Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 196: I’ll try to believe in you

Last night, Anna hadn’t even realized when sleep finally claimed her. She’d been so tangled up in her thoughts that she hadn’t watched a second of the movie. The only thing she remembered was Daniel eventually giving up and deciding to leave her alone so she could calm down.

Now, with her mind clear and her anger cooled, she shifted lazily under the covers and rolled to the other side.

That’s when she heard it...a low, pained groan right beside her and her eyes flew open.

Blinking away the fog of sleep, she waited for her vision to sharpen, and when it did, her breath hitched, her heartbeat stumbling.

D–Daniel...?

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the man lying next to her.

[Last night, after everyone had fallen asleep]

Daniel shoved the duvet aside and jolted upright, eyes wide and restless. Sleep refused to come, not when Anna was upset with him.

He’d tried talking to her earlier, had even begged her to open the door, but she’d simply turned up the volume, drowning out his voice and forcing him to retreat to his own room.

But even now, after so long, he couldn’t settle.

For nights now he’d grown used to falling asleep wrapped around Anna—her warmth, her scent, her steady breathing. Losing that comfort now made his chest feel tight, his mind restless.

"No. I can’t sleep like this," he muttered, frustrated. In one swift motion, he yanked the duvet away and swung his legs off the bed.

Opening his door quietly, he peeked into the hallway.

Silent. Everyone was asleep.

Good.

Careful not to make a sound, he padded down the corridor toward Anna’s room. He expected her door to be unlocked—she always left it that way.

But when he reached for the handle and pushed gently, it didn’t budge.

She had locked it.

Daniel’s jaw tightened.

Damn it... how am I supposed to get in? he thought anxiously, staring at the barrier between him and the only place he knew he could rest.

But then a thought struck him, bright and reckless and Daniel’s eyes sparkled with sudden determination.

***

"I think this will work," he whispered to himself.

Standing beneath Anna’s bedroom window, Daniel positioned the ladder against the wall with misplaced confidence. He even allowed himself a proud little smile... until he glanced around nervously.

"I hope no one’s watching," he muttered, still painfully aware of his image even in the dead of night.

Satisfied that the coast was clear, he grabbed the ladder and climbed up quickly, hopping through the partially open window and slipping inside finally reaching the place he’d ached to be.

[Present]

Anna was in utter disbelief.

Daniel was sleeping right beside her. Inside her locked room.

She had locked the door. She had ignored him, drowned out his voice with the volume turned all the way up. And yet here he was. Sleeping comfortably, deeply, as if this room... this bed... was the only place he truly belonged.

Her eyes softened almost instantly when he sleepily shifted closer, nuzzling into her warmth.

"Don’t be angry with me, wifey..." he mumbled in his sleep, voice cracked with the remnants of last night’s worry. As if even in dreams, he was still pleading with her.

Anna had always believed Daniel was a cold-hearted man—someone who never cared, who constantly neglected her, who treated her like a burden he didn’t want to shoulder.

But moments like this... the way he clung to her... the way he sought her even in confusion and fear... everything was changing. Too fast. Too deeply.

And her heart—stubborn, hurt, protective was in denial.

But can I really forget the way he ignored my calls? When I desperately tried to tell him our child... our baby... was leaving us?

A shallow breath escaped her trembling lips.

I was at fault too... how would he know if I never told him he was going to be a father?

"Have I been the problem all along?" she whispered inwardly, guilt flooding her. If only she had been brave enough back then. Brave enough to confront him. Brave enough to fight instead of running... would things have been different?

She didn’t realize how long she had been staring at the sleeping man beside her until tears shimmered in her eyes, heavy with unsaid pain.

And then... he woke.

His lashes fluttered, and slowly his deep eyes opened—those same dark, intense eyes that once made her feel unwanted, unseen...

Now locking onto hers with a different kind of fire.

A fire that made her breath hitch.

The same eyes... the same intense, unwavering eyes that always seemed to see right through her without a single word. And somehow, that alone was enough to sweep her off her feet.

I want to trust you, Daniel... but I’m terrified you’ll break my heart.

She wanted to say it out loud, to let the truth spill, but the words remained trapped in her throat.

The silence stretched between them heavy, and fragile—her heartbeat loud enough to echo in her ears.

Then Daniel moved.

Before she could process it, his hand slid to the back of her neck, guiding her gently but urgently toward him. His lips met hers in a soft, pleading kiss—slow, almost trembling. A kiss that wasn’t demanding, wasn’t dominant... but begging.

Begging her not to push him away.Begging her to forgive him.

He kissed her carefully, nibbling her lower lip with a tenderness so uncharacteristic it made her chest tighten. As if one wrong move, one wrong breath, would get him thrown out of her room again.

"I’m sorry, wifey... please forgive me," Daniel whispered, voice breaking in the middle.

Anna froze.

His voice cracked, raw and pierced her straight through. And when she met his eyes... the sight of his tears shattered something inside her.

Was she really upset with him?

No... not anymore.

So why did those tears feel like they were ripping her heart apart?

Without thinking, her hands rose to cradle his face. Her thumbs brushed his skin slowly, soothingly, while his eyes fluttered closed, as if savoring every second of her touch.

"I’m not upset anymore," she whispered, leaning in until their foreheads touched gently.

Anna still had her doubts. Fears she hadn’t voiced. Wounds she hadn’t healed.

But Daniel’s sincerity, his actions, his desperation, and his soft pleading always made her hesitate before assuming the worst. Always made her look twice.

I know you’re hiding something, Daniel...But I promise—I won’t judge you until I know your truth. As long as you don’t intend to hurt me... I’ll try. I’ll try to believe in you.