All Chapters of Marriage on Countdown: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

Wallace's Point-of-ViewIt was 10:00 pm when I returned home with my son, Daniel Brown. I opened the door, only to find that it was completely dark inside. I furrowed my brow as I flicked on the light, asking, "Why didn't you turn the lights on, Meryl? You do know that the baby's due in a week, right? What if you trip and hurt yourself?"Without waiting for my wife, Meryl Stewart, to respond, I added, "Go heat up some milk for Daniel, and then prepare a cup of hot coffee for me."At the time, I had no idea that Meryl had already been rushed to surgery and was lying unconscious in the operating room. She was covered in wounds beyond count, the blood staining her clothes completely.Daniel and I waited, but the usual prompt reply from Meryl never came. My irritation flared at the delay.Daniel called out softly toward the room, asking, "Where did you go, Mommy? I want to drink some milk."Upon hearing no response from Meryl, I instantly furrowed my brow. Marching straight to her

I was discharged from the hospital five days later. My body had yet to heal fully, but I forced myself to walk toward the house that was no longer my home. I paused at the entrance as soon as I caught the sound of voices from within."Isn't it Meryl's due date tomorrow? Is she really not planning on coming back?" my dad, Timothy Stewart, asked."You know what Meryl is like, Timothy. She uses these tactics to manipulate us for attention. You know, she even brought up divorce. It's just her way of trying to make me pay attention to her," Wallace explained firmly."That's right! Meryl had always been like this since childhood! How could she disappear during Beth's birthday party and then bring up the divorce with you, though? How outrageous! She needs to be taught a serious lesson!" Mom chimed in, agreeing with Wallace.Wallace nodded firmly. "If she doesn't admit she's in the wrong and apologize to Beth, I'll refuse to go to the hospital for the delivery. That should be enough of a

"I was still concerned about you, so after taking Beth to the hospital and confirming that her life wasn't in danger, I came back home to check on you," Wallace explained, exhaling deeply.His sigh held a distinct note of relief that disaster had been averted, while mine was heavy with resignation."It's a good thing that I made it in time. Otherwise, you would've…"Wallace's explanation ended there, and the conversation died between us. I merely closed my eyes, no longer wanting to spare him another glance.He assumed that I was still upset. He set the things he had brought on the bedside table and, for the first time in years, addressed me in a soft, tender voice, saying, "I'll leave these here for you so you can eat whenever you feel up to it, Meryl. "I'll check on Beth in the room next door. Though her injury is minor, she's had a fright and gets very distressed if we're not by her side."I opened my eyes just as he was about to leave and asked, "Do you want to sign the pape

I didn't answer Wallace's question and simply said, "You should find out the truth yourself. You know there are surveillance cameras installed in our living room, so you should just go watch the exact moment I supposedly pushed Beth."I didn't want to talk to him anymore, so I told him to take Daniel and leave. In the past, he would leave quickly after a few final remarks, but today, he was very hesitant. He stood at the doorway for a long time, pacing back and forth several steps before finally walking away.…The following day, Beth, who had been discharged from the hospital, made a point of visiting my hospital room. She looked healthy and refreshed, clearly having benefited from Mom, Dad, and Wallace's care. She immediately criticized me the moment she spotted me. "Why are you always like this, Meryl? You've been hospitalized for so long and yet you haven't shown any signs of improvement. You're really making Mom and Dad worry endlessly."Mom and Dad followed closely behind

Beth was seized by sudden terror, her breathing becoming shallow and erratic. She shot a desperate, beseeching look at Mom and Dad, pleading, "I truly didn't do any of this! They're conspiring to falsely accuse me! You can't trust them!"She was about to burst into tears when the police officers, who had been waiting outside for some time, finally walked into the room. "Which one of you is Beth Stewart? We're here about an attempted murder case. She needs to come with us for questioning."Beth had never imagined Wallace would actually show up with the police. She stared at him in disbelief before she abruptly whirled around and made a desperate bid to escape through the window.Thankfully, the police had already marked their target the moment they entered, and Beth's attempt to flee only further confirmed their suspicions. They apprehended Beth swiftly and escorted her out of the hospital room.Mom remained frozen where she stood, unable to snap out of her shock for what felt lik