I Got My Wife’s Marriage Certificate Ready

On my second day of employment at the city hall, I took over my colleague’s tasks. A young man came requesting for a new copy of his marriage certificate. It was far from his first visit. My colleague, Bernard Anderson, laughed. “This is the 99th time he’s here to get a copy of his marriage certificate again! We have all of his information ready, so the process wouldn’t take long.” I was stunned. “99th time?” Bernard laughed. “That’s right. He married a rich older woman. They always fought, and they would tear up their marriage certificate whenever they fought. “He’s so immature. Only an older lady would be able to tolerate him. I heard his wife is from the wealthiest family of our city, the Jameson family.” Immediately, I frowned. “The Jameson family has always kept a very low profile. Is his wife a fraud?” Bernard immediately stopped me from talking. “Don’t say that, she’s the rightful successor of the Jameson family, Mae Jameson.” I was stunned. My phone slipped from my hand and fell onto the desk. It was a photo of Mae and I on my lockscreen. Before me, the young man’s face fell. He snatched my phone. “Who are you? Why do you have a photo with my wife?” Chapter 1 My jaw dropped, but I could not find the words. He was claiming that Mae Jameson was his wife. However, Mae had been my wife of five years. The Jameson family had a lot of businesses, and it was very powerful. Hence, we kept our marriage hidden. She said that it was mainly for my protection. She was too busy with her career, so she was afraid that the reporters would come after me. I believed her. I trusted her for five years. It turned out that I was a huge joke. The young man, Noah Scott’s face was flushed in anger. “I’ve seen many men like you who throw yourself at rich women and wreck marriages! How dare you work in the city hall? “I’m going to file a complaint to get you fired!” Bernard Anderson immediately tried to calm him down. “Mr. Scott, calm down. This must be a misunderstanding…” “What misunderstanding? They even have a photo together!” I took a deep breath and took my phone back. My voice was unexpectedly calm. “It’s just a misunderstanding. I’ve worked in the neighboring city before and got a chance to interview Ms. Jameson. That’s all.” Noah stared at me suspiciously. “Interview?” “That’s right, for work purposes.” He looked at me for a few seconds before he relaxed. “Oh, then I’m sorry for misunderstanding you,” he said with a laugh. “My wife is so amazing, everyone out there wants a piece of her. I have to be very vigilant.” I smiled too. “It’s fine.” “Then, about the marriage certificate…” “I still need the original copy for reference,” I said. “You’ll have to go home and retrieve it.” Noah frowned. “My house is just nearby. I’ll head home and take it.” “I can go with you.” I stood up. “I can take a photo and bring it back, so you don’t have to come over again.” He pondered for a moment and then nodded. “Alright, that works too. Let’s go.” I followed him out of the city hall. He drove a white Porsche. The car was very new, and the car interior was in a darker shade that he liked. Twenty minutes later, the car parked in a familiar neighborhood area. My heart dropped when I went upstairs and stood before the apartment entrance. It was because I was highly familiar with the apartment. When I got married two years ago, I used my pre-marital savings for the downpayment of this apartment and bought it. I knew the Jameson family was very wealthy, and my apartment was nothing to them. But I wanted to prove that I was not with Mae because of her money. At that time, Mae told me that the company had run into some cash flow issues, so we should keep our marriage private and only have our wedding ceremony after the crisis. I understood her, and I was supportive of her needs. After her cash flow issues were solved, she did not mention our wedding and this apartment again. I asked her a few times, but she claimed to have rented it out. I was also receiving monthly rent, so I never thought of visiting the apartment. I stood at the entrance and saw a huge wedding photo hung on the living room wall. Mae was wearing a wedding gown and Noah was wearing a suit in that photo. They were smiling very sweetly. “Come and have a seat.” Noah gestured. I stepped in. It all felt surreal. Throughout our five-year marriage, Mae never wanted a wedding or a single wedding photo. The only photo we had together was a travel photo that I had to beg her to take. She had