All Chapters of I Wish You Well: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The surgery had just ended, and my phone wouldn’t stop ringing.“Tess, where the heck are you? Why haven’t you sorted out the academic warning with the administration yet?” Eric’s irritated voice came through the receiver.I licked my dry lips before responding, “I’m at the hospital. And by the way, I want a divorce.”The empty feeling of losing the baby and the searing pain of the procedure spread through every bone in my body.There was a long pause on the other end of the line before he broke the silence.“Tess, are you serious right now? You’re too old to be playing these jealous, manipulative games. I’m taking Grace for a little getaway. Maybe you should use this time to think things through.”I stared at the screen as the call disconnected, still heartbroken. There was not a single word of concern or even a question about why I was at the hospital—nothing to comfort me. We felt like strangers now, and I couldn’t help but wonder, what did our seven years together even mean?

After everything was done, I felt like all the strength had drained from my body. I collapsed to the floor, hesitating for a long moment before finally calling the number I hadn’t contacted in over a week.I tried to steady my voice, choking back the tears. “Chris, remember the archaeological dig you mentioned in Riverdale? Do you still need more people?”A light and teasing voice came through the phone. “Of course! Is the brilliant Tess coming to join us?”His playful tone made me smile, even though I had just been crying. We agreed to give me a week to sort out things here before heading out.Chris and I had grown up together, and now he was a key member of the National Historical Artifact Group. Years ago, I had given up the chance to join him on that ancient tomb dig because of Eric. Back then, Eric’s career was taking off, and if I had left for the field, I wouldn’t have been around to support him. More importantly, Eric didn’t like me working in archaeology. He thought it w

After a brief embrace, he stared at me for what felt like forever. His intense gaze made me a little uncomfortable, so I lightly smacked him on the arm, like I always used to.“What’s with you? It’s been so long. You don’t recognize me anymore?”I would never have done something like that in front of Eric. He would never allow me to act so casually in public. His ego wouldn't have it.After what seemed like a long silence, his voice trembled slightly. “You’ve lost so much weight, and you look… exhausted. Are you not doing well?”I sighed. I could never hide anything from him.“I’m fine,” I replied, trying to sound indifferent. “I’m just recently divorced, and I had a miscarriage, so I’m still a little weak.”His face froze for a moment, showing a mix of emotions—relief, anger, and concern all at once. However, after years of unspoken understanding, he didn’t ask any questions. Instead, he silently handed me a hand warmer and shifted his body slightly to block the wind from hittin

So, that was the kind of coward I used to love? A man who couldn’t even admit his mistakes, still blaming it all on a woman.His grip on my shoulder tightened, and I winced in pain.I frowned, trying to pull away from his hold. "Let go of me! The child? You have the nerve to bring up the baby! Weren’t you the one who killed it? Do you really think our marriage fell apart just because of Grace?“Even if it weren’t Grace, it would’ve been someone else, right?” I shot a pointed look at his phone.For a moment, all the color drained from his face. He clearly hadn’t expected me to know about his flirty conversations with other women."Let’s end this peacefully. You should go." I gave him a cold smile and walked inside.Later that afternoon, a sudden storm hit, one of the heaviest rains in decades. Our field inspection had to be cut short, and we were forced to head home. I had arrived late and didn’t have time to buy any rain gear, so I had no choice but to share an umbrella with Chri

Life settled back into its usual rhythm—work and home, day in and day out. It was dull, but it felt real. I knew Chris had feelings for me, but I couldn’t give him an answer right now. Rather than string him along, it was better to be direct and honest with him.After finishing the survey at the site, I decided to take some time off. I visited the cities I had always wanted to explore but never had the chance to. I wandered through misty riverside towns, walked across vast, lonely deserts, and watched the ebb and flow of the tides and the slow drift of clouds across the sky.Each time I posted a travel update, Eric liked it.Then, one day, I got a call from Harbor City—it was Eric’s assistant. “Tess, I know this is a lot to ask, but I don’t know what else to do. Ever since Eric got back from Riverdale, he’s been drinking nonstop. He’s neglecting the company, and this is the third time he’s ended up with internal bleeding. This time… he’s been diagnosed with stomach cancer.”The ass