my marriage

chapter 4

Barbara stepped out of the hospital room, feeling overwhelmed and confused. She tried to understand what had happened and why things were going so roughly for her.

As she paced, lost in thought, David rushed towards her. "Barbara, you have to stop looking like your husband is dead; he's just in a coma and will recover very soon. Be positive, Barbara," he said firmly. "Your husband has left you in charge of the company; if you don't, things might fall apart."

"David, I don't know if I can do this," she said, her voice shaking.

"You must rise to the challenge to save your family, to protect what your husband has built," David replied.

She took a deep breath. "Okay," she said resolutely. "What do I need to do now? What steps should I take?" she asked.

David smiled, feeling renewed by her response. He patted her on the shoulder as they returned to her husband's VIP ward.

As she walked into the room, a sense of unease washed over her. She approached the bed and saw a stack of papers and a pen that her husband's lawyer had arranged on the bedside table.

"Here, please, you only need to sign where I have marked," the lawyer instructed, pointing to a line at the bottom of the page.

She carefully took the pen, her hand shaking slightly as she signed.

"On no account should anyone know that Wyeth is in a coma; you should address the workers and tell them he traveled," David said as he turned to Barbara. "We need to keep this as a family secret."

Barbara couldn't understand why her husband's accident should be kept a secret, but she nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"I will contact you if there is any need, but I must take my leave now," David said. "But in case I'm too busy to call, here is my card. Do call me if you have any challenges," David said, handing his card to Barbara.

David and the Wyeth lawyer left the room as she gazed at her unconscious husband, her mind racing with questions.

"The car he drove is still the same car that brought her to her husband's house. What might have happened?" she asked herself loudly.

Just as she finished speaking, the door to the hospital room creaked open, and Robert stepped in with a smile.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," he said.

Barbara eyed him suspiciously as he walked closer to her.

"What are you doing here, you pretender?" she asked, her voice steel and accusatory.

"Oh, stop with such childish things. I'm his brother, remember," he said confidently.

"You did this. What did you do to his car?" Barbara asked. "Don't stare at me like you don't understand what I'm saying."

"The cops haven't said anything yet, so why are you trying to accuse me of killing my brother?" he asked, giving her an innocent face.

Barbara stepped forward, her eyes blazing with anger. "I don't believe you," she spat. "You have your hands in what is happening. Stop pretending, Robert; I know you more than anyone does."

Robert shook his head in disbelief. "Why do you think I'm involved? He's my brother! I have nothing to do with this."

"All you want are his properties, his assets. I think you want to kill him," Barbara said, pointing fingers at Robert.

Robert stepped closer, his voice low and intense. "That's not true. I have no reason to harm him. When did you even start having feelings for him?"

"He's my husband; what do you expect?" she asked.

"You should know your husband is my brother, and I know him too well. People envy him, so they might be after his life," he said as he moved closer to Barbara.

"You are one of them!" Barbara said immediately.

"If you believe so. So answer my question: you never wanted to marry him. Why are you acting so concerned about him now?"

Barbara was taken aback by Henry's sudden intensity. She took a step back, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a response.

"I... I don't know. I can't explain these feelings," she stammered. "But you wanted me to marry him."

Robert stepped one step closer. "I still love you; my feelings for you are still in my heart, and I know you also love me. Please, I want you back," he pleaded.

As he leaned in to kiss her, she pushed him away, her eyes flashing with anger. "How heartless can you be? Is this all you can think of? Trying to kiss me!" she said, looking disappointed.

He stepped back immediately, looking surprised. "Do you love him all of a sudden?"

"Oh, please! Don't give me that look. Don't tell me you came from your office to kiss me while your brother is lying helplessly here," she replied angrily.

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, leaving him stunned and heartbroken.

He knew he had made a big mistake by abandoning her at the bus station the night they were supposed to leave the city. Now he wasn't sure if he could win back Barbara's heart.

She couldn't explain why everything was happening so fast like it was being planned. She still had feelings for her lover, but she wasn't sure things would ever work out for both of them.

How would she manage a multi-million-dollar business she knew nothing about? The pressure would be suffocating.

As she left the hospital and stepped into the bright sun, she was bombarded by flashes from the cameras of journalists and reporters waiting outside.

She wasn't expecting any of this. She opened her eyes wider in surprise.

"Mrs. Wyeth!"

"Is Mr. Wyeth dead?"

"Who do you think is after his life?"

"How do you feel about what is happening?"

"Is your life in danger?"

"What will happen to his empire? Will you be able to manage it?"

The questions were relentless, and Barbara felt overwhelmed as she tried to make her way through the crowd, covering her face from the cameras.

Suddenly, a sleek black sports car pulled up beside her. The door opened, and a man in a white corporate suit leaned out.

Barbara was scared and wasn't sure what to do at the moment.

"Get in quickly," the man said in a firm yet gentle tone.

She tried to see if she knew the person and asked, "Who are you?"