Chapter 6
Jennifer shot Curtis a withering look. “Kid, stop babbling nonsense.”
Maddox’s stoic face was the picture of silence. His years hadn’t acquainted him with the slang of youth. He tried to make sense of it, but “popping out kittens” seemed more like a symptom of a gynecological or a psychiatric issue. It wasn’t his place to inquire too directly.
“Anne… are you feeling unwell?” he asked.
Leanne’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she hastened to say, “No, he’s just talking nonsense.”
After dinner, Curtis and Maddox hunkered down in the study for some time. Jennifer brought them some coffee and lingered longer than expected.
Leanne had been waiting in the living room. She hadn’t slept well the night before, and after a whole day of work, it wasn’t long before she dozed off on the couch.
Sarah, the household’s housekeeper, came over and gently woke her. “Leanne.”
Leanne rubbed her eyes. “Time to go?”
“Mr. Curtis and Mr. Maddox are still discussing matters. He won’t be leaving anytime soon.”
Sarah had been looking after Leanne since she was a child, treating her as her own. “Your old room is all tidied up. Do you want to go upstairs and rest a bit?”
Leanne rarely visited, except for holidays or when Jennifer called. She wouldn’t come or her initiative.
Her old room still held some of her belongings, remnants of her childhood, though not much belonged to her anymore..
She asked Sarah for a cardboard box, and after packing, she descended the stairs with the box in her arms as Curtis stepped out of the study.
Curtis’ eyes glanced over the box she was carrying. “What’s that?”
“Things from when I was little. I forgot to take them with me.”
He smirked an enigmatic expression that wasn’t quite a smile.
While following him downstairs, Leanne said, “Next time, don’t talk nonsense before your parents.”
“Nonsense?” Curtis stopped, loosened his tie, and glanced at her sideways. “Weren’t those your own words?”
1/2
11-14 E
Chapter 6
“That was a joke,” Leanne insisted. “You throwing it around before your parents made me uncomfortable.”
Curtis
Slid his hands into his trouser pockets, his gaze mockingly gentle. “Fine. From now on, I’ll make a list of what you say. Mark what can be shared and what can’t. I’ll adhere strictly to avoid accidentally spilling your little secrets and becoming the target of your frustration.”
This time, Leanne recognized the sarcasm.
“I’m not taking it out on you.” she explained.
Curtis didn’t care for her explanation and turned to continue downstairs.
Trailing his tall figure, Leanne felt dwarfed by his shadow, elongated by the dim light of the stairwell.
Curtis walked lazily, but she struggled to keep up and soon lagged.
Outside, the black Bentley was already parked at the front. Curtis stood by the car, lighting a cigarette. The ember flared in his fingers, the wind carrying a hint of his rogue charm.
When he saw her emerge, he snuffed out his smoke. “What’s with those legs if you can’t keep up?”
Leanne wanted to retort, ‘Can’t you see I’m carrying a box?’ but didn’t bother to argue.
Somewhere along the line, they had lost the desire to communicate.
Forget it. Those two words surfaced in Leanne’s mind repeatedly, quashing any impulse to speak her mind.
Curtis opened the car door, tossed his jacket inside, and leaned on the doorframe, his voice tinged with a cool detachment:
“Anything else you’ve left behind? Take it all today.”
“Nothing.” Leanne’s temper flared. “The rest is all your family property. Keep it.”
She slid into the car and heard Curtis let out a cold chuckle before he closed the door and
entered the driver’s side.
Curtis’ chivalry was in his blood, a product of nurture, but his sharp tongue and cold heart.
were nature’s handiwork.
Leanne had once seen him only as a charming heartbreaker. Only after marriage did she realize just how heartless he could be.
Chapter 7
After boarding the sleek black limousine, Curtis settled into the plush leather seat, crossing his legs casually and elegantly. The extended cabin was spacious and comfortable, providing ample room to maintain a polite distance, a buffer zone of social decorum between them.
The air was thick with tension.
Leanne couldn’t be sure if Curtis and his mother had broached the topic of divorce in the study. After sitting silently for a moment, she turned her head and asked, “Did your mom say anything to you?”
