Married to My Childhood Friend, Yet We Remained Strangers

Even after marrying my childhood friend, we remained strangers. Except for our routine nightly obligations, we rarely saw each other. He had an incredibly cold personality. Even when I asked for a divorce, he only spaced out for a second before pushing himself up from my body. "Alright. Got it." I said, "I don't want custody of the kid either. He's going to be your problem from now on." "It's fine." I insisted, "You've worked hard these past few years. Thank you." I had very little luggage. A single suitcase held everything I owned. Before leaving, I turned back to close the door. Carter, shirtless and covered in the scratch marks I'd just left on his back, stood silently on the balcony smoking a cigarette. 01 My sister Chloe Miller’s return to the States was trending everywhere on Twitter. After all, she was a dance prodigy who found fame young. In the interview video, she wore a red dress, looking as vibrant and fiercely dazzling as ever. But my attention was drawn to the final photo attached to the article. Through a half-lowered car window, Chloe's head perfectly blocked the side profile of the man waiting inside. Though you couldn't see his full face, the superior curve of the man’s brow, nose, and jawline was unmistakable. Not to mention, the angle of their bodies made it look exactly like they were kissing. Chloe's fans were going crazy, digging everywhere to find out who owned the car. I recognized the owner at first glance. It was my husband, Carter Hayes. After all, a globally limited-edition Rolls-Royce Phantom was hard to mistake. It looked like Carter wouldn't be coming home tonight. So, I comfortably took over our massive king-sized bed. Late in the night, a pair of ice-cold arms woke me up. "Are you awake?" The newcomer was very polite. "Sorry to bother you." My mind was still a bit foggy. It took me a moment to gather the strength to sit up. He had already wrapped his arms around my body, making room for himself on his half of the bed. "Sorry," I said. "I thought you weren't coming home tonight." The lamp clicked on. Carter turned his back to me and took off his bathrobe. The warm light painted his broad back and neck with a pale golden hue, like an oil painting, full of raw power and aesthetics. A minute later, that neck leaned in close to me. "Can we kiss?" He asked politely enough. But in reality, he didn't wait for my consent at all. As our lips and teeth tangled, I could clearly feel the sweat slowly seeping through his skin beneath my palms. Carter propped himself up, extended his long arm, and opened the nightstand drawer on his side. Then, he frowned. "Why are we out?" "Sorry... I forgot to buy more," I said slowly. Carter looked down at me for a moment, then lay back down beside me. He spoke in what sounded like a very considerate tone: "It's fine. I'll pick up a box on my way home from work tomorrow." A box... If I had known, I would have hidden them. I braced myself and replied, "Thanks for the trouble." "Don't mention it." 02 When I woke up the next day, the other half of the bed was already empty. I casually scrolled through my phone, and before I knew it, it was noon. The man I shared a bed with last night was in the news again. Carter Hayes, CEO of Hayes Corporation, was invited to watch Chloe Miller’s first stage performance since her return to the country. This time, the internet sleuths not only figured out that Carter was the owner of the car from last night, but they also used magnifying glasses to analyze the photos and concluded that the two definitely spent the night together. Because even though Carter was wearing a high-necked black shirt, it didn't hide the hickey on his neck. And Chloe's lip, coincidentally, was slightly bruised. You didn't need much imagination to guess how intense they were last night. The hype was so massive that an insider soon leaked the backstory: Years ago, to ask for Chloe's hand in marriage, Carter had threatened to voluntarily give up his inheritance rights to the Hayes empire. But at the critical moment, Chloe turned him down. She didn't want to become a wealthy socialite wife and end her dancing career. Reuniting years later, the teenage lovers who missed their chance had both reached the absolute pinnacle of their respective fields. Every look, every gesture between them seemed to steep in their lingering past love. ... The comments section was flooded, basically all praising how perfect they were for each other. Only one anonymous burner account posted a few consecutive comments: [Fake news. He has a wife.] Very quickly, that account was chased down and flamed by a mob: [So what if he has a wife? No one can replace the first love of his youth!] [Then he'll just get a divorce and pursue Chloe again. Duh.] I was just about to hit 'like' on their comments when the trending page was flooded with a new picture. It was backstage after the dance performance. Carter was handing Chloe a bouquet. Chloe held the flowers, smiling like a little girl. And Carter, who never showed emotion to anyone, was looking at her, seemingly infected by her joy, with a smile on his own face. Though faint, it held a very rare kind of tenderness. