All Chapters of 8 Times Almost a Wife: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

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

Chapter 2

After a long while, Ian finally let go of Jess Taylor, almost reluctantly, before heading in my direction.Panicked, I turned and ran all the way home.I hadn't even reached my door when his call came through.His voice was laced with irritation. "Daphne, didn't I tell you to wait for me at the hotel? Where did you run off to?"My throat burned with bitterness. Tears stung the corners of my eyes before I realized it.I had wanted to confront him, ask him everything I'd held back. But when I opened my mouth, all that came out was a soft, miserable explanation. "You weren't coming back, so I thought I'd wait for you at home."There was a pause on the line. Then his tone softened, coaxing and gentle. "My bad. I got stuck in traffic. It took longer than I thought."Not long after I sank into the couch, he came through the door.He looked like a man whose date had been ruined and had come home in a foul mood. Without a word, he tossed the ointment onto me."Here, I bought the medic

Chapter 3

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

Chapter 4

As soon as I stepped through the door, my phone rang. It was Ian."Daphne, are you home?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle, just like before—as if none of today's accusations or outbursts had ever happened.That tone of his, once familiar and comforting, now sounded hollow. A polished mask stretched too tightly over a bruised truth.I nearly hung up. But no matter how much I wanted to sever things cleanly, there were still threads between us that needed cutting. He was the one who had done wrong, so why was I the one left fleeing?"What do you want?" I asked."I'm at a hotel. I just sent you the location. I think the interior is pretty nice. You should come see if you like it."I hung up, puzzled. A hotel? Was this about our wedding?But that didn't sound like Ian. He never took the initiative with things like this. I always had to push him, coax him, remind him. And now, out of nowhere?Still, I put on some light makeup and went to the hotel he sent me.The moment I steppe

Chapter 5

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.

Chapter 6

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Ian was on the verge of losing his mind trying to find Daphne.He had searched their home. He had scoured the hospital. He had even checked her favorite park, the one she always loved to visit. But all of it was in vain—nothing, not even a trace.Back at home, what greeted him was an empty closet and a document lying neatly on the table: the agreement to break off their engagement.He read it line by line, word by word. By the time he reached the end, his eyes were burning red, blood vessels threading through his irises.When he finished, he tore the paper into pieces, his hands trembling."No," he muttered, his voice cracking, before it rose into a scream. "Daphne! I'm not breaking off the engagement! Never!"His voice echoed hysterically through the walls, drawing complaints from the neighbors. The property management came by to mediate and, almost in passing, asked, "Mr. Murray, are you planning to move out?"He froze. "No," he replied, s

Chapter 7

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

Chapter 8

The next morning, I went to the hospital for work.I had just changed into my uniform when the head nurse gave me a strange look. She said a patient had specifically asked for me to handle his bandaging.I didn't think much of it until I stepped into the emergency room and saw Ian.His hand, the one caught in the door last night, had gone untreated. It was even more swollen now, alarming to look at.The moment he saw me, his face lit up with relief and excitement, but he quickly tamped it down, afraid I might turn and walk away.With forced calm and a trace of pitiful complaint, he said, "Daphne, look at my hand. It's gotten so bad. You're the only one I can trust to bandage it properly."I didn't respond. I didn't leave, either.Treating him as I would any other patient, I disinfected the wound and wrapped the dressing with practiced hands.When I finished, I told him—without a shred of warmth—that he needed to come back regularly to change the bandage.Then I returned to the

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