The Wife He Never Loved

Chapter 2

Chapter Two – Shattered Beginnings

The sharp, cheerful ringtone of June’s phone shattered the peaceful silence of her room. Wrapped snugly in her blanket, she groaned in annoyance, blindly reaching out for the phone on her nightstand. Her hand brushed against it a few times before finally catching it. Without bothering to check the caller ID, she swiped to answer and pressed it to her ear, her voice muffled and lazy.

“Hello…” she mumbled.

The voice that came through was anything but lazy. It was loud, bright, and annoyingly energetic.

“June! Finally, you picked up! I’ve been waiting outside your house forever. Don’t tell me you’re still asleep? Yah, June, get up! It’s our first day back after vacation, and—hello? Are you even listening to me? Don’t tell me you’re still sleeping—”

Before he could finish, June interrupted with a sleepy grumble.

“You talk way too much, Ethan. Seriously…”

On the other end, Ethan let out a dramatic sigh.

“Wow. Unbelievable. It’s already 8 o’clock and you’re still sleeping? Do you want us to be late on the very first day back? I swear, sometimes I think you’ll sleep through a hurricane.”

Her eyes flew open as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on her. She sat up in bed so fast that her blanket slipped off her shoulders.

“What?! Eight o’clock?!”

Panic surged through her. Without wasting another second, she ended the call abruptly, tossed her phone onto the bed, and bolted to the bathroom.

Fifteen frantic minutes later, she burst out of the front door, her hair still damp from her rushed shower, her bag half-zipped, and her tie slung messily around her neck.

Ethan was leaning casually against the gate, arms crossed, a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Oh, Junie… Finally decided to grace us with your presence?” he teased. “Anyway, we’re already late. Let’s go now, shall we?”

June shot him a glare as she adjusted her bag strap.

“You liar! You said it was already 8 o’clock, but when I checked after my shower, it was only 7:50. Now it’s just turning 8!”

“Details, details,” Ethan shrugged with a mischievous grin. “If I hadn’t lied, you’d still be in bed snoring. You should be thanking me. Now come on, before we actually are late.”

Rolling her eyes, June reluctantly followed him. “One day, your lying habit is going to get you into real trouble.”

“Maybe,” Ethan said cheerfully. “But not today. Today, my clever little lie saved us.”

They walked side by side, their playful bickering filling the morning air.

After a while, June spoke up.

“By the way… is Noah ready? It’s his first year of high school, right?”

Ethan’s expression softened slightly. “Yeah. He went ahead on his own. I told him we’d be late because of you. He didn’t seem to mind, though. Honestly, this is the last time I’m waiting for you, Jiaa. From now on, you’d better go with Noah. Because of you, I’m always running late.”

Her nose scrunched in annoyance.

“Oh, so why did you wait, huh? I could’ve managed on my own. I’m not a child, you know.”

“You’re right,” Ethan said, chuckling, “you’re not a child. You’re worse. Children at least wake up when their alarms ring.”

June gasped dramatically. “Excuse me?”

But before she could argue more, Ethan suddenly grew quiet, his tone shifting.

“I think… I’m finally going to confess to Mia today.”

June stopped walking mid-step.

“What?”

Ethan’s face turned uncharacteristically soft, almost shy.

“I’ve liked her for so long. I don’t know why, but this time, it feels right. It’s scary, but… I don’t want to keep it in anymore. I’m nervous, though. What if she rejects me?”

A tender smile tugged at his lips as he spoke her name, Mia.

June’s heart twisted painfully. She tried to mask it, but inside, it felt like the ground beneath her had shifted.

‘Why does it hurt so much to hear that?’

She had always known. Deep down, she had always known Ethan saw her as nothing more than a friend—his childhood companion, his partner-in-crime, his Jiaa. But still… some small, fragile part of her had always hoped. Hoped that maybe one day, he’d look at her differently. Hoped that he’d feel the same flutter in his chest when their eyes met.

But here he was, smiling dreamily about another girl.

“Yeah… you should confess soon,” June said softly, forcing her lips into what she hoped looked like a smile. “Before it’s too late and you lose her.”

She wanted her voice to sound supportive, casual even. But no matter how hard she tried, the crack in her heart slipped through, and her words came out gentler, sadder.

Ethan, lost in his thoughts, didn’t notice.

“Exactly. I don’t want to lose her,” he said with a grin, his eyes sparkling.

The words pierced June like a blade.

June turned her face away, blinking rapidly to keep her tears from spilling.

Without waiting for her reply, he bounded up the bus steps, leaving June trailing behind with a heavy heart.

The bus ride felt unusually long. Ethan sat by the window, staring outside with a dreamy expression, clearly replaying his planned confession in his mind. June sat quietly beside him, her hands gripping her skirt tightly, trying to hold herself together.