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. A complex knot of emotions surged in my chest. We had known each other for decades. We had been married for five years. I had never seen Carter smile at me like that. And he had never, ever given me flowers. 03 If Chloe was Carter’s lingering regret from his youth, then I was the obligation forced upon him by the Hayes family. Chloe, Carter, and I all grew up in the same wealthy neighborhood and attended the same prep school. But they took calligraphy classes together under the same tutor since childhood; their bond was much closer. I only got Carter’s personal cell phone number half a month after our wedding. Right after we got married, Carter worked overtime and didn't come back to the bridal estate for half a month. When my mother-in-law found out, she visited specifically to lecture me about not taking the initiative to care for my husband's health. I sent him my first text message: [Sorry to bother you. Are you coming home for dinner tonight?] Half an hour later, he replied: [Who is this?] [Maya.] [Thank you. No need to wait for me.] It wasn't until three months later that Carter sent me his first initiated text. [Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow.] Me: [Is there an occasion?] [We need to go back to the main estate.] [Okay. Do I need to bring anything?] A moment later, my phone chimed with the pleasant sound of a deposit: [Chase Bank: Your account ending in 730 has received a wire transfer of $100,000.00. Available balance: $100,123.00.] Carter replied: [You decide. Just buy whatever.] From that moment on, I knew Carter would never love me. He treated me like an employee of his company. He dismissed me with money. But I was very open-minded about it. An arranged marriage was exactly like this. It didn't matter if he came home or not. I could just spend his money like crazy by myself. Our relationship only improved slightly after we spent a night at the Hayes estate. To fool the elders, he was forced to sleep in the same bed with me. I thought he wouldn't touch me. But my mother-in-law had spiked the soup she served that night with a lot of "herbal supplements." Carter spoke first: "I'm sorry." Then he asked: "Can we?" And finally: "If you're uncomfortable, tell me to stop." I endured it for a long time before I finally let out a sound. "...I'm sorry, I think this is a bit too much for me." "I'm sorry." He apologized quickly. "It's okay," was all I could say. ... A long time later, I couldn't help but ask, "Why haven't you stopped yet?" Carter finally lifted his head and looked at me. Under the dim yellow light, he seemed hesitant, but he still leaned down and kissed me. It was much later when I found out why he lost control that night. Chloe had started dating a guy abroad. That night was the day she went public with the relationship. 04 After finding out I was pregnant, I sent Carter a message. It was a photo of the obstetric ultrasound report. He was busy for a long time before replying: [Congratulations.] Five hours later, he finally realized something else was required. [Chase Bank: Your account ending in 730 has received a wire transfer of $5,000,000.00. Available balance: $6,000,123.00.] [Thanks for your hard work.] Six months later, our child, Leo Hayes, was born. Carter was very good to Leo. He set up a massive trust fund that covered his education, medical, and living expenses for a lifetime. The days passed slowly. Many people knew Carter Hayes was married, but they had no idea what his wife looked like. Except for our routine nightly obligations, we rarely saw each other. Except for discussing Leo, we never made small talk. In these five years, we never had a single fight over anything. You could even say we respected each other like polite guests. We were simply still strangers. At 3 PM, I picked up Leo from his private kindergarten. Pushing open the door, Chloe was lounging on our living room sofa, holding my little dog and waving at me. "You're back?" Leo, who always kept a straight, serious face, let out a scream of joy: "Auntie Chloe!" He was Chloe's biggest fan. Ever since he saw a video of her dancing, he had been obsessed. Chloe ruffled his hair and looked up at me with a beaming smile. "Maya, your son seems to like me more." Leo, usually