my face, slipped on a mask, and headed out to find a new place to live. This apartment belonged to Ian, and I was ready to move out.While on the way to meet the landlord, I couldn't resist the urge to check Jess's Instagram.There it was—a photo of her, Ian, and an elderly man.The caption read: [Family Portrait.]The comments beneath were a sea of congratulations and blessings.Even though I'd already known about this last night, the moment I saw the photo, a heavy weight settled on my chest. I couldn't breathe.I stared at the screen blankly until the taxi driver reminded me we'd arrived.Before closing the app, I gave the post a like and left a comment: [Wishing you all the best.]The apartment viewing went smoothly. The place was in a good location—right next to a hospital.Not long ago, I'd passed the nursing certification exam and had just

Bound by professional duty, I forced down the burning anger rising in my chest and said coldly, "Sir, this is the hospital. The patient is experiencing acute heart failure and liver deterioration. We need to operate immediately. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible. I've delivered the message. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. I just hope you won't end up regretting it."On the other end, Ian exploded. His voice tore through the line, raw and furious."Daphne, I'm warning you—if anything happens to my grandfather, I will never forgive you. Not in this lifetime!""Then I'll be waiting for that."I hung up, not sparing a thought for his hysterical shouting before the call disconnected.Back in the ward, the doctors worked quickly. Thankfully, this time, they made it just in time. The old man regained consciousness soon after.The moment he opened his eyes, he gripped my hand tightly, smiling with a joy that came from deep within."It's you... it's really you.

For the past two days, Ian had searched the entire city and still couldn't find a single trace of me.He waited at the hospital, only to learn I was on leave. With no other leads, he had to come up with another plan.The truth was, I'd been home the whole time, resting. All my meals came from delivery orders. Each day, dozens of unfamiliar numbers called or texted. I glanced at a few—just enough to confirm they were from him.He must've seen the agreement I left behind, the one ending our engagement. That much was clear.But I didn't reply. I just turned off my phone.Sometimes silence is the most definitive answer.That evening, a knock sounded at the door, urgent and relentless. I opened it to find Ian standing there, looking completely wrecked. His hair was a mess, wind-tossed, and the edges of his coat were damp with rain.The moment he saw me, his body sagged against the doorframe, as if something inside him had finally let go.He'd gotten my location from the building mana