Chapter 9
Thomas brought in his doctor, Alan Declant, to examine Laura’s injuries.
Alan glanced at her before saying, “It’s just a light sprain. She’ll be fine in a few days.”
Thomas felt relieved upon hearing those words. He looked at Laura and said, “Get some rest, Laura. I’ll go check on Shannon.”
A flicker of resentment crossed Laura’s face when she heard that. She had a sprained ankle, yet was still thinking of Shannon–what was so good about her anyway?
Christopher looked at Thomas and whispered, “Don’t you like Aunt Laura, Daddy? I worked so hard to get you this chance to be alone with her, so you should be making the most of it now!”
Thomas was stunned after hearing his words. He found himself reconsidering. After all, he liked Laura. He should be staying by her side when she was at her weakest, so why was he still thinking about Shannon now?
His gaze hardened in determination, and he grabbed Laura’s hand. “I’ll stay right here with you, Laura. I won’t go anywhere.”
Touched, she leaned in to kiss Thomas. He didn’t pull away.
As they kissed passionately, Christopher covered his eyes. “I can’t watch this,” he mumbled.
By the time Thomas had placated Laura and gone back to look for Shannon, she was no longer there.
He didn’t think much of it, merely taking Christopher’s hand as they returned to the villa.
While changing his shoes, Thomas habitually called out Shannon’s name, yet no one answered him. He then hurriedly called for Andy Cooke, their housekeeper.
Perplexed, Andy asked, “Wasn’t Mrs. Ford with you? She hasn’t been back since she went out this morning.”
Thomas felt an inexplicable surge of anger rising within him.
Shannon had never acted like this before. No matter how busy she was, she’d always come home on time. Now, she had not only left without telling him, but also hadn’t even returned home at all.
She had told Thomas not to worry about her, yet she was also the one throwing a tantrum right now.
Frustration welled up within him. Beside him, Christopher tugged at his hand and asked, “Where’s Mommy? I want to sleep now. Why isn’t she coming to tell me a bedtime story?”
Thomas glanced over at Christopher and suppressed his frustration. He then coaxed, “Mommy is busy today. I’ll tell you a bedtime story instead.”
Thomas struggled to put Christopher to sleep. Exhausted and out of breath, his frustration toward Shannon only deepened.
He headed downstairs for a drink, but Andy caught him before he could do so.
www
Andy handed Thomas a note and said, “By the way, Mrs. Ford asked me to pass this to you before she left.“,
Thomas frowned as he took the note. He was puzzled. Why would Shannon leave him a note when she could just text or call him? He couldn’t figure out what she was trying to do.
His gaze turned cold the moment he read the note. His fingers started trembling.
The note was simple, with only one word that said, “Goodbye.”
For some reason, Thomas felt uneasy. This note felt like a final farewell from Shannon.
Needing answers, he bolted upstairs and rushed to her room. He froze the
Moment he opened the door.
The once warm and cozy space was now empty. Even the wedding photo that used to hang in the bedroom lay torn to pieces on the floor.
Thomas took in the scene in disbelief. He dialled Shannon’s number.
“This number is no longer in service,” the automated voice replied.
Shannon had actually cancelled her number.
Thomas stood numbly in place, muttering, “Impossible… that’s impossible.”
From the moment Shannon married into the family, she had been nothing but devoted to him. She was always compliant and met his every need. She treated Thomas even better than Grace ever did.
Every morning, without fail, Shannon would rise early to cook for the entire family. She’d even learned various recipes just to please his appetite. Thomas refused to believe someone like her, who loved him so much, would leave him one day.
Besides, they had a son together. Shannon loved Christopher more than herself, so how would she bear to leave them? Thomas sat waiting on the couch, eyes trained on the villa’s entrance. He believed that she would eventually come back.
After all, they hadn’t even filed for divorce. Shannon was still his lawfully wedded wife.
However, the only thing that arrived was a call from his assistant, Elijah Wood. “I’ve just checked the records, Mr. Ford. You and Ms. Shannon Linsel were never legally married!”
