Chapter 14
Reina rushed into the burger joint and threw herself at the man in the white shirt. Her voice shook as she said, “Xavier, please, let me explain! I never wanted to divorce you…”
“Ma’am, you’ve got the wrong person!” The man tried to push her away, but she clung to him even tighter.
“No! You’re Xavier! Please, come home with me. The past few days have been terrible! I feel like dying without you!”
Just then, a woman appeared and grabbed Reina by the hair. “Who the hell are you? How dare you harass my boyfriend? Let go of him!”
“I won’t let go! He’s my husband!” Reina’s eyes turned red as she glared at the woman who had grabbed her. “Get away from him!”
The police, arriving in a hurry, pulled Reina away. “Ms. Yarrow, please calm down. This man is not Mr. Caldwell. He’s missing, remember?”
Reina clung desperately to the man in white. Her expression was frantic and filled with pain. “Xavier, they’re coming for me again. They forced me to take pills and used an electric baton to hit my head. It hurts so much. Rub my head, please? Don’t leave me!”
“Ms. Yarrow,” Leon said softly, supporting her as she swayed. “Mr. Caldwell is gone. His records were all erased. He won’t be coming back.” “You’re lying!” Reina, in a daze, raised her hand to show the wedding ring on her finger. Her voice was hoarse. “He said even death couldn’t take him from me. He will love me forever!”
She pulled out a stack of bank cards from her wallet and staggered to the crowd gathered around.
“Has anyone seen my husband?” she slurred. “Bring him to me, and I’ll give you a million dollars!”
The onlookers were stunned. They whispered among themselves.
“Ms. Yarrow has always been good to her husband. How did things get so bad between them? Did he leave her?”
“I heard Ms. Yarrow got back together with her first love. But that’s probably just gossip. By the looks of it, she still cares deeply for Xavier.”
“Ms. Yarrow is rich and beautiful, yet she chose to marry a male escort who’s infertile. She really loves him, huh? Look at her. She’s so desperate to find Mr. Caldwell, she’s crying!”
Reina wiped her tears, her mind in a haze.
When Hugo had abandoned her, she had been crushed but never shed a single tear. Yet tonight, she was crying for Xavier. What was happening to her?
She had always loved Hugo. Xavier was only someone she feit grateful for. So why did his absence make her cry?
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind. “Reina, have you really figured out your feelings? Who do you truly love? Hugo or Xavier?”
Reina had always been so certain about who she loved, but now, her confidence wavered.
Everyone who approached her seemed to have an agenda, except Xavier.
He had been her refuge, a safe place to return to whenever she was weary. Whether she was down on her luck or successful, he had loved her unconditionally, giving her a sense of belonging.
She had thought all she felt for Xavier was gratitude and that she was simply used to having him around. But now, she tragically realized that he meant far more to her than she had ever acknowledged.
Xavier had left, shattering the last remnants of her sense of belonging. That broke her completely. It hurt far more than when Hugo had abandoned her. Her heart felt hollow, like a decaying tree starved of nourishment.
At that thought, regret burned within her. She wanted to slap herself for not realizing how much she care! about Xavier sooner.
If only she had realized her feelings earlier, things wouldn’t have ended up like this.
Reina held back the pain in her heart and flung the bank cards into the air. “You think a million dollars isn’t enough? Fine! I’ll give you all these cards! Just bring me Xavier! I want to see him now!”
“Ms. Yarrow, Tessa said she saw Mr. Caldwell wrapping a birthday gift for you at home.” Leon rushed over, his voice full of excitement. “Maybe he’ll show up at your birthday party!”
