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My Wife Eloped, So I Went Home and Rose Again
NovelShort
Hoàn thành
On our wedding night, my wife, Anna Lane, was urgently reassigned to a top-secret research project. For the next five years, she never returned, contacting the family only through letters. She said he...
Chương (4)
第1章
On our wedding night, my wife, Anna Lane, was urgently reassigned to a top-secret research project.
For the next five years, she never returned, contacting the family only through letters.
She said her mission was too demanding and that she carried a heavy responsibility, making it impossible to come home.
But she promised that once there was progress, she would immediately request to bring my father-in-law and me to Springfield for a grand ceremony.
Clinging to this hope, I cared for my father-in-law, who had suffered a stroke, day after day, year after year, tending to his every need.
Until one day, my father-in-law had back pain, and I took him to the hospital for physiotherapy, taking a short break to head to the cafeteria to feed him.
Just as I stepped off the elevator, I saw Anna, heavily pregnant, being supported toward me by her younger sister.
“Sister, if you hadn’t suddenly broken off your engagement and eloped with your childhood sweetheart, pretending to join a classified project, the entire family wouldn’t have had to lie to your husband for five years.”
“Now that you and Michael Lewis have a child, you should tell your husband the truth sooner rather than later so the child can be registered.” Anna hesitated briefly, then shook her head.
“No, Dad’s health needs constant care, and I can’t bear to let Michael suffer.”
“After the child is born, I’ll lie and say it belongs to a friend and have Charles Quinn adopt it. He’s patient and a university professor; he’ll surely raise Michael and my child well.”
“Once Dad has been cared for by Charles until he passes peacefully, and the child is grown, I’ll go back and divorce him, giving him his freedom.”
Hearing this, my heart sank.
My five years of devotion felt like a ridiculous joke.
I walked down the corridor and dialed a long-forgotten number.
“Dad, I regret it. I want to return and inherit the family business. Do you still consider me your son?”
——
…There was a long silence before my father’s trembling voice finally came through.
“Silly child, no matter what’s happened, home is always home, and you’ll always be my good son!”
“As long as you’re willing to come back, the door will always be open!”
Hearing this, a lump rose in my throat.
My mother died young, and my father raised me alone. Our bond has always been deep.
When he learned I was dating Anna, a poor student he had sponsored, he didn’t mind her humble background. Instead, he urged me to treat her even better.
But on our wedding night, after Anna left a letter and vanished without a word, my father exploded in fury.
“She’s an adult, not a child! Why couldn’t she explain anything beforehand? Why vanish without a word on her wedding night?”
“I used my connections to check; there’s no secret project that hires temporarily. She’s lying to you!”
Back then, I was blinded by love, believing my father was making baseless claims. I even severed ties with him to protect the Lane family.
For the next five years, I showed no filial respect to my own father. Instead, I moved in with my father-in-law, George Lane, serving him tirelessly.
Looking back now, I was painfully foolish, hurting the one who loved me most.
After hanging up, I wiped my tears and returned to the ward.
George had finished treatment and was resting comfortably.
Seeing me enter empty-handed, he instantly pouted in irritation.
“What time is it? You went out and didn’t even bring me anything to eat. A university professor, you think? You have no sense at all!”
Though George was just an illiterate old man from the countryside, his temper was worse than any high-ranking official I’d ever met.
第2章
For the next five years, George constantly berated me over the smallest issue, sometimes even hitting me.
Seeing me stand still, George’s voice shot up several octaves.
“Are you deaf or mute? I’m talking to you! Go downstairs to that bakery and buy me 2.6 lbs of sweet bean pastries, fresh from the oven. I won’t eat them cold!”
“And get the tofu custard from the alley across the street, extra cilantro and chili oil, plus two freshly fried dough sticks, and go easy on the salt. The doctor said my blood pressure is a bit high, and it’s all because you haven’t been taking proper care of me!”
He lay in bed ordering me around without even lifting an eyelid.
It felt like I wasn’t his son-in-law, but a servant at his command. Seeing George’s casual arrogance, I clenched my fists.
Before, even if I went hungry, I made sure he was fed and comfortable.
