When the Backup Wife Disappears Chapter 05
Evelyn’s POV
“I’m at the airport.” My voice stayed calm.
Silence on the other end for a few seconds, then Alexander’s voice–disbelieving. “The airport? What the hell are you doing at the airport? Evelyn, what are
you PLAYING at?”
His tone carried obvious panic–something I’d never heard from him before. But right now, I didn’t care anymore.
“I sent you something,” I cut him off, voice still level. ” Make sure you get it.”
“Sent me what? Evelyn, you-”
I hung up. Powered down my phone.
The boarding announcement came over the speakers, calling passengers to the gate. I stood, grabbed my suitcase, and walked toward the gate without looking back.
Alexander’s POV
The automated message telling me her phone was off made my stomach drop.
I stood in my office, staring at my phone screen, mind racing. Evelyn was at the airport? Where was she going? Why didn’t she tell me?
The doorbell suddenly rang.
I opened it. A delivery guy held out a small package.”
Mr. Green, got a delivery for you.”
I signed for it and tore it open.
Inside was a document–the divorce agreement. Signed.
And the ring. The one I’d put on her finger at our wedding. Inside the band, the engraving read Forever, A&E.”
My hands started shaking.
This couldn’t be real.
She couldn’t actually want a divorce.
Ifrantically called her back–phone off. Once. Twice.
Three times… all going straight to voicemail.
“FUCK!” I slammed my phone on the desk.
Just then, the doorbell rang again.
I yanked the door open, irritated—Maya.
“Alexander, what’s wrong? You look awful.” She walked in, spotted the divorce papers on the table, and her eyes lit up. “Is that… a divorce agreement? She finally came to her senses! This is good–now we can-
“ENOUGH!” I shoved her away hard.
Maya froze, staring at me in disbelief. “You’re pushing ME away? For that woman who’s leaving you?
“This is between me and Evelyn!” My voice rose. “It’s NONE of your business!”
Maya’s expression went ugly fast. Her voice turned shrill. “None of my business? Alexander, how DARE you say that? How much have I done for you? I waited for you for YEARS, and you married HER! Who do you think gave me depression? You think I WANTED this?”
Her voice climbed higher, eyes reddening. “Back then, if you hadn’t been broke, would my parents have stopped us? Would we have broken up? Do you remember what you promised me? You SWORE when you made something of yourself, you’d marry me! And what happened? You married HER!”
I went silent.
Those promises from our youth–they stuck in me like thorns.
Back then, Maya’s parents looked down on me, some poor nobody. They forced her to go abroad, made her break up with me. Before she left, I held her hand and swore: When I make it, I’ll marry you.
But I couldn’t wait.
During those startup years, I needed capital, connections–everything that could help me succeed. And Evelyn appeared–capable, obedient, well- connected, willing to give me everything.
So I married her.
I’d always felt guilty about Maya. So when she came back, I tried to make up for it–jewelry, property, the yacht… I thought that would square things, fulfill that old promise.
Maya saw my silence and softened her tone. She came closer, wrapped her arms around me, voice breaking “Alexander, do you understand how I feel? I’ve been waiting for you. All these years since we since we broke up, I’ve had depression. Every single day has been torture. Now she’s finally gone–we can start over, can’t we?”
She lifted her head, trying to kiss me.
pushed her away instinctively, forcing the words out. “Maya… we can’t do this.”
“Why NOT?” She looked at me, confused. “She doesn’t WANT you anymore!”
“Because…” I took a deep breath, “I only see you as a friend. Evelyn is my wife.”
The moment those words left my mouth, I shocked myself.
Yeah. Evelyn was my wife.
No matter how I’d ignored her, hurt her—that fact never changed.
Maya’s face went deathly pale. She stepped back, something wild flashing in her eyes.
“What did you just say? You only see me as a FRIEND? Then what the hell was all that compensation? All that attention you gave me?”
“That was because I owed you-”
“I don’t WANT compensation!” Maya suddenly screamed and bolted toward the kitchen.
Alarm shot through me. I chased after her and saw her grab a knife from the counter, pressing the blade against her wrist.
“If you don’t want me, I might as well DIE!” Tears streamed down her face. “There’s no point in living anyway!”
“Maya, calm DOWN! Put the knife down!” I lunged forward to grab it.
But she’d already pressed down.
Blood gushed out instantly.
“SHIT!” I wrestled the knife away, pressing down on the wound. “Are you OUT OF YOUR MIND?!”
Maya leaned against me, smiling weakly. “See? You still care about me. Don’t you?”
I didn’t answer. Just scrambled for the first aid kit to bandage her up. But there was too much blood–I had no choice but to take her to the hospital.
In the ER hallway, I paced back and forth, anxiety eating at me.
“Alexander?”
A familiar voice. I turned–Robert, walking over with a chart in hand.
“Here with a friend?” he asked.
I forced a smile. “Yeah.”
Robert hesitated, taking in how wrecked I looked, and sighed. “You look like hell. Does this… have something to do with Evelyn?”
I stiffened. “How’d you know?”
Robert was quiet for a few seconds. “At the yacht party, she told me… she was divorcing you. I thought it was just talk, but apparently…”
I clenched my fists, laughing bitterly. “She meant it. She’s already gone.”
Robert watched me, seeming to struggle with something. Finally, he took a deep breath, like he’d made some kind of decision.
Alexander, there’s something I think you should know. This is personal business, and normally I’d stay out of it, but… seeing you like this, I think you deserve to know the truth.”
“What truth?”
Robert met my eyes. “You remember that investment, right? The one that saved your company.”
“Of course.” I nodded. “If it weren’t for you, my company would’ve gone under.”
Robert shook his head, voice quiet.
“It wasn’t my money, Alexander. It was Evelyn’s.”