Riley knew Zia would oppose her leaving, but her mother's life was at stake. The nurses mentioned that Zia was still due to report for work in eight hours. Riley could not wait. So, Riley decided to sign a discharge waiver against medical advice.
After leaving the hospital, Riley went to her mother's house to freshen up and change. Later, she arrived at the Halliport General Hospital.
"I'm in the lobby. Where are you?" Riley asked Brian over the phone.
"In the ICU floor," Brian replied coldly. "Hurry."
In the four years of her marriage to Brian, Riley had earned a lot while leading their company's design team. However, she had also spent lavishly on her mother.
Renee Allen was a single mother who had made many sacrifices to raise Riley. When Riley began earning decent money, she bought her mother a house, car, jewelry, and other luxuries. Riley also had her own investments. Asset-wise, she could cover the hospital bills herself, but she lacked liquid funds, making Brian paying the bill the quickest solution.
When Riley arrived at the ICU, she saw Brian and his mother standing in the waiting area. She shook her head and walked toward them.
Thankfully, no one was nearby. Brian immediately handed her the divorce papers. "Sign this, and I'll pay your mother's hospital bill."
Riley felt Brian's curious gaze on her while his mother, Beatrice, was evidently glaring. Riley took the document, found a seat, and read the terms. She was shocked by his decision—he was taking back all her shares!
Riley’s brows met. She clarified, "You are taking back my shares?"
"I funded the company," Brian explained. "I gave you the shares so I can take them back. As part of the divorce settlement, you'll receive five million dollars, and I'll cover your mother's hospital bill up to the current date."
Riley took a deep breath. Sure, she had no monetary investment in the company, but she had put in a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. She reacted, "That may be true, but you can’t deny how I contributed to the company's success."
"Says who? You are a mere jewelry designer. My son can readily hire another one. You only got the director position because you are Brian's wife!" Beatrice Martin said in a harsh tone.
Beatrice's dislike for Riley stemmed from Brian's investment choices. She had always wanted him to invest in movies and real estate, not jewelry. However, Riley had always dreamed of becoming a jewelry designer, so Brian created the jewelry company for her.
Since Riley and her mother-in-law were not necessarily on good terms, it no longer surprised her that the older Mrs. Martin sided with Brian's mistress.
Riley read through the other terms in the contract. When she did, she grimaced and said, "You want me to give up all claims to my previous designs? Despite them being my designs?”
"The company's designs, Riley. As an employee, all your work belongs to the company," Brian corrected. "And aside from that, you'll need to be dismissed, Riley."
"We both know it will never work in our situation," he described. "The next part of the agreement will include a hundred-thousand-dollar compensation for your dismissal."
"Think about it, Riley. We won't have anything to do with each other after this," Brian concluded. "I'll move on with my life, and so should you."
'It still hurts,' Riley mused. No matter how much Riley thought about it, the pain lingered in her heart. However, she acknowledged Brian was right. Even though she felt she wasn't paid enough for her jewelry designs, she wanted this. This was an opportunity to have no more connections with Brian and his family.
Riley took a deep breath. She shut her eyes and focused on her anger. Brian had caused her emotional stress and pushed her to the floor for his mistress. He had caused her miscarriage.
When Riley opened her eyes, a tear fell down her face. Looking straight at Brian's eyes, she said with conviction, "I regret everything. I regret loving you and marrying you. You are right. I don't want anything to do with you. I hate you. It's better this way."
Riley noticed the shock on Brian’s face. However, she did not give him a chance to react. She signed her name and the other copies of the agreement.
Brian later awkwardly gave her the check, which Riley stuffed in her purse. She rose from her seat and demanded, "Now, pay the hospital fees, Brian. From this day onwards, we are strangers."
After leaving Brian and Beatrice, Riley went straight to the ICU. Her chest was congesting, still pained from seeing her husband. However, the second she saw her mother, she felt a sense of relief. She cried. Indeed, her mother was awake, and she was no longer connected to the ventilator.
Renee had her hands raised, reaching out to Riley.
"Ri—" Renee attempted to speak, but no words came out.
"Stay still, Mom. Stay still." Riley said before embracing her mother. "I'm here. I'm here. I'm not leaving you. You are going to get better soon. We will be together again."
Behind Riley, the doctor explained, "Since we had just removed her from the ventilator, it will take a few days for her voice to come back."
"We had already explained to her what happened. So far, she is responsive, nodding, and crying. So, she understands her situation. She simply needs more time to recover her strength," the doctor added.
Riley remained to hold her mother. At that point, she thought it was okay. She lost her husband and her baby, but she had her mother back. She supposed it was heaven's way of giving her something she had lost, and her mother was more than enough.
While tears continued to flow down her cheeks, Riley said, "Thank you! Thank you for my mother's recovery."