an old soul in a kid's body, looked at her with sparkling eyes. "Auntie Chloe, you should live at our house from now on. Don't leave, okay?" I carried the groceries I bought on the way home into the kitchen. From far away, I could hear Chloe's giggles. "If I live at your house, where is your mommy going to live?" "She can leave," Leo said. "She's useless around here anyway." ... The water from the faucet rushed down into the sink. The kitchen door was suddenly pushed open. Carter stood in the doorway, looking a bit tired. "Can I come in?" "You can. What is it?" He pointed at the pot on the stove. "The soup smells really good. Can I have some?" "Sure." I nodded. I had originally simmered it for him anyway. I ladled a bowl and handed it to him. Carter took it. "Thanks for your hard work. Thank you." Walking out of the kitchen, I saw Chloe suddenly flash a smile at me. She said, "Maya, your soup is as delicious as always." I froze, realizing the bowl I had just handed him was now in Chloe's hands. She sighed comfortably as she sipped it. "I'm so jealous you know how to cook. Unlike me, I've never even stepped foot in a kitchen." Leo chimed in, "Auntie Chloe, you're so amazing at dancing. It doesn't matter if you can't cook. My mommy can just cook for you." Since birth, Leo had been spoiled rotten by the Hayes family. I was the only person who was strict with him, refusing to let him act entitled or use his family's wealth to bully other kids. As a result, Leo had always disliked me. He was like his father; he only valued the things, or people, he actually liked. Chloe wasn't wrong. It wasn't just my husband. My son, and even my dog, liked her better. The thought of divorce was finalized in that exact moment. 05 I asked Carter for a divorce on a night one week later. We had just finished. He suddenly said he had a work emergency and needed to leave. I interrupted him and said I had something to say too. As expected, he had no reaction after I said it. He just spaced out for a second, pushed himself off me, his face devoid of emotion. "Alright. Got it." Like he was receiving a memo from his secretary. I said, "I don't want custody of the kid either. He's going to be your problem from now on." "It's fine." I insisted, "You've worked hard these past few years. Thank you." Even though there were no feelings, he did sleep with me for all these years. It was hard work for him, too. I had very little luggage. A single suitcase held everything I owned. The divorce papers were left on the living room coffee table. I had already signed them. Before leaving, I turned back to close the door. Carter, shirtless and covered in scratch marks, stood silently on the balcony smoking a cigarette. I didn't tell anyone about the divorce. Leo was asleep in his room. Further away at the Miller estate, my parents were celebrating Chloe's birthday. When Carter finished his cigarette, he would probably go find Chloe, too. Bringing along the gift he had prepared in his study— A custom-made red dance dress. The first time I saw it, I loved it too. But just like this marriage, it wasn't something that belonged to me. No one remembered that when I was young, I had also won the National Youth Dance Championship trophy. My instructors used to say my physical gifts were one in a thousand. But after accidentally falling from a high stage, I could never dance again. After that, I locked myself in my room and cried every day. It was the most agonizing memory of my life. My parents grieved for a brief period, then turned around and sent Chloe to the exact same instructor. "If the older sister had talent, the younger sister's might be even higher." From that moment on, I couldn't bear to look at anything related to dance. Tonight, like countless nights before it, was a very ordinary night. The wind was light. The moon was bright. From the moment I decided to leave, right up until I boarded the plane, I never looked back. Once I was on the flight, a beautiful flight attendant brought over a small slice of cake. "Dear Miss, thank you for choosing our airline. Our entire flight crew wishes you a very happy birthday." I paused for a second. Then I smiled at her. "Thank you so much." 06 The destination I chose was my grandmother's house in the countryside. After getting off the plane, I had to catch a regional train, and then a dedicated tourist bus. In recent years, the mountain town where my grandmother lived had been developed into a tourist heritage site by the state. After enduring five or six hours of travel, the bus wound its way up the mountain roads of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Looking out the old glass windows, the white clouds seemed to grow right out of the earth. The wind rushed in, carrying a