All Chapters of Waking Up From A 5-Year Dream: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

After confirming the final details of my staged death, I ended the call.In two days, I would vanish from their lives forever, just as they all wished.The faint scent of sandalwood drifted in from outside the door. Reflexively, I looked up. It was Dennis Malcolm, my so-called husband.He wrapped me in an embrace, his voice gentle. "Who were you talking to just now?""Nothing important, just something about the gallery," I said with a smile, forcing my tone to sound as natural as possible.He lowered his head, planting a soft kiss on the crown of my hair. "You've had so much on your plate lately. Tonight, I'll make something light for you, something to settle your stomach."For five years of marriage, Dennis had been nothing but tender, indulgent to the point of spoiling me.Everyone said that once Dennis fell in love, it was a devotion that would last a lifetime.I had believed that this was my happiness.But now, I finally understood: this marriage wasn't my happiness. It wa

Chapter 2

When I picked up Dennis's charm bracelet, I noticed something unusual about the charms.Under the dim light, I examined them closely and finally saw that each charm was inscribed with a word: Camille.In that moment, I gave up on Dennis entirely.…The next morning, I said to Dennis, "Let's go to the Willow family residence together."His expression froze for a brief second before he regained his composure. "All right," he said calmly, "but let's return right after we've delivered the gift."I knew he didn't want me to go. He was afraid I might disrupt Camille's celebration.But I only wanted to see my family one last time. After all, tomorrow, I would begin preparing to leave.At the Willow family residence, the place was abuzz with guests celebrating Camille's pregnancy and her selection for the international art exhibition.In the crowd, Camille was the center of attention, surrounded by glowing admiration. Guests lavished her with praise, saying her painting submitted to t

Chapter 3

Dennis seemed to sense something off about me. His expression faltered briefly before he suggested, "Why don't we leave now? Find somewhere to relax for a bit."I looked up at him, smiling faintly. "Let's take the yacht," I suggested. "A night cruise. We can watch the sunrise tomorrow."…In the car, he started discussing plans for the next day. "I've already prepared a birthday surprise for you. Once things settle down, let's start planning for a child. How does that sound?"I stayed silent, gazing out the window as the city lights flickered by. I didn't respond.The car had just started moving when his phone rang. He answered it, his brows knitting together as he spoke, a note of hesitation in his voice.I turned to him, my tone calm. "If you've got something to handle, go ahead."He hesitated. "Tracy, I…""It's fine," I cut him off gently. "I'll wait for you on the yacht."I couldn't see the caller ID, but I didn't need to. Only one person could make him wear that expressio

Chapter 4

Dennis froze, his voice carrying a raspy edge of disbelief. "That's impossible! We had plans to celebrate her birthday. How could something like this happen to her?"The assistant's face was heavy with an unspoken complexity as he murmured, "Mr. Malcolm, the crew said your wife boarded the yacht alone. She seemed… upset. After that…""Impossible!" Dennis cut him off, his voice rising, sharp and frayed. "I don't believe it! Why would she go alone? Why didn't the crew call me?"The assistant hesitated, then cautiously replied, "Sir, the crew tried calling you all night, but… your phone was turned off."Dennis's gaze snapped down to his phone. The screen was dark. His fingers fumbled to press the power button. As the device booted up, his eyes shifted to Camille, cold and piercing. "Did you turn it off?"Camille flinched briefly but quickly composed herself. "Dennis, why would I do that? Maybe it shut down by accident, or the battery died. You can't blame me for this," she said, her

Chapter 5

No one knew where I was hiding, nor did they know that I had long been prepared to live out my days in solitude.When I first moved to this city, I refused to engage in any conversation.Buying groceries, renting an apartment, even paying utility bills—I dealt with it all using the briefest words possible.People thought I was cold and eccentric. Eventually, they stopped trying to talk to me, which suited me just fine.With my savings, I opened a small art studio, teaching children how to draw.Once, I had believed my talent was meant for gallery spotlights, for applause and acclaim from countless strangers.But now, I only wanted to sketch simple lines in peace and teach a handful of innocent children.A month later, the fake-death service company contacted me."Dennis Malcolm has been looking for you recently," they said."Looking for me?" I chuckled softly, my voice cold. "I'm already dead. What could he want from me?""He's been to your gallery," the staff member explaine