***
A few hours later."Mrs. Martin-"
"Please, stop calling me that. Brian and I have already divorced," Riley explained to Doctor Wilson.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," the doctor responded.
From outside the ICU rooms, Doctor Wilson discussed Renee's treatment plan, "We will start your mother with a soft diet: water and gel-based food, but most of her nutrition will still be delivered through IV. It's the rehabilitation that I am very concerned about. While we offer basic rehabilitation, our hospital is not fully equipped. We highly recommend moving your mother's care to the King's Medical Center. They have the best doctors and high-end facilities."
With the doctor's suggestion, Riley replied, "I think that's a good idea too."
When the doctor left, Riley received a call from Zia. She said, "Riley, how could you do this to me? Do you not realize I could get fired for leaving the hospital?"
"Zia, you won't get fired. I signed a waiver," Riley responded. "I texted you all the details. My mom is awake. She needs me."
"No, that's not it! The boss will fire me! You were my responsibility!" Zia said before making a fake cry over the phone.
"Boss?" Riley inquired. "You mean Adrian King? Don't be silly, Zia. Why would he?"
"He - he," On the other line, Riley could hear a man's voice talking to Zia, and she assumed it was Adrian. When Zia came back on the phone, she said, "Mister King said he came back to the hospital to collect a favor you promised."
'A favor?' Riley thought. Then, she remembered how they had this discussion last night.
"Oh, I see." Riley gulped. "I'm not running away. I just needed to see my mom. Right now, she is all that I have left, Zia."
Before Riley knew it, Adrian was talking to her on the phone. His voice was deep as he said, "Meet me at the Plaza Hotel in half an hour. It is important."
***
Half an hour later, Riley was sitting across the table from Adrian King.
As usual, Adrian looked like a force to reckon with despite sitting in a wheelchair. He was incredibly handsome. His face was very symmetrical, with sharp jawlines, a long and pointed nose, and piercing grey eyes.
However, despite being blessed with good looks, he had such an authoritative aura. His gaze was intense and unwavering, reflecting the strength of his character.
He heard everything that had happened to her that day: the divorce signing, her mother waking up, and potentially moving her to another hospital. He answered, "I will let my assistant arrange your mother's move to The King's Medical Center as soon as possible."
"It doesn't have to be soon. My mother won't be ready for rehabilitation in a few days," Riley said. "But I am very thankful for your help. I will surely repay you for your kindness."
"I only need one favor from you," Adrian said. He looked impassive at that moment, giving no hint of his inner thoughts.
"Yes, what is it? Anything," Riley willingly offered.
Adrian stared into Riley's eyes and declared, "After your divorce is finalized, marry me."
Riley's mouth fell on the floor, and her eyes rounded in shock. "W-what?"
Riley's eyes widened in disbelief, her mind struggling to process the unexpected proposal. She blinked repeatedly and probably did the whole blinking cycle three times."Yesterday, I missed something important, so I need a wife. Since you owe me a favor, I was hoping you would marry me," Adrian said. His expression remained calm as he offered marriage, as though it were of little significance."W-what?" Riley gulped. "Marriage for a favor?"Adrian didn't respond. He stared at her intensely, then pointed to his assistant and ordered, "Explain."Riley darted to the man standing behind Adrian. The assistant, whom she had known as Clint Rodriguez, narrated, "Miss Allen, the other day, in order to bring you to the hospital and ensure your health, Mister King missed his engagement party with his fiancée, Leni Eros, the heir to the Eros Empire in Dowel City.""And because Mister King missed the engagement party, Miss Leni Eros canceled their engagement," Clint added. "So, Mister King needs a
Back at the Plaza Hotel, Riley's mouth hung wide open as she thought deeply. Then, she asked, "Why can't you just fix your engagement with Leni Eros?"Adrian's eyes narrowed. He responded, "I'm afraid the engagement is irreparable.""Did - did you try to reason with Miss Leni Eros?" Riley inquired. "You would not really understand until you meet her. Our engagement is off, and that's final. Now, I need a wife," Adrian said. Riley gasped. She responded, "I - I don't think it's a good idea, Adrian. I'm pretty traumatized right now -""I'm not Brian, Riley. I am a different person - a different man," Adrian responded. "And, as you suggested, this will be some sort of contractual marriage, where expectations are set beforehand."Riley gulped. She looked at Clint, hoping to get some help, but of course, he did not. So, instead, she said to Adrian, "But we don't love each other -""You married for love. How did that turn out?" Adrian pointed out. "Love can betray you... But I won't."Rile
