Home / The Bride He Hides, the Wife He Weds / Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

All Chapters of The Bride He Hides, the Wife He Weds: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

I looked around at everyone gathered in the room. They were laughing and joking, surrounding Daniel Foster and Avery Morgan as the two stood at the center of it all. It was as if they were all in on the same secret. Amid the playful banter, Daniel and Avery accidentally bumped into each other. He instinctively reached out to rub her reddened forehead, and she lowered her head with a shy giggle. Everyone watching them wore the same knowing smile, as though they were cheering on their favorite couple. I kept staring. My older sister, Vivian Cooper, couldn't stand to watch me suffer any longer and pulled me into the dressing room. "Enough, Elle! Avery and Daniel knew each other long before you came along. They kept it from you because they didn't want to hurt you." She added, her tone growing impatient, "Besides, we weren't deliberately trying to deceive you, either. Avery doesn't even mind sharing him with you. So what exactly do you have to make a fuss about?" My parents cam

Chapter 2

Joining an international ballet company had always been my dream.At 20, I'd put that dream on hold for a marriage that was never meant to be, waiting eight long years for something that was never going to happen. But now, at twenty-eight, I'd finally decided I was done waiting. My phone chimed, and a message from Avery appeared on the screen. "Elle, did you see my social media post?" Even through the screen, I could sense her panic. Less than a second later, another message came through, this time from Daniel. "Elle, I'm really sorry I can't come home to spend our wedding night with you. Are you okay there by yourself?" Their messages arrived almost at the same time, both carefully testing the waters. The timing was painfully conspicuous. "I'm fine." "When are you coming back?" I sent both of them the same replies: "I'm fine. When are you coming back?"Daniel replied first. "Elle, you know I need time to get my emotions under control. I might not… make it back in time

Chapter 3

"What's wrong? Is there something you're afraid I'll see?" Avery shook her head frantically. "Of course not, Elle! Please, just let me explain!" She reached for me, but I stepped slightly to the side. Her hand missed, and she stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance."Avery!" Daniel hurriedly caught her in his arms. When he turned to look at me, a trace of anger flashed in his eyes. "Elle, what are you doing? You heard that Avery is pregnant. Can't you at least show her some consideration?" I met his furious gaze without flinching. "Pregnant? Whose baby is it?"The anger drained from Daniel's face, and he looked away."Obviously, it's her boyfriend's. I was at the hospital for therapy to help me overcome my fear of marriage, and I happened to run into Avery." Avery immediately played along with his explanation. Forcing a stiff smile, she reached for my hand. "That's right. What a coincidence, huh?" she said with a nervous chuckle. "Elle, please don't get the wrong i

Chapter 4

"Eleanor, so you knew all along! You just kept pretending you didn't so you could get back at Avery and me! Isn't that right?" Daniel's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with rage as he gasped for breath. "It was you! You killed Avery's baby! You killed my child!" I pressed my lips together and met his accusation head-on. "I didn't do it.""Elle, how did you become like this?" Avery accused. She burst into uncontrollable tears as she clutched my hand tightly, just as she'd done countless times when we were children, protecting me from the teasing of mischievous boys.But this time, her hand was ice-cold. "I know Daniel and I have hurt you, but I couldn't help how I felt. I couldn't control my own heart. I know I shouldn't have kept our relationship a secret from you. It was wrong of me, and I admit it." With every sentence, her sobs grew more intense until, in the next instant, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me with a loud thud. "Elle, I'll get on my

Chapter 5

I looked up and met the horrified expressions on Daniel and Avery's faces. The next second, Daniel's assistant came rushing into the room. "Mr. Foster, we found out who posted the photo! It was just a passerby."I clutched my stomach as blood seeped between my fingers.With a loud clatter, the knife slipped from Daniel's trembling hand and hit the floor, splattering blood onto his lower leg. Startled, he stumbled backward several steps. "Elle, I… I didn't mean to." His voice trembled as he spoke. Then his gaze fell on the assistant who had just rushed in. He grabbed the man by the collar and demanded, almost frantically, "What did you just say? Say it again! If Elle wasn't the one who posted the photo, why didn't you find that out sooner? Why?"The assistant's face turned purplish-blue as Daniel tightened his grip on the man's collar, choking him. But Daniel didn't seem to notice. It was as though screaming was the only way he could drown out the terror rising inside him

Chapter 6

I froze for a moment, listening as the announcement repeated over and over while urgent shouts rang out nearby.It was Daniel, calling my name again and again. "Elle! Eleanor Cooper!" Then I heard Avery calling out to me, her voice weak but stubbornly persistent. I glanced indifferently in the direction of the voices before calmly turning away and boarding the plane. …After landing, I went straight to the accommodations the team had arranged for me in advance. After two weeks of rest and recovery, I was almost back to normal. During those two weeks, Daniel and Avery tried countless ways to contact me, messaging me every single day. I didn't read a single one. Instead, I blocked every account and phone number they used until their messages finally stopped coming altogether. My parents and Vivian also called and video-called me numerous times, urging me to come home. I ignored their pleas and changed the subject whenever they brought it up. Before long, my own schedule beg

Chapter 7

Daniel must have been afraid I wouldn't bother opening the cards, so he wrote directly on the fronts of the cards instead.In his familiar handwriting, he recounted everything, from the day we first met and the moment he confessed his feelings for me to the day I forgot to bring an umbrella. He remembered every little detail with astonishing clarity, no matter how insignificant it seemed.I had no intention of reading the cards. As soon as each bouquet arrived, I simply tossed it into the trash. Still, I couldn't help catching glimpses of a few words here and there.So Daniel really had paid such close attention to every little thing about me. Perhaps he really had loved me once. But whatever love he'd felt for me had been so fragile that it crumbled under the slightest pressure from his feelings for Avery.…The training center had strict security, and outsiders weren't allowed to enter freely. Aside from the daily flower deliveries, there was almost nothing left to remind me of

Chapter 8

When I remained silent, Daniel opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something more. But the moment he met my unwavering gaze, he fell silent.Avery's grip on my hand gradually loosened, too. I turned to leave, but Daniel hurried forward and stepped into my path."Eleanor… this is the bank card linked to my salary account."As if afraid I'd refuse, he pressed the card into my hand and forced a stiff smile."Take it. You'll have plenty of expenses while you're abroad. Think of it as a small way to make things up to you."I opened my palm and glanced at the card before holding it out to him."Daniel, if this is supposed to make up for what you did, then I'm even less likely to accept it."The forced smile immediately vanished from his face. He stared at me helplessly, struggling to find something else to say."Just take it. I'm not going to ask for it back anyway. You can do whatever you want with it."I studied his stubborn expression, then slowly uncurled my fingers, l

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