Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English
Synopsis
I married a comatose woman, and everyone in town called me insane.
What they didn't know was that I had loved her for ten whole years. I was simply following my heart.
For three years, I massaged her limbs every single day, scheduled all her therapy sessions, and took care of her every need.
Then, one night, she suddenly opened her eyes.
I broke down in tears and pulled her into a tight hug, only for her to shove me off with pure disgust in her eyes.
"Sean, who gave you permission to sleep in my bed?"
The second Nicole woke up, she kicked me off the bed and threw me out of the room without missing a beat.
The very next day, she contacted the press and made a high-profile announcement about her return.
After that, she never set foot in our home again. The only time I caught a glimpse of her was on the news.
Within a week, she had seized total control of Vance Enterprises. Her ruthless efficiency took my breath away.
The next time I saw her was at a high-end restaurant. She looked down at me from where she sat and slid a folder across the table.
I opened it. The bold words stamped on the top burned into my eyes: DIVORCE SETTLEMENT.
I had to admit, now that she was the CEO of Vance Enterprises, the compensation she offered for my three years of caregiving was an astronomical figure.
When I flipped to the final page, my fingers froze. I looked up at her.
The agreement specified an effective date: three months from now.
"Why three months?" I asked, bewildered.
Her lip curled in contempt, as if my question was the stupidest thing she had ever heard.
Just then, a man stepped out from the private dining room behind her, a smug smirk plastered across his face.
"Nicole's position at the company isn't entirely solid yet," Julian explained smoothly. "If the media catches wind of her divorce right now, they’ll tear her apart."
His words drove into my chest like a rusty blade.
I knew Julian Brooks. I had seen him a few times before Nicole’s accident.
He was the one that got away—the man she had always pined for. Nicole was terrified that the scandal of a divorce would hurt her corporate image, yet she couldn't care less about the fallout of an open affair.
In the end, it all boiled down to one brutal truth: she never loved me.
"Sign it and have it delivered to my assistant," Nicole said, turning on her heel and slipping her arm through Julian’s.
I watched her walk away for a long time.
It felt as if my entire twenties had revolved around Nicole, yet her gaze had never lingered on me for even a second.
Three years ago, Nicole's father suffered a fatal stroke. Vance Enterprises fell into sheer chaos.
Even the distant relatives swarmed in, eager to carve out a piece of the empire.
Nicole spent six grueling months fighting a losing battle until late one night, a speeding semi-truck rammed straight into her car. As she lay bleeding out in my arms, she whispered that she never wanted to return to that vipers' nest.
She begged me to take her away if she survived.
But her greedy relatives would never let her slip into my hands. Anyone who knew the internal politics understood that the crash was no accident.
If a comatose Nicole were left at their mercy, she wouldn't have survived the week.
To gain legal guardianship and protect her, I offered to marry her.
Her family gladly agreed just to keep her out of the estate division, even throwing us a lavish wedding to wash their hands of her.
After the wedding, I gave her everything I had. Even when the doctors told me there was less than a one-percent chance of her waking up, I never once considered giving up.
A miracle happened. Nicole woke up.
And the first thing she did was erase me as her husband.
It was almost funny how calculated her timing was. She woke up right when her half-brother and the rival branch had torn each other apart. Half the old-guard board members had been ousted, dumping their shares in a panic.
With the two factions bleeding out, Vance Enterprises was on the brink of collapse. That was when Nicole swooped in with her pre-arranged network, swallowed up the dumped shares, and crowned herself majority shareholder.
I refused to believe that someone in a three-year coma could orchestrate such a masterstroke the instant her eyes fluttered open.
Every move had been meticulously planned.
No wonder she had texted me out of the blue that night, asking to buy me dinner. I was never a savior to her. I was just a pawn she used to bench herself safely while the family war played out.
After all, who else in the world would be foolish enough to marry a comatose woman?
She had known about my feelings for a decade. She had simply chosen to use them.
That night, Nicole walked through the front door and asked if I had signed the papers.
I nodded.
"I'll be staying here for a while," she said cold-bloodedly. "Move out of the master bedroom."
"This is my house," I pointed out softly.
Nicole's face darkened instantly. "Sean, I’m not bargaining with you. If I wanted you out, I could buy this entire apartment complex tomorrow. I’m already being polite."
I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.
