My Husband Vanished, Then Married Someone Else

Soon, the police arrived with a few officers in tow. As they entered, under the piercing gaze of Devin and Elma’s subtle, cutting look, I stood firm in my identification. At that moment, Devin was taken away. Ignoring the hatred burning in his eyes, I met his glare without flinching. The wedding was ruined, and I had achieved my goal.

After giving my statement, I collapsed at the door of my house, struggling with my thoughts all night. Memories of the past seven years replayed in my mind, lingering longer than I anticipated. The irony was that as I sifted through those memories repeatedly, I couldn’t find any evidence that Devin ever loved me.

In truth, if I examined it closely, Devin’s infidelity was entirely traceable. From the very beginning of our marriage, I was aware that he harbored feelings for someone else. Just because he had promised, “I’ll forget her; give me some time,” I believed in him. I thought that if I worked hard enough and held on long enough, he would eventually notice me. But the reality was that Devin couldn’t forget her, nor was he ever willing to. The girl he had missed out on in his youth became his permanent scar.

The longer time passed, the more he missed her. At first, he managed to suppress those feelings, but everything changed when Elma returned to America and made her mark in the entertainment industry. Seeing her shine on stage was a turning point for him.

From that moment on, he no longer bothered to hide his emotions. After getting drunk, he would cry and repeatedly call out Elma's name, declaring his love for her and expressing his regrets. Each time the geological exploration team set out, he would write suicide notes, each one a greeting and blessing meant for Elma. He would inscribe her name at the highest and most dangerous locations during their expeditions.

He secretly took photos of those places, printing them out to gaze at day and night. He loved Elma to the core. I considered divorce more than once, but every time I brought it up, he would look at me with fragile, sensitive eyes, promising he would change, insisting that our child couldn't grow up without a father. Each time, I found myself moved. I wanted to believe that he would truly change, so I tolerated, retreated, and indulged him again and again. But in return, he mysteriously vanished.

A year ago, Devin disappeared during an exploration operation that should have been completely low-risk.

The exploration team searched the mountain but couldn't find him. Everyone assumed he had met with an accident and even held a farewell ceremony in his honor. But I still couldn't believe it; I refused to give up on finding him. While caring for Briana, managing his parents, and continuing the search, I found myself utterly exhausted. I fantasized about the day he would return, discovering that I had handled everything well, and he could hold me in his arms, forgetting the past and helping me stabilize our small family.

But I never imagined I would wait a whole year only to find out he was getting married. Hot tears streamed down my face, forcing me to confront my reality. I took a deep breath and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. If Devin couldn’t let go, then it was time for me to do so. You can't force feelings.

Unfortunately, Devin was not convicted of bigamy. He and Elma hadn’t obtained a marriage certificate and insisted that they hadn’t been living together. In the end, he was released. As soon as I stepped out of the police station, Devin rushed forward and grabbed my arm.

"Loraine! Don’t be crazy!"

My injured hand was yanked unexpectedly, causing me to gasp in pain. But Devin didn’t seem to notice at all. His expression was filled with hostility and disgust.

"Loraine, are you sick?!"

"Yesterday was the day Elma and I had our wedding. Are you satisfied with this mess?!"

"Do you have any idea what kind of situation Elma and I are facing because of you?"

"Why didn’t you wait for me to explain? Why are you being so stupid?!"

"Has your temper hardened after not seeing you for a year?"

Devin didn’t bother to lower his voice, quickly drawing everyone's attention, including Elma's.

She approached, exuding confidence in her high heels, a spring breeze in her demeanor.

"Riggs, don’t blame Loraine; she just misunderstood."

"We can clear this up if we explain it to her."

Devin seemed to soften instantly at Elma's sweet voice. Even his eyebrows relaxed, showing a warmth I hadn’t seen in a long time. After disappearing for a year, the first thing he did was marry his first love. When he finally saw me again, he was cold, and his first words were to tell me not to lose my mind.

Elma’s words seemed to dissolve all of Devin's hostility and impatience toward me. For a moment, it felt utterly absurd. I struggled to suppress the emotions threatening to erupt as I opened my eyes.

"Devin, you really aren’t human."

"Am I the crazy one, or are you? You disappeared for a whole year! When you finally returned, you abandoned your wife and daughter to marry another woman."

"What do you expect from me? Should I bless you with a smile?!"

The weight of my collapsing emotions became too much to bear. Without waiting for his response, I shook him off and turned to leave.