Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford

NOVEL · English

Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford

On the fifth anniversary of Rebecca Perry's marriage to Vance Bradford, his first love returned to the country.That night, she caught him in the bathroom, murmuring Catherine's name as he pleasured himself.That was why, for five years, he had never touched her."Catherine is back; she's all alone. I'm just helping her as a friend.""I understand.""I promised her I'd accompany her to the island for her birthday. I'm just fulfilling it.""Okay.""This banquet requires a capable companion, and Catherine is more suitable than you.""Okay, go ahead."When she stopped getting angry, stopped shedding tears, and stopped making a fuss, he grew puzzled. "Rebecca, why aren't you angry?"Of course, she wasn't angry anymore—because she was preparing to leave.Weary of this stagnant marriage, she had secretly learned a foreign language, taken the proficiency exam, and applied to study abroad.The day her visa was approved, she presented him with the divorce agreement.Vance froze. "No joke. How are you gonna survive without me?"Rebecca turned away, bought a plane ticket, and flew to the European continent, vanishing without a trace.The next time he saw news of her was in a viral video. Dressed in a flowing red gown, she danced against a foreign sky, igniting the internet with her performance.He gritted his teeth. "Rebecca, no matter where you hide, I will find you and bring you back!"

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Section 1

### Chapter 1: Chapter-1

Rebecca drifted closer to adjust his pillows so he could lie more comfortably.Vance suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around her neck. Though faint, she could feel the pressure."I'm sorry for scaring you," he whispered into her ear.She stayed still. "It's okay."His hand went lax, and she drifted back up into the air.His voice was barely audible. "I'm fine now. You can go.""Huh?""Go back to your world. That Vance is rotten. Don't ever forgive him. I'm happy to see you today. Becky, can I call you that?""Yeah." Her eyes stung at his bitter tone.She had never felt so helpless with words. Nothing came to mind—nothing that could reach him.This was a disease that even ten years later couldn't be fixed, not to mention the medical conditions of this era. Sharp as he was, he had probably known what was wrong with him and how much time he had left."Becky, Becky..." he called out over and over, like it had magic.Her voice cracked. "I... am still here.""If you ever

"Probably because..." the young Vance said softly, "I'm dying.""What, no way," Rebecca blurted. "You're only 22."A bitter, hollow smile crossed his gaunt face. "What if I was only ever meant to live until 22?""What are you talking about?" she said incredulously.In the other world, Vance had lived well into his 30s."If you hadn't saved him, he'd have died in that car accident," he said matter-of-factly.Rebecca was dumbstruck. That was something she couldn't refute, but how did he know about the other world?"You're not the only person who dreams," he explained, frowning.She was about to ask what he'd dreamed about when he suddenly winced in pain."Vance!" Panic surged through her. She looked around the private room, but there wasn't another person. "Doesn't anyone take care of you?"He gasped, struggling to get the words out. "I... don't have any family left."Her eyes burned as reality sank in. The only family that cared for him had passed."I... will go get a nurse,

That afternoon, Rebecca showed up right on time for the rehearsal, carrying herself as if nothing had happened.No one knew the voice looping endlessly in her head like a haunting refrain."I've carried all the bad luck away... Your future will only hold health, joy, happiness... Becky, move forward bravely. Don't look back, okay? Becky, goodbye."When rehearsal finally ended, she collapsed onto the stage, utterly drained. In her heart, a quiet voice answered. "Goodbye, Vance. I'll keep moving forward. I won't look back."She kept that promise. After the performance, she returned home with Heather and the others.In the years that followed, she visited Ireland almost annually—sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter—but always left Dublin as soon as her activities ended.She knew a snowflake had once fallen there and vanished without a trace. So be it. Let all the karma end with that quiet snowflake, just as Vance had asked. No aftermath.Her family noticed that her sleep episod

The innkeeper handed her the envelope. "Now I've carried out his last wish.""Thanks." Rebecca took it, her eyes landing on the characters scrawled across the front.It read: [To Rebecca Perry].For a moment, she didn't have the courage to tear it open.Gabriel squeezed her hand. "If you're not ready, don't."A bitter, resentful lump rose in her throat. "I'm never opening it.""Okay, we won't." Gabriel kept holding her hand, then spoke quietly. "He had the same illness as his father. They caught it earlier when they rescued him after the attack."He studied her blank expression and tightened his grip. "He begged me not to tell you about losing his legs or the diagnosis. He hid away, fought it for two years, but couldn't beat it."Last year, sensing the end, he insisted on coming to Ireland. He slipped into a coma soon after arriving. I got him into the ICU, where he stayed for over a year and passed yesterday."The timeline clicked into place in her foggy mind: ICU last year,

The man started, "He lived a life full of ups and downs. He tasted success and made his share of mistakes. He spent his whole life begging for forgiveness from the people he loved, and he passed away in pain. May he find peace in heaven, and may he make no more mistakes in the afterlife."Rebecca's head buzzed loudly, her ears feeling clogged. The man at the podium spoke at length, but only fragments of his words broke through the haze.When he finished, he looked up and froze at the sight of her. His face went pale as he hurried over."Becky..." He gripped her shoulders, his brows knitting tightly at her tear-streaked face.Over his shoulder, through blurred vision, Rebecca watched the mourners rise one by one and place flowers on the casket. Among them was a familiar figure—the Irish innkeeper she'd met before."Becky..." Gabriel stared into her glazed eyes, trying to pull her into a hug.She shoved him away, her voice raw. "Tell me, who's lying in that casket?"His lips parte

