The Runaway Wife: You Will Never Leave Me

Camila Haynes got married today. Unfortunately for her, her groom was nowhere in sight.

She glanced at the empty room, her face turning white as a sheet.

She felt utterly humiliated. Camila refused to suffer this insult!

But what could she do?

Since the moment she was born, all the aspects of her life had been controlled by other people. Needless to say, that included the matter of her marriage.

Camila had been forced into this union by his father, a man who was ruled by his greed.

Her grandfather had worked as the chauffeur of Robin Johnston, the patriarch of the powerful Johnston family. By a regrettable stroke of bad luck, they had gotten into a terrible accident, where Camila's grandfather died in order to save Robin.

In recent months, the small company that her family ran had incurred massive debts left and right. They were on the verge of bankruptcy. Even so, her cunning father refused to ask the Johnston family for help, knowing that it would cancel the debt that they owed the Haynes family. Instead, he came up with a plan to have Robin's grandson, Isaac Johnston, marry Camila.

Given the Johnston family's wealth, they were sure to give a hefty money in exchange for Camila's hand.

And, as an added bonus, they would finally establish a more solid connection to the Johnston family, one that was bound by law.

Of course, the Johnston family could not afford to refuse the proposition, or they would risk losing face in one way or another.

Isaac chose to express his dissatisfaction with the whole arrangement by not showing up at the banquet, even though no one outside either family was present. He also denied Camila the use of the Johnston family name, and forbade her from telling people that she was his wife.

Through it all, from start to finish, no one had bothered asking Camila for her opinion.

Now, she stood with her back straight and her shoulders squared. Her eyelashes might be quivering slightly, but there was a stubborn edge to her eyes. She wouldn't give in to the humiliation.

But how was she supposed to proceed? She was still wondering how she would spend what should have been their first night when she received a message from one of her colleagues.

The woman was asking Camila to take over her shift for the night.

Camila did not hesitate. She walked out of the room and hailed a taxi to take her to the hospital.

Moments later, she was in the hospital staff lounge checking patients' records, her evening dress long since replaced with a white lab coat.

With a loud bang, the door was suddenly thrown open from the outside, sending it crashing against the wall.

Before Camila could look up to see what was going on, the door was slammed shut again. She heard the click of the switch, and the room turned dark.

A chill ran down her spine.

"Who-"

The rest of her sentence died in her throat as she was pushed down on the desk. A bunch of stationery clattered to the floor just as she felt the cold, sharp edge of a knife pressed against her neck. "Quiet!" her assailant whispered fiercely.

Camila could barely make out the man's face, though his eyes stood out. They flashed in the dim light, his gaze filled with vigilance.

A familiar metallic smell wafted in the air around them, making her realize that this man was injured.

Thanks to Camila's years of training and experience as a doctor, she was able to keep a level head.

She slowly arched one of her legs, planning to attack the man with her knee. He saw right through her, though. As soon as he felt her move, he forcefully clamped her legs together and pinned her to the desk with his powerful thighs.

Suddenly, they heard a flurry of footsteps out in the hallway. They were heading straight to the staff lounge.

"Quick, I saw him come this way!"

All it would take was a single scream for help, and those people would barge into the room.

Desperate now, the man lowered his head and kissed Camila.

She struggled, and was surprised that she was able to push him off quite easily. More so when the man didn't threaten her with the knife again.

Camila's thoughts were racing.

At this moment, whoever was on the other side of the door had grabbed the knob.

Making up her mind, Camila pulled the man close and wound her arms around his neck. This time, it was she who kissed him.

"I can help you," she muttered under her breath, hoping that her fear didn't show.

The man swallowed audibly. He took a second to make his decision, then she felt his hot breath in her ear. "I'll take responsibility for this." His voice was low and magnetic.

But he seemed to have misunderstood. She meant for all of this to be an act. He didn't have to take responsibility for anything.

In the next second, the door was flung open yet again.

Camila and the man immediately collided into another kiss. She even let out a long, sensual moan, just like the ones she heard in porn videos. Despite their predicament, the man found his body reacting to the sound.

He might have lost himself in it if the people at the door did not speak.

"Damn it! It's just a couple making out. Man, they're really doing it in the hospital. Have some decency!"

The light from the hallway filtered into the room, exposing the entangled couple. The man's body was wrapped around Camila, though, effectively hiding his face from the prying eyes of their intruders.

"Well, it's definitely not Isaac. That bastard is badly wounded. No matter how enticing a woman is, I doubt he would have the strength to do anything to her."

"But dude, that woman is making some pretty nice sounds, eh?"

"Shut it and move! We need to find Isaac as soon as possible, or we would lose our heads!"

There was a rustling, and a pattering of feet as the men rushed away, leaving the door to click back into place.

