His Housewife Had Secret Identities novel Chapter 369

Just as Niamh predicted, Lana showed up with a six-pack and a bag of snacks.

On the phone, Niamh hadn’t told Lana that Elmer was awake—or that he was coming over. She’d only said she’d have a special guest waiting, an old friend they hadn’t seen in ages.

She’d wanted to surprise Lana.

When Lana knocked, it was Elmer who opened the door.

The instant she saw him—alive and standing in the doorway—Lana let out a scream that rattled the windows and probably half the neighbors, too.

“Come on, Lana! The neighbors are going to file a noise complaint,” Niamh groaned, half laughing, half mortified.

If she’d known Lana would react like this, she’d have just told her everything upfront, given her time to brace herself. So much for a happy surprise—this was pure shock.

Elmer looked a little lost, not quite understanding the commotion. “Lana, I just woke up from a coma—not back from the dead. You can relax.”

Lana stared at him, eyes wide and unblinking. She reached out, pinched his cheek, then smacked his head—not gently.

“Does that hurt?” she demanded.

“Lana!” Niamh couldn’t help shouting. Elmer was barely out of the hospital—he didn’t need a concussion on top of everything else.

Elmer just shook his head, amused and a little exasperated. “You hit that hard—aren’t your hands hurting?”

Niamh had played piano since she was a child—talented, passionate, dreaming of conservatory life. The summer before their senior year, Elmer and Lana had traveled with her to Aldenville for a major piano competition.

That competition changed everything. Not just for Niamh, but for Elmer, too.

“I’m sorry, Elmer…” Niamh’s voice trembled, her cheeks flushed from the beer and her eyes shining with tears. “I mean it, I’m so sorry… If I hadn’t asked you to go back to the hotel to get my necklace, you wouldn’t have been in that accident. You wouldn’t have…”

…ended up in a coma.

Elmer hadn’t just been the popular guy at school; he was also top of the class, with a future as bright as they came. His parents ran a successful business and had pinned all their hopes on him. If they could have chosen, they’d have wanted Elmer to go into politics—and with his grades and his drive, it wasn’t out of reach.