He Married Her, I Disappear Forever

Chapter 4

The minutes ticked by. The church was cold in winter, especially at the foot of the snowy mountains.

"Is the bride not back yet?" someone asked, rubbing their hands together and blowing on them.

Noah glanced over at Chloe, bundled up but still shivering. A flicker of pity crossed his eyes. His voice came out impatiently. "Impossible. She's been in the mountains for two days now. She should have been back ages ago."

Someone muttered under their breath, "You don't think something happened, do you? There was a blizzard a few days ago."

"What?! Wasn't everyone warned about the snow? How could she go up there at a time like this? Is she suicidal?!"

Noah's expression stiffened. But just as quickly, he replaced it with one of unwavering certainty. "Elena's followed me into these mountains more times than I can count over the years. She knows every route, every shelter, better than I do. As long as she hadn't headed into the forbidden zone on the north face, nothing could have happened to her."

Beside him, Chloe suddenly spoke up, her voice tinged with hurt. "Could Sister Elena be angry with me? Maybe I should go apologize to her."

Noah turned to Chloe, and his voice went soft. "No need. She's just throwing a tantrum because of the wedding. Let her stew for a while. She'll come around on her own soon enough."

Noah was certain. Certain that I had nowhere else to go, with both parents dead. Certain that I loved him with a devotion that brought me to my knees. Certain that even as he walked down the aisle holding another woman's hand, I would simply wait quietly by the side. Just like now—he was probably certain I was on my way back. Probably certain I was still looking forward to the wedding, still overjoyed.

He didn't know. This time, I really wasn't coming back.

Morning turned to noon. The lunch reception was about to begin.

Mara stormed into the church. "Noah! Where's Elena? She's still not back?" She looked around at the wedding setup and let out a bitter laugh. "Quite the wedding you've got here. Going ahead without the bride. I feel sick for Elena. All that sincere devotion she poured out—wasted on a dog."

Noah's face darkened. But he had no comeback.

Chloe's eyes looked red from the cold. She stepped forward, trembling, the picture of vulnerability. "Noah, it's okay. Let's keep waiting for Sister Elena. Maybe she just got held up on the road."

Mara looked at Chloe and her anger flared even hotter. "And what the hell are you supposed to be? The mistress shows up, and now you're playing the good sister? Elena might have the patience for this, but trust me—if it were me, I'd slap you so hard that your mom wouldn't recognize you anymore." She turned back to Noah. "I'm telling you, Noah. You'd better pray Elena is okay. Because if she's not, I will not let this go unanswered."

She turned and walked out without looking back.

Noah's face went cold. "The wedding was canceled. I already gave her a chance. If she doesn't want to take it, that's on her."

But even as he said it, he was pulling out his phone. Over the years, signal towers were gradually built across the mountains. Unless there was extreme weather, it was rare to lose contact. The moment his phone powered on, countless missed calls and unread messages came flooding in.

A familiar number appeared. Noah answered immediately. A cold male voice came through the line. "Are you the husband of Elena Shaw?"

"Your wife, Elena Shaw, was found on the mountainside. By the time she was located, she had already succumbed to hypothermia..."