wave of summer heat. I took a few pictures and happily posted them on Instagram. A sudden phone ring broke my relaxed mood. It was Carter. "What is it?" "Leo has a fever. Do you know where the medical kit is?" "Second-floor storage room." "Okay." After a moment of silence, Carter added, "Found it. Thank you." "You're welcome." I was just about to hang up when Carter continued, "Say hello to Grandma for me. Come back when you've had enough fun. Leo keeps asking for you." I gripped the phone. "Then you need to tell him we're already divorced." Click. It sounded like Carter had lit a lighter. His tone was unnervingly calm. "Is this because of Noah Brooks?" "Noah Brooks?" It took me a long time to pull that name from the depths of my memory. I was baffled. "What does he have to do with this?" "He returned to the States," Carter said. "Your IPs are currently in the exact same location." "Carter," I rubbed my temples. "You don't seem very clear-headed right now. I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't want to know." "From now on, if you can't find something, ask the housekeeper. If the kid is sick, take him to a doctor." "I want our relationship from here on out to be completely undisturbed by one another." Carter was silent for a moment. "Fine. As you wish." 07 When I reached Grandma's doorstep, I was thrilled. The once-rustic mountain town had become modernized, but it still retained its indigenous folk charm. The familiar front yard, the grape trellis, the creek... But— There was an unfamiliar person standing at the door. He was very young, wearing a black T-shirt and a silver bone chain. He seemed to have just washed his hair, carrying a cool, damp aura. I wheeled my suitcase up, looking at him hesitantly. He stared back at me. As we got closer, we both exclaimed in sudden realization: "Noah Brooks?" "Maya?" I couldn't believe the coincidence. Returning to my hometown, I actually bumped into a former teammate from my competition days. During the years I gave up dancing due to my injury, Noah had kept going. After graduating from an arts conservatory, he, like Chloe, went abroad for further training. I had seen his promotional posters many times. The fact that Carter knew his itinerary so well was also because of Chloe. They were in the same dance company. Noah explained that since returning to the US, he had wanted to choreograph a unique piece inspired by Appalachian folk mythology. Since my grandmother's village was famous for its heritage culture, he had come specifically to sketch out ideas and find inspiration. After a brief catch-up, Noah suddenly asked me tentatively, "Maya, after... back then, did you ever try to dance again?" I fell silent. Noah pressed on, "When I was in Europe, I met a doctor involved in sports medicine. His clinic specializes in this exact kind of rehabilitation. Maya... if you still want to dance, do you want to give it a try?" "The success rate might not be 100%," he continued. "And the treatment costs can be quite high. But if you need it, I can... lend you the money." Looking nervous, as if afraid he had said the wrong thing, he watched me carefully. "Of course, if you don't want to, just pretend I never brought it up." In the first few years after the accident, I never gave up on rehab. But those treatments ultimately yielded no results. Facing exorbitant rehab fees, I was filled with hope time and time again, only to face despair. Combined with my family's subsequent business failures, we couldn't afford the extra money, and I slowly gave up. Marrying Carter, hiding in a loveless marriage to drift through the years, I had long lost my former spirit. I wanted to reject Noah, but when the words reached my lips, they changed into: "I want to." "Even if it's only a 10% chance, I want to try." After I said it, I stood frozen in place. My arms hung by my sides, trembling uncontrollably. My body... was still unwilling to give up. Plans changed immediately. After staying in the village to have dinner with Grandma, I contacted the professor Noah mentioned. Professor Ross asked me a lot of questions, mentioned he had successfully treated similar cases before, told me not to worry, and had his assistant book an appointment for next month. Hanging up the phone, I felt like I was dreaming. Noah seemed even more excited than I was. "This is amazing, Maya!" "Thank you." My heart started racing, my entire body engulfed in a surreal feeling. He just shook his head. "Honestly, I'm doing this for myself too. Maya, if the treatment goes well, I want to ask you for a favor." "Okay." I didn't even ask what the favor was. I just agreed instantly.

? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "405512", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel