Talia worked at the biggest hospital ever built a place filled with bright lights and whispered stories.
She was also the wife of Eran.
But in truth, she had never once seen her husband.
Most of the time, people mocked her quietly, their words hidden behind fake smiles.
In the hospital halls, her name always came up in gossip.
She was known as the kind one the calm one the gentle nurse everyone admired.
But inside, she carried pain and loneliness deeper than anyone could see.
Since the day she filled out the marriage documents, she hadn't seen him not even once.
That was five years ago.
Before the wedding, Eran had agreed to meet her. They planned everything together the date, the ceremony, the future.
But on the day of the wedding… he disappeared.
And from that day until now, she had never seen her husband's face.
Her co-workers nurses and assistants often used her as a topic of amusement.
Her name was always the first in every gossip circle.
Among them, she had one true friend Elane, her childhood friend, and the only one who really understood her.
They had been close since they were little.
Talia had met Eran through a blind date.
But it wasn't even in person it was a video call.
The call was short, the image blurry. She couldn't even see his face clearly.
All they did was talk for a while… and then, he asked her to marry him.
She said yes.
Not because of love but because her parents were pressuring her to marry.
Eran was wealthy, successful, and quiet everything her parents wanted for her.
And since Talia was gentle and obedient, she agreed.
Elane was shocked when she found out.
"How can you marry a man you've never seen?" she asked.
"A blind date through video call and you couldn't even see his face!"
But Talia didn't respond.
She just smiled softly, her silence saying everything.
Now, five years later, the Mark family Eran's family was hosting a grand party.
It was the anniversary of Elisha, Eran's twin sister, who died in the accident.
Everyone was invited.
Reporters, photographers, media all eager to create another story about the rich and powerful Marks.
Talia came too, dressed simply in a long white gown.
She invited her best friend Elane, and her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kin.
They all gathered in the great hall of the Mark family mansion.
The room glittered with gold chandeliers and marble floors.
Music filled the air soft, elegant, and distant.
In the corner, a few of Talia's fellow nurses whispered among themselves.
"I'm grateful you invited me, Talia," one said with a laugh.
"Maybe I'll meet a rich man here unlike your husband, who no one's ever seen."
Another nurse chuckled.
"Ah, Talia, I wonder if your husband will even show up this time."
The others laughed.
They always did.
Outside the door, Elane stood quietly, listening to them mock her friend.
Her expression darkened. She opened the door suddenly and called out,
"Everyone, come on the party's starting. Let's not be late."
The laughter died. The nurses followed her out.
As the Mark family appeared at the top of the stairs Mrs. Mark and her second son, Kenji, the current CEO of Starling Industries cameras flashed through the hall.
The family smiled for the press, surrounded by reporters and guests.
And there, standing in the corner like she didn't belong, was Talia.
Her soft eyes looked down, her hands folded in front of her.
Every time, it was the same only Elane came to her side, the only one who treated her like she mattered.
The Mark family never truly accepted her.
They blamed her as if she was the reason for their tragedy.
She was the quiet outsider, the forgotten wife.
Seven years had passed since her first meeting with Eran.
Five years since their marriage.
And she had never once seen his face not even on her wedding day.
The Mark family accepted her in name, but not in heart.
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Kin, stood off to the side of the ballroom, their smiles shallow.
They had their own plans to rise through their daughter's connection, to gain what they could from a marriage that never truly happened.
And as the music played, and the chandeliers glowed like fire,
Talia stood there a wife to a man she had never met,
trapped in a life that wasn't hers,
still waiting for a face she'd only ever heard in her dreams.
Shadows at the Anniversary
The Mark family stood at the center of their grand ballroom, greeting every powerful guest who came. CEOs, politicians, and rich families filled the place, all smiling beneath the glow of chandeliers.
Mrs. Mark laughed and smiled, her son Kenji following close beside her like an ornament always present, always obedient.
But everyone knew this party wasn't just an anniversary for her late daughter, Elisha.
It was a show.
A way to pull her lost son Eran back into the light.
Kenji leaned close to his mother, lowering his voice.
"Are you sure he's even coming, Mother? Since the accident, he's never called, never visited, never asked for help. I don't even know how you found him."
Mrs. Mark smiled faintly, not answering.
She just turned and greeted another guest with a laugh, her pearls glimmering in the light.
After a while, she walked toward Mrs. Kin, Talia's mother.
The two women smiled at each other but their words were sharp, like knives hidden in silk.
Kenji stood nearby, listening for a moment before walking away, tired of the tension.
Their voices grew colder.
Mrs. Kin spoke first, her tone laced with pride.
"You still speak about your son, Mrs. Mark a son who doesn't even exist anymore."
