Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 176: What if I did the same?

Daniel’s eyes never left Anna.

A flicker of cautiousness flashed across hers — and that alone amused him. Just minutes ago, she’d been bold enough to mock him for not knowing about Mariam’s weekend habits, yet now she stood tense and wary, like a cornered kitten.

Just how many layers of amusement did his wife come with? he wondered, his lips twitching.

He didn’t move an inch, but that slow, knowing smile appeared — the one that always made Anna’s heart skip no matter how much she pretended otherwise.

"Relax, wifey," he murmured, his voice brushing her ear like silk. "I wasn’t planning on doing anything... yet."

Anna’s breath hitched, her heart leaping into her throat.

Not yet?

Her imagination betrayed her instantly, conjuring up all sorts of embarrassing possibilities.

And then — that deep, rich chuckle shattered her thoughts.

"You’re thinking too much, wifey."

Her cheeks flared. "You—!" Anna glared, her irritation blooming as his laughter deepened. "Just let go!"

She shoved him away and stormed off toward their room, muttering curses under her breath.

But, of course, Daniel followed.

Anna’s thoughts were a mess. She wasn’t sure what she was more annoyed about — his teasing, her overthinking, or the strange, fluttering warmth that refused to leave her chest.

By the time she reached the bedroom, she had already decided to ignore him completely.

"Wifey, are you upset?" Daniel asked as he caught up, his tone deliberately innocent.

"Why would I be?" she shot back, refusing to look at him. She marched toward the bed, sat down on her side, and grabbed the nearest magazine.

Daniel smiled. He knew that tone — that clipped, defensive tone that meant she was, in fact, upset. And that made him want to push her buttons just a little more.

"Then why are you ignoring me?" he teased, stepping closer.

She flipped a page loudly, pretending to read.

He leaned down, studying her from above. "You know, you’re terrible at pretending not to care."

"Daniel," she said without looking up, "go take a shower."

That made him chuckle. He straightened, his grin widening with quiet mischief.

’You can’t just ignore me, wifey,’ he thought, a flicker of something playful — almost wicked — glinting in his eyes.

Without another word, he turned and walked into the bathroom.

Thud.

The door clicked shut and silence filled the room.

Anna finally glanced up from the magazine, her brows furrowing.

"What’s with him?" she muttered, shaking her head. "Teasing me like it’s his full-time job."

She scoffed, returning her attention to the glossy pages — until a loud crash split the air.

Clatter!

Anna froze. Her breath caught. Then—

"Ah!"

Her heart jumped into her throat. "Daniel?"

No response — just a low groan of pain from behind the door.

"Damn it, what did you do now?" she muttered under her breath, already sprinting across the room. She knocked hard. "Daniel? What happened? Are you okay?"

Another groan.

That was enough for her. "I swear—" she growled, pushing the door open.

Steam rolled out instantly, filling the air. Her eyes darted around, scanning the space — and before she could even take a full step in, a strong hand shot out of the mist, grabbing her wrist.

"Daniel—!"

In one swift motion, he pulled her forward — and she stumbled, gasping, right into the shower.

Flip. Swish.

Warm water cascaded over them both, soaking her in seconds.

Anna blinked rapidly, her hair plastered to her face — and then she saw him.

Daniel stood there, completely fine, droplets of water tracing down his jaw as he smirked — that devilish, maddening smirk that made her pulse go wild.

"Caught you."

The words left Daniel’s lips with a hint of triumph — but instead of the playful reaction he expected, he was met with silence.

Anna froze.

For a second, she just stood there, breathing hard, water cascading down her face. Then, slowly, her chest began to heave — not from surprise, but from anger.

"Daniel," she said, her voice trembling at first, then sharpening like glass, "is this some kind of joke to you? Scaring me like that?"

The laughter that had been lingering in his throat died instantly. The smirk faded.

There was no trace of amusement in her eyes — no hint of the warmth or reluctant affection he was used to teasing out of her. Only fury.

And hurt.

The realization hit him like a punch to the gut.

’Did the prank went too far?’ He blinked, the steam swirling around them as her words sank in.

Anna’s pulse thudded in her chest, uneven and anxious. The sharp rush of fear she’d felt moments ago still lingered — raw and real.

The thought of something happening to Daniel had shaken her more than she wanted to admit. What hurt wasn’t just the fear, but the realization that he’d turned it into a game.

Her heart was torn — wavering between wanting to believe him and holding onto the sting of what he’d done. But deep down, she did believe him. She knew what it felt like to be helpless, to think you’d lost someone when there was nothing you could do to stop it.

Anna drew a steadying breath, blinking away the haze of emotion as she tried to calm the strange, suffocating fear still clawing at her chest. She finally yanked her hand free, ready to leave — to escape the heat, the confusion, the ache twisting inside her.

But Daniel’s hand caught her arm before she could take a step.

"Did it scare you?" he asked softly.

His voice carried no trace of his earlier teasing — only uncertainty. The kind that comes when you realize you’ve crossed a line you didn’t mean to.

Anna looked up at him, her eyes conflicted. She saw something flicker there — guilt, concern, maybe even regret.

Daniel’s chest tightened. He hadn’t meant for it to go that far. All he’d wanted was her attention — her laughter, her spark, the part of her that only he could draw out. But he’d gone about it the wrong way. He could see it now — the hurt in her silence was louder than anything she could’ve said.

Then Anna finally spoke, her voice trembling but sharp enough to pierce through the space between them.

"What if I ask you the same thing, Daniel?"

He stilled.

Her gaze didn’t waver. "What if I did the same? Pretended to fall, made you panic — and then laughed it off like death was just a joke to me?"