By the time they arrived at school, June’s fake smile was firmly plastered on her face again.

The school campus buzzed with life as students filled the corridors, chattering about their vacations, or complaining about the early morning classes.

“Ethan! June! Over here!”

This brought June out of her thoughts.

June looked up to see Noah jogging toward them, his blond hair catching the sunlight, brown eyes bright and mischievous. He was a year younger, but already tall and strong, with that effortless charm that made everyone like him instantly.

“Hey, Noah,” she said, smiling. He was more than a friend —he was her best friend, the one who knew her secrets, including how hopelessly she had been in love with Ethan for years.

“Hey! June! How was your vacation?” he asked, his brown eyes lighting up.

“It was nice, Noah,” June said with a smile that felt lighter around him. “How about you?”

“Same here! But I missed you both like crazy.” He pulled them into quick hugs, one after the other.

Ethan ruffled Noah’s hair. “You’re such a kid.”

“I’m in high school now! Stop treating me like one,” Noah said, swatting his hand away.

June chuckled, feeling comforted by his presence. Noah had a way of making the world feel lighter, even when things felt complicated. And he always knew how to keep her grounded when her heart got too tangled in Ethan’s smile.

Laughing, Ethan slung an arm around Noah’s shoulder. “Alright, come on. Let’s head to class before the teachers start yelling.”

Since Ethan and June were in the same year, they shared classes, while Noah, being a year younger, headed off in a different direction.

____________

The morning dragged on painfully for June. The teacher’s voice seemed to drone endlessly, words blurring together as her mind kept wandering back to Ethan’s smile when he’d mentioned Mia.

By the time the lecture ended, she felt drained. She and Ethan left the classroom together, heading toward the canteen. But suddenly, Ethan stopped walking.

“What’s wrong?” June asked, following his gaze.

Her stomach sank. Of course. Mia.

She was standing just down the hallway, laughing with her friends, her smile bright and effortless.

“June…” Ethan’s voice was hesitant, almost guilty. “Can you go ahead without me? I think I’ll have lunch with Mia today.”

Her throat tightened, but she managed a small nod.

“Sure. Go.”

She turned quickly before he could notice the disappointment clouding her eyes.

___________

Inside the canteen, June spotted Noah waving at her from a corner table. She forced a smile and walked over, sliding into the seat across from him.

Noah looked around, frowning.

“Where’s Ethan?”

“He’s… having lunch with Mia,” June replied, her voice fragile, almost breaking. She looked down at her lap, blinking fast to stop her tears.

Noah leaned closer, studying her carefully. His voice was gentle but firm.

“You still haven’t told him, have you? About your feelings.”

June bit her lower lip hard, staying silent. Her silence was the answer.

Noah sighed, leaning back in his chair. “June… you can’t keep hiding forever. One day, someone else might take the place you wanted in his life. And when that happens…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

June clenched her fists under the table. She knew he was right, but the thought of confessing terrified her more than the idea of losing Ethan. Because what if he rejected her? What if their friendship shattered, too?

And so, she stayed silent.

But she didn’t know her silence would bring them apart.

___________

Present

The click of a door opening was heard as June looked up. She saw her husband had arrived. She glanced toward the clock and saw it was already past 12, and as she knew he came after having dinner, this time she didn’t even bother to ask. But something that felt like a miracle for June happened.

Ethan spoke to her by himself, but it was something which she didn’t expect to hear his first word would be instead of a normal greeting.

“We are shifting to a new house.”

That’s what he said.

“But why? So suddenly—” June didn’t get the chance to complete her words.

He always did that… never let her finish what she wanted to say.

He sighed as he said, “This is my parents’ house, and they are coming back from a business trip in a few days, and I don’t want to live or pretend like a couple in front of them, so we are moving, tomorrow!” He finished and left for the bathroom to get fresh before letting June reply to anything.

“But how… I complete packing so fast…” she just muttered to herself as he was already gone.

But she didn’t know something new was awaiting her there, something which would bring light to her dim life.

__________

“Yah, Minu! Slow down, man!” A young guy was running with his dog, more like running after his dog, as it looked like he’d come out for jogging in the middle of the night.

Strange, which he was. Very strange.

His dark brown hair bouncing while running after his dog. His tall legs betrayed him and made it difficult for him to keep up with his dog.

“Come on, champ, now don’t do that to me please. I am your owner! Okay, I promise, next time, not next time, but tomorrow, I’ll take you out for a jog in the morning! I promise! Now please let’s go home! I am so tired now, please.”

And with his saying, the dog stopped finally, and he stopped with that, breathing heavily, catching air, and looking around and noticing how far they came.

“Damn, it’s a long way home!”

He looked up at the dark sky as he said,

“Hope tomorrow brings a new light to my boring life,” and a smile appeared on his face.

To Be Continued…