Lahat ng Kabanata ng A Bitter Marriage Contract: Kabanata 101 - Kabanata 110

“Elizabeth must have pulled some trick,” she said finally, her voice laced with contempt. “That woman has always known how to play the good girl to manipulate situations in her favor. But for John to fall for her schemes—I can’t believe it. Not my John, always so rational and prudent.”Pamela took a deep breath, controlling her anger.“I asked if she had refused to sign…” her voice grew colder, “but he corrected me. He said it was he who didn’t want to sign. Not her.”“Are you saying John doesn’t want the divorce?” Martha was visibly surprised and annoyed.Pamela simply nodded in affirmation.The silence that followed was heavy. Martha gently set her spoon down on the saucer before raising her eyes, now hard, to Pamela.“Don’t worry, dear,” she said, with the coolness of someone plotting a strategy. “My son may be confused right now, but he won’t stay that way for long. I’ll talk to him… and if Elizabeth thinks she’s going to keep being Mrs. Walker, she’s very much mistaken.”Pamela f

Bruce“How is that possible?” Bruce exclaimed, incredulous.He stood in the center of the Intelligence room, watching the dozens of monitors that covered an entire wall. His eyes scanned intently the images from the security cameras scattered throughout the city. The technology was state-of-the-art, the investment was in the millions, and yet, Elizabeth Walker had vanished without a trace.“Mr. Pratt,” began Carlson, head of the intelligence team, in a restrained yet concerned tone, “we’re surprised too. It seems Ms. Walker knew exactly how to avoid the surveillance points. She wasn’t caught on any camera after she left the taxi and boarded a bus that morning.”“None?” Bruce frowned. “Not at subway entrances, bus or train stations, public roads, or airports?”“Nothing. As if she’d vanished into thin air. We’re cross-referencing data, trying to spot patterns, but she was extremely careful. She probably changed her route, avoided monitored areas, and, from what we’ve seen, may even have

Oblivious to Bruce’s thoughts, John remained reclined, his gaze lost on the horizon, deep in thought.Bruce even thought his boss had forgotten he was there. With that in mind, he was about to do something to get his attention. “I went to church today.” John’s voice was low but firm.Bruce raised an eyebrow, surprised. John Walker in a church? “The church?”John nodded, still staring into space.“I spoke with the priest… and with a woman from the choir. I found out things that I…” he sighed, “that I should have known a long time ago.”“About Mrs. Walker?”John nodded again, this time with a wry smile on his lips.“She gave her time… and her heart. She played the piano for the elderly at a nursing home, taught music to children at an orphanage. She sang in a choir. Everyone misses her, Bruce. Everyone… and I didn’t know she played the piano.”John gave a bitter smile and paused, still staring into space.“And I forbade her from singing.” John brought his hand to his eyes as he recall

JohnJohn held the phone in his hand for a few moments after hanging up. He leaned back in his swivel chair, letting his body sink into the black leather upholstery. He closed his eyes, feeling the weight of recent events on his shoulders, while the conversation with his mother echoed in his mind.She probably wanted to intimidate Elizabeth about the separation, and he couldn’t let his mother get to her—Martha was just as stubborn as he was.“Traveling”… he thought, clutching his cell phone tightly. “That’s it… Elizabeth is just traveling, but… where are you really, Elizabeth?”He stood up and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window. He pressed his forehead against the cold glass, feeling the tension run down his back.“Elizabeth… if you think you can run away from me, you’re wrong. You’re my wife,” he murmured, feeling the weight of every word. “And I’m going to find you… no matter where you are.”For the first time in a long time, it wasn’t pride that drove his actions; it

JohnIt had been a few weeks since Elizabeth had left home. That night, John was sunk into the living room armchair, enveloped by the dim light and the absolute silence of the house. The phone rang; John looked to see who it was and hung up. It was Pamela; she was very persistent in trying to talk to him, calling constantly and leaving messages he never answered.He opened a photo on his phone and looked at the picture of Elizabeth, the same one he had taken some time ago. She was staring off into the distance, the wind blowing her long, wavy honey-colored hair, while she held a few strands in one hand; she looked so serene, so pure.He poured himself another drink; the sound of the liquid filling the glass echoed through the silence of the house. He used to enjoy an occasional drink, but in recent days, drinking had ceased to be a pleasure and had become an escape.Since Elizabeth’s disappearance, he had been coming home with the absurd illusion of finding her there. The end of th