The Unacknowledged Wife

The hospital room felt cramped with several people gathered around the bed of an unconscious young woman. "I accept this marriage to Nina Amari," declared the man named Benjamin Joseph—called Ben—his voice formal. He concluded the brief ceremony with a handshake with the officiant. The private marriage contract proceeded swiftly. The only witnesses were the parents from both sides, the officiant, Ben's grandfather, the groom's best man, and two nurses. Once the union was declared valid, Ben quickly wrote a statement on a piece of paper. It declared that the unconscious girl was now his lawfully wedded wife through this private ceremony. He would wait for her recovery to formally register the marriage, thereby securing her legal status. Ben gazed with empty eyes at the helpless girl. Just one hour earlier, completely unbeknownst to her, her mother had passed away. Her mother, Vivian, had been a private nurse caring for Ben's grandfather, Henry Joseph, for nearly a year. For reasons unknown, Ben's parents had received news the previous night that Vivian and her daughter Nina had been victims of a hit-and-run accident. Now, after Vivian's death, Henry insisted that Ben marry Nina. He feared the girl's stepfather would make demands, including taking Nina back. By marrying her, the responsibility would transfer to Ben's family. Ben initially refused, but his mother said it was merely a temporary measure to protect Nina. In the future, if they truly had no connection, he could simply seek a divorce. Ben eventually became indifferent. Married or not, he was leaving in two days to focus on his youth and complete his master's degree abroad. Nina looked at her large suitcase packed with clothes and let out a long sigh. She slumped onto the floor of her room, her back against the wall, her mind in turmoil. She felt unprepared to go to the capital city of Portsborough. After eight years of a relatively normal life, she now had to place herself within her husband's family—the husband who had married her while she was unconscious. It was his family who had funded her care and education after she was orphaned. That same family had arranged for her to live in Riverside City to evade her stepfather, Hadi Darmono, who had once tried to assault her and frequently beat her late mother. They had fled the house left by her grandmother. That family had also given her a new start, even though in all those eight years, Nina had never once met her husband. She only knew the man's name was Benjamin Joseph. According to the legal document, this man had married her and taken all responsibility for her well-being. She had never seen this husband except in a photograph hanging on the wall during occasional visits to her in-laws' home. She still lived with Henry, helping to care for him in return. Her in-laws visited Riverside more often than they brought Henry to the capital. Today was different, however. They were all departing for Portsborough to attend Joe Joseph's wedding. Joe was both her brother-in-law and her senior from university. He was not just a senior but had also been Nina's protector, a brother figure, and the object of her affections. Their closeness had made Nina fall in love, but she had to suppress those feelings because, regardless, Joe was her husband's younger brother. After graduating, Joe decided to follow his brother's path to study for a master's degree abroad. He then returned to work at the family's construction and real estate company, founded by Henry. Nina had finished her studies and worked at an interior design firm in Riverside City as a marketing associate and assistant to the owner, Eric Wilson. Her life was reasonably pleasant, though she was known as the quiet, introverted, yet always polite Nina. She often felt lonely and had to suppress her feelings whenever she developed a crush on someone because of her secret marital status. Whenever she was around Henry, the old man would remind her to always conduct herself properly as a married woman. Nina was startled from her thoughts by a knock on her door. "Ms. Amari, are you ready? Mr. Joseph is already waiting out front," came the inquiry from the housekeeper, Irene. "Ready, Irene. I'll be right out!" Nina replied. She stood up, undid her tied hair, and her thick, wavy locks tumbled down. She glanced in the mirror and promptly wheeled her suitcase out of the room. A fog began to roll into the town of Leewood, where she lived with Henry, that evening. Nina checked that the scarf around his neck was properly arranged. The eighty-year-old man still looked spirited, though he used a wheelchair after a stroke. His memory was sharp, and his voice remained clear. "What time do you estimate we'll arrive in Portsborough?" Henry asked Nina. "Probably around seven in the evening, Henry. You should try to rest," Nina said, tucking the blanket around him. The family driver, Rehman, started the car. Nina looked out the window, trying to calm herself. The thought of meeting Ben later left her feeling disoriented. Should she greet him? Would Ben even remember he had married Nina? Or perhaps he had already divorced her long ago. Nina could only sigh deeply once more. Back when she first awoke from her coma, Nina was immediately taken to Riverside to avoid her stepfather, Hadi, who kept looking for her, while Ben had already gone overseas to study. Every month she received an allowance from Rose Bennett, her mother-in-law, who always said it was support from Ben. That story had never changed. Nina had heard from Joe that Ben had returned a year ago and now also worked at the family company as an architect. Nina was confused about what she should do if she met Ben. Slowly, she closed her eyes, trying to rest. She didn't want to think too much. The problems she would face involved not just meeting Ben, but also meeting her best friend, Prita Monroe, who was about to become her sister-in-law through Joe. Nina shifted uneasily. She was grateful to be seated behind Henry so he couldn't see her agitation. How could she not be agitated? Prita was the only one who knew about her secret marriage and also knew that Nina had loved Joe. Prita had been her classmate in high school. After graduation, Prita moved away due to her parents' work transfer. Two years ago, Prita returned to Riverside and chose to open her own bakery. Nina and Prita grew close again, until finally Prita met Joe, the man Nina had always liked. But who would have thought that Joe and Prita would fall in love. When Nina heard Prita confess that she was dating Joe, and that Prita even planned to move her business to Portsborough, Nina's heart shattered. She could only bless their relationship, as she couldn't be angry or do anything, even though she felt betrayed. Nina only asked Prita to keep her own past feelings for Joe a secret and promised to forget him. Their contact faded. Sometimes Prita would visit Henry with Joe, but Nina always tried to avoid meeting them unless Joe came alone. A year later, the two finally decided to marry. Prita would become the legitimate, recognized daughter-in-law of the family, while Nina would forever remain the invisible one. Throughout the journey, Nina prayed that upon arriving in Portsborough, everything would go smoothly. She hoped it wouldn't be as bad as she imagined. "Ms. Amari, wake up. Your phone is ringing." Irene gently patted Nina's arm to wake her. The girl stirred awake, feeling her phone vibrate. Seeing Joe's name on the screen, Nina slowly answered the call. "Hello, Joe," Nina said softly, her voice a little hoarse. "Where are you now?" Joe asked in his gentle tone that had always soothed Nina. "We're on the highway already, entering Portsborough." "Travel safely. I'll be waiting for you and Grandpa at the house." The call ended. Nina began fidgeting unconsciously. Now that she thought about arriving, her heart grew restless again. "What's wrong? You've seemed uneasy since earlier," asked Irene, who had come along to help care for Henry. "Nothing, Irene. I'm just a little nervous," Nina told her honestly. Irene affectionately patted Nina's arm. She had worked for the household for a long time and knew the story of Nina and Ben's secret marriage. Looking at the young woman's face, a wave of sadness washed over her. This beautiful young woman seemed to have to suppress her emotions, unable to be her true self.