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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Fake Death, Two Families: I Walked Away and Married Anew: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 9

9 Kabanata

Chapter 1

"That's wonderful news. Mr. Gaslow has been fond of you for years. If you agree to marry him, he’ll be so overjoyed he probably won't sleep tonight."Margaret Warren beamed at me. I nodded quietly, saying nothing. My eyes drifted to the stark scars circling my wrist, each one a reminder of how many times I had tried to die. The feeling inside me was impossible to name.Margaret mistook my silence as hesitation. She squeezed my hand and spoke with earnest patience."Mia, the dead cannot return. Mr. Gaslow has waited for you all these years. That's devotion.""I know, Margaret. I'm willing to marry Mr. Gaslow."I forced a smile, agreeing without struggle.The door curtain suddenly lifted. Alexander Foster stepped inside, his face dark."Mia, who are you planning to marry?"He was still calling me Mia with that easy confidence. I found it absurd."Daniel, this is my business. It has nothing to do with you."The moment I spoke, Alexander's expression shifted. He yanked Margaret a

Chapter 2

Mixed in with the breathless sounds were faint fragments of conversation."Daniel, that supplement you bought really did the trick. You… you're stronger than you used to be."The man let out a low, smug laugh. "You cling to me every day. I have to improve somehow. And ever since we used all of Mia's salary to buy supplements to nourish the baby, your skin has gotten softer too."I froze. A wave of nausea rose hard and fast within me. Once I understood what I was hearing, I bolted from the room and leaned over in the front yard, retching until my stomach cramped.Anna suddenly stepped out and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Mia, what's wrong? Did you eat something bad tonight?"I looked up at her worried face and forced down the bitterness tightening in my chest. "I'm fine, Anna."In this whole house, Anna was the only one who truly cared about me. I didn't want her to worry. Remembering that I would be leaving for the island in three days to be married, I reached into my pocket

Chapter 3

Alexander was in the next room, creating new life again and again with his sister-in-law. I tipped my head back, forcing my tears to stay where they were.When I still didn't speak, Alexander grabbed my arm tightly and pleaded, "Mia, you're well liked and your performance is outstanding. You'll have other chances. Don't worry, we'll make sure to thank you properly."He fully slipped into Daniel's identity, begging for Lily as if she truly were his wife.Listening to those half-pleading, half-pressuring words almost made me laugh in anger.I pulled my arm free, my expression calm. "I can give her the spot. But there's no need for any thanks. I wish you both a healthy child soon and a long life together."The blessing sounded polite enough, yet the edge beneath it was unmistakable. Alexander froze, unable even to look at me.Seeing him like that only made something cold coil tighter inside me. It didn't matter. I had already decided to leave with Charles. The promotion meant no

Chapter 4

The food tasted like cardboard. I forced down each bite until my arm began to break out in a violent rash. Only then did I realize my dish contained a generous amount of nuts.Alexander's face changed the moment he noticed. He grabbed my arm in alarm."What happened? You're allergic to nuts?"I pulled my arm back. "I'm fine."Once, Alexander could remember every preference I had, every food I disliked. If a waiter mistakenly added cilantro, he would patiently pick it out leaf by leaf. But now, seeing the dishes spread across the table, he needed a moment to recall that I was allergic to nuts.Guilt flickered across his expression. He slipped an arm around my shoulders, trying to make up for it, and moved as if to pick me up."I'll take you to the hospital."Behind him, Lily's face darkened with something malicious. I stepped back and said quietly, "Daniel."The weight in my tone snapped Alexander back to reality, and at that moment Lily clutched her belly."Daniel, it hurt

