DUMPING MY BILLIONAIRE WIFE

CHAPTER 12

The hallway was quiet.

Earl and Meave stood in front of her room, facing each other. The soft light from the ceiling reflected gently on the polished floor, making the moment feel strangely still.

Meave’s breathing was still uneven. Small drops of sweat ran down from her neck to her collarbone. Her body looked tense, like she was trying very hard to control something inside her.

Earl noticed it immediately.

He looked at her carefully.

Then he broke the silence.

“Oh… You’re sweating, Ms. Castillon.”

His voice sounded concerned.

His eyes briefly looked at her condition. She was wearing light sports clothes, something that looked like she had just come from a gym session. The fabric hugged her figure naturally, revealing the toned shape of her body.

But Earl didn’t stare in a disrespectful way.

He simply noticed it while trying to understand her condition.

“May I?” he asked gently.

Meave did not speak.

She simply nodded.

Earl slowly stepped inside her room.

The room was spacious and elegant, just like the rest of the building. A large bed stood in the center, covered with soft white sheets. A small table stood near the wall with a few personal items placed neatly on top.

Earl didn’t really know what to do.

He was not a doctor.

He didn’t understand her illness completely.

But seeing her like this made him worry.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

He walked to the table and grabbed a clean towel.

Then he returned to her.

Carefully, he began wiping the sweat from her arms and shoulders.

“You’re sweating,” he said calmly. “You shouldn’t let the sweat dry on your body.”

Meave stood there.

Still.

Frozen.

Her eyes followed his movements.

No man had ever been this close to her without triggering her condition.

Yet somehow… Earl’s presence felt different.

She didn’t push him away.

She didn’t panic.

She simply stood there, watching him.

Earl finished wiping her shoulders and neck before stepping back slightly.

Then he walked toward the small table again.

He looked around the surface, searching for something.

“Where’s your meds?” he asked.

Meave answered quietly.

“I already took it.”

Earl turned back toward her and smiled faintly.

“Good.”

Then he walked toward the bed and sat down.

He leaned forward slightly and let out a deep sigh.

For a moment, he stayed silent.

Then he began to speak again.

“You know what?” Earl said slowly. “I used to be a man with dreams.”

Meave remained standing near the door.

But after hearing his words, she slowly walked closer.

Without realizing it, she leaned slightly toward him.

Her eyes focused on his face.

His expression looked calm, simple, and honest.

There was something very innocent about the way he spoke.

Something pure.

“I used to dream of becoming a billionaire,” Earl continued.

He gave a small smile, but it looked a little sad.

“Not because I wanted to buy everything I want.”

He paused for a moment.

“But because I wanted my father to experience what it means to live a luxurious life.”

Meave listened quietly.

Her eyes did not leave his face.

Earl continued speaking, almost like he was remembering pieces of his past.

“I was bullied,” he said.

“But I never gave up.”

His hands rested loosely on his knees.

“I kept proving to everyone that I could do better.”

His voice carried quiet pride.

“I graduated with the highest form of award a student could have.”

He looked down slightly.

“And I thought that would be everything.”

He chuckled faintly.

“That after getting that… everything in my life would change.”

Meave watched him carefully.

Inside her mind, a thought slowly formed.

This man was not just someone innocent.

He was someone who had struggled.

Someone who had tried very hard to live for other people.

Especially for his father.

Earl continued speaking.

“When I met her… my ex-wife…”

His voice became softer.

“I thought that would be everything.”

He paused again.

“When she got into an accident and needed money, I rejected all the opportunities that came flowing toward me.”

He shook his head slightly.

“All because I wanted her to feel safe with me.”

His voice lowered.

“I wanted her to know that no matter what happens… I would never leave her.”

He took another deep breath.

“But then…”

His eyes looked distant.

“All of it was just a lie.”

His lips formed a bitter smile.

“I was just living a life of lies with Kennah.”

The room became quiet again.

“And the worst part…”

Earl’s voice sounded heavier now.

“Even my daughter would never accept me.”

He paused.

“Because I couldn’t become a billionaire… all because I stayed with them.”

The room was quiet after Earl finished speaking.

His words still hung softly in the air. The story of his past, his dreams, and the pain he carried inside him filled the silence between them.

Earl did not realize how deeply his words had affected the woman standing in front of him.

Meave was still looking at him.

Her eyes did not move away from his face.

But something inside her had already changed.

At first, she only listened out of curiosity. Earl was the man she needed for the contract. Someone who could help with her condition and accompany her son.

But now…

Listening to his story felt different.

This man was not just someone she needed.

He was someone who had endured pain quietly. Someone who sacrificed his future just to protect the people he loved.

Someone who never stopped trying.

And somehow… that touched her.

Without realizing it, her eyes slowly filled with tears.

A single tear quietly rolled down her cheek.

Earl noticed it.

He blinked in surprise.

He had not expected her to react like that.

For a moment, he simply stared at her.

Then something strange happened inside him.

He saw the way she was looking at him.

That look.

It was gentle.

Warm.

Full of emotion.

It was the kind of look he had wished to receive many times before.

Back when he was still with Kennah.

Back when he thought love was simple.

But Kennah had never looked at him that way.

Not even once.

Earl slowly stood up from the bed.

He now faced Meave directly.

His own eyes had also become red and wet.

The pain he carried inside his heart was still there.

But right now, something else mixed with it.

Gratitude.

Relief.

And something he could not fully understand.

Meave did not move.

She just stood there quietly.

Watching him.

Earl slowly raised his hand.

His fingers gently touched her cheek.

Her skin felt warm under his palm.

Meave’s body stiffened slightly.

Not from fear.

But from surprise.

No one had ever touched her like this before.

Earl’s hand carefully wiped the tear from her cheek.

Their eyes met again.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The distance between them suddenly felt smaller.

Then Earl slowly leaned closer.

His face moved nearer to hers.

His intention was simple.

He wanted to thank her.

For saving his father.

For helping him when he had nothing.

For treating him with kindness when the world had just crushed him.

His hand was still gently holding her cheek.

Meave’s breathing became softer.

She did not step back.

She did not push him away.

The distance between their faces slowly disappeared.

Only a few inches remained.

Time seemed to slow down.

The quiet room felt even quieter.

Their eyes were still locked on each other.

Earl leaned a little closer.

Their lips were now only an inch apart.

The moment felt frozen.

Then suddenly—

The door opened.

The sound broke the silence instantly.

Both of them turned their heads at the same time.

Standing at the doorway was a young boy.

Emman.

The sudden appearance startled them.

Earl quickly stepped back.

Meave’s expression also changed.

But Emman did not seem to notice the awkward moment he had interrupted.

Instead, his face lit up with happiness the moment he saw Earl.

His eyes sparkled with excitement.

He quickly ran toward him.

After all, Emman had always wanted someone like a father figure.

Growing up with Meave had not been easy for him.

Because of her condition, no man was allowed to come near her.

No man stayed long enough to be part of their lives.

Earl was different.

He was the first man Emman had seen who could stand close to his mother without causing problems.

That alone made him special in the boy’s eyes.

Without hesitation, Emman wrapped his arms around Earl and hugged him tightly.

Earl was slightly surprised by the sudden hug.

But after a second, he gently placed his hand on the boy’s back.

Then Emman looked up at him.

He noticed Earl’s face.

Especially his eyes.

“Why are you crying?” Emman asked innocently.

Earl paused for a moment.

Then he smiled softly.

“No… I did not…” he replied.

But his eyes remained fixed on her.