Two Weddings, One Wedlock Chapter 02

Two Weddings, One Wedlock Chapter 02 Back from the Abyss
I made my way to the parking lot. After shelling out four times the usual fare, a kind stranger finally agreed to give me a ride.
By the time I finally stumbled through the front door, I didn’t have a minute to catch my breath. I threw up violently, like I was purging everything from my system. With no other choice, I dragged my heavy, aching body to the hospital.
During all this chaos, the honeymoon agency kept calling nonstop. I had to juggle the refund process with hospital check-ins and payments.
The whole ordeal wasn’t finished until late at night.
And through it all, Oliver still hadn’t reached out to me.
While I was waiting for my pathology report, Sofia Powell suddenly sent me a photo.
It was two hands—intimate, intertwined—wearing matching couple bands.
The text dripped with smugness, “This was something Oliver made himself when we were in high school. You’ve never seen this one, have you?”
I recognized his hand at a glance. It was Oliver’s.
The cufflink peeking out from the sleeve of his blazer was a gift I’d given him.
Oliver and I had met through family friends.
Our parents knew each other, our families moved in the same circles and were of equal social standing, and he was handsome in a clean, understated way.
But when I found out he’d had a seven-year-long first love with Sofia, I hesitated.
It was he who’d taken my hand seriously and promised,
“I never look back. All I care about is right now and what’s ahead.”
So we just sort of fell into a relationship.
However, shortly after we got married, Sofia came back.
She came back with a broken heart and depression.
Every time she had an episode, she would insist Oliver was her boyfriend. If she didn’t see him, she’d break down, scream, and even cut her wrists.
And Oliver—the man who’d sworn never to look back—softened.
The second Sofia spoke up, no matter how busy he was, he dropped everything to stay by her side.
On my birthday, Oliver bailed on me to make Sofia a candlelit dinner. When I was running a high fever and needed company, he was at the theme park with Sofia.
Even on the honeymoon I’d looked forward to for so long, one call from Sofia was enough for Oliver to abandon me on the highway without a second thought…
But what woman could stand her husband flirting and getting cozy with another woman, over and over again?
I had argued with him about it, but Oliver always did whatever he wanted. He even accused me of being cold-hearted, “We are just friends. She’s sick right now. How can you still be jealous and make a scene? Anyone with a conscience would cut the person some slack.”
If I’d seen a photo like that in the past, rage would have consumed me, and I would get into a fight with Oliver immediately.
But this time, I felt nothing but calm. I even saved the photo calmly, adding it to my collection of evidence for the divorce.
Yes. I want a divorce.
That freezing night at the rest stop had finally woken me up.
I never wanted to live that life of swallowing my pride and bending over backward ever again.
But first, I had to get my health back.
The pathology report showed a growth in my abdomen, and I needed surgery.
After scheduling the procedure, I went into the operating room the next day.
Even though the doctor said the anesthesia would numb the pain, I woke up with my pillow wet from tears.
After spending a couple of days in the hospital, I was finally discharged.
I didn’t, however, expect to run into Oliver while hailing a cab at the entrance.
After a split second of surprise, he frowned at me.
“Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
That’s when I noticed the missed calls on my phone.
During my stay, I’d kept it on silent to rest and not disturb the other patients, so I’d completely missed them.
“What do you want?” I asked calmly.
Oliver froze for a moment before answering hoarsely, “Sorry. Something came up that day, and I completely forgot to pick you up…”
I nodded. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”
It had been three days.
If he hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten all about it.
But Oliver stared at me in disbelief, as he’d misheard me. “You… you’re not mad at me?”
I looked at him, confused.
“I’m an adult. I can call an Uber or call the police. Nothing is gonna happen to me, is it? Why is that so strange?”
It was just a casual explanation.
But Oliver took it as if I was throwing shade at Sofia.
He knitted his brows tightly, his patience wearing thin.
“Mia, you still hung up on the honeymoon being canceled?”
“Sofia had an episode that day. She was crying, saying she just wanted to wear a wedding dress once, to fulfill her dream of being a bride. I was only thinking about her health. She’s sick. She can’t handle any more stress!”