I Married My Childhood School Crush for a Day to Avoid the Single Tax, but My Wife Has Been Acting Strange Lately - Chapter 13

A few more weeks had passed since then.

Living together had turned out to be calmer and more comfortable than I had imagined.

In the mornings, we made coffee together, and the smell of Riona’s tea filled the room.

I toasted the bread while she fried the eggs. The morning sunlight came through the kitchen window, brightening the table.

Her hair was a little messy, and her face looked cute just after waking up.

We talked about the day’s plans while eating breakfast.

“Do you think you’ll be able to leave work early today?”

“Yeah. I’ll come pick you up.”

“…Thank you for always doing that.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.”

I found myself staring at how gracefully she moved her chopsticks.

Lately, our nights have been spent playing games together or watching the movies Riona recommended. It was just ordinary and happy days.

Before, there had been a little distance between us, but now, when we sat on the sofa, our shoulders would touch, our smiles came more easily, and I felt her scent closer than before.

I found myself hoping these days would continue forever.

The stalker problem seemed to have calmed down a little.

We had consulted a famous lawyer, gathered evidence, and filed a report with the police again.

The lawyer, who apparently knew Riona, worked in the city center, and we went to the office together.

At a wooden desk, the lawyer spread out the documents and said, “From what you’ve told me, a restraining order should be easy to get. Depending on the situation, it might even become a criminal case.”

Riona also slowly began talking to her coworkers and superiors about what had been happening.

Some people probably already knew, but since she had never asked for help before, they probably thought it wasn’t serious. Speaking up this time made it impossible to ignore.

When she told the other women in her team about the stalking, they were shocked and offered to help, “Let’s go to HR together.”

Rumors gradually spread, and more people started paying attention.

The stalker, who had always used his connection to the company president to get away with things, began to face strong reactions, and his behavior became more restrained.

Even though people still watched him, he couldn’t get away with harassment anymore.

But we still couldn’t let our guard down, so I continued picking her up. In fact, the time we spent in the car together seemed to strengthen our bond.

Every time I heard her say, “Thank you again for today” in the car, I felt happy.

Even though it was becoming routine, I loved hearing her gratitude every day.

We’d arrive home, close the door, and feel a sense of relief.

I planned to just wait for that guy to quit the company and for the threat to disappear…

But that wasn’t going to be so simple.

◇

That day, I was at the office, typing away at code as usual.

After the afternoon meeting, I returned to my desk and saw a message from Riona on my phone.

“I might be a little late today. You can go home first.” I replied, “Got it. Don’t worry. I’ll come pick you up.”

Her office was about a twenty-minute drive from mine.

I finished work on time and drove. I went through the traffic and arrived in front of her building.

As always, I waited by the entrance. The sunset painted the building red, and office workers hurried home.

I watched from the car, thinking today would end like any normal day.

Then she came out.

She wore her work suit, had her bag over her shoulder, and looked around for my car. 

When she saw me, she smiled and started walking toward me.

I rolled down the window and waved.

But the moment she got close to the car, something felt wrong.

A black van suddenly shot out from the alley behind her.

The engine growled low, and the tires screeched against the asphalt.

The van stopped right next to Riona, and the door flew open.

Several men wearing masks jumped out and grabbed her arm.

“Eh…!?”

Her shocked voice reached my ears. I jumped out of the car and shouted.

“Riona!”

The men dragged her into the van and slammed the door shut.

I could see her struggling through the window. Her eyes were filled with fear, and her bag had fallen to the ground.

I ran toward them and tried to grab the van’s door, but it sped off and was shaking me off.

The side of the van brushed past me, and I nearly fell.

It turned the corner and disappeared.

Smoke rose from the tires, and the smell of exhaust hit my nose.

My heart felt like it had stopped.

Riona’s scream faded as the van drove away.

“Damn it!”

I picked up her bag from the ground, got back in my car, started the engine, and gave chase.

Panic spread through me.

That man, Kamikaze, had finally lost control.

Had our gathering of evidence for the lawyer triggered him?

I pushed the car faster, honked the horn, and was determined to catch up.

I drove through the traffic, chasing the van, but it got onto the highway. With all the other cars, it quickly pulled away from me.

I opened the location-sharing app.

Then I called the police.

“My wife has been kidnapped! A black van… the license plate…”

My voice shook.

Thinking of Riona’s fear made my chest hurt.

His past actions flashed through my mind.

The stalking, the secret filming, the break-ins…

And now, a kidnapping.

This is bad. I have to save Riona.

I sped along while following her location. The night road stretched dark and long ahead.

The moment of reckoning was coming.