It read: [If you see this message, please don't find it strange. And don't ask why. Because I don't know why either. In this universe, there are countless things humans cannot explain.[I was fortunate to be your classmate and friend, fortunate to walk in your footsteps, and fortunate to briefly become you and make decisions on your behalf. I hope the rest of your life is safe, smooth, happy, and fulfilling.]Floating above the words, Rebecca saw Darren's eyelashes gradually grow wet.A bell rang out from somewhere unidentifiable, the sound striking painfully and sharply in her chest. Faint chants drifted in from the distance.Her temples began to throb, and she seemed to hear a faraway voice from deep in her memory: "If there's an afterlife, I really wish I could have helped him fulfill all his dreams."Some kind of notification sound rang out. Rebecca fell out of the dream and sat up abruptly."Sorry. I forgot to silence my phone," Heather said apologetically.They were sharin

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### Chapter 2: Chapter-2

Rebecca drifted closer to adjust his pillows so he could lie more comfortably.Vance suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around her neck. Though faint, she could feel the pressure."I'm sorry for scaring you," he whispered into her ear.She stayed still. "It's okay."His hand went lax, and she drifted back up into the air.His voice was barely audible. "I'm fine now. You can go.""Huh?""Go back to your world. That Vance is rotten. Don't ever forgive him. I'm happy to see you today. Becky, can I call you that?""Yeah." Her eyes stung at his bitter tone.She had never felt so helpless with words. Nothing came to mind—nothing that could reach him.This was a disease that even ten years later couldn't be fixed, not to mention the medical conditions of this era. Sharp as he was, he had probably known what was wrong with him and how much time he had left."Becky, Becky..." he called out over and over, like it had magic.Her voice cracked. "I... am still here.""If you ever

"Probably because..." the young Vance said softly, "I'm dying.""What, no way," Rebecca blurted. "You're only 22."A bitter, hollow smile crossed his gaunt face. "What if I was only ever meant to live until 22?""What are you talking about?" she said incredulously.In the other world, Vance had lived well into his 30s."If you hadn't saved him, he'd have died in that car accident," he said matter-of-factly.Rebecca was dumbstruck. That was something she couldn't refute, but how did he know about the other world?"You're not the only person who dreams," he explained, frowning.She was about to ask what he'd dreamed about when he suddenly winced in pain."Vance!" Panic surged through her. She looked around the private room, but there wasn't another person. "Doesn't anyone take care of you?"He gasped, struggling to get the words out. "I... don't have any family left."Her eyes burned as reality sank in. The only family that cared for him had passed."I... will go get a nurse,

That afternoon, Rebecca showed up right on time for the rehearsal, carrying herself as if nothing had happened.No one knew the voice looping endlessly in her head like a haunting refrain."I've carried all the bad luck away... Your future will only hold health, joy, happiness... Becky, move forward bravely. Don't look back, okay? Becky, goodbye."When rehearsal finally ended, she collapsed onto the stage, utterly drained. In her heart, a quiet voice answered. "Goodbye, Vance. I'll keep moving forward. I won't look back."She kept that promise. After the performance, she returned home with Heather and the others.In the years that followed, she visited Ireland almost annually—sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter—but always left Dublin as soon as her activities ended.She knew a snowflake had once fallen there and vanished without a trace. So be it. Let all the karma end with that quiet snowflake, just as Vance had asked. No aftermath.Her family noticed that her sleep episod

The innkeeper handed her the envelope. "Now I've carried out his last wish.""Thanks." Rebecca took it, her eyes landing on the characters scrawled across the front.It read: [To Rebecca Perry].For a moment, she didn't have the courage to tear it open.Gabriel squeezed her hand. "If you're not ready, don't."A bitter, resentful lump rose in her throat. "I'm never opening it.""Okay, we won't." Gabriel kept holding her hand, then spoke quietly. "He had the same illness as his father. They caught it earlier when they rescued him after the attack."He studied her blank expression and tightened his grip. "He begged me not to tell you about losing his legs or the diagnosis. He hid away, fought it for two years, but couldn't beat it."Last year, sensing the end, he insisted on coming to Ireland. He slipped into a coma soon after arriving. I got him into the ICU, where he stayed for over a year and passed yesterday."The timeline clicked into place in her foggy mind: ICU last year,

The man started, "He lived a life full of ups and downs. He tasted success and made his share of mistakes. He spent his whole life begging for forgiveness from the people he loved, and he passed away in pain. May he find peace in heaven, and may he make no more mistakes in the afterlife."Rebecca's head buzzed loudly, her ears feeling clogged. The man at the podium spoke at length, but only fragments of his words broke through the haze.When he finished, he looked up and froze at the sight of her. His face went pale as he hurried over."Becky..." He gripped her shoulders, his brows knitting tightly at her tear-streaked face.Over his shoulder, through blurred vision, Rebecca watched the mourners rise one by one and place flowers on the casket. Among them was a familiar figure—the Irish innkeeper she'd met before."Becky..." Gabriel stared into her glazed eyes, trying to pull her into a hug.She shoved him away, her voice raw. "Tell me, who's lying in that casket?"His lips parte

It read: [If you see this message, please don't find it strange. And don't ask why. Because I don't know why either. In this universe, there are countless things humans cannot explain.[I was fortunate to be your classmate and friend, fortunate to walk in your footsteps, and fortunate to briefly become you and make decisions on your behalf. I hope the rest of your life is safe, smooth, happy, and fulfilling.]Floating above the words, Rebecca saw Darren's eyelashes gradually grow wet.A bell rang out from somewhere unidentifiable, the sound striking painfully and sharply in her chest. Faint chants drifted in from the distance.Her temples began to throb, and she seemed to hear a faraway voice from deep in her memory: "If there's an afterlife, I really wish I could have helped him fulfill all his dreams."Some kind of notification sound rang out. Rebecca fell out of the dream and sat up abruptly."Sorry. I forgot to silence my phone," Heather said apologetically.They were sharin

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