Polite? She had manipulated my decade-long devotion to draw me into her corporate trap, and she called this polite?
Nicole turned to head upstairs. Julian, who was carrying her luggage, shot me a mocking grin that oozed triumph.
"Nicole," I called out.
She stopped on the staircase, looking back at me.
"Are you kicking me out just to make room for Julian?"
Her eyes flared with disgust. "Sean, what right do you have to question my personal life?"
My body froze. The divorce papers were already signed. She was right. I had no right.
"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I crossed the line."
For some reason, my surrender only seemed to make her angrier.After Julian followed Nicole into the bedroom, I called an Uber and headed straight to a local bar.
I had never been a drinker. I hated clubs.
Yet tonight, I desperately wanted to drown my thoughts in the strongest bourbon on the shelf.
The bartender eyed me curiously, as if studying my face.
I blinked my hazy eyes. "Something on my face? Do we know each other?"
"Sir, this is your fifth time here this week," the bartender said gently. "Pace yourself."
My grip tightened on the glass. Then I threw my head back and swallowed it in one burn.
"This is the last time," I said.
The bartender stared at me, his eyes widening in concern. "Hey, man... whatever you're going through, it’s not worth doing something crazy."
I chuckled and shook my head. "It's just a broken heart. I’m not going to kill myself over it."
Some things couldn't be forced. If Nicole didn't love me, there was no point in letting this destroy me.
Letting her go—and setting myself free—was the only dignity I had left.
Right now, the best thing for me was to find a job and keep myself busy.
"Are you guys hiring bartenders?"
"I'm not sure," the bartender replied. "If you have experience, I can ask the owner tomorrow."
Nicole used to enjoy a nightcap before bed. In the past, I had secretly practiced mixology at home just to please her, hoping for a day when she would praise my skills.
I never got the chance to make her a single drink.
I left my contact info on a napkin. Just as I turned to leave, I saw Nicole walking through the VIP entrance, her arm looped securely through Julian's.
Nicole hated loud venues. She never stepped into clubs.
Driven by a twisted curiosity, I followed them toward the private lounge.
The moment I reached the cracked door, the loud cheering of trust-fund kids echoed out. It sounded like a welcome-back party in her honor.
One of the guys smirked at Julian, then glanced at Nicole. "I figured you’d bring that devoted husband of yours tonight. The guy took care of you for three whole years, didn't he?"
Nicole offered a faint smile, swirling her wine glass without taking a sip.
"Who is he to belong in a place like this?"
I stood rooted to the carpet outside, my knuckles turning white.
"Come on, Nicole, that’s a bit harsh," another woman chimed in. "He did nurse you back to health."
"Did I beg him to nurse me?" Nicole scoffed.
Seeing Nicole’s irritation, Julian quickly stepped in. "Hey, tonight is about celebrating Nicole's recovery! Why are you guys bringing up irrelevant people? That’s a penalty shot for everyone!"
The crowd laughed and downed their drinks, moving on to another topic.
In that instant, I finally saw how pathetic I really was.
Nicole had probably forgotten the way she looked three years ago—battered, covered in blood, clinging to my shirt and pleading with me to save her.
I turned away, sick of listening to her humiliate me behind closed doors.
Just then, a server opened the lounge door with a tray of cocktails.
Every head in the room snapped in my direction.
Before I could take a step, Julian’s voice rang out from the doorway. "Sean? What a surprise! Why didn't you say anything? Come on in and have a drink with us!"
Nicole looked past him at me, her brow furrowed in sheer irritation. "Sean, are you actually stalking me now? I didn't think you could sink this low."
"No, I—"
"Save your excuses. Just looking at you ruins my mood."
Her sharp snap stripped away the last shred of my dignity. Any explanation I had died in my throat.
"I apologize for interrupting. I'll leave," I said stiffly, offering a polite nod.
Julian rushed over and grabbed my wrist, his voice overly sweet. "Since you’re already here, why rush off? Stay and catch up with everyone."
I looked at Nicole. Her gaze was dripping with disdain, sending a dull ache through my ribs.
"No, thanks."
I tried to pull my arm back, but Julian suddenly let go and flung himself backward onto the floor.
The next second, he was clutching his shoulder, his eyes rimmed with red as he looked up at Nicole with trembling lips.
