All Chapters of Unmatched Wife: Not His To Claim Anymore: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 2BIANCA POVI drove home in silence, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. The house was dark when I arrived, exactly as I'd left it—the forgotten cake still sitting on the counter, the candles I'd bought still in their package, the birthday I'd hoped might finally matter nothing but another day that proved how little I did.Just then, a notification popped up on my phone: Mia had posted something new. My thumb scrolled mechanically through Mia's Facebook album, titled "Our Journey - 47/100." Forty-seven activities down, fifty-three to go. The new post is a photo. There they were: Matthew, Theo, and Mia. His hand rested on Mia's shoulder, protective and tender. And, Theo sat on her lap, his arms wrapped around her neck. The caption read: "My amazing birthday!"I sat in the empty house, staring at a photo on my phone until my eyes burned. I could not believe this, that my husband and son would hurt me like this, showing no regard for my f

Chapter 4BIANCAThe morning shift at the hospital was a blessing—twelve hours where I could lose myself in other people's problems, where my hands could heal bodies even if my own heart was breaking. I'd left before Matthew woke, left a note for Theo with his breakfast, and escaped into the only place I still felt competent.Mrs. Michaelson needed her bandages changed. Little Marcus had finally kept down solid food after three days of stomach flu. Old Mr. Kapoor's blood pressure was stabilizing. These were problems I could solve, wounds I could actually mend."Dr. Morrison?" Nurse Sarah approached my station, a file in her hands. "We have a home visit request. New patient, immunocompromised, can't come to the hospital. The address is—"I took the file without looking, already mentally preparing for the visit. Home calls were rare but not unusual, especially for patients who couldn't risk exposure to hospital germs. I gathered my supplies, checked my bag twice out of habit, and heade