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THE WIFE I MARRIED FOR MONEY
Episode 4: The Woman From His Past

"The mysterious woman from David's past had returned... and she carried a secret powerful enough to destroy his marriage."
David sat beside Sophia's hospital bed.
Their hands were locked together.
Neither of them noticed the woman standing outside the room.
The woman watched through the glass.
Tears filled her eyes.
Five years.
Five long years.
Yet she could still recognize him instantly.
Slowly, she stepped away from the door.
Her heart was racing.
The memories came flooding back.
The promises.
The dreams.
The love they once shared.
Back inside the room...
Sophia noticed David staring into space.
"What are you thinking about?"
David smiled softly.
"Nothing important."
Sophia laughed.
"That's a lie."
For the first time in a long while, happiness filled the room.
A fragile happiness.
One that neither of them knew was about to be tested.
The following day...
David left the hospital briefly to buy Sophia her favorite fruit.
As he walked through the parking lot, a familiar voice stopped him.
"David."
He froze.
The fruit bag slipped from his hand.
Slowly, he turned around.
And his heart nearly stopped.
"Grace?"
The woman standing before him nodded.
Tears gathered in her eyes.
"Hello, David."
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
The years disappeared.
The memories returned.
Grace had been David's first love.
The woman he once planned to marry.
The woman who disappeared from his life without explanation.
David stared at her in disbelief.
"I thought you left the country."
Grace lowered her head.
"I did."
"Why are you here?"
She looked away.
"Because I came back looking for you."
David's chest tightened.
Questions filled his mind.
Questions he had carried for years.
Questions that never received answers.
"Why did you leave me?"
Grace's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"David..."
"No."
His voice broke.
"You promised we'd face everything together."
People nearby turned to look.
But David didn't care.
"You vanished."
Tears rolled down Grace's cheeks.
"I had no choice."
Before she could explain further, David's phone rang.
Sophia.
He immediately answered.
"Hello?"
Sophia's weak voice came through.
"Where are you?"
David glanced at Grace.
Then back at his phone.
"I'm coming."
He ended the call.
Grace forced a painful smile.
"You're married now."
David remained silent.
"Does she make you happy?"
Again, silence.
Because deep down, he already knew the answer.
Yes.
She did.
That evening...
David couldn't stop thinking about Grace.
Not because he still loved her.
But because he never got closure.
Never got answers.
Meanwhile...
Sophia noticed something was wrong.
She had spent enough time around David to recognize when he was troubled.
"What's bothering you?"
David hesitated.
Then finally spoke.
"Someone from my past came back."
Sophia's smile faded slightly.
"A woman?"
David nodded.
For a moment, Sophia looked away.
A strange feeling settled inside her chest.
Fear.
Not fear of death.
Fear of losing the man she loved.
"Was she important to you?"
David sighed.
"Once."
The answer hurt more than Sophia expected.
That night...
Sophia couldn't sleep.
She kept replaying the conversation.
The more she thought about it, the more insecure she became.
Why wouldn't he choose Grace?
Grace was healthy.
Young.
Beautiful.
She had a future.
Sophia had a hospital bed.
A heart disease.
And a countdown to death.
The next morning...
Grace called David.
"I need to tell you the truth."
David hesitated.
Then agreed to meet her.
Hours later...
They sat across from each other in a quiet café.
Grace's hands trembled.
"Before I explain why I left..."
She swallowed hard.
"There is something you need to know."
David frowned.
"What is it?"
Grace slowly reached into her handbag.
And placed an old photograph on the table.
David picked it up.
His eyes widened instantly.
The color drained from his face.
His hands began to shake.
"That's impossible."
Grace burst into tears.
"No, David."
Her voice cracked.
"It's true."
David stared at the picture again.
Unable to believe what he was seeing.
Because standing in that photograph...
Was a little girl.
A little girl who looked exactly like him

To be continued ....