While glancing sideways, Curtis’ eyes were indifferent. “Say what?”
It appeared the subject hadn’t come up.
Leanne fiddled with her fingertips, hesitating for a few seconds before she spoke again, “In a month, it will be…”
Her attempt at conversation was interrupted by Curtis’ phone ringing. He slowly diverted his gaze from Leanne and answered the call.
Whoever was on the other end, Curtis kept his responses brief, his eyes shifting to gaze out the window, his profile etched with a detached coolness.
After he hung up, he instructed the driver to pull over.
Once the car stopped, Leanne heard his detached voice. “Get out. I have a business to attend to. Another car will pick you up later.”
Leanne couldn’t help but ask, “Where are you off to this late?”
At her inquiry, Curtis lifted his eyelids, his gaze sliding over her cheek with ambiguous intent, and a cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“You’re too nosy, Mrs. Richardson.” he sneered
The words hit Leanne like ice water, dousing her with a bone-chilling coldness.
Her fingers curled involuntarily as she silently opened the door and stepped out mid-journey.
The Bentley drove off, leaving Leanne alone in the sporadic glow of streetlights, their yellow beams tall and distant. The night was all in darkness.
She was far from downtown, with no shops in sight, the night wind rustling through the treetops.
Leanne had forgotten her scarf, and the cold air crept down her neck and seeped into her bones through the gaps in her sweater. She halled a ride on her phone app and left.
11:13
7
Chapter 7
When she arrived home, Laura was there. She dutifully offered her house slippers and glanced behind her “Mrs. Richardson, didn’t Mr. Curtis come back with you?”
“Mm.” Leanne switched footwear and was about to head upstairs but then remembered something. She took Laura to the room where the cats were kept, instructing her to care
for them.
The house was full of cat paraphernalia, an automatic feeder, a litter box, and something that resembled a small tree.
Laura looked around surprisingly before commenting, “You’re keeping so many cats. Mr. Curtis is not gonna be happy about this..”
“Just ensure the door is closed so the cats don’t get out,” Leanne said dismissively. “If he’s displeased, then so be it. You can’t keep a grown man happy all the time.”
She used to be so agreeable. Laura wondered if Leanne was still holding a grudge over last time, so she wisely kept her mouth shut.
Curtis didn’t return home that night nor for the following days.
Had it not been for the frequent updates about him on various media outlets, Leanne might have wondered if he had met with some misfortune.
Curtis’ return to the country quickly sent ripples through the financial sector. Everyone was speculating about the intentions of this Bullion Boulevard upstart.
[ElitePinnacle’s Grand Return Shakes up Domestic Banking Scene]
[Insider Scoop! Maddox to Step Down from Vector Vista Bank Presidency, Mr. Curtis’ Low-key Return Sparks Battle for Inheritance?]
Even the young healthcare professionals in Leanne’s department were gossiping over lunch.
“He’s so handsome and accomplished, I just can’t, oh, total heartthrob!”
chance! He’s b
Sandra interrupted, “As if you’d have a married for ages.”
“Seriously? Married that young?”
“Absolutely! I’ve seen them. He’s more dashing in person than in pictures. The wedding was a grand event. Haven’t you
heard?”
ליווי
Chapter 8
Sandra’s voice oozed familiarity with Curtis, and Leanne glanced up at her with a hint of
irritation.
Although they started at the same hospital and department in the same year, Sandra had always been at odds with her.
When Leanne married Curtis, she hadn’t even graduated from her advanced studies, let alone started at the hospital. Without family on her side, the bridal party consisted solely of her one friend, Joy.
“You guys haven’t seen that epic wedding photo, have you?” Sandra interrupted, “The one where they’re exchanging rings, and the bride’s wearing this dreamy veil. That profile, that vibe, it’s absolutely killer! Let me pull it up for you.”
She dug out the photo from some old news article online, and they all huddled around, chatting excitedly:
“Can’t see her face, but her figure screams knockout beauty!”
“Man, I’d love to know who she is.”
“Hey, Dr. Castillo, doesn’t that profile look like you?”