At Renee Allen's Residence. [Miss Allen. The boss would like to know if you have considered his offer?]Riley gasped the moment she read Clint's text. She bit her lip and studied herself in front of the bathroom mirror. It had been five days since Adrian proposed marriage. She had not given him a response, but she meant to decline his offer. In the mirror, she saw a reflection of a woman with woeful eyes. Aside from the dark circles around her eyes, Riley no longer had that radiant glow on her face, the one she used to have during her happy days with Brian. She had been focusing on her mother's care these past few days and was trying hard to forget the pain of her divorce, but she knew healing was still a work in progress.Riley ran her fingers through her blonde hair and realized it was tangled. She muttered, "When did I last go to the salon?"With a sigh, Riley asked, " How could I compare to Leni Eros? Adrian is crazy not to fix things with Leni."Riley knew she was also beauti
Claire's mother, Mara Monet, visited her daughter in the hospital. Brian had left them to take care of company matters. While he was away, Claire took the opportunity to discuss Brian's divorce. Mara, a mirror image of Claire, questioned, "Claire, are you certain? Has that woman truly signed the divorce papers?" "Yes, Ma! Brian will surely marry me," Claire exclaimed. Mara's eyes gleamed. She said, "This is our chance to marry into the rich! I can imagine us living in a mansion soon, having luxury cars, bags, and shoes." "I'm already enrolled in a private school!" Carrie, Claire's sister, pointed out. "Life is going to be so much better for us now," Mara remarked. "Yes, Ma. Brian will take care of us because he loves me. I feel so lucky to have met him," Claire nodded. Then, out of nowhere, she remembered something. She muttered, "How I wish Brian had not given her money for the divorce." "He gave his ex-wife money for the divorce?" Mara inquired in shock. "Yes, Ma. He g
"You need to eat. How can you care for your mom if you don't eat?" Adrian said as he pushed a bowl of ramen in Riley's direction. "This thick broth is good for you. You are so thin."Riley frowned. She looked at her arms and could not deny Adrian's comment. She had lost a lot of weight in the past few days. She accepted the ramen and slowly sipped on the soup. Adrian insisted that Riley take a break from watching her mother, even just a few hours. Thus, they were at a famous Japanese restaurant that was about to close, but Adrian was a King, and the owners were more than willing to accommodate him. When Riley ate, she felt better. The soup and the noodles warmed her stomach. Out of nowhere, Adrian asked, "Are you really going to contest the divorce agreement?" Riley stared at him. They had earlier talked about her encounter with Claire's mother and the threats she gave. She replied, "I just said that out of spite. I don't care about Brian's money. I want to divorce him as soon as po
When Riley mentioned possibly having a child, she felt more embarrassed. In her defense, she explained, "Because you said that your grandfather wants to continue your family's legacy.""We don't have to if you don't want to," Adrian assured her. "My grandfather does not have to know it is not in our plans."'Do I not want a child?' Riley asked herself. Of course, she does, but was it right to have one when there was no love between her and Adrian?"If you want to have a child but do not want to be intimate, we can arrange something," Adrian calmly suggested. "In today's modern age, anything is possible.""Don't dwell on it too much. We will cross the bridge when we get there," Adrian proposed. "Do you have any other concerns?""Can I - can I sleep in a different room?" Riley nervously asked. "Of course. That's a given. You'll have your own room, and I'll have mine," Adrian acknowledged without hesitation. "This marriage will be a respectful one. I will never force you on something th
### FLASHBACK ###More than six years ago in Sweden.Adrian had just turned twenty-one. He loved skiing. Abner King, Adrian's grandfather, bought a vacation home in Sweden because of his love for the sport.The vacation house was a four-story brick mansion settled at the top of the hill. At least once a year, the entire King family visited this vacation home. Adrian had just returned to the hilltop from checking the trail to ensure there was no unwanted debris. He looked up at his grandfather, who stood by the second-floor balcony, and Adrian waved, "Ready for the show, Grandpa?"Adrian's grandfather, Abner King, stood ready with his video camera, symbolizing his unwavering support and pride in his grandson's skills. "Ready when you are, Adrian!" He called out, his voice filled with encouragement. With a confident smirk on his face, Adrian put on his ski helmet and goggles. He hopped in place to check if his skis' were in good condition. After that, he turned to his grandfather and
"Your mother is doing better, Miss Allen. We need to work on her muscles, including her heart. She hasn't been using her body due to the coma, and she has lost a lot of strength.""It was fortunate that she had medical help immediately after experiencing a heart attack. It did not cause any damage to her brain.""It's important to get her moving. We will start with simple occupational therapy.""Next week, we can move your mother to a private room. Mister King had already requested two caregivers to attend to your mother twenty-four hours a day."Riley stood by Renee's hospital bed, listening to three doctors. Over the past few days, three specialists have visited Riley's mother. The doctors were the best in their field, and Riley couldn't be more thankful to Adrian for bringing them in. Both Riley and Renee were cared for at The King's Medical Center. Everywhere Riley went, the staff always smiled at her or asked if she needed anything. Whenever nurses or doctors checked on Renee, t