The man knew that his pursuers had left, but the knowledge that they were now alone did something to his self-control. He just snapped, and an unexpected wave of lust swept over him.

That current of desire did not spare Camila, either. Perhaps it was their proximity, or the intimate way they were positioned, or perhaps it was the sudden rush of adrenaline, but a rebellious streak she didn't even know she possessed rose to the surface.

Up until then, she had lived a life of gray monotony, always abiding by the rules and plans set by others for her.

This time-for once-she was going to indulge herself.

Camila let go of her inhibitions and gave the man free rein to do whatever he wanted. Just like that, she gave him her first time in an admittedly rough and painful round of sex.

When they were done, the man gently kissed her cheek. "I will come for you," he rasped, his voice still laced with the afterglow of release. And then he left, just as abruptly as he had come.

It took a long while before Camila managed to get back to her feet. Her waist and back were sore, not to mention her crotch.

The silence of the room was broken by the ringing of her phone. She looked around and found it hanging on the edge of the desk.

Camila grabbed it before it fell, then swiped to answer. "Doctor!" came a frantic voice. "A patient has just been wheeled into the emergency center. He's been in a car accident and has severe injuries. We need you to administer treatment right away!"

Camila cleared her throat to keep her voice steady. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute."

She hung up and stepped toward the door, only to stop in her tracks. She looked down at herself.

Her clothes were messy and crumpled up, and there was a sticky feeling between her legs. Camila jolted as the realization hit her. She had actually had sex with a stranger on her wedding night.

It was the most outrageous thing she had ever done!

But this wasn't the time to be celebrating her actions or pondering their consequences. Camila tidied herself up and went to the emergency center.

She was busy with work for the rest of the night.

By the time she was finally free, it was close to dawn. She returned to the staff lounge to find that the room was still as messy as she had left it.

Camila's hands balled into fists as memories of the previous night-just hours ago-flooded her mind.

"Thank you for taking over my shift, Dr. Haynes." Camila's colleague, Debora Griffith, came in with a grateful smile.

Camila forced a tight smile of her own. "You're welcome."

"I can take it from here. You should head back and get some rest." Debora glanced at the papers strewn on the floor and raised her eyebrows. "What happened here? Why are all the supplies on the floor?"

Camila averted her panicked eyes and said, "Oh, I dropped them by accident. Please clean up for me. I'm exhausted, so I'll be leaving first."

Debora found Camila's response odd, but she thought nothing of it. They exchanged goodbyes, and she proceeded to gather the things littered on the floor.

She had barely started when the hospital director himself appeared at the door, followed by Isaac's assistant.

"This is the doctor on duty last night," the hospital director said. "Dr. Debora Griffith."

Isaac's assistant, Willie Calderon walked into the room and peered at the name plate on Debora's lab coat. "Come with me."

Debora was understandably confused.

"Where are we going?"

But the hospital director wasn't keen on answering her question. He pulled her rather forcefully and said, "Just go. Don't keep Mr. Johnston waiting."

Soon enough, she found herself in the hospital director's office.

Isaac was seated on the sofa, his lean and muscular body leaned back in a casual position, his long legs crossed in front of him. It would take a sharp eye and a closer look for one to realize that his lips were paler than normal.

Luckily, the pungent smell of disinfectant that permeated the hospital walls covered up the smell of blood on his skin.

He was dressed in a pure black suit, which also helped mask the red stains that would have otherwise alarmed everyone around him. There was a hard edge to his expression, one that told people he had gone to hell and back, and that he wasn't someone to trifle with.

Willie walked over to the sofa and leaned close to whisper in Isaac's ear. "The surveillance videos from last night were deliberately tampered with, likely done by your assailants. They cleaned up their tracks and removed any possible evidence. This is Dr. Debora Griffith, the resident on duty last night. The hospital director confirmed it himself. I've double-checked the records as well. It is indeed her."

Only then did Isaac raise his eyes.

There was a sharp intake of breath as Debora realized that the man before her was the boss of the Paramount Corporation.

"Are you the person who helped me last night?" Isaac asked, eyeing her from head to toe.

Debora immediately ducked her head, not daring to meet the man's formidable gaze.

"Yes... I-It was me." She wasn't exactly sure what this was about, but she knew that it would be in her best interests to get in Isaac Johnston's good graces. Benefits were bound to be had.

It just so happened that the Military Central Hospital was about to select candidates for internship.

And while it was labeled as such, everyone in the industry knew that the interns would be eventually absorbed into the workplace and live out their careers in the institution.

If nothing else, the Military Central Hospital had access to resources that were far better than the ones in this hospital.

Debora was planning to cosy up to Isaac in hopes of using his connections to get into the better hospital.

"I can compensate you in any way you want, even marriage." Isaac's cold voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. His face remained aloof, but the thought of last night's tryst softened the hard line of his mouth.