merely stood beside me and looked like a stranger. However, she had a wedding photo with someone else hanging in my apartment. It was a sizable photo in a gold photo frame, and it directly faced the couch. Your house looks so cozy,” I forced a smile and said. He smiled, “I honestly think this wedding photo is a little too big, and it looks a little tacky. But Mae insisted on hanging it up. She said she wants everyone to see that I’m her husband. “It seems like she treats you quite well.” “She’s alright,” he said humbly, but his eyes were filled with pride. “Have a seat. Let me locate the original document.” I sat on the couch and stared at that wedding photo. Mae’s smile was so gentle. It was a type of gentleness that I had never seen before. It turned out that it was not that she did not like to take photos. Instead, she did not like to take photos with me. Chapter 2 Noah tried to find the document for a while, but he finally came out empty-handed. “Weird, the original document isn’t here.” He picked up his phone. “Let me ask my wife.” Mae answered the call, and he put her on speakers. “Mae, where did you put our original document of our marriage registration? I couldn’t find it when I tried to request for a new copy of our marriage certificate.” When she answered him, Mae sounded tender. “Did you tear it apart again? Why are you acting so childish when you’re a father?” He said sweetly, “Just tell me where you’ve placed it.” “It’s with me. I’m buying a house for you today, so I brought it as a supporting document. I’ll send it back to you later.” “Quick, I’m waiting for you at home.” “Alright, have you bought the milk powder for our son?” “I did; I bought the brand you mentioned last time.” “That’s great. Wait for me to head home.” After he ended the call, he smiled sweetly. “My wife will be home soon. Sorry you have to wait for a while longer. Oh right, let me show you my son!” He dragged me to a bedroom. “He’s six months old, and he’s adorable.” I was numb when he dragged me to the baby room. It was then I came back to my senses. In the baby room, a chubby baby was sleeping in his baby cot. Noah leaned down with a loving expression. “He’s adorable, right? My wife said he looks just like me.” I stood next to him as my blood ran cold. They had a child together. Mae and I were married for five years, and she had been pregnant six months ago. However, she suffered from a miscarriage in the seventh month of her pregnancy. We lost our child. Since then, she said that she wanted to prioritize her career, so she did not want to have another child at that moment in time. I thought she was worried that I was upset, so I did not think too much about it. It turned out that she still wanted a child, just not my child. “What’s his name?” I asked. Noah’s smile widened. “Hayden Jameson. My wife named him.” My mind went blank. Hayden. It was a name I came up with Mae. Back when she was pregnant, she had wanted to brainstorm some names for our baby. I thought of a few, and we decided on Hayden. My name also started with H, so she said it would be meaningful. “What’s the significance of this name?” I could not help but ask. Noah sighed. “It was for Mae’s late husband’s name which started with an H. He passed away years ago because he was ill. This name is to celebrate his life.” I looked at him with a bitter taste in my mouth. Noah sounded upset. “Whenever we fought, I would tear up our marriage certificate. Please don’t think I’m being narrow-minded. Actually, I just feel insecure. “She has such strong feelings for her late husband. Would she feel the same for others? Maybe one day…” He did not continue. I stood beside the baby cot and stared at that sleeping baby. I felt conflicted. If she did not abort our child six months ago, he would be exactly like their child as well. “She said that her former husband died because of an illness?” Noah smiled. “That’s right. She was badly affected back then, and it took her years to move on. After that, she met me and slowly came out of her grief. “Sometimes, I think it might be fate that I look a little like him.” I stared at his face. We did not look alike. The only possible commonality between us was that we were both dumb. “Does she treat you well?” I asked. His eyes glinted. “Of course, it’s just that she’s too busy. But she said that she’ll hand the company to someone else in a few years’ time and accompany me to travel the world.” I nodded. She had said the same thing to me in the past too. In fact, she had told me that five