บททั้งหมดของ He Couldn't Quit Her, So I Left Him Nothing: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

Shay's POVI stared at Ryan Holt's phone after the screen went dark again. I hesitated for all of three seconds before entering Winnie Lowe's birthday as the passcode.The phone unlocked.After Ryan and Winnie broke up, Winnie changed her number and disappeared completely. That long string of digits Ryan kept typing from memory was the only way he still had to reach her.The call rang for barely three seconds before someone answered.I hadn't even had time to say, "I'm planning to divorce Ryan," when Winnie's choked, tearful voice burst through the speaker."Ryan! You finally called me!"I knew you couldn't really let me go. We love each other so much we'd give up our lives for each other."How could you just leave like that? We said we'd face everything together. You have ALS. It's not an immediate death sentence. And even if it were, I'd still stay with you. I'd die with you if I had to."I know you don't want to burden me, but... I'm really scared Ms. Moore won't take good care of y

Ryan never came back to the master bedroom that night.He stayed in the guest room with Winnie. She took the bed while he slept on the couch. Nothing physical happened between them, but their voices carried through the walls all night, buzzing in my ears and getting under my skin.They talked about everything from poetry and literature to life and philosophy.They called each other "soulmates."And without the slightest hesitation, they admitted that if it weren't for me, they would have spent their lives blissfully happy together.In one night, they talked more than Ryan and I had in the past six months combined.I thought I'd be up all night, but to my surprise, ever since I decided to divorce him, I'd felt much more at ease.At one in the morning, I fell asleep to the sound of their voices and got the best night's sleep I'd had in six months.My alarm went off at eight the next morning.When I opened my eyes, I could still hear Winnie talking next door."Ryan, sometimes I wish my le

Ryan studied me, clearly trying to figure out what I meant. "Why are you suddenly saying something like that?"I scoffed and was about to answer when his phone suddenly started ringing.The moment he saw who was calling, the darkness in his expression vanished, replaced by a tenderness he never bothered to hide."Don't be scared, Winnie. I won't let anything happen to you."You're not going to be disfigured. I'm coming right now, and I'll take you to the hospital myself."You'll have access to the best medical care in all of Jerriton."That should have been mine.Instead, I was lying helplessly in his Maybach, bound hand and foot, covered in blood and waiting to die while he promised another woman the medical care I desperately needed.All at once, all words left me.I simply closed my eyes and let him walk away.In his rush to get to Winnie, he'd even forgotten to unlock the car.I stretched toward the door with everything I had, desperate to get myself out, but I couldn't reach it. T

Third-person POVAt the hospital, Ryan stared at the message he'd sent, but no reply came.His stomach had already started to ache from hunger. It had been eight hours since his ALS symptoms had worsened, and he hadn't had so much as a sip of water.Neither Winnie nor Shay was answering his calls.Ryan's expression darkened as he called the psychiatric hospital."You still haven't released her?""Of course we have, Mr. Holt. Ms. Moore left two hours ago."Ryan froze, his hand tightening around the edge of the blanket."What about her phone?""We returned that to her as well."Two hours.Shay had had her phone back for two whole hours, yet she still hadn't answered his message.For the first time, a strong sense of unease crept over him.His fingers automatically tapped out Shay's number, but just as he was about to call, the door burst open."Ryan! What happened to you?"Winnie rushed to the bed and threw her arms around him, her eyes red from crying."How did your condition get worse

"Leave with nothing?"The words stopped Ryan cold. A violent coughing fit seized him, and a flush rose over his otherwise pale face."You..." His voice came out rough and strained. "Are you joking?"He couldn't believe it. Shay hadn't just divorced him. She wanted him to leave the marriage with nothing.For the first time, panic overwhelmed every other emotion.He hated the feeling of losing control, and with nowhere else to direct it, he slammed his fist into the headboard. The skin across his knuckles split open.The court mediator's stern voice came through the phone. "Mr. Holt, I'm a mediator with the court. This isn't something I would joke about."If you have no objection, please come to the courthouse tomorrow at three for mediation."Ryan's lips trembled, but no words came out."Mr. Holt? Are you still there?"In the end, Winnie took the phone from his hand."Hello, I'm Ryan Holt's girlfriend. I'll bring him tomorrow."After hanging up, she took Ryan's hand and spoke with a hin