"Sean, I was just trying to be nice... Why did you shove me?" he choked out. "I know you're upset that Nicole brought me instead of you. But Nicole and I have been friends since we were kids. There's nothing going on! If you hate me because of her, I'm sorry..."
I had spent the last decade focusing only on Nicole. I had no idea Julian was such an accomplished actor.
"I didn't touch—"
"Sean, who gave you the damn nerve to lay a finger on my people?" Nicole barked, marching over. "Apologize to Julian right now!"
My heart turned to ice. She had always been like this—cutting me off, never sparing a second to hear my side.
Because she never trusted me.I didn't move an inch. Julian let out a faint whimper of pain from the floor, playing the fragile victim to perfection.
Nicole immediately knelt down, helping him up with an agonizing amount of tenderness.
"Does it hurt?" she asked, her voice silky and soft—a world apart from the sharp tone she used with me.
"Nicole, please... explain things to Sean," Julian murmured, burying his face in her shoulder. "I... I don't want to come between your marriage."
"Why should I explain anything to him?" Nicole sneered. "He's nobody to me."
Once Julian was back on his feet, Nicole turned her glare back on me. "Apologize."
"Forget it, Nicole," Julian sniffled, leaning heavily against her. "Sean already dislikes me. If you force him, he'll only resent me more."
Nicole cupped his cheek, her eyes practically overflowing with devotion. "Who cares what he thinks? Julian, you don't need to waste a second worrying about irrelevant people. Isn't my love enough for you?"
My wife had just confessed her love to another man in front of a room full of people.
What a joke.
When Nicole was in a coma, I never saw Julian visit her hospital room once. The moment she woke up, he materialized to claim his prize.
A bitter wave of nausea washed over me.
"Nicole, don't say that... Sean will be furious," Julian whispered.
"I couldn't care less about him. You're the only one that matters to me."
They played off each other seamlessly. Without me uttering a single word, I had been slapped with two labels: a jealous, abusive husband and a cuckold.
Nicole's blatant favoritism gave Julian all the confidence in the world. He dropped the act, boldly wrapping his arm around her waist. "Thank you, Nicole. Thank you for always choosing me."
I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a dry smile. "You two truly are a match made in heaven. I can only admire such devotion."
I had endured enough of this circus. All I wanted was to breathe.
"I didn't realize you were so open-minded, Sean," someone in the crowd mocked.
"Enjoy your party," I said evenly. "I'm heading out."
No one stopped me this time. Nicole's entire world was centered on Julian; she didn't have a second glance to spare for me.
The cold night air hit my lungs the second I pushed through the bar doors, and I took deep, shuddering breaths.
Suddenly, a crisp voice cut through the silence behind me.
"Sean, our divorce isn't finalized yet. Are you that eager to push me into another man's arms? Did you think acting generous in front of everyone made you look like a hero?"
I spun around. Nicole was standing a few feet away, her arms crossed and her face shadowed with wrath.
I instinctively took two steps back.
"Am I that terrifying to you?" she spat.
"I just didn't expect you to be out here," I replied honestly. "Shouldn't you be inside comforting Julian?"
"Sean, do I need to remind you a second time?"
"No, you don't," I cut in immediately.
I wasn't so dense that I needed her to spell out that my presence was unwanted.
"I know I shouldn't pry into your business. Don't worry, I'll stay out of your sight. In three months, the moment the papers go through, I'll be gone."
Nicole's expression shifted from anger to something unreadable. "Are you really that desperate for the payout?"
"Weren't you the one who handed me the papers?"
Nicole let out a heavy breath, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my stomach knot. For a split second, I almost had the delusion that she was regretting the divorce.
Then she laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "Sean, will you never say no to anything I ask?"
Once upon a time, that had been true. If Nicole had asked for the moon, I would have found a way to drag it down for her.
"Silence means yes," she murmured. "Fine. You have three months left. Enjoy the lifestyle I'm giving you."
I knew she didn't care for me, but I had assumed she felt at least a shred of gratitude for three years of round-the-clock care. Yet the way she spoke sounded like she was punishing me.
Had I ever wronged her? Or was she punishing me for failing to bow down to Julian?
Nicole brushed past my shoulder and stalked away.
Across the street, in the dim shadows of the parking lot, a young man handed a piece of paper to a woman leaning against an Audi.
"Boss, here’s his contact information."
The woman glanced at the name on the napkin, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Sean... we'll be meeting again very soon."
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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