years prior. Chapter 3 I stood in the baby room as my mind started to clear. “Why isn’t there an urn or a memorial spot for her husband?” Noah grimaced. “Would you believe that? I asked her, and she said that death is death. He’ll live forever in her heart. “She doesn’t need to keep him physically around.” I looked down. To live forever in her heart. What a romantic saying. What about my child who died at the seventh month? Did she keep him in her heart? I loosened my clenched fist. There were fingernails marks on my palms. “I have something else to ask you.” “Yes?” “You’re so rich. Why are you staying in a regular apartment?” Noah laughed. “I requested for it. Mae is too rich, and her life feels so sterile because of it. So, I asked her to buy a house in this regular neighborhood to live a normal life.” He pointed at the decorations on the wall. “Look, I decorated all these. Initially, she wasn’t used to it. After a while, she grew fond of them. “She said it feels like home.” “Your wife bought this house for you?” “That’s right, she bought it for me,” he whispered. “Let me tell you a secret. I also have my own considerations. “If one day she decides to dump me, I wouldn’t end up homeless. She said this apartment belongs to me forever.” I felt my blood run cold. No wonder she had asked for my property ownership certificate two years ago. She had said that she was renting out the apartment and let me have some passive income. I would become financially independent, and I would no longer need to rely on her for money. It turned out to be the hiding place for her lover. “Your life is terrific.” I heard my own voice shaking. Noah smiled and continued to play with Hayden. I stood aside and stared at his side profile. He was in his twenties. He did not know anything. Even if he did, would that change anything? Chapter 4 As I was lost in my own thoughts, Hayden suddenly started crying. Noah quickly carried him into his arms and coaxed him. I looked over, and my blood immediately ran cold. There was a small skin tag at the back of Hayden’s right ear. My eyes widened in disbelief. Six months ago, when Mae was seven months pregnant, the ultrasound showed a skin tag behind the baby’s right ear. The doctor said it was an undeveloped ear, but it would not affect the baby’s health. They would be able to remove it when he was born. Was that truly just a coincidence? “How old is this baby?” I could not help but ask. “Six months. He’s just six months old.” Noah coaxed Hayden and grumbled, “He’s too weak, and he always gets sick. The doctor said it’s because he’s a premie, so his health is affected.” My hands started shaking. “A premature birth?” “That’s right. I also felt bad for Mae. I told her even if we don’t have a child, it wouldn’t affect our relationship. “However, she insisted on giving me a complete family!” Noah sighed when he said that, “I didn’t expect her body to be that weak. She gave birth during her seventh month of pregnancy. Hayden had to be in the NICU for two months, and we almost lost him.” I stared at the child in his arms as tears welled up. At that moment, a scary thought appeared in my head. Could Hayden be the baby that I had lost to miscarriage? If that was the case, I would not let Mae off the hook! I tried to control my trembling as I calmed down. Noah saw that my face was pale, so he was a little worried. “Are you alright? You’re looking a little pale.” I shook my head. “I’m fine. I skipped breakfast in the morning, so I’m feeling a little dizzy from low blood glucose.” He stared at me suspiciously and seemed like he had something to say. The next second, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from Mae. [I’m working overtime tonight, so I won’t go home. You don’t have to wait for me.] I stared at the sentence and slowly put my phone down. At the same time, someone knocked on the door. “It must be Mae!” Noah went out happily with Hayden. A few seconds later, the door opened. A familiar female voice said, “Did you miss me, dear?” “I did! By the way, someone from the city hall came back with me today to verify our marriage. He’s still here.” I heard footsteps walking toward me. I stood at the entrance of the baby room and saw Mae walking in. She was dressed in a grey suit and holding her work bag. When she saw me, she froze as if she had seen a ghost. Immediately, all my emotions evaporated into thin air. I looked at Mae coldly as I laughed. I took a step forward. “Why? Are you shocked to see your former husband coming back to life?”