The Wife Who Never Existed

Chapter- 2

Althea.

Ever since I found out that Mr. Xavier was the mastermind, and that Theo’s mother was his accomplice in sending me to the mental hospital, a violent rage had been burning inside me. I couldn’t contain it. I screamed… and that was all the reason they needed to inject me with a sedative.

I also overheard the nurses whispering, saying there was no chance I’d ever get out of this place. The entire hospital had been paid off to keep me here… until I lost all hope… until I was the one who would end my own life.

The trust I once wanted to give Dr. Smith was completely shattered, especially when he kept injecting me with, God knows what, drugs that only made my body weaker.

The little hope I had left… vanished.

I sank to the floor, letting the tears fall freely. Again and again, I pounded my chest, as if somehow it could ease the unbearable pain inside me.

“Ms. Althea, get up. It’s time for your medication,” Dr. Smith called.

I didn’t move. I didn’t even look at him. There was no point in speaking to him anymore.

“Do you want me to call the nurses to carry you back to your bed?”

At that, I slowly turned my head toward him. No matter how hard I tried to hold myself together, the tears kept falling. I took a deep breath, then forced myself to stand and walk toward the bed. I lay down and shut my eyes tightly.

Every needle that pierced my skin… I ignored it.

Even when he gripped my jaw and forced a pill into my mouth, I didn’t resist.

With my eyes closed, memories of my parents came flooding back…

Daddy’s furious face.

Mommy’s tear-filled eyes.

Over and over again.

She couldn’t do anything when Daddy made her choose: our family… or my dream of becoming a journalist.

Since then, even when we crossed paths, it was as if she didn’t see me. She made me feel like I didn’t exist in this world at all.

My eyes flew open when I felt something placed against my ear. I was about to remove it, when Dr. Smith’s voice echoed through the headset…

“Get ready. Tonight, someone will come to take you out of here. You have to leave this place, because tomorrow, you’re being transferred to another mental hospital. If that happens, I won’t be able to help you anymore. After you hear this message, go to the bathroom and flush the earphones down the toilet.”

I was about to speak, but he was already out the door. All I caught was his back as he left.

My mind spiraled with doubt. Should I believe him? Should I even try…? What if he’s working with Mr. Xavier? What if the person coming for me is only there to kill me?

I glanced at my watch, six in the evening. Just a few minutes before dinner.

I need to stay strong. If Dr. Smith is truly helping me escape, then I’ll owe him my life. And if the day comes that we meet again… I swear, whatever he asks of me, I’ll give it in exchange for my freedom.

When the staff brought my dinner, I ate everything. Not a single bite left. Even the bottle of water… I drained it completely.

I paced around the room, trying to digest the food, my eyes constantly darting at the wall clock. I had no idea what time this “rescuer” would arrive… but one thing was certain: I would be ready.

But ten o’clock came… and still, no one.

Slowly, hope began to slip through my fingers.

My legs ached from pacing back and forth near the window.

I frowned, noticing how unusually dark it was outside. The lamp post just a few meters from my window was always lit, but tonight, it stood in complete darkness.

With every passing minute, the last thread of hope inside me unraveled.

Until…

My eyes finally gave in, slowly drifting shut.

Before I could fully lie down, I glanced at the clock one last time… two in the morning.

Tears fell again. I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face as I let them flow freely.

…then suddenly… A loud crash.

Followed by shouting.

I turned toward the window, and this time, everything outside was blindingly bright. There was also a strange smell in the air.

I shot up and rushed to the window. That’s when it hit me… there was a fire.

Smoke seeped in from outside, thick and suffocating.

My heart pounded violently. I rushed to the door and twisted the knob… but it was locked.

The shouting outside grew louder. I tried the lights, but the room remained dark.

No electricity… panic gripped me.

Is this where I die? Trapped inside this room?

Then suddenly… the door burst open.

I stumbled back, pressing myself against the wall, my whole body trembling as I waited, ready for whatever the person who entered would do next…

It was pitch dark, I couldn’t see him, but I heard footsteps drawing closer.

“Ms. Althea, hurry!”

At the sound of his voice, a flicker of hope surged back to life inside me.

“A—Are you the man Dr. Smith said would come for me?” I asked, needing to be sure before trusting him.

“Yes, it’s me. Come on, hurry before the power comes back.”

“Sure… let’s go.” I quickly grabbed his hand.

“Listen carefully. If you want us to get out of here safely, you follow everything I say.”

