“Jeffrey?” Hannah gasped in disbelief.
“Don’t you dare pretend you’ve never messed around with him!”
“What are you talking about?”
Alden let out a bitter laugh as he heard Hannah trying to deny it. But his mind was already clouded with rage, consumed by jealousy because of his deep love for her. Alden had lost his common sense, entirely swayed by Aspen’s words from that morning.
“You’re still not going to admit your relationship with Jeffrey?” Alden hissed.
“Alden, can we please talk this out calmly?” Hannah began to feel Alden’s grip tightening. “It hurts.”
“I want to know what he did that you can’t seem to let go of him!”
Alden suddenly climbed on top of Hannah, pinning her legs down. With rough force, he pressed his lips against hers, leaving Hannah struggling to breathe. When she was nearly out of breath, Alden finally broke the kiss.
“Please, listen to me!” Hannah begged, tears streaming down her face.
Alden yanked her hands above her head, holding them in one hand while the other hand began to roughly unbutton her shirt. Hannah screamed in fear as Alden became a monster before her eyes.
“Is this what you like? Answer me, Hannah!” Alden shouted.
“STOP!” Hannah screamed.
But Alden didn’t listen. No matter how much she pleaded, he was deaf to her cries.
Alden buried his face into Hannah’s chest, biting and sucking harshly, while Hannah could only cry as she felt her dignity being torn apart. Especially when Alden forcibly entered her.
Still panting heavily, Alden released Hannah, who lay limply on the bed. There were no more warm kisses, no more loving embraces-only a look of disgust in Alden’s eyes as he gazed at her.
“I’m not going to divorce you because this is the punishment you deserve,” Alden said coldly.
Hannah didn’t respond, only her tears silently flowing down her cheeks.
“Besides, that man would never marry you, right?” Alden sneered with a half-hearted chuckle. “Why would he marry a woman who can’t give him children?”
With that, Alden stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
It was their first big fight after so long trying to understand each other. Hannah had thought Alden truly understood her, but she was wrong.
Alden even knew Hannah couldn’t have children, which crushed her even more.
Alden’s cruel words left a deep wound, and Hannah didn’t know how to heal it.
Hannah got up from the bed and sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the dark view outside the window.
“So, happily ever after doesn’t exist, huh, Dad?” she whispered, sobbing.
*
Alden glanced at his watch, noting that it was nearly nine o’clock. He hadn’t touched his breakfast, and Hannah still hadn’t shown up in the dining room. Still feeling angry, Alden got up and headed toward Hannah’s room.
When he reached her door and entered, he was stunned to find the room empty. He checked the bathroom, but she wasn’t there either. Her belongings were still there-clothes, bags, shoes-nothing was missing.
“Where did she go?” Alden muttered.
He called Hannah’s phone but heard it ringing from the nightstand.
Alden picked up her phone and started going through it without thinking twice. There were no suspicious messages, and Jeffrey’s last message was just a file sent the morning before. All their conversations were just file exchanges; they had no personal dialogue.
Alden was shocked to find a conversation between Hannah and the doctor who had been treating her. Apparently, there had been a follow-up consultation. Carefully, Alden read through the messages.
“I’d like you to undergo further testing, ma’am. We need to confirm whether the growth in your abdomen is benign or malignant. The sooner we know, the sooner we can start treatment,” the doctor had written.
“I’m not sure, doctor. I haven’t decided yet,” Hannah had replied.
“Ma’am, this is for your well-being. Have you talked to your husband?”
“No. I don’t want him to know I’m sick like this. I don’t want him to worry about me, and I don’t want him to be burdened with thoughts of me.”
“Ma’am, you need support.”
“No, Doctor. I just want to be someone he can rely on, especially for my husband. I can’t imagine how devastated he would be if he knew. It would only make me feel worse.”
Alden stood frozen, tears falling from his eyes.
Did Hannah really say those things?
Alden hurried out of Hannah’s room with one goal in mind: to find Jeffrey at Texco.
Alden felt uneasy the entire drive to Texco. He was starting to feel guilty because, deep down, he knew Hannah was sincere in what she had said to the doctor.
When he arrived at Texco, Alden immediately sought out Jeffrey in his cubicle. Though still angry, Alden gestured for Jeffrey to follow him to a private meeting room.
They faced each other in the room.
“What’s going on, sir?” Jeffrey asked, confused.
“Did Hannah ever say anything to you? Or did you two discuss something no one should know about?”
Jeffrey hesitated, not wanting to break his promise to Hannah. But seeing Alden’s emotional state, he wavered.
“Answer me!” Alden demanded.
“Hannah is sick,” Jeffrey finally admitted, his eyes filled with fear.
“What kind of illness?”
“We ran into each other at a coffee shop, and she confided in me,” Jeffrey sighed. “I promised Hannah I wouldn’t tell anyone. I intended to keep that promise.”
Alden clenched his fists, feeling blow after blow to his heart.
“Aspen said you’re having an affair with Hannah. She even has evidence of you two being together. The photo isn’t doctored,” Alden said.
For a moment, Jeffrey just stared at Alden in confusion.
“And you believe that?” Jeffrey asked. “The last time I spoke privately with Hannah was at the coffee shop. She was crying and desperate. Was I supposed to ignore her?”
“Do you still love her?”
“I respect Hannah and still feel guilty! I want to make amends for what I did to her!” Jeffrey’s voice grew louder.
Alden’s mind went blank. Was the photo Aspen showed him taken at the coffee shop? Alden had almost forgotten the details.
“If you want me to leave Texco, I’ll leave now. I’m sorry, sir, but I have nothing to do with Hannah anymore. But if it makes you feel better, I don’t mind leaving this place,” Jeffrey added.
Alden shook his head, feeling weak.
Everything Alden had done the night before must have deeply hurt Hannah.
Hannah was fighting an illness, and Alden had accused her of terrible things.
“Oh, my God.” Alden felt dizzy and leaned against the wall.
“Sir, are you okay?”
“Hannah left home. She’s gone.”