Chapter 74
“Enough!” I snapped, pulling away from her embrace. “You’re not her, Grace. You will never be her!”
She fell silent, her eyes wide, lips parted as if searching for another excuse. But I didn’t want to hear it anymore.
“I only love my wife, Grace,” I said firmly. “Even if she’s angry, even if she’s left me… I will chase her to the ends of the earth. So if you know something–anything–tell me now.”
Tears welled in Grace’s eyes, but I didn’t flinch.N
I turned away quickly. My mind was a mess. I rushed to the bedroom, rummaging through the drawers. My hands searched for something -anything that could give me a clue.
And there, crumpled among the papers, I found a brochure.
University of London. Faculty of Design. Intake: This month.
I took a deep breath. My heart pounded again. Could it be… she lied back then?
I quickly opened the University of London’s website. I searched for Irish’s name. But there was no confirmation of her enrollment. I concluded that Irish was still in this city. Maybe Grace was right–maybe Irish was just playing with me. A small wave of relief washed over me, but for how long… would she continue hiding? I had to find a way to bring her out of her hiding place.
I waited for my wife to return. I refilled the empty spaces in our home. What used to be one of everything was now a pair. I bought her new clothes, handbags, even jewelry. I wanted her to feel how deeply I regretted making her experience such overwhelming jealousy.
I wanted to fix our relationship. To treat her once again like the wife she truly was.M
Our house looked the same as before, as if she had never left. But the silence… it still lingered, because she truly wasn’t here. Back then, every time I came home from work, the dining table would be filled with the food she had prepared. She would nag me, telling me to shower quickly and eat dinner. If I was too lazy, she would patiently feed me. She never complained when I prioritized playing video games over using my own hands to eat.N
And now, I no longer felt any of that. No matter how hungry I got, no one cared.
After she left, I finally learned where all my things were kept–my ties, socks, even my underwear. When she was here, she organized everything. I didn’t even know how many ties I owned, and it turned out I had more than she did clothes. My wife always prioritized my needs over her own. I only realized now that her shabby appearance wasn’t because she couldn’t dress well–but because she chose to make me look trendy instead of making herself look beautiful.
And yet, I often criticized her. “When we’re out, don’t tell anyone you’re my wife. I’m ashamed to have a shabby–looking wife like you,” I once said as she helped me with my tie. “I know. Besides, no one would believe that a handsome, successful man like you has a maid for a wife. For me, your happiness is what matters most. You’ll always be my husband,” she replied, not the least bit offended.}
And I don’t even know when I started underestimating her–her feelings. As if she’d always be okay even while I started cheating behind her back.
“Irish… I’m sorry. Please come back…” I sobbed into the silence of the night. I clutched the pillow–still holding traces of her scent.”
And just as I was drowning in longing, my phone rang.
“Bobby, someone found your wife’s phone.”
I rushed to meet Grace as soon as she said something about Irish’s phone. She handed it to me carefully, like it was the most valuable thing in the world–and to me, it was.
“This… is Irish’s phone,” she said softly.
My hand reached for it instantly. With my heart pounding hard, I turned on the screen. It was intact. All the data was still there. Our photos. Our old messages. Even the last message I sent when she stopped replying–it was all still there.
I held my breath as my eyes scanned through those messages. As if this phone could somehow bring me back to her.
“Where did you find this phone?” I asked quickly.
“At the airport,” Grace replied softly. “It was in the trash. I think… she’s really gone, Bobby.”
No. That couldn’t be.”
I kept scrolling through the phone, searching. Something didn’t sit right, and my heart refused to accept the truth just like that. Until finally, I found it–a message from an unknown number. It was short, but it froze me:
We’ve been waiting for your arrival.
My hand started trembling. Holding my breath, I hit the call button. My heart pounded like crazy. The number connected.]
“Hello?” a man’s voice answered on the other end. Calm. Almost like someone who’d known me for a long time. “Yeah… what do you want now?”
What do you want now?!
What did that mean?
I clenched my fist, my jaw tightening.}
“Where is my wife? Where is Irish?” I asked, trying to keep my anger in check.
There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then… the man chuckled softly. Which only made my blood Boiling.
