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Lahat ng Kabanata ng No Longer His Ugly Wife: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

130 Kabanata

CHAPTER ONE

Lucy’s POV“Happy anniversary, honey!” Today marked our third wedding anniversary.Three years ago, I was Lucy Whitmore. Slim, radiant, and the rebellious daughter of a powerful family. But I gave up everything, my title and my inheritance just for a man who painted sunsets on cracked canvases and whispered that I was his muse.And this morning, that same man, my husband, Tom, smiled at me as if nothing had changed, walking in with paint still drying on his hands.I wiped the flour from my apron and returned the smile, mirroring the affection that I saw in his gaze.“Happy anniversary.” I replied, trying not to feel self-conscious about the muffin top folding under my shirt.He dug into his old leather bag and pulled out three tickets. “Surprise!” he declared, waving them with exaggerated flair.I blinked. “What’s this?”“Hawaii trip next week.” he grinned. “Beach BBQs, surfing, sunshine… I figured we all needed a break.”My heart swelled. I never liked tropical trips. Swimsuits onl

CHAPTER TWO

Lucy’s POVAfter Blair finally left, Tom hugged me from behind.His arms wrapped around my waist, the waist that used to be slender, but now, it was soft and wide beneath the folds of my cotton dress. He rested his chin on my shoulder like nothing had happened. Like I hadn’t just stood there being handed a sunhat meant for someone’s great-aunt.“You’re quiet. Everything okay?” I couldn’t believe he even had to ask. Did he really think that the way he doted on Blair wouldn’t make me feel insecure?He was so oblivious, I questioned whether I was just overreacting. Maybe I was.A question, I just couldn’t shake finally slipped out when I faced him“Do you still love me?” I suddenly asked.He stiffened. “What?”“Tom, I know things aren’t like they used to be.” My voice cracked. “How so?” He tried shifting the mood, to pull me in with his smile like he always did, but I wouldn’t budge. Not this time.“Look at me, Tom! I’m not slim like Blair. I’m fat, and frumpy. I-I don’t move like her,

CHAPTER THREE

Lucy’s POV Mom… He just called Blair mom.In an ideal world, this would have just been some nightmare. She had to have been the ‘mom’ that the kids were referring to earlier. I was without words. I was confused, but most of all, I was hurt. A storm of emotions I couldn’t weather.. I got home. My body was still weak from everything I’d witnessed with Noah and Blair. I was so out of it, that I hadn’t even realized I was standing at the threshold of the living room until I heard Tom’s voice.“Hey, you’re home,” he casually said.When I looked up, I found Tom lying on the couch, his hands stained, and eyes on the TV.I wanted to scream, but I held my composure as I asked, “Tom,” my voice low with worry. “Why was Blair…at the school?”“Huh?” he absentmindedly replied.“Blair,” I repeated more aggressively than before. “She was there. At the school. To pick up Noah.His eyes widened, surprised, like he didn’t expect me to find out. “Lucy,” he sighed. “I was really busy today. You know

CHAPTER FOUR

Lucy’s POV I arrived at the hospital, rushing through the automatic doors, my feet barely touching the ground. My chest felt tight like it was trying to match Noah’s lungs, failing to breathe right after being teased for calling the wrong woman his mother and even his nanny. “Thank God.” I whispered. I was relieved to see that Noah was okay. He was sitting in a room. His eyes were puffy from crying, and an oxygen mask was covering his small face. “Noah, my dear, are you okay?” I walked toward him slowly. The moment he saw me, he whimpered, not with relief, but disgust. “Get out!” he shouted, glaring at me. “I want Aunty Blair. Not you.” Each word felt like a knife to the heart. My son was mad at me. I walked backwards and let Tom comfort him. He didn’t stop mentioning Blair. He was asking for Blair and not me. Even Tom was shocked. He looked helpless, staring at me, mouthing ‘I’m sorry.’ I smiled, just a little. Just enough to hide the sting. “It’s okay.” I whispered. “It’s

CHAPTER FIVE

Lucy’s POVI thought arriving here in Hawaii would reconnect us and help me unwind, but everything that happened only made me more stressed. “Noah, go wash up and change into your pajamas.” I told him. We had just arrived back at our room after shopping and eating dinner outside on the veranda. “Tom, can we talk?” I called out. “Not now, Lucy. I’m exhausted.” he complained. “Please.” I rolled my eyes and sighed.He didn’t say anything and just nodded. We headed to the kitchen. “Tom, why are we paying for Blair’s expenses?” I scoffed. Since we arrived, I noticed she hadn’t paid for anything. It was very hurtful to see, especially since we had a tight budget. Not to brag, but I’d been supporting our family for years with my small salary, since his paintings were hard to sell. “Lucy, can we not talk about this right now?” Tom said, massaging his forehead. “No, Tom. Let’s talk about it now. I already agreed for her to come, and now I’m also covering her expenses. This is unfair.”

