The Woman He Never Knew
1140 Words
The rain hadn’t stopped.
It poured harder now, soaking Evelyn’s thin dress as she stepped out of the Hawthorne mansion.
But she didn’t look back.
Not once.
Her heels clicked sharply against the wet pavement, each step steady, each breath controlled.
Only she knew how hard it was to keep walking.
Three years.
Three years of loving a man who had never once looked at her the way she had looked at him.
Her fingers tightened around her phone.
“Miss Carter, the car is waiting,” the voice from earlier reminded her gently.
Evelyn paused at the gate.
For a brief moment… her vision blurred.
Not because of the rain.
But because of the memories.
Cooking for him every night.
Waiting endlessly for him to come home.
Falling asleep alone.
Waking up alone.
Even on their anniversary… she had been alone.
Her lips curved into a bitter smile.
“How pathetic…” she whispered to herself.
Then—
She stepped forward.
A black luxury car was parked outside, its headlights cutting through the storm.
The driver quickly stepped out, holding an umbrella over her.
“Welcome back, Miss Carter.”
Back.
The word felt unfamiliar.
But also… powerful.
Evelyn slowly got into the car.
The moment the door closed—
The world outside disappeared.
Silence filled the space.
The driver handed her a tablet respectfully.
“Miss Carter, these are the documents the board asked you to review. Also… the press conference is already scheduled for tomorrow morning.”
Evelyn glanced at the screen.
Headlines.
Breaking news.
“The Carter Group’s Hidden Heiress Returns.”
“Mystery Successor to Take Over Billion-Dollar Empire.”
Her name wasn’t revealed yet.
But it would be.
Soon.
“Cancel the press conference,” Evelyn said calmly.
The driver hesitated.
“…Miss Carter?”
“I don’t want the public to know yet.”
Her eyes turned cold.
“Not until I’m ready.”
“Yes, Miss Carter.”
The car began to move.
Rain blurred the city lights into streaks of gold and white.
Evelyn leaned back slightly, closing her eyes.
For the first time in years…
She wasn’t someone’s wife.
She was herself again.
But then—
Her phone vibrated.
A message popped up.
Adrian Hawthorne.
Evelyn stared at the name for a few seconds.
Three years.
He had never texted her first.
Not even once.
Until now.
Her finger hovered over the screen… before she finally opened it.
Adrian: Where are you?
Short.
Cold.
Still the same.
Evelyn let out a soft laugh.
Of course.
Even now, he sounded like he was giving an order.
She didn’t reply.
Instead, she locked the screen and placed the phone aside.
“Miss Carter,” the driver spoke again carefully, “there’s one more thing.”
Evelyn opened her eyes.
“Yes?”
“The Hawthorne Group… is requesting a meeting.”
Her expression didn’t change.
But her fingers paused slightly.
“How fast,” she murmured.
The driver nodded.
“They contacted us immediately after the announcement.”
Of course they did.
The Carter Group.
A name powerful enough to shake the entire business world.
And now—
She was its heir.
Evelyn turned her gaze toward the rain-covered window.
“Reject it.”
The driver blinked.
“…Reject it?”
“Yes.”
Her voice was calm.
But firm.
“I have nothing to discuss with them.”
“Yes, Miss Carter.”
But before the driver could proceed—
Evelyn’s phone rang again.
This time—
It wasn’t a message.
It was a call.
Adrian.
Evelyn stared at the screen as it kept ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly.
Why was he calling?
He had never done this before.
Not even when she was sick.
Not even when she cried.
But now…
Now he was calling?
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
Then—
She answered.
“Hello?”
For a moment, there was silence on the other side.
Then Adrian’s deep voice came through.
“Where are you?”
Still the same tone.
Cold.
Demanding.
Evelyn leaned back, her voice calm.
“Does it matter?”
There was a pause.
A long one.
Then—
“It does.”
Two words.
But something felt… different.
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Before she could respond—
Adrian spoke again.
“This isn’t over.”
Her grip on the phone tightened.
“What do you mean?”
His voice dropped lower.
Dangerously low.
“I just received news about the Carter Group.”
Silence filled the car.
Evelyn’s heart skipped.
Then—
Adrian said something that made her breath stop completely.
“If you think you can walk away so easily…”
His voice turned sharp.
“Evelyn Carter… you’re wrong.”
For the first time—
He called her by that name.
Not “Evelyn.”
Not “my wife.”
But her real name.
Evelyn’s chest tightened.
But her voice remained steady.
“And what exactly are you going to do, Mr. Hawthorne?”
There was a soft, cold chuckle on the other side.
Then—
Adrian said:
“Come back.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Come back… and we’ll pretend none of this happened.”
Evelyn felt like she had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
A laugh escaped her lips.
But this time—
There was no sadness in it.
Only disbelief.
“Adrian,” she said softly.
“You really don’t know me at all.”
She was about to hang up—
But his next words froze her completely.
“If you don’t come back…”
His voice turned ice-cold.
“I’ll make sure the Carter Group disappears.”
The world seemed to go silent.
The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, sensing the sudden tension.
Evelyn’s fingers slowly tightened around the phone.
Her eyes darkened.
For the first time—
Real anger appeared.
“…You’re threatening me?”
Adrian didn’t hesitate.
“Yes.”
One word.
But it was enough.
Evelyn closed her eyes for a second.
Then—
She smiled.
A cold, dangerous smile.
When she spoke again…
Her voice was completely different.
“Then try it.”
Adrian went silent.
Evelyn continued:
“I’d love to see how you plan to destroy something… you’re not even strong enough to touch.”
And with that—
She hung up.
The car fell into silence again.
But this time—
It felt heavy.
Dangerous.
Like a storm was about to explode.
The driver swallowed nervously.
“Miss Carter… should we increase security?”
Evelyn looked out the window, her reflection faintly visible in the glass.
Her eyes were no longer soft.
They were sharp.
Unfamiliar.
“Yes,” she said quietly.
“Because from now on…”
Her lips curved slightly.
“It’s war.”
- Writer
