My Missing Husband

Lydia was my mother-in-law's name. Hearing that she had a heart attack, I couldn't even hold the steering wheel steady.

My father-in-law, Daniel, who was always calm and steady, now had a hint of a sob in his voice.

"I don't know if Lydia will make it through this time. I'm afraid she won't even get to see her son before she leaves."

My heart sank, and I quickly turned the steering wheel around.

"Daniel, don't worry. I will go find him right now."

The moment he opened the door and saw it was me, Jeff’s face turned cold.

I shoved the phone into his hand, not caring about anything else.

"Your mother's had a heart attack, and she just wants to see you one last time. Are you still going to pretend, even at a time like this?"

Hearing that his own mother was in trouble, Jeff’s expression changed drastically.

He gripped the phone tightly, but just as he connected a video call, a finger with acrylics hung up the call.

Nora looked at me with an attitude and slammed the phone right into my face.

"Are you sick? Didn't you say yesterday that you wouldn't come to harass us anymore?"

Anxiety flashed through Jeff’s eyes as he reached back for the phone.

"She said my—"

Under my gaze, he changed his words mid-sentence.

"Her mother-in-law is in trouble and wants me to pose as her husband to comfort her."

Nora snorted.

"What do you mean, 'pose as her husband'? She must be lying, trying to force you to admit you are her husband!

"I've seen plenty of these jealousy tactics. You are not allowed to call! If you dare do it, don't touch me tonight!"

Seeing her angry, Jeff quickly tried to please her.

"Alright, alright, I won't call."

Looking at his submissive behavior, I said in disbelief, "Jeff, this is your mother.

"You've been missing for three years. She missed you so much that her eyes went nearly blind from crying. You can't even bear to make a single phone call to her?

"This might be the last time you two ever see each other!"

Jeff’s body stiffened. Just as his lips moved, Nora tightly grabbed his arm.

She looked entirely pure and innocent.

"As I said, my boyfriend is not your husband. How can you make him tell a lie to deceive people?

"Besides, he's not a doctor. Can making a phone call bring someone back to life? Can you please stop disturbing us?"

She rolled her eyes at me and signaled Jeff to close the door.

Jeff was still hesitating, but Nora’s hand had already restlessly slipped under his clothes.

With that, he couldn't care about me anymore, hurriedly leaving behind a single sentence.

"I can't manage that much. You guys find a good doctor."

The absolute heartlessness and coldness in his words left me in a daze.

The door wasn't closed tightly, and the hurried gasps pierced into my ears like needles.

His mother's life and death were uncertain, yet he could enjoy intimate moments of pleasure with another woman.

For the first time in all these years, I truly saw the person in front of me clearly.

After three years of searching for my husband, I finally had the answer.

...

When I arrived at the airport, I was notified that my plane ticket had been canceled.

While I was feeling confused, Jeff's friend, Randall, dragged me into a car.

"Didn't you come to find Jeff? Why are you going back alone?"

Looking at the anxiety hidden in his eyes, I said calmly, "Didn't he say it himself? He isn't Jeff."

Randall froze for a moment, quickly trying to fix it.

"You know he has amnesia, which is why he can't remember who he is.

"You can't be this cruel and just abandon him and leave!"

I sneered.

Who abandoned whom?

Who was the one who faked his death the moment I found out I was pregnant?

Who abandoned his family and ignored them for three years?

Before I even had a chance to question him, I happened to run into Jeff and Nora out shopping.

Looking at the large and small gift boxes in their hands, I froze.

Nora grabbed a handful of cheap wedding candies and shoved them into my hands, the smugness in her eyes completely impossible to hide.

"Jeff and I are getting married this Saturday. You should come.

"It'll be official then, and someone will finally give up."

Jeff looked at her tenderly, his tone full of doting.

"We are having a shotgun wedding. In another seven months, our baby will come into this world."

…

Hearing his tone full of anticipation, my heart ached.