The Unacknowledged Wife

Chapter 6 It Should Have Been

Joe sat in thought, having just received the news that his brother had divorced Nina. He and Prita had returned from their week-long honeymoon to his parents' house. Unnoticed, Joe clenched his jaw. He was frustrated with Ben for only now letting Nina go.

His mind drifted back eight years, when everyone was in a panic over Vivian's death and worried about Nina's condition. He remembered them all keeping vigil after her surgery. The girl's condition was pitiful, with bruises on her face and broken ribs pressing on her lungs, making it hard to breathe. She had fallen into a coma.

Even now, the breathing difficulty could resurface if Nina overexerted herself. Fortunately, Leo, being a physician, was able to call in specialist colleagues to operate.

Joe recalled that night, the argument between Ben and his father about the request for Ben to marry Nina.

"No, Dad, marriage is a huge responsibility! I don't want to marry so carelessly!" Ben refused.

"This is to save Nina's life, Ben!"

"To save Nina's life, or to repay your debt to an old flame?!" Ben asked sharply.

"Ben!"

"Do you think I don't know about your past with Vivian?!"

"Ben! That's enough! Don't bring that up again!" Leo's tone began to rise.

"Ben, stop it! We were the ones at fault! I was the one who came between your father and Vivian! We're asking you to marry Nina so we can protect her. I can't send her back to Hadi. He's a cruel man!" Rose pleaded.

Joe watched his parents. Ben just remained silent, turning his head away. Slowly, Joe approached them, gazing at the unconscious Nina. Even with the cuts and bruises, they couldn't hide her beauty. Just looking at her made his heart beat faster.

"Let me marry Nina," Joe suddenly said.

"You? How can that be? You're only nineteen! Ben is more suitable. He's twenty-four," his mother said, shaking her head.

"Well, Joe's old enough, Mom. Just let him do it," Ben chimed in.

"Ben!" his mother scolded.

"If it's just a secret marriage, let me do it. The point is that Nina is protected," Joe tried to persuade them.

"No, Joe. People will ask why you married so young," Leo said, putting an arm around Joe's shoulders.

"We know this is a heavy burden for you, Ben, but helping someone in trouble is a blessed deed. If you are willing, please marry the girl. Her mother was a good woman. After the marriage, let me take her to Riverside to live with me. You won't have to worry. If this has happened, there must be a purpose," Henry interjected.

In the end, Ben agreed. Joe hadn't expected his family's fears to come true. After Vivian's funeral, the man named Hadi indeed came. He arrogantly barged into the house looking for Nina.

The man was well-dressed but extremely rude. He didn't even ask about his wife's death, only demanding to know where Nina was.

Joe still remembered the man shouting as he searched.

"You can't hide my daughter! Do you think I'll give up?! Those are mine! All mine!"

It wasn't clear what he meant, but he was eventually thrown out and never returned. Security only mentioned once seeing a suspicious car near the property.

If Nina knew, the reason Joe chose to study in Riverside was to be near her, to watch over her. Joe knew it wasn't proper to fall for his brother's wife, even if the marriage was only formal. But being close to her, being able to protect her, was enough. He was also sure Nina had feelings for him too.

In the past, Joe had asked his father about Nina's biological father. Leo had been Vivian's high school sweetheart. He had even chosen to study medicine to be near her. At that time, Henry's company was thriving and hoped his son would take over.

Fate intervened. Leo became a doctor, and Vivian a nurse. While pursuing his specialty, Leo met Rose, who was also an intern. They fell in love, and eventually Leo left Vivian and married Rose.

His father also recounted how, a year later, Vivian married Allen Amari, a classmate of Leo's. However, they divorced ten years later because Vivian was thought to be unable to have children.

Tragically, after the divorce, Vivian discovered she was pregnant with Allen's child, but she couldn't tell him because he had already remarried and moved abroad.

Life went on. During the difficult years of raising Nina alone, Vivian married Hadi, who had initially wanted to buy her family's old house. Unexpectedly, Hadi had a violent temper.

Especially when drunk, he would often harass Nina. Living in fear, Vivian finally decided to flee with Nina and work as a nurse again. Learning of her plight, Leo and Rose hired Vivian as Henry's private nurse.

Nina had told the story of that tragic night. She and her mother had been forced to flee their rented home because a drunken Hadi had found them. In their haste, they were hit by a hit-and-run driver.

Time passed. Eventually, Joe gave up waiting for Ben to let Nina go. He met Prita, they fell in love, and finally married. Now, just as he was newly wed, this news arrived.

'Ah, Nina, I should have insisted on marrying you back then!' Joe thought with regret. Even though he loved Prita, Nina always held a place in his heart.