All Started With A Forced Marriage

Chapter 8:

The morning started like any other day. Holden and I prepared to head to work together; everything seemed normal on the surface, but my mind couldn’t stop replaying the events that had taken place. After the breakfast I’d prepared to make up for his birthday, we left the house and drove to work. The atmosphere between us remained warm and comfortable, but beneath it all, I had thoughts I couldn’t yet share with him.

When we arrived at the office, Holden stopped the car and turned to me with a gentle smile. "I’ll see you later, Hazel. Let me know if you need anything."

I smiled back and nodded. "Sure, have a good day at work."

He kissed me lightly on the forehead before stepping out, and I sat in the car for a moment, watching him walk away until he disappeared from sight. A weight settled in my chest as I watched him leave, and then, in that quiet moment, a voice stirred within me—the voice of my inner wolf, Daphne.

“We need to do something about Alma,” Daphne’s voice echoed softly in my mind, a constant reminder.

I sighed, resting my hands on the steering wheel as I stared ahead. "I know, Daphne. But now isn’t the time. Alma just woke up; he needs time to recover. I can’t talk to him about this yet."

Daphne was silent for a moment before replying gently, "I understand, but time waits for no one. This weight will continue to burden us until it’s resolved."

I knew Daphne was right. But I also knew we had to wait. Alma, though awake, was not fully recovered. I couldn’t shock him with such heavy news in his current state. Sometimes, delaying things was the only way to minimize the damage.

"Daphne, I just hope things will work out peacefully," I whispered to myself. "He deserves more than I can give him. I hope I can find a way to repay him without sacrificing my true feelings."

"You’ll find a way," Daphne replied, her voice soft, as if trying to comfort me.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the car, reminding myself that no matter how difficult things were, I had to face them. But first, I needed to give Alma time to heal and prepare myself for the conversation that lay ahead.

---

In the afternoon, Holden came to pick me up after work, as he usually did. His presence always made me feel safe, with its warmth and gentleness. As I stepped out of the office, I saw him standing near the car, smiling as he spotted me.

"All done for the day?" Holden asked, his eyes bright as always.

I shook my head with a small smile. "I need to step out for a bit, I’ll be back in a few minutes."

He nodded without asking any further questions. I quickly made my way toward a nearby park to get some fresh air. But as I approached, an unexpected sight greeted me—Alma, sitting on a bench, playing with a few small children. He was laughing, his eyes twinkling as if he had never gone through the ordeal of being in a coma.

I stopped in my tracks, watching him from a distance. He looked so different from the tired figure lying in a hospital bed the day before. My heart grew heavier, but I still couldn’t bring myself to approach him. I wanted to give him more time, and I needed to prepare myself mentally for the conversation to come.

As Alma stood and walked over to a couple pushing a stroller with their baby, I overheard their cheerful laughter and conversation from afar. The couple teased Holden, their eyes filled with joy.

"Holden, if you had a baby, I bet they’d be just as adorable, right?" the husband joked, his tone light but friendly.

The wife joined in with a bright smile. "Do you have kids yet? You and Hazel always seem so happy together. I’m sure your children would be the cutest."

Standing from a distance, I saw the brief flash of awkwardness on Holden’s face. He forced a small laugh and shook his head. "No, we don’t have kids yet."

As I watched Holden, I couldn’t ignore the slight discomfort and the fleeting sadness that crossed his face when the couple asked about children. It made my heart ache because I knew Holden’s greatest desire was to become a father. He had never pressured me, never shown disappointment, but in moments like this, his eyes reflected the longing he tried so hard to hide.

We had been together for years, and despite trying, we still hadn’t been able to have a child. Whenever someone brought it up, Holden would only smile and shake his head, but I knew it wasn’t as easy for him as he made it seem. Over time, our anticipation had turned into a quiet sorrow we both struggled to articulate.

We had gone to the doctor, had all the tests done. Every result told us the same thing—there was nothing physically preventing us from having a child. But month after month, hope faded, leaving behind an emptiness and frustration we couldn’t quite explain. I saw it in Holden’s eyes whenever we talked about the future. He never blamed me, always holding me close and telling me that just having me was enough. But I knew, deep down, he yearned for a complete family.

Watching him now, trying to mask his sadness as the couple joked about having children, I couldn’t help but feel a deep pang of guilt. I blamed myself for not being able to give him that happiness. The repeated disappointments had only widened the invisible gap between us, even though we both tried to remain strong.

My gaze followed Holden as he laughed awkwardly, trying to appear relaxed, but deep down, I knew he was longing for something I hadn’t been able to give him—a child, a family.

At that moment, I stepped forward and called out to him, waving my hand.

"Holden!"