Leanne kept her composure and replied, “You must be mistaken.”
“Oh, come on,” Sandra rolled her eyes dramatically, “As if she’d ever land a tycoon.”
Leanne’s face was as still as a pond. “How do you know my luck isn’t that good?”
As Sandra was about to retort, a nurse emphatically slapped her thigh. “With Dr. Castillo’s looks and skills, snagging a tycoon would be a piece of cake!”
Sandra scoffed, “It’s been two years, and have you ever seen her hubby? If she married rich, she’d be flaunting him by now.”
“Yeah, Dr. Castillo, when will you introduce your husband to us?”
Leanne put down her fork, cleaned her mouth, and said, “My husband is a ghost. Didn’t want to scare you by bringing him here.”
She casually picked up her plate and walked away, leaving a sea of stunned faces behind. After her shift, Leanne came home to find Laura had prepared a feast, an array of dishes on the table, many of which, like eggplant and asparagus, weren’t Leanne’s favorites.
Leanne had told her to cook less, but Laura argued, “Even if you don’t eat it, Mr. Curtis will.”
“He can’t possibly eat twelve dishes by himself.”
11-13
Chapter 8
Leanne was easygoing, always keen to return a small kindness with much more. She
avoided conflict and rarely made a fuss unless it was necessary. But once she closed her heart to someone, reopening it was a tall order
“There’s no need to be wasteful, even if we can afford it.”
Laura muttered under her breath. “It’s all Mr. Curtis’ money. Cooking for him isn’t wasteful.”
Leanne ate leisurely. “My hearing is just fine. If you want to grumble, do it further away.”
Laura clamped her mouth shut.
Dinner was nearly ready, and Curtis still hadn’t come home. Laura kept glancing toward the door, unable to help herself. “Aren’t you going to call Mr. Curtis? It’s been days. Isn’t he coming home tonight?”
Leanne replied indifferently, “Why don’t you call him if you miss him so much?”
Laura’s face twisted awkwardly. “That’s not what I meant…”
Suddenly, a car pulled up in the driveway, and Laura’s face lit up. “Is that Mr. Curtis?”
She ran to the door while Leanne’s gaze followed.
Laura swung the door open to find Jake, the driver, holding a cardboard box and shouting from a distance, “Ma’am, Mr. Curtis had me return this to you. You left it in the car the other day.”
“Just leave it there.”
Jake left the box at the entrance without coming in.
As he turned to leave, Leanne asked, “Where has Curtis been staying these past few days?”
Chapter 9
Jake fumbled with his words, clearly uncomfortable with the question.
Life at the house was like walking a tightrope when the couple was at odds. The staff was caught in the middle, unsure whether to report Curtis’ whereabouts to Leanne.
You didn’t want to cross the boss, but his wife, Leanne, was no pushover, either. They were at loggerheads, but who knew if they’d kiss and make up the next day? Then, they might come after people for taking sides.
After a long internal debate, Jake chose a safe answer. “Mr. Curtis has been tied up with work these few days.”
He was good at sidestepping the issue.
Leanne wasn’t fooled, and she pressed, “So, is he camping at the office then?”
Jake’s forehead was beading with sweat. “No, ma’am, he isn’t.”
“You’re off the hook,” Leanne said, returning her gaze to her soup. “You can go.”
Jake didn’t waste a second. He practically sprinted out the door.
Later, Leanne called Curtis again, only to be greeted by his assistant.
“Mrs. Richardson, are you looking for Mr. Richardson?”
“Can I speak to Curtis, please?”
“Mr. Richardson is busy at the moment,” Caleb said politely, his voice a study in diplomacy. “As you know, he’s just returned from abroad and got tons of work in ElitePinnacle. He’s been too busy. If there’s something urgent, I can pass on a message.”
Divorce wasn’t something she could leave to an assistant to handle. She had to talk to
Curtis face to face.
Leanne was running out of patience. “Then tell him, with the way he’s burning the candle at both ends, he’s going to drop dead.”
Caleb paused, unsure of how to proceed.
“And tell him to call me before that happens.”