Chapter 5

Margaret realized it was a family matter and didn't press further. She left reluctantly. Alexander still held my wrist, refusing to let go. I tried to pull free but couldn't."Mia Carter, you cannot remarry," he said. "Alexander treated you so well. You should honor him by staying faithful."I stared at his stern, self-righteous expression, feeling only bitter irony. So this was his idea of love. Staying alive while watching me destroy myself for him, over and over, without doing anything to fix it.And this was his devotion. Faking his death so Lily could carry his child.A laugh slipped out of my lips. "Daniel, you're not your brother. What right do you have to control me?""I—" Something flickered in Alexander's eyes, his confidence collapsing. "I may not be Alexander, but since he's gone, I have a responsibility…"But to Lily, watching from the doorway, the scene seemed to mean something else entirely. Her expression darkened with malice.That night, while Alexander was

Chapter 6

Alexander's mind went blank. In a rush of panic, he grabbed Margaret's collar and demanded confirmation, stunned that he might have heard correctly."What did you say?"The natural authority in a military officer's voice made Margaret shrink back. She pointed shakily in the direction I had gone."Mia… she's marrying Mr. Gaslow. The ferry ticket is for today. She'll be leaving any moment."The moment the words landed, Alexander released her and sprinted back to the car. He drove off toward the pier without a backward glance.Behind him, Margaret straightened her wrinkled blouse, muttering in confusion, "Why is he so desperate over Mia? Anyone who didn't know better would think she was his own wife."…The air inside the car was suffocating. Alexander said nothing, lips pressed tight, both hands clamped around the steering wheel. The muscles in his arms were strained.Lily watched him, and for the first time, she felt as if she were looking at a stranger. Daniel had never glanced

Chapter 7

When Alexander noticed the rose in my hand, his expression tightened with displeasure. But with Charles standing beside me, he didn't dare voice it. Charles' smile faded at once, replaced by the sharp authority that belonged to someone accustomed to command."Mr. Foster," he said evenly, "mind your behavior."A hint of discomfort crossed Alexander's face. Charles added, "And this is my fiancee. Why should she go anywhere with you?"Alexander's grip on the blue fabric of my sleeve wrinkled it, and I quickly pulled my arm out of his grasp."Daniel, mind yourself," I said. "I'm going to marry Mr. Gaslow."Through clenched teeth, Alexander forced out, "I don't agree to your remarriage. You're coming back with me."His certainty was so absurd it almost made me laugh. He sounded as if he were arguing about the weather. I lifted my chin, let a mocking smile touch my lips, and stared directly at him. "Daniel, what makes you think you have a say? I was Alexander's wife. Not yours."

Chapter 8

"That's more or less everything. Alexander wasn't the one who died. It was Daniel."I spread my hands, laying out the truth for Charles.In the past weeks I had felt lost, devastated, torn in every direction. But now all I felt was relief that I had managed to break free early.Charles stayed silent for a long time. Then he slid an arm around my shoulders, pulling me gently toward him."You've suffered enough."My body stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed.We were going to be husband and wife. This kind of closeness was something I would eventually need to grow used to. And truthfully, I didn't dislike his touch.I gave him a shy smile. "But I still have one question. Charles, why insist on marrying me?"Charles and I had only met a handful of times, separated by the respectful distance of a crowd. We exchanged barely a few words, certainly nothing resembling affection.Thanks to repeated military merits, Charles had risen quickly. He became the youngest high-ranking office

Chapter 9

Laura stopped short in front of a vendor's cart, pointing at a row of bright caramel apples."Mom, I want that one."I nudged Charles, giving him an easy, familiar command. "Buy Laura a caramel apple."He didn't move. He only stared at me. I raised an eyebrow. "What? You're not listening now that we're back home, Mr. Gaslow?"Still no reaction.A few seconds later, when I didn't reach for anything, he slowly extended his hand toward me. His tone carried the slightest hint of grievance."The money is with you."Oh. Right.I gave an awkward laugh, dug into my pocket, and paid for the caramel apple."Mia."The voice behind me made me freeze. It sounded too familiar. When I turned, I saw Alexander standing not far away.He looked nothing like the man he once was. His clothes were worn and disheveled, his posture slack. He looked ten years older than he really was.His eyes shifted between the three of us. "Is that the child you and Char—him—had?"He said it with a hollow k

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