Chapter 10
The next day was Jamie’s one–month birthday celebration. Shawn, who had spent the last night indulging in bodily pleasures, was surprised to see that Candace hadn’t called or texted him when he scrolled through his phone. Her silence was out of the ordinary.
There were many things to prepare for the celebration. He dressed himself and was about to leave when Yelena wrapped her arms around his waist. “Shawn, you have to be patient and accompany Candace at home tonight. You need to set your mother’s mind at ease. Don’t sneak back here to see me, got it? We need to plan ahead if we want our relationship to last.”
“You’re always thinking about what’s best for me, Lena. You’ve never cared about the hardships that you have to endure.”
Shawn spent a long time with Yelena before he took his leave. When he made it to the hotel, he noticed the guests whispering amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Candace and Jamie were nowhere to be found.
“Shawn, fooling around on normal days is one thing. But being late to your own child’s one–month birthday celebration is completely unacceptable Lucia scolded him. “What did you do to anger Candace this time? Her number has been deactivated!”
“Deactivated?” Shawn’s surprise was soon replaced by fury. “I’m already doing her a favor by showing up, yet she’s pulling a disappearing act during her child’s one–month birthday celebration?
“Mom, I’m 80% certain that Candace cooked up this scheme to anger me. When I find her, I’ll be sure to teach her a lesson!”
“You should speak to her properly. Don’t be unreasonable,” Lucia said earnestly.
Shawn continued to call Candace over and over again, but the line remained dead. He called everyone she knew, but all of them had the same answer- they had no clue of her whereabouts.
Feeling his frustration building, Shawn ordered his assistant to look for Candace throughout the entire city.
“Mr. Hamilton, Mrs. Hamilton wasn’t at the maternity store she usually frequents.”
“Mr. Hamilton, Mrs. Hamilton wasn’t at the flower shop she likes to visit.”
“Continue searching for her!” Shawn massaged
throbbing head. “I’ll reward 10,000 dollars to anyone who can give us a lead on her whereabouts!”
They waited from morning till afternoon, but Candace remained missing. The guests couldn’t stay still in their seats any longer. They surrounded Shawn and bombarded him with their opinions.
“I don’t think she was abducted. If she had been, the abductors would have called and demanded a ransom a long time ago.”
“I heard that Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were arguing yesterday. Could she have taken Jamie and jumped into the river in a fit of anger? After all, everyone knows that she’s not the one in Mr. Hamilton’s heart.”
“Mrs. Hamilton clung to Mr. Hamilton like a leech for eight years before her efforts bore fruit. I don’t think she would throw away all her hard work and just commit suicide like that.”
The guests‘ discussions plunged Shawn’s heart into turmoil. As he recalled how he had sent his assistant to deliver the divorce agreement to Candace last night, the discomfort in his heart continued to grow.
Candace loved him with every fiber of her being. Was it possible that she did something drastic?
“She wouldn’t!” Shawn tried his best to convince himself. “Candace loves her child so much. She would never give up on her life like that!”
Perhaps she was cooped up at ho
and waiting for him to return to her.
Shawn dashed out of the hotel and sped back home, only to see a moving truck parked outside the villa. The workers were moving various pieces of furniture into the building.
He felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He rushed over and grabbed the elderly man hell are you doing?”
The elderly man was quivering, clearly shocked by Shawn’s icy tone. “Your wife sold this villa
“What?”
was directing the workers. “This is my home! What the
to us
I even have the property deed!”
Whippy’s face paled as he urished the deed from the elderly man and studied it. He staggered back
unfamiliar landlord’s name.
“She sold our marital home?” he muttered to himself. “How can that be? Mom gifted this villa to her as a
this villa for our kids! You must be in eahoots with her to lie to me!”
when his eyes scanned the
gift. She said she was going to leave
had always been hung up in the
Shawn shoved the people who were in his way aside and dashed into the villa. He realized that the lily embroidery living room had disappeared along with all their photographs that had once decorated various parts of their home. Even Candace’s beloved wooden box, which she used to store the love letters he had allegedly written her, had disappeared from its spot on the shelf next to the dining table.
“Candace Brightshield, show yourself!”
Shawn searched through every room in the villa, desperately looking for her familiar silhouette. He yelled, “I’m going to count to three. If you still refuse to come out, don’t call me cruel if I get someone to take Jamie away from you! I won’t let you see him for the rest of your life!“