Another pause came.
After hanging up, Caleb glanced at Curtis, who was busy signing documents. He weighed whether he should relay the message verbatim.
Curtis had indeed been busy. ElitePinnacle Investments was shifting its focus to the domestic market, moving its headquarters back to Stonebridge from Bullion Boulevard. Just sorting through the paperwork was an arduous task.
11:14
Chapter 9
After finishing a stack of documents, Curtis capped his pen, leaned back in his chair, and took a sip of his coffee before asking, “What did she say?”
Caleb filtered the message. “Mrs. Richardson said you should take care of yourself and not overwork.”
Curtis raised an eyebrow and glanced out the window.
ElitePinnacle’s new office was adjacent to the Richardson Group skyscraper, part of a grand commercial district of towering silver-gray buildings. The noon sun dazzled off the glass facades.
Curtis chuckled and swiveled his chair to face the floor-to-ceiling windows, lazily sipping his coffee.
“Seriously? She won’t care about me.”
Leanne didn’t know if Caleb had passed on her message, but the outcome didn’t change. Curtis was as unreachable as if he had vanished, not returning calls or coming home.
On the other side of town, Jennifer called to check on the progress of things.
“How are things going with Curtis?”
Leanne, who had to see patients that afternoon and couldn’t afford a lunch break, was nibbling on a sandwich. “He’s been busy. We haven’t talked yet.”
She could almost picture Jennifer frowning. “Leanne, are you stalling on purpose?”
“No, I’m not,” Leanne replied.
Jennifer’s voice hardened. “Dragging this out is mutual torture. It’s tormenting Curtis and our family. Do you hate us that much?”
“I don’t,” Leanne said weakly.
“Haven’t we treated you well all these years? You grew up before my eyes. Don’t force me to be the bad guy, because you will look bad in the end.”
“It’s been three years of this limbo for Curtis, seeing him stuck in Emberland and not coming home because of you. Can you imagine how that makes a mother feel?”
Leanne never knew why Curtis decided to go to Emberland abruptly.
They said he went after Suzan Wright, blaming her for not being able to keep her husband’s heart.
They said it was because Curtis didn’t want to see her, blaming her for being unbearable.
It was always her fault.
Years of Jennifer’s frustrations came pouring out. “If his grandmother hadn’t meddled, I would never have let you two get married. Curtis deserves a better wife!”
2/3 It felt like her heart was being gouged out, one slice at a time. Leanne didn’t feel the pain, only the bloody scene.
Chapter 10
She clenched her fingers tightly, retorting, “This marriage wasn’t my choice, either. Don’t forget your family needed a favor from me.”
There was a moment of silence on the phone before Jennifer’s voice softened but still carried an air of superiority, “I know, you’ve done our family a service. We won’t shortchange you. You’ll get every penny we promised. Once you’ve divorced Curtis, this whole thing will be over, and you’ll owe nothing to our family.”
Oh, to owe nothing.
After hanging up, Leanne slumped in her chair, deflated.
It was deep into fall, and the leaves in the sycamore grove were nearly all gone, just a few withered remnants clinging to the bare branches.
The new intern knocked on the door. “Dr. Castillo, it’s almost one o’clock. Are you ready?”
Leanne took a deep breath and straightened up. “Yes, I’m ready.”
“That old hag said what? You owe each other nothing, my foot!”
Just before the end of her shift, Leanne got a call from Joy, who could tell something was off. After prying out the details of the lunchtime conversation, Joy was livid.
“The Richardson family owes you one, okay? What was that jerk Curtis aggrieving for? If he were so aggrieved, he should’ve never touched you! Damn, he’s thinking with his penis!”
Leanne nearly spat out her water, quickly checking that no one was in the break room.
She collected her water and headed back. “Ms. Campbell, mind your language. I’m at the hospital.”
“So what? I’m not wrong!” Joy wasn’t done ranting. “You’re the victim here. After marrying him, he continued to live it up, flaunting his affair with that Suzan for all to see, leaving you to be disrespected by everyone, and even the housekeeper thinks she can crap on you! “You’ve thrown away three years