But now, knowing everything was a lie, and facing his overbearing attitude, I could no longer endure it.
“I’m not going.”
My voice was steady, but it made George freeze.
He seemed unsure he’d heard correctly, frowning as he looked up.
“What did you say? Say it again?”
I met his gaze, repeating each word clearly.
“I said I won’t buy you anything anymore, and I won’t serve you anymore.”
“And I’m divorcing Anna.”
“Divorce?” George acted like he’d heard the biggest joke of his life.
“Charles, who do you think you are? You dare mention divorce? My daughter joined a top-secret project! That’s an incredible honor, something countless people dream of!”
“And you, instead of supporting her, want a divorce? Let me tell you, absolutely not!”
He snapped, abruptly sitting up in bed.
Hearing his twisted logic, I found it both absurd and pathetic.
“Top-secret project?”
I scoffed.
“Anna didn’t join anything. She ran off with her childhood sweetheart, Michael, and now she’s heavily pregnant! Your entire family has lied to me for five years!”
George’s expression shifted instantly, his eyes flickering.
“What nonsense are you talking about! Anna isn’t that kind of person!”
“You must have heard some rumor; someone must be influencing you!”
“Whether it’s a rumor or not, you know that better than anyone.”
I didn’t bother arguing further and turned to leave.
Seeing this, George panicked, threw off the blanket, and tried to get out of bed, still shouting.
“Stop right there! Charles, you ungrateful brat! Anna married you, and this is how you treat her?”
“I’ll teach you a lesson today!”
He cursed as he grabbed the glass of water beside him, ready to throw it at me.
I stopped and turned back, giving him a cold stare.
“You’d better not.”
“You can’t afford the consequences.”
George faltered under my gaze. After a few seconds, he suddenly remembered something and quickly grabbed his phone to make a call.
“Laura! Get to the hospital right now! That bastard Charles is rebelling!”
“He says he wants a divorce from your sister and claims she lied to him. You need to come control him!”
George’s voice trembled on the phone, as though he’d been deeply wronged.
I ignored him, found a chair in the corner of the ward, and quietly waited for my sister-in-law to arrive.
About ten minutes later, the ward door burst open, and my sister-in-law, Laura Lane, rushed in.
第3章
"Dad, are you alright? What did Charles do to you?"
Laura rushed to George’s bedside, supporting him, then shot me a cold glare.
"Charles, what exactly are you trying to do? My dad’s health is already weak, and you’re still trying to upset him?"
"Do you think that just because my sister isn’t home, no one can keep you in line?"
I leaned back in my chair, scrolling on my phone, my expression unmoved.
"I’m not upsetting him. I’m simply stating the truth."
"The truth?" Laura grew even angrier. "My sister clearly joined a confidential project to serve the country!"
"And you, instead of supporting her, aren’t even properly caring for my dad. What are you thinking?"
She spoke while patting George’s back, murmuring softly.
"Dad, don’t be upset. My brother-in-law must be exhausted from caring for you lately, and he’s talking nonsense because he’s confused. When he snaps out of it, he’ll apologize!"
George, panting hard, pointed at my nose and cursed.
"Exactly! Charles, you’d better apologize right now! Otherwise, when Anna returns, I’ll have her skin you alive!"
Watching this father and daughter echo each other made my stomach churn.
For five years, I’d been trapped in lies, giving everything like a fool.
"Slander?"
I slowly lifted my phone and pressed play. "Then listen. Isn’t this also slander?"
The recording immediately played the conversation between Anna and Laura in the elevator.
"Sister, if it weren’t for…"
The moment they heard it, their faces drained of color.
"Th-this isn’t real! You faked it! You’re framing my sister!"
"Faked?"
I raised an eyebrow and angled the screen toward her.
"Do you want me to show you the hospital corridor’s surveillance footage? It’s from 3 PM today. The elevator camera clearly recorded you two and your conversation."
"Should I call hospital security now?"
George’s body trembled, his furious curses stopping abruptly.
He collapsed back on the bed, struggling to breathe.
Laura instinctively stepped back, her eyes darting everywhere but me.
"No, no need."
"Why not?"
I stood up. "Didn’t you say I was slandering you? Didn’t you insist I was talking nonsense?"
