Chapter 173 - Emotional

"The wife Bernadette told her husband Mike not to ask too many questions. She said that she has done something bad and wished to keep that secret into her grave. It was not about a third party. She said to her husband that if he still loves her and accepted her back she will stay by his side and never leave him again. But if he can't accept her she will disappear again, this time for good.

The husband accepted his wife back without any question afraid that she will disappear again. And they live happily ever after..." Caroline ended Bernadette and Mike's story.

Mike raised his brows. He threw his hands in the air. "W-what? Is that all...?"

Caroline nodded her head. "Yes. The story ended that way..."

"I don't get it...why the author didn't even tell the readers the reason why Bernadette left her husband for one year?" Mike snorted feeling cheated by the story.

Caroline shrugged. "I dunno...maybe the author just want the reader to form their conclusion...to speculate what had Bernadette had done prompting her to disappear," she voiced out her opinion.

Mike was dumbfounded. "The author wrote a shitty story! I mean the story sucks!" he gave his verdict at last.

"I think not. I think the author was trying to give the readers a strong message that sometimes, some secrets are better kept hidden forever so that it won't affect the couple's relationship," she expressed her opinion.

"No. I think it doesn't work that way. It's unfair to the husband!" Mike insisted.

Caroline watched the display of emotion flashing on Mike's face.

"Hubby, if you are on the husband's shoes...what will you do? Would you accept the wife back in your life without asking any more questions why she disappeared?" she asked.

Mike looked at his wife directly in the eyes. "That husband is stupid and foolish. If I'm on his shoes, before I will accept my wife back, she must tell me the reason why she vanished without a trace then I will decide after hearing her story. If her mistake is not that revolting, then maybe I can accept her back in my life. There should be transparency in a couple's life. There should be no secrets hidden between them, that's the only way to keep the relationship strong and healthy," he stated.

Caroline was silent for a moment swallowing the lump in her throat.

She realized now that coming back to his husband's side one year after will be very difficult.

Meanwhile, Mike was consumed with the story.

"I will search online if the author intentionally left the readers hanging because she intended to write the sequel of the story. Maybe if there is a sequel she will reveal the reason why Bernadette disappeared for one year and returned to her husband's side as if nothing happens..." Mike reached for his laptop and began searching online.

"Hubby, you won't find the story online because I read it on paperback and most of the time small-time authors don't have an online presence," Caroline explained.

But Mike didn't stop searching online.

He did found some books with the same title but their synopsis was different from what Caroline had told him. Maybe his wife is right...the story can only be found on paperback.

After five minutes of futile searching, he gives up.

"I guess you are right, sweetie. I hate authors like that who keep the important part of the story a secret until the end," he said at last.

Caroline smiled. "But you have to admit to yourself that you were curious and wanting to know the reason why Bernadette left her beloved husband's side. That is one mystery that will haunt the reader's mind for a long time," she said.

"You are right, wifey!" Mike agreed.

"So...what do you think the real reason why the wife left her husband for one year?" Caroline asked him.

"Hmm...let me think..." he spoke.

Mike pondered his wife's question for a few minutes.

He took a wild guess.

"Maybe the wife's best friend is a lesbian—? Then they eloped together? Live in one place then the wife realized that she's not happy in the lesbian's side she returned to her husband for good..." he finally said.

Caroline smiled. "Maybe...so...if it's that's the case...will you consider the lesbian as a third party?"

"Well...of course! It surely won't sit well with me..." he said in a hard voice.

Caroline breathed deeply.

"I think the husband just loves his wife unconditionally, so maybe he was already suspecting her wife of doing such thing behind his back, but he has no evidence and his wife won't reveal anything either. He realized that maybe it's better to just forget what happened and just move on forward. For him, what is important is that his beloved wife is back! He prayed and wished for her return and it was granted, and he was satisfied and happy because his torment was finally over. For him, that's all that matters," Caroline elaborated.

"I guess so... the husband is forgiving. If I'm on his shoes I might react and act differently," Mike said.