Mrs. Mark turned, her smile fading. Her voice was low and dangerous.
"Then why does your daughter keep waiting for that ghost of a man who doesn't exist?"
The air froze between them.
Mrs. Kin went silent, her lips trembling before she turned away.
She found her daughter, Talia, standing by the corner of the hall, and without a word, she dragged her outside.
The music inside played softly violins, the sound of champagne glasses clinking, laughter echoing like distant bells.
But outside, in the cold air of the mansion courtyard, Mrs. Kin's anger came alive.
"Talia," she said sharply, "what are you going to do? It's been years since you married into this family, years since your ghost husband disappeared. Are you just going to keep waiting for nothing? Don't you think it's time to take what belongs to you?"
Talia lowered her head. She didn't answer. She never did.
She only nodded softly, her hands clasped together.
Her best friend Elane, who had followed them out, finally stepped forward.
She grabbed Talia's arm, pulling her away.
"Talia," she said firmly, "when are you going to start standing up for yourself? You let everyone talk about you, insult you and you just stay quiet. Why?"
Talia smiled faintly, her voice as soft as a sigh.
"What's the point? If I defend myself, they'll just talk more."
Elane sighed but smiled back.
"Fine. Let's just go sit down for a while."
They walked past the mansion lights, away from the sound of laughter and music, until they reached a quiet bench beneath an old tree.
They sat there for a moment, the night air heavy with silence.
Far away, hidden in the shadows of the street, Eran stood in front of an abandoned building.
It was the first time in years he had even thought about returning.
He stared at the glowing lights of the Mark mansion, unsure if he should go.
Since his sister's death, he had lived like a ghost.
Tonight, for the first time, he made a decision he would go.
He didn't have clothes fit for a party.
Only his old sweater the one he'd worn for years.
So he went to his neighbor, Mr. John, who lived in the same ruined apartment building.
Mr. John was a strange man. He claimed he used to be a top designer before he lost everything. His apartment was worse than Eran's filled with piles of old fabrics, garbage, and dust.
When Eran asked for help, Mr. John laughed, digging through his mess before pulling out a suit from one heap and a shirt from another.
"Here," he said. "My best design. No one's ever worn it."
The suit was torn at the edges, the fabric both elegant and dirty like a forgotten relic.
Eran didn't care. He put it on.
It fit awkwardly, but it was enough.
He borrowed a dollar from Mr. John and walked to the street.
When a taxi finally stopped, the driver stared at him.
"You're going to the Mark mansion?" the man asked. "You sure? You look like you just walked out of the garbage. That suit's screaming rich and poor at the same time."
Eran said nothing.
He'd heard worse before.
When they reached the mansion gates, he tried to pay, but the driver shook his head.
"Keep it," he said softly. "They won't even let you in anyway."
Eran said nothing. He just nodded and stepped out.
The mansion glowed ahead, alive with music and cameras.
He could hear people laughing inside.
He knew this wasn't a memorial it was a trap, a spectacle.
But still, he walked toward it.
At that same moment, Talia stood from the bench.
She looked at Elane with a small smile.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Next time, I'll make it up to you. I'll be stronger."
Elane smiled and patted her shoulder. "What are friends for?"
As Talia walked back toward the mansion, Elane stayed behind a moment, stretching and breathing in the cold air.
Then she turned, and someone bumped into her.
"Hey !" she started, stepping back.
It was a man.
Tall, messy-haired, wearing a half-clean, half-dirty suit.
"I'm sorry," he said quickly, bowing his head.
Elane frowned. "Watch where you're going, will you? You rich people think you can just"
She stopped.
The man looked up, and her voice caught in her throat.
His eyes were tired, broken, filled with something she couldn't name. His hair was a mess, his face pale like he hadn't slept in years.
He looked… lost.
She blinked, realizing he wasn't what she thought.
"I sorry," she said softly. "It's okay."
He nodded once, then walked past her toward the glowing lights of the mansion.
Elane turned back toward the hall, shaking her head.
"Talia," she said when she found her friend again, "I just saw a man outside who looked like he was about to fall apart. You would've laughed if you'd seen him."
Talia smiled faintly. "Is it nice to make fun of someone?"
Elane laughed. "Fine, fine. I won't do it again."
Inside the ballroom, Mrs. Mark stood on the staircase, glass in hand.
"Everyone," she announced proudly, her voice echoing through the crowd,
"Please raise your glasses this is a toast. To my son Kenji… and to my other son, who is coming home tonight."
The crowd clapped.
The cameras flashed.
The air filled with excitement.
But outside
Eran stood by the gate.
The guards were already trying to chase him away.]