my marriage

chapter 3

Barbara slowly opened her eyes and stretched her arms, feeling the softness of the sheets surrounding her. She sat up and looked around the luxurious room, taking in the elegance of the furniture and the beautiful paintings on the walls. A gentle knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Good morning, ma'am," a voice called from outside. "Breakfast is ready for you."

She got out of bed and made her way to the door, feeling weak. As she opened it, the smell of freshly brewed tea and warm toast wafted in. She followed the aroma down the grand staircase, admiring the ornate banister and gleaming marble floor.

In the dining room, a table was set with a variety of breakfast items, including a hearty sandwich and a steaming cup of tea. Barbara sat down quietly, taking a sip of the hot beverage and savoring its rich flavor.

As she ate, she asked one of the maids, "Where is my husband? I haven't seen him this morning."

"He had an urgent meeting, so he rushed out and asked us to prepare this for you, ma'am," the maid replied with her head down.

She was silent as she sipped her tea, savoring her breakfast, when the sound of a man's footsteps rushing into the dining room caught her attention. She looked up to see one of her husband's security guards, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Ma'am," he said, catching his breath. "I'm afraid your husband was involved in an accident."

Barbara wasn't sure she heard him right. She dropped her cup of tea, feeling a wave of fear wash over her. She could barely get the words out. "I don't understand you. Please, who are you, and why would you bring such bad news to me this morning?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Your husband was involved in a car accident," the man said again.

"I don't understand. What happened? He just left for work this morning."

He hesitated, then spoke. "He was in a car accident, ma'am. I'm afraid it's serious."

Barbara's mind was racing. She had just been married to her husband, and now this. She quickly rushed upstairs to change into casual clothes and ran back downstairs.

The security guard was waiting for her at the door, a look of concern on his face. "Ma'am, can we leave now?" he asked, holding the door open for her.

Barbara nodded, praying the information wasn't true. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. She wasn't sure of the right way to react to the news, but she needed to see for herself if her husband was truly lying in the hospital.

The journey to the hospital felt interminable, but they finally pulled up outside the emergency entrance. She stepped out of the car and followed him through the bustling hospital. The sounds of beeping machines and muffled voices filled her ears as she made her way to her husband's VIP room.

She pushed open the door, her heart in her throat as she saw him lying helplessly on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines and doctors. The doctor turned to her as she approached, their expression solemn.

"Are you the newlywed wife to Mr. Wyeth?" the doctor asked.

Barbara nodded, her voice caught in her throat. She had only been married to Wyeth for less than 48 hours, and now she was at his bedside in the hospital.

The doctor's following words took her breath away. "I'm afraid your husband was seriously injured, and he's in a coma. His case is a serious one, and his chances of surviving are extremely slim."

As she heard the news, part of her felt relieved that she might finally be free from Wyeth and her arranged marriage.

"But what will people think of me? How can I leave my husband at this point? He needs me now," she thought to herself.

She stood there for moments, silent as she tried to process the news. The doctor watched her, their expression sympathetic, as she struggled with her feelings. She didn't know what to do or how to feel.

She was still trying to process the news that her husband was in a coma when the door to the hospital room opened, and a tall man walked in.

He approached Barbara, his expression serious. "We heard the news. I'm so sorry," he said.

Barbara stared at him, her shock evident on her face. She didn't know who this man was or why he was there.

"Who are you? I don't think I know you," she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

The man looked at her with kind eyes and said, "I'm your husband's younger brother. I'm sorry to meet you in this sorry state. Why is Robert not here?" he asked, looking surprised that Robert wasn't in the hospital yet.

"He might still be in the office," she replied.

"From the investigation, the cops said the accident was planned. Someone is after your husband's life," he said gravely. "We don't know who the person was, but they did something to your husband's car, and he couldn't drive properly."

Barbara stood there, looking surprised.

"Who would want to kill my husband?" she thought. Everyone knew her husband was a powerful, ruthless man, but she never suspected anyone would want to take his life. She never thought his life would be in danger.

"But why would someone want to kill him?" she asked.

David sighed. "For business, for money," he replied. "He has offended some people, maybe they want to take revenge."

Barbara's head was spinning. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had married a man she hardly knew, and now she was in the middle of a dangerous situation.

"What if someone tries to kill me? I'm not safe. If anyone plans to take my husband's life, they will want to take my life too," she said with fear written all over her face.

David looked at her with concern. He knew her fears. "I understand how you feel about this. But I promise you, we will do everything we can to protect you and Robert."

She was still trying to absorb everything David had just told her, and her husband was still lying helplessly on the bed, hooked up to a network of beeping machines when the door suddenly opened, and another man walked in.

He greeted David and turned to Barbara, who was staring at him with surprise.

"And you are?" Barbara asked, staring at him in confusion.

"I'm your husband's lawyer. He ordered me to be in his office at 7 a.m., but upon reaching his office, I heard the shocking news. He asked me to bring some of his files with me," the lawyer said.

"Okay, there you are. How can I help you? As you can see, my husband is lying here, and you can see his condition is bad."

"Yes, that's true. I'm sorry about that. I just want to give you some of the files. He made it clear that his wife would handle his files and his company," the lawyer said, opening his briefcase to bring out the files.

"But we just got married. Did he make such a decision so fast without even telling me?" Barbara asked, looking confused. She was beginning to feel that everything was being planned, and their plans had started playing out.

"I don't have much time here, ma'am. I'm only here to guide you through the process as your husband's lawyer," the lawyer said.

"You are making me more confused, lawyer. You just came here telling me about my husband's files while his dying," she said, angry.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm just doing my job. I'm working with instructions," the lawyer said. "I do care about your husband's health, but I have to do as he has instructed."

"When did he give you such instructions? Because I'm just a new wife," she asked with doubt.

"Before he got married, he made it clear that whoever he marries will take charge of his possessions," the lawyer said, making it more clear.

"I still don't understand you, Mr. Lawyer," Barbara said.

"I know everything seems confusing to you," the lawyer stepped forward. "I'm here to guide you through this process to ensure your husband's interests are protected."

"Okay, I see, but I still don't understand you. Please explain more clearly," Barbara said, staring in suspense.

"In the meantime," the lawyer continued, "someone will need to be in charge of his business. I'm here to say that someone will have to be you, ma'am."

Barbara stared at the lawyer in confusion, her mind racing. "What do you mean? I don't know anything about his business."

The lawyer sighed. "I do understand how overwhelming this must be, but you are the only person who can do this. We are entrusting this to you as Mr. Wyeth's wife. He had a plan in place in case of an emergency, and you're the one he designated to take over."

"Me? I don't understand," she questioned further, turning to David. "Why did he choose me? I don't understand all this. We've only been married for less than 48 hours, and now I'm expected to run a business I know nothing about."

She felt a surge of frustration and confusion. She had married Wyeth on a whim but never expected to find herself in this situation.

She turned to her husband, lying unconscious in the hospital bed. She wished she could do something. "Will he survive this accident?" she asked, turning to David with teary eyes.

"He will," David answered.

She didn't love him, but she never wished such a bad incident would occur.

"What is your plan, Wyeth? Why did you marry me? I need answers," Barbara's voice grew louder, filled with desperation.

She couldn't help but feel that there was more to their marriage than what she knew, and she was determined to find out what that was.