The Love that Kills me

Chapter 9

The ride in the car felt like it stretched for hours, even though it couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes. Hope sat silently in the passenger seat, her hands clutched in her lap. She didn’t dare look at Stephen, her eyes focused on the passing streets outside the window, though she barely saw them.

The soft hum of the engine filled the silence, a low, steady rhythm that echoed the thudding of her heart. Stephen didn’t say anything at first, his eyes fixed on the road, one hand loosely gripping the wheel. But then, he spoke, his voice quiet and calm.

“Do you want to go somewhere?” he asked.

Hope hesitated, her lips parting just a little. She didn’t know how to answer—she’d never expected him to ask her that, to even care what she wanted to do. Bowing her head, she murmured, “Hmm… None really. Let’s just go home.”

But Stephen reached over and gently took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to meet his gaze. His fingers were warm against her skin, the touch sending a small shiver down her spine.

“Stop bowing your head when I’m talking to you, Hope,” he said softly. “Look at me, okay?”

She swallowed, her eyes flickering up to his. “Hmm… okay,” she managed to say, her voice small and unsure.

Stephen nodded once, then let go of her chin, his hand returning to the wheel. He pressed down on the gas, but instead of turning toward home, he steered the car in the opposite direction.

“Where… where are we going?” Hope asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“To the mall,” Stephen said simply, his eyes never leaving the road.

The drive was smooth, the car gliding effortlessly through the busy streets. Hope watched the world rush by, her heart pounding with a strange mix of fear and wonder. She didn’t know what to expect, didn’t know why Stephen was doing this—why he was suddenly treating her like… like a wife.

They parked in the mall’s underground garage, the soft glow of the overhead lights painting shadows across the car’s hood. Stephen got out first, then walked around to her side and opened the door for her. She stepped out, still unsure, still feeling like she was in the middle of a fragile dream.

As they walked through the bustling mall, Stephen took her hand in his—just like that, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Hope looked down at their joined hands, her heart aching in her chest.

Stephen’s holding my hand… in public, she thought, her breath catching. Is this real? What’s changed? But she didn’t ask, didn’t dare to break the spell. She held on, savoring every second, every small moment of warmth.

They stopped at a restaurant first, a quiet little place tucked into a corner of the mall. Stephen held the door open for her, then guided her to a table near the window. The afternoon sun streamed in, turning the pale tablecloth to gold.

He ordered for them both, his voice low and calm. As they waited for their food, he asked her how her day had been—like a husband would, like he’d always cared.

Hope answered in short, hesitant sentences, her voice faltering under the weight of her disbelief. Stephen listened patiently, then smiled faintly and said, “Ask me, Hope—how my day was.”

She blinked at him, startled. “How’s… how’s your day, Stephen?” she finally said, her voice trembling.

“It was okay,” he said, a small, gentle smile curving his lips. “Thank you.”

Her heart swelled in her chest, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. She didn’t let them fall—she just smiled back, the first genuine smile she’d felt in what felt like years. She was happy. For a moment, she let herself believe it was real—that maybe he was finally seeing her, finally feeling the same warmth she’d carried for him all these years.

Stephen noticed her smile but didn’t say a word about it. He just looked at her, his eyes lingering on her face as if he were trying to memorize it.

After they finished eating, Stephen took her hand again and led her to a jewelry shop on the upper floor of the mall. The shop glowed softly under the bright lights, the glass cases glittering with gold and diamonds.

Hope’s breath caught in her throat as she looked around. She didn’t know what they were doing there—she’d never dreamed of coming to a place like this with Stephen.

But before she could ask, Stephen’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He frowned, pulling it out and glancing at the screen.

“Excuse me for a moment,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Wait for me here, okay?”

Hope nodded, her hands twisting nervously in front of her. She watched as Stephen stepped outside, his voice low as he answered the call.

She stood there, surrounded by the glittering jewelry, feeling like she didn’t belong. Like she was a ghost in someone else’s life.

And that’s when she heard the voices—sharp, familiar voices that made her stomach twist into knots.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Hope,” Farah drawled, her lips curling in a cruel smile as she stepped into the shop with Nika beside her. “What are you doing here? Shopping for something you can’t afford?”

Nika laughed, a cold, brittle sound. “This place is worth millions, you know. Surely you’re not thinking of buying something here, Hope. Stephen would never waste money on you.”

Hope’s face flushed with embarrassment, her fingers curling tighter around the strap of her bag. She tried to step back, tried to slip past them and leave, but Farah blocked her way.

“Running away already?” Farah said sweetly, her eyes glittering with malice. “Don’t tell me you’re too embarrassed to be seen here.”

Hope’s lips parted, but before she could find the words to answer, a hand slipped around hers—warm and firm, pulling her back to his side.

Stephen was there, his face calm, his eyes dark and steady. He looked at Farah and Nika, his jaw tight, then turned to Hope, his hand still holding hers.

“Take what you like,” he said softly, his voice carrying no trace of hesitation. “Anything you want.”

Hope’s heart stopped. She looked up at him, her breath caught in her chest. Was this really happening? Was this really Stephen standing beside her, shielding her from the people who had always tried to tear her down?

Farah’s mouth fell open, her eyes flickering with shock. Nika looked just as stunned, her laughter faltering to silence.

Stephen didn’t look at them. He just looked at Hope, his hand still warm around hers. And for the first time in a long, long time, she felt like she wasn’t alone.

She nodded faintly, her eyes shimmering with tears she didn’t dare let fall. “Okay,” she said softly, her voice shaking. “Okay.”

And for a moment, just a moment, she let herself believe that this was real—that maybe, just maybe, Stephen was finally hers.