"Well... I..." This was so much more than Debora had imagined that she struggled to find the right response.

"Come to me once you've made up your mind." Isaac stood up before gesturing for Willie to give her his contact number.

The hospital director hurried over and offered to escort Isaac out of the building.

"That won't be necessary," Isaac refused, his entire demeanor turning cold again. Then he stopped, as if something else had occurred to him. He turned back to the director and said, "Please take care of her."

"Of course," the hospital director assured him with a practiced smile.

After making sure that they were well out of earshot, Willie sidled up to Isaac. "Sir," he said in a quiet but urgent voice, "you're already married. I don't think marriage is a viable option for Miss Griffith. You should rescind that offer."

Isaac's lips twitched at the mention of his marriage, and his face darkened even further when he thought of the woman he had been forced to wed. "Do you want to die?" he threatened his assistant.

Willie knew he had said something he shouldn't have, and he promptly shivered. At this point, he didn't know who angered his boss more-the new bride or the person behind last night's attack.

Meanwhile, Camila returned to the villa she was meant to share with her husband.

The middle-aged housekeeper, Glenda Rivera, met her at the foyer, her face etched with concern. "Why were you out last night, Madam?"

"I had to take over a colleague's shift," Camila answered.

Her eyes were red-rimmed and stinging from exhaustion.

Seeing this, Glenda thought better than to press further.

Camila trudged upstairs and soaked in the bathtub. Her thoughts unwittingly wandered back to the previous night, and she felt her cheeks turn hot. She took a breath and sank into the water, as if to escape from the unsettling memory.

Her feelings on the matter were complicated, and she didn't know where to start.

She didn't even have any idea what sort of person that man was.

More importantly, she was married.

She felt a pang of guilt at the thought. Despite the circumstances that had led them to their current status, the fact remained that she and Isaac were husband and wife.

Camila got out of the bath, put on her clothes and prepared to go out again.

Sure enough, Glenda fussed over her as soon as she came back downstairs. "Are you leaving again so soon? Why don't you have breakfast first?"

Camila glanced at the time. "No, I'll be late for work."

Glenda was aware that Camila was a doctor, so she knew that it was normal for this young lady to spend an inordinate amount of time at work. Glenda handed Camila a glass of milk. "Drink this, at least. Careful, it's hot."

"Thank you," Camila said softly, warmed by the housekeeper's concern.

"You're welcome," the housekeeper smiled kindly. The marriage might have been forced, but she knew well enough not to look down on Camila. Even without the title of Isaac Johnston's wife, Camila was a professional doctor, and that made her more than worthy of respect.

After finishing the milk, Camila returned the glass to Glenda and headed out.

She didn't go straight to the staff lounge, though. She had left home early because she needed to drop by the In-Patient Department.

Her mother was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Camila silently entered the ward and checked her mother's condition. Her mother was still in a bad shape.

Camila's heart sank.

Her mother had suffered from heart failure and was in a critical condition. The only way to keep her mother alive was a heart transplant, which naturally would cost a fortune.

The main reason why Camila had agreed to the marriage was that her father had threatened to withhold the money needed for the surgery.

Now that she got married as her father required, all they needed was a suitable heart donor.

Camila cast a bitter glance at her mother. "Mom, I will make you better. I promise."

Her mother was the person closest to her, her main supporter and trusted confidant.

Her phone suddenly rang.

Camila fished her phone from her pocket and answered the call.

"Mila," a male voice came through the line. "I need you to do me a favor."

The man on the other end of the call was Forrest Walters. They had gone to the same medical school, though he was two years her senior. He had eventually gone abroad to pursue further studies, and now was a renowned expert in their field.

Forrest had always taken good care of Camila, so they were pretty close.

"What kind of favor is it?" Camila asked directly.

"I have a patient needing treatment, but something urgent came up, and I don't think I can get out of it any time soon. Please tend to the patient for me."

Camila glanced at her watch. She wasn't of office duty today, and aside from two surgeries slated that afternoon, she was practically free. "Okay, sure. Where do you need me to go?"

"I'll text you the address. When you get there, just tell guards that you're there for Mr. Calderon, and they'll handle the rest."

"All right."

"One more thing," Forrest added, his tone turning serious. "Never tell anyone about this, and don't ask unnecessary questions. All you need to do is to treat the patient."

"I see. Of course."

They hung up, and Camila called a taxi to take her to the address.

The place turned out to be in an upscale neighborhood filled with villas, all equipped with top-level security systems.

As expected, a burly security guard intercepted her at the entrance. Camila followed the instructions and mentioned Mr. Calderon. After making a call to confirm her purpose, he waved her into the community.

Camila found the villa easily. She walked up the steps and rang the doorbell.