CHAPTER SIX

Lucy’s POV “Mom! Wake up! It’s beach day!” I groaned into my pillow. It was still dark outside. It was six in the a.m. But Noah was already jumping on the bed like it was Christmas morning. He was very excited.“Stop it, Noah.” I muttered, pulling the blanket over my head. “No! We’re going to Blair’s beach! You promised!” he whined, bouncing harder. “Get up, get up!” Tom stirred beside me and yawned, stretching like he hadn’t just slept through me tossing all night. “Let him be excited.” he mumbled, turning away from both of us. Easy for him to say. He didn’t have to pack the bags. He didn’t have to make the sandwiches or worry about sunscreen and safety and whether our son could drown at some secret beach. Noah finally climbed down and ran out to change. “I’m wearing my shark trunks!” he yelled. I sat up. My body, already sore. My shirt stuck to me, my thighs felt swollen from yesterday’s walking, and my eyes stung from sleep. I could already tell that this wasn’t going to be

CHAPTER SEVEN

Lucy’s POV The subtle sound of beeping machines stirred me awake. My vision came into focus on the white walls surrounding me, the scent of sterility burning my sensitive nose.My body felt heavy. Like something was pressing down on me. My mouth tasted like metal. Something cold and plastic was stuck in my arm. I tried to move, but even lifting my hand made my whole body ache. Everything hurts. I blinked slowly to realize I was still alive. And then it hit me. Flashes of me drowning, and no one even came back for me. I turned my head weakly, and then I saw Tom. Sitting right beside the bed. Slouched forward like he hadn’t slept. His shirt was wrinkled. His eyes looked red and puffy, like maybe he cried. “Lucy… You’re okay.” he breathed, as soon as he saw my eyes open. I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I wasn’t even sure if I wanted him here. The door creaked open. I heard them before I saw them. Blair and Noah. They walked in like they were entering a birthday pa

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lucy’s POV I held my breath and stayed still. My ears pressed to the wall. Despite the heartbreak. Despite the clear devastation I knew I’d feel I needed to hear it. I needed to know if everything I feared was true. Tom’s voice came through, calm and cold, like he wasn’t talking about his wife but an object. “It’s not that easy. You know that, Blair.” he said. “Besides... she still has her uses.” Uses?I heard Blair laugh bitterly, “Like what?” My chest tightened as I waited for him to answer.He chuckled. “She cooks. She cleans. She takes care of Noah. That’s all.” I could imagine the callous shrug of his shoulders as he diminished my existence.That’s all? My chest squeezed. My throat went dry. That’s who I was to him now? A housekeeper? Their live-in nanny? Blair scoffed, “Tom, come on. I can do all of that. And better.” Tom let out a breathy laugh, bitter and dismissive. “I know.” he said. Then his voice lowered to a whisper. “And the most important thing is…”I couldn’t ca

CHAPTER NINE

Lucy’s POV I woke up with a weight pressing on my chest. Not from the wave. This was heavier. It sat there like it belonged. My muscles ached. My skin still felt too tight. And my heart? It just…ached. The sheets rustled behind me. Tom was awake. I didn’t move and didn’t look. Just stayed curled on my side, pretending to be asleep because pretending was easier than facing him. Then I heard the sound I knew would come. The soft and quick pattern of Noah’s feet coming into our room. “Mom! Dad! Wake up! It’s breakfast time! Let’s go!” His voice was so bright. So happy. It should have made me feel better. It should have given me hope that things would be better. But it only stung. I mustered up the effort to slowly open my eyes. My lips pulled into a smile. “Okay, baby.” I whispered, wiping at the sleep still stuck to my skin, as if I could wipe the rest of me clean too. Tom sat up behind me, voice far too normal. “Let’s get going before breakfast ends.” As if nothing had happene

CHAPTER TEN

Lucy’s POV An awkward silence fell over us. Like someone had cut the music and dropped a glass. Blair’s smile faltered for the first time. Her fingers tightened around her juice glass before she slowly set it down. “I... I panicked, okay?” she said, her voice shaky but still trying to sound light. “I didn’t know what to do. Everything happened so fast.” I didn’t speak. I wanted her to stew in the tension-filled silence.Tom cleared his throat and leaned back like he couldn’t feel the weight in the air pressing down on all of us. “It was a sudden tsunami warning, Lucy. Nobody expected it. It’s natural for people to run. We were shocked as well.” He said it so casually, like it wasn’t me drowning. “It wasn’t a sudden tsunami, Tom. I told you about the warning, but you said it was fine.” I caught my breath. Blair let out a nervous laugh, like she was waiting for someone to join her, but no one did. Noah, sitting between us, shifted in his seat and looked from Blair to Tom, t

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