“Y-Yes, sir.” I nodded repeatedly, even though I knew he couldn’t see me in the dark.

He tightened his grip on my hand and pulled me out of the room.

I wasn’t wearing anything on my feet, but I didn’t care. Even as my skin tore against the ground, as I stumbled and stepped on sharp debris, I kept running. Pain didn’t matter. Not now.

“Double time! Move faster, one more minute and the whole place will light up!”

I shut my eyes and ran. There was nothing to see anyway. I just held onto his hand as tightly as I could.

Until… he shoved me.

I screamed, my eyes snapping open as my body crashed onto something soft.

A seat.

I was inside a car.

I tried to steady myself, but the vehicle lurched forward without warning. I nearly slammed into the side as it took a sharp turn.

Then my attention shifted to the man speaking. He was on the phone. I leaned back, listening closely.

The call was on speaker, I could hear everything clearly.

“Boss, where do you want us to take her?”

“To the yacht. Once you get there, call me… I’ll talk to Captain Punzi.”

“Copy, Boss.”

“Make sure she arrives safely. If not… you’ll all answer to me.”

“You have nothing to worry about. We’ll deliver her safely.”

“Good.”

I pretended to be asleep when the call ended.

“Ms. Althea, I know you’re awake.”

I froze.

“Here, your passport. All the supporting documents are in there. Once we reach the yacht, go straight to the room. There are clothes waiting for you, change immediately and throw away what you’re wearing now. Someone will take care of it… those are the boss’s orders.”

“Who is your boss? Can I know his name?”

“No. He gave strict orders, we’re not allowed to say anything about him. Don’t worry… you’ll meet him at the right time.”

“Sure… thank you.”

I fell silent. Whoever this “Boss” was… I silently thanked him.

Hours passed… a gentle tap on my shoulder woke me. When I opened my eyes, everything was already bright.

How long had we been traveling?

“Ms. Althea, go ahead and head up. Please hurry, the yacht is about to depart.”

“Sure… Thank you so much.”

Holding the plastic envelope, I quickly stepped onto the yacht.

A woman greeted me.

“Ms. Althea, this way. I’ll take you to your cabin,” she said with a smile.

“Thank you,” I replied shortly. I couldn’t bring myself to smile, not in my situation, not surrounded by people I didn’t even know.

We went down a spiral staircase and walked to the end of a hallway. She opened the door and gently ushered me inside.

“Take your time, Ms. Althea. I’ll come back to get your breakfast, and to collect the clothes you’ve taken off.”

“Thank you.”

She left, and only when the door fully closed did I finally feel a bit at ease.

My eyes wandered around the cabin.

It was spacious, nothing like the ordinary cabins I’d seen before.

Elegant. Organized. Every piece of furniture looked expensive.

When I sat on the bed, the pain in my feet slowly crept in.

I looked down, only then did I realize they were covered in wounds.

I quickly stood and went to the bathroom.

I frowned when I caught the scent of men’s cologne.

It felt… familiar.

Does this mean… this is the boss’s room?

After taking a bath, I opened the closet and changed.

The summer dress fit me perfectly.

Whoever bought this… knew my exact size.

As I looked down, I also noticed a medical kit.

I picked it up and sat on the long sofa, carefully treating each wound on my feet.

When I finished, I lay down and rested my legs on the center table.

I grabbed the TV remote and turned it on.

I should distract myself.

I don’t want to think… even just for a moment.

But suddenly… I froze.

A flash report suddenly cut through the screen.

“Theo George and Nervana Scotch... soon to be married.”

The remote slipped from my grasp, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

My knees buckled beneath me.

Tears spilled uncontrollably, blurring my vision.

It hurt... God, it hurt so much… like something inside me was being ripped apart.

Then the interview played.

“Yeah, we’ve been in love since high school,” Theo said, a bright, effortless smile on his face.

“Then who was the woman rumored to be your fiancée, Mr. George?”

“I think you’ve got it wrong,” he replied lightly. “I don’t have any fiancée other than Nervana.”

“So the news about the famous journalist, Ms. Althea Moor, was fake?”

“A-Althea Moor?” Theo echoed, his brows knitting in confusion.

“Sorry, but Theo needs to rest—he’s still not stable after the accident.” Nervana interrupted smoothly.

I remained frozen, staring at the screen long after the program had changed.

My mind refused to process it.

So that means… he doesn’t remember me?

Or… was all of this just an act? Was he pretending… like I never even existed?