Caroline looked at the horizon. What she's going to tell her husband next will determine what's going to happen with their relationship...

"Hubby, I have another theory about the real reason of Bernadette's disappearance..." she told him.

"What is it—?" he inquired curiously.

"My theory is that...the foreigner boyfriend of that girl Naomi arrived and met both the girls. Maybe the foreigner was attracted to Bernadette and ditched the other girl resulting in a crime of passion..." she suggested.

Mike's brows furrowed. "Crime of passion—? Eh? How come you think that way? Why did you arrive at such a conclusion?"

"I dunno...just a wild guess on my part...blamed the author for withholding the vital part of the story," she said.

"Alright, let me hear your full theory..." he urged her to continue.

Caroline breathed deeply.

"I believed it when Bernadette declared that there's no third party. Assuming that when the foreigner boyfriend arrived...something really bad took place...prompting her to disappear. It's either the boyfriend was killed or the lesbian. Then Bernadette went on hiding..."

Mike brows knitted together. "Well...that's also possible...continue."

Caroline continues her theory...

"Maybe one day, Bernadette finally admitted to her husband what happened way back then. She only admitted the truth after giving birth to their first offspring. So, for example, she killed either the lesbian or the boyfriend...if you are on the husband's shoes...what will you do? Keep the secret hidden forever or bring your wife to the police station to pay for her crime? Take into consideration that you and your wife already had a young son that needed a mother's love."

Mike was in dilemma, he scratches his head. "Hmm...that is a tough decision to make...sweetie," he answered.

Caroline raised a brow. "Huh? Why it's hard for you to decide if you are the husband?"

"Because there is already a baby involved. I don't want my son to lose his mother," answered Mike.

"So for example...there is no baby yet... what will you do?"

"I will send my wife to the police station to pay for her crimes. I can't live my life everyday sleeping with a murderer. I don't want my children to have a murderer mother. I want my children to have a decent mother that they can be proud of," Mike declared.

Caroline's heart sunk after hearing her husband's decision. Her face was impassive but deep inside her she was falling apart.

"But why?...you love your wife so much. Isn't love enough to bind the two of you together for life. Why you must surrender your wife to the police? There's no need..." she asked fighting back tears from falling her face.

Mike smiled a little amused by her reaction.

"Wifey, you are carried away by the story of Mike and Bernadette, don't let their destiny affect you. It's just a fiction story, not real and nothing to do with us," he said and he embraced his wife affectionately and rubbed her back.

But Caroline won't give up yet.

"If your wife goes to prison...would you wait for her after she already served her jail sentence? Would you stay loyal to her and not find another woman?" she poked deeper wanting to know what he will do next.

"Well... if I love her that much then I'm willing to wait for her getting out of prison. It all depends on how much I love her and how important she is in my life. Because let's face it...some people are not worth fighting for," answered Mike.

Caroline smiled a little. "Alright, but I believe that Mike will wait for Bernadette after she gets out of prison. Because that is what true love means," she said and sniffled.

Mike looked at his wife's eyes shimmering with tears. "Oh, look at you. You are a sentimental woman. It's just a fiction story..."

Caroline smiled and hugged her husband tightly.

There are many upsetting revelations she discovered about Mike's principle today.

But the reality is different.

Things might go the other way.

She can only plan what's best for her...the rest is up to destiny.

"Hey, let's no longer talk about that BS story written by a BS author. You know what I mean. I can't believe that shitty author manages to get you emotional, wifey," he protested.

Caroline hides the pain from her eyes and showed her husband her dazzling smile.

"Alright, let's no longer discuss that story," she said. "Let's just do other things..." she winked at him seductively.

Mike smiled in anticipation. "Such as...?"

Caroline bolted towards the bedroom. "Catch me if you can!" she giggled happily.

Mike ran after her in delight.

They scrambled into the bed, got themselves n.a.k.e.d in seconds and Mike was already pumping harder and faster into Caroline's silky wall.

The couple made love over and over again.