Chapter 6

Dennis began to reminisce about our past, but I only drifted further away.…"What are you looking at, teacher?" The curious voice of little Brian Parker broke through my thoughts as he leaned over to peek at my phone.I quickly closed my phone and replied softly, "Nothing. Your line drawing isn't finished yet—get back to work.""Teacher," he tilted his head, studying me intently, "are you unhappy?"For a moment, I froze, then managed a small smile. "No, you're imagining things."Brian ran off, satisfied, while I remained still, staring blankly at the now-dark screen of my phone.He wasn't wrong. I wasn't happy.But my discontent had nothing to do with those people. It came from the way these fragments of news had dragged me, unwillingly, back to a past riddled with lies and betrayal.…One day, during a class at the studio, a young man appeared at the door.He stood there awkwardly, holding a large bouquet of flowers."Hello," he said with measured politeness. "I'm Brian's

Chapter 7

"Give it a try. Your paintings deserve to be seen by more people," Jay said.That night, I painted alone.A seascape began to take form on the canvas, the faint blush of dawn illuminating the sky above the water. The shimmering surface mirrored my reflection.As I laid down the final stroke, I realized something. This painting wasn't for him, nor for anyone else. It was for myself.On the day of the exhibition, my work garnered high praise from the judges. The talent I had buried for years finally emerged into the light once again.I thought this was merely a step forward, a small part of rebuilding my life. What I didn't expect was how this "return" would shatter the fragile calm I had painstakingly built.One day, during a lesson, I was explaining color combinations to the children. The sunlight filtered through the windows, enveloping the room in a warm tranquility. The kids painted quietly, their small hands moving carefully over the paper. The peace felt rare and precious.

Chapter 8

Camille suddenly lunged forward.I instinctively shielded the children behind me, but there was no time to move. Her hand grabbed my clothes, her nails digging into my arm, leaving a trail of blood."Stop it!" I shouted, but she was completely out of control, her emotions a storm. She shoved me to the ground with a violent push.The children screamed in fright.Brian's eyes welled with tears, but he still quietly ran over and, with his tiny fist, struck her once. "Don't hit teacher!"Camille froze for a moment, then her fury escalated. "You little brat, you dare hit me?"She raised her hand to strike Brian, and I quickly scrambled to my feet and rushed over to protect him, taking the blow for him.Pain shot through my shoulder, but I only tightened my grip on the children, shouting, "Enough! Camille, if you keep this up, I'll call the cops!"She sneered, her eyes filled with mockery. "Tracy, you can run for now, but not forever. I'll make you pay for this today!"Just then, ur

Chapter 9

Dennis didn't seem to hear a word Camille said. His gaze remained fixed on me.His voice was laced with a raw, pleading edge. "Tracy, listen to me. I regret everything. It was all my fault. I didn't cherish you when I should have. Please, just give me one more chance.""Chance?" I let out a cold laugh. My eyes locked with his, distant and unforgiving. "Dennis, do you honestly think you're still in a position to ask for that?""I know I was wrong," he said, his voice sinking into a deeper, almost desperate tone. "I shouldn't have ignored you. I shouldn't have listened to others. Every mistake—every single one—was mine. I'll change. I'll do whatever it takes. Just… forgive me."The words tumbled out of him, trembling and laden with vulnerability. "Just say the word, and I'll do anything."Camille's face twisted with fury, her voice cutting through his entreaty. "Dennis, you told me you only loved me! You said that!""Shut up!" Dennis snapped. The icy contempt in his eyes silenced h

Chapter 10

His eyes were full of pleading and humility, as if he were willing to compromise on anything just to remain by my side.At that moment, Jay spoke, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge. "Mr. Malcolm, I don't know the details between you two, but I think whether she stays with you or not should be up to her. You've been speaking only of your feelings, but have you ever considered what she truly wants?"Dennis froze, opening his mouth but failing to form any words.I looked at Dennis. "Dennis, no matter what, those five years are gone. Even if I didn't stage my death, I would still feel… you're no longer the one I would choose."The color drained from his face, but I continued. "Don't force me to call everything we had a mistake. Or perhaps you'd rather I really were dead before you could finally let go of me?""No!" He interrupted me sharply, his eyes filled with profound sorrow, his voice edged with desperation. "Tracy, I was wrong. I was really wrong. As long as you're okay… p

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