"Now that the evidence is right here, what else do you have to say?"
George’s hands shook, panic flickering in his eyes.
"Charles, let me explain."
"Explain?"
I scoffed. "Explain how you lied to me for five years? Explain how you made me work myself to exhaustion like a fool?"
Or explain how Anna left me to care for her stroke-stricken father while she got pregnant with another man’s child and even wanted me to raise it for her?
Each question left the two of them speechless.
Then, the ward door opened, and a man in a suit walked in, followed by a lawyer.
The man saw me and quickly stepped forward. "Young Master, the Chairman sent me to pick you up and handle some matters."
I nodded in acknowledgment.
George and Laura stared in confusion at the two unexpected arrivals.
Laura forced herself to remain composed and asked, "Who are you? Why are you in our ward?"
The man in the suit ignored her and turned to face George and Laura.
第4章
"I am Paul Zane, the special assistant to the chairman of the Quinn Group. This is our group’s legal counsel, Attorney Quinn."
"We’re here today for two matters."
The Quinn Group!
Hearing those words, George and Laura panicked even more.
Though they were from the countryside, they had heard of the Quinn Group; it was a top-tier enterprise in the country.
They never imagined I was actually the young master of the Quinn Group!
George’s lips shook, and he couldn’t form a full sentence for a long while.
Paul Zane ignored their shock and continued.
"The first matter concerns Young Master Charles’s return to the Quinn Group."
"The chairman has already arranged a position for the young master. Once he finishes handling things here, he may report directly to the group."
He then took a document from his briefcase and handed it to me.
"Young Master, this is the Chairman’s initial arrangement. Please review it."
I took the document, scanned it briefly, and nodded. "Alright, I understand."
Paul then turned to George and Laura, signaling Attorney Quinn to step forward.
Attorney Quinn opened his briefcase, took out a lawyer’s letter, and handed it to them.
"The second matter concerns the divorce between Mr. Charles and Ms. Anna."
"This is the divorce lawyer’s letter. Please forward it to Ms. Anna."
George and Laura trembled as they stared at the letter.
Laura’s voice shook as she forced herself to speak.
"No, we can’t accept this. Anna isn’t home."
"It’s alright." Attorney Quinn’s tone was steady. "We will serve it through proper legal channels."
"Additionally, according to the evidence and financial records provided by Mr. Charles, over the past five years, Mr. Charles has paid a total of USD 178,000 for Ms. Anna and her family, including Mr. George’s medical and living expenses, as well as Ms. Anna’s so-called project expenses."
"We request that the Lane family return this amount in full within seven working days of receiving this lawyer’s letter."
"What? 178,000 USD?" Laura screamed, "We never took that much from him! This is extortion!"
Attorney Quinn remained unmoved.
"We have detailed bank transfers, plus receipts and invoices. All evidence has already been submitted to the court."
"If you have objections to the amount, you may provide proof through legal channels."
"However, if the funds are not returned within the specified time, we will pursue further legal action, including freezing the Lane family's assets."
George was so terrified he nearly fell off the hospital bed.
He quickly grabbed my hand, pleading desperately.
"Charles, I know I was wrong. Please forgive us."
"My health is failing; if we lack money for treatment, I won’t survive!"
Laura also began crying.
"Brother-in-law, please, for my father’s sake, have mercy!"
"We really can’t pay that amount!"
They tried to guilt-trip me, but I was long past falling for it.
"Five years ago, for Anna, I cut ties with my father and moved in to serve you."
"For five years, I cleaned up after you, worked tirelessly without complaint, even endured your insults and physical blows."
"I thought that if I gave enough, I could earn your family’s sincerity and wait for Anna to return."
“But now I know it was all a deception! I’ve done everything I could for your Lane family, and I want nothing more to do with you!”
“As for the money,”
I looked at Attorney Quinn, “Attorney Quinn, proceed according to the law.”
Attorney Quinn nodded: “Yes, young master.”
Paul checked the time and bowed to me.
“Young master, it’s getting late. The chairman is waiting for you at home. We should go.”
I cast one last glance at George and Laura, then turned and left the ward.