I Fled the Wedding and Came Back With a Contract Husband Chapter 07

I Fled the Wedding and Came Back With a Contract Husband Chapter 07

He’d meant to show Derek that the Hartwells had done their part, that Emily hadn’t been abandoned. But Derek’s casual mention of Dr. Haynes dismantled his entire argument.

Nathan finally looked up. “Dr. Haynes has a waiting list six months long. How did you get him?”

“I spent money and called in favors.” Derek smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “I looked at the

specialists you arranged, Mr. Caldwell. They’re competent. But Dr. Haynes is in another league. Appreciate the gesture, but I’ll handle things from here.”

Nathan’s fingers tightened around his spoon. He said nothing.

Sophia broke the silence with a laugh. “Emily, you’re so impressive. Marrying someone like Mr. Vance and

not even telling your family. I’m so happy for you.”

“But… you were gone five years. We were worried, you know. Afraid you were struggling out there alone. But now you have someone looking out for you, and Mom can rest easy.’

Beautiful words. Every one a dagger.

She meant: Five years abroad. What were you doing? How did you land this marriage?

I opened my mouth, but Derek spoke first.

“Sophia, when you married your sister’s ex-fiancé, did you ask her permission first?”

Sophia went white.

“You married her former fiancé, had a child with him, and the rightful fiancée fled for five years.”

Derek’s tone was measured. “You didn’t ask her consent back then. Now you’re questioning how she got married? That seems… inappropriate.”

Nathan slammed his fork down and pushed his chair back, rising.\

“Derek Vance.” His voice was barely above a whisper, a storm behind his eyes. “If you have a problem with

me, aim it at me. Leave her out of it.”

“I’m not involving her.” Derek stayed seated, looking up. “I’m just stating facts. She’s your wife. You have a

child together. What happened between you and your wife-how does that involve my wife?”

Sophia’s tears came instantly. She fled the room, sobbing.

Nathan hesitated, his eyes on me–an expression I couldn’t read. Then he followed.

The dining room fell silent. Grandfather’s face was ashen. My father kept his head down, shoveling rice.

“Alright.” Derek stood and took my half-empty soup bowl, finishing it in one go. “We ate. We said what Deeded saying Emily, let’s go wait for Dr. Haynes.”

He took my hand and walked me out, letting go once we were outside.

“You showed up to fight a war for me today,” I said.

“Mm. And I got a free meal.” He walked beside me at an easy pace. “That couple’s something. One plays the

victim, the other plays the devoted husband, but nobody forced them into anything.”

I didn’t answer. He glanced at me.

“Still hurting?”

“No.”

“Don’t hold it in.” He turned back. “If you need to, say so. I’ll take you for drinks.”

Dr. Haynes arrived at two-thirty. He reviewed the reports, ran his own tests, and told me surgery was feasible, with an eighty percent success rate. When I asked how soon, he said next week.

“Cost is covered,” Derek said from the sidelines.

Dr. Haynes nodded and ordered the prep.

Alone in the room, I stared at the oxygen tube. Derek stood by the window, hands behind his back, and said, “Your sister-your father’s illegitimate daughter, right?”

I looked up. “How’d you know?”

“You mentioned it last night. I looked into it.” He turned. “The ‘hospital mix-up’ was a cover your father

invented to bring her into the family. Your mother’s been lied to for years, treating her like a real daughter

–while she stole her daughter’s fiancé.”

“Yeah.”

“What’s your next move?”

“I don’t know yet.” I said. “I want my mother through the surgery first. She’s been blind all this time, feeling guilty about Sophia.”

“We can unmask them after.” Derek walked over and placed a piece of candy on the bedside table- gold-foil-wrapped peppermint, his usual. “Get through the surgery. Then you call the shots.”

I looked at the candy. “Derek.”

“Hm?”

“Will you come tomorrow?”

“Mm-hin. It’s in the contract. Long-term.” He pulled open the door and glanced back. “Didn’t you read the fine print?”

‘A ghost of a smile crossed my face.

After he left, I unwrapped the mint and let the sharp chill burn my eyes.

My phone buzzed. Nathan: [I didn’t get to answer your question at lunch. Five years ago wasn’t what you

think. Ten minutes. Alone. Can we meet?]

I didn’t reply. I set the phone facedown.

The next week, Dr. Haynes’ team moved efficiently. My mother passed every pre-op test. I stayed at the hospital every day. Derek came every afternoon, stayed half an hour, brought coffee or flowers, and talked

with Dr. Haynes.

Sophia came twice. I turned her away at the door. She cried in the hallway, said she wanted to see Mom. I told her to stay quiet before surgery. She left crying.

Nathan didn’t come. But a nurse mentioned he came every day, sat in the lobby for hours, and left.

I saw him once on my way to pick up takeout, sitting on the lobby bench, his phone glowing with our chat open. I took the other route.

The day of the surgery, Derek arrived early. He wore a dark blue shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. He leaned against the wall outside the OR, holding a cup of warm soy milk.

“Drink. It might be hours.”

I took a sip. Warm.

“Nervous?” he asked.

“A little.”

“Dr. Haynes has done over a thousand of these. The success rate is high.” He paused. “Your mother will be fine.”

I nodded, gripping the paper cup.