Chapter 14
The moment the scent of food reached Daisy’s nose, her stiff eyes flickered with a subtle shift. Driven by pure instinct, she crawled toward the bowl, her hands trembling as she devoured the oatmeal with a hunger that felt like it went beyond physical need. With each bite, the fear that had gripped her slowly began to loosen its hold.
As she ate, Daisy’s gaze began to drift, cautiously taking in her new surroundings. By the third day, after the worst of her panic had faded, her voice finally broke the silence, soft and hoarse. “I’m sorry.”
Her apology caught Gordon off guard. He had expected many things from Daisy, but not this, her apologizing for not keeping her promise to attend the wedding.
“It’s alright,” he replied quietly, his voice carrying a gentle understanding after a brief pause.
Once Daisy had found her voice again, communication between them became easier, though Gordon remained the quiet, introspective man he had always been, unsure how to bridge the gap between them. After some thought, he decided to call his younger sister, Emma Davis, hoping she might help Daisy adjust. He had figured that women would have an easier time connecting with one another.
And indeed, they did. When Emma saw the scars on Daisy’s face, she paused for just a beat but quickly brightened. Her voice was warm and welcoming. “Big sister-in-law!”
Emma’s easygoing nature made it effortless for her to bond with Daisy. Through their conversations, Daisy learned she was now in Portland, and it was Gordon who had brought her back from the wilderness.
“You have no idea,” Emma said, her voice soft with emotion. “When my brother heard you were missing, he was beside himself. He rushed to Seattle overnight with a whole team. Nothing else mattered to him. Thank goodness you’re okay. Otherwise, I don’t know how he would’ve handled it.”
Daisy was taken aback. Her eyes naturally lifted to Gordon, who had been silently listening by the door. Their gazes met, but Daisy quickly looked away, her thoughts drifting back to that fateful day.
After Desmond had abandoned her once again at the wedding, Daisy had been consumed with a mix of fury and despair. She wandered the streets aimlessly, not even noticing the truck heading straight for her. It was Gordon who had saved her.
Once the shock began to fade, Daisy felt compelled to thank him, but her words were laced with confusion. She looked at the serious man in front of her, who seemed equally surprised, and asked, “How can I repay you?”
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, his gaze shifted to her wedding dress, and he asked a question that took her completely off guard.
“Are you married?”
“No,” Daisy shook her head, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. “My groom left me for another woman. The wedding was called off.”
A heavy silence fell between them, and after a moment, he spoke again, his voice steady. “Then… would you marry me?”
Daisy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She stared at him, her mind racing in disbelief. But perhaps fueled by the need to move on or a desire to strike back at Desmond, she found herself nodding in agreement.
They went to the civil affairs office to register, and only then did Daisy learn his name, Gordon.
“I have something to take care of, so I’ll leave first,” he said, handing her an address before leaving, asking her to be at their wedding on time.
As she pulled herself from that distant memory, Daisy couldn’t help but rub her head, still reeling from it all. At the time, she hadn’t realized it, but now, as she sat quietly in the room, the decision to marry someone so hastily seemed like a rash impulse. Especially after these past few days, she had begun to understand more about the kind of family the Davis Family truly was.
Absently, she traced the scars on her face with her fingers, feeling the disfigurement beneath her touch. After a pause, she finally turned to Gordon and hesitantly asked, “Should we get a divorce?”
The words hung in the air, leaving both Gordon and Emma stunned into silence. Emma was the first to break the stillness, panic creeping into her voice.
“Big sister-in-law, is it because you’re unhappy with my brother? Or have I said too much these past few days? Have I annoyed you?” Emma’s words tumbled out in a rush.
Gordon remained still, his gaze locked on Daisy, his lips pressed into a thin line. His expression was unreadable.
Daisy hadn’t expected such a reaction from either of them. She quickly shook her head, her voice soft as she stammered, “No… it’s just that I…”