She didn't have to wait long, as the door opened a few seconds later. It seemed that the situation was indeed urgent.

Willie frowned. They were expecting Forrest, but instead, a female visitor was at the doorstep. "I'm sorry, you are..."

Camila had already presumed from Forrest's directives that this patient valued their privacy. Not wanting to get into any trouble, she thought it wise to wear a mask. Just to be safe.

"Dr. Walters asked me to come here."

Willie glanced briefly at the medical kit she was carrying. "Do you know what to do?"

"Yes, Dr. Walters has given me instructions. I won't tell a soul."

Willie knew that Forrest wouldn't pass his duties to someone who wasn't trustworthy or competent, so he nodded and let Camila in.

He guided her past a massive living room, then up the stairs, and into a bedroom.

It was dark inside. "How would I administer treatment without any light?"

When Isaac heard that it was a woman, he hastily grabbed his suit jacket and pulled it over his face. "Turn on the lights," he ordered through the fabric.

Willie flicked the switch, and bright light flooded the room.

Camila's first thought was that the patient sounded rather familiar, but she chose not to dwell on that. She took in the figure lying on the bed. His white dress shirt was stained with blood that had long since dried.

Camila didn't want to bother with other details. She just told herself to focus on the wounds.

The man clearly didn't want her to know his identity, so it was only right that she obliged him and behaved herself.

She set her kit down on the night stand and took out her surgical instruments.

Camila used a pair of shears and cut up the patient's shirt, exposing his wounds. They were covered by a thin layer of gauze. She got that out of the way, too, and finally saw two gaping wounds on the right side of the man's torso.

Camila instantly got to work, cleaning the wounds with her deft hands.

She remained calm the entire time, her movements swift and efficient.

"Do you have any allergies relating to anesthesia?" she asked after a while.

Fortunately, the wounds weren't deep and only cut into most of the skin, but they still needed to be stitched up.

The process would require local anesthesia.

Camila spoke calmly, almost softly, a stark contrast to her frantic voice from last night.

And so, despite having exchanged a few words, Isaac didn't recognize her at all.

"No," he said in his usual, cold voice, even as he inwardly praised her skill.

Camila proceeded to prepare the anesthetics and injected the substance to a spot near his injuries.

They had to wait a couple of minutes for the drug's effects to set it, then she began to stitch.

Roughly one hour later, she was finally done.

All in all, it was a quick and successful treatment.

Camila looked at her bloodied hands and said, "I need to use the bathroom."

"You can use the one downstairs," Willie replied.

Camila wasted no time and left the bedroom.

Once he was sure that Camila was back on the first floor, Willie closed the door and hurried over next to Isaac.

"I learned that the thugs who attacked you yesterday were sent by your Aunt Audrey. She's probably growing desperate to get rid of you, especially after you removed her spies from the company."

Isaac sat up with a grunt. He pulled himself to the edge of the bed and dropped his feet on the floor. He looked like hell, but his eyes flashed with a dangerous glint.

He turned his piercing gaze to his assistant. "Does that woman I was forced to marry have any connection to Audrey?"

Willie lowered his voice. "As a matter of fact, Audrey has made contact with your father-in-law, Marvin Haynes. He was so insistent in marrying his daughter into the Johnston family, but he never seemed to have considered your cousin, Travis, as a viable candidate. Audrey must have struck a deal with him."

"She's been tossing me one surprise after another, at every turn. It would be in poor taste if I did nothing to return the favor." Issac had only been abroad for a short time, yet she had already made a lot of mess in his absence.

"I heard that Travis has a seedy little establishment in Cavern Street called 'Charm'," Isaac drawled.

Willie immediately understood his boss' meaning. "Yes, they currently have no place in the company. That club is their only source of income, and if it's shut down... Well, they will be in a pretty tight situation."

"Make it happen," Isaac said, his voice turning an octave lower.

Willie ran into Camila as he was going downstairs.

He guessed that Forrest must have warned her beforehand, but it wouldn't hurt to issue another reminder. "If you speak of this to anybody, you will die a horrible death."

If word of Isaac's injuries reached Audrey or her son Travis Johnston, they would certainly take the opportunity to stir up more trouble.

Camila nodded. "I won't tell anyone. I'll retrieve my medical kit and leave right away."

When she returned to the bedroom, she found the man standing by the window on the opposite side of the door. He had his back to her, and she got a perfect view of his wide shoulders and muscular back, tapering off to a narrow waist and what was sure to be a toned pair of buttocks. His body was well-proportioned, almost god-like.

"Aren't you leaving?" the man asked in a mocking voice. He hadn't turned around, but he somehow knew that she was staring. Maybe he had felt her hot gaze.

Camila ducked her head in embarrassment. As much as she hated to admit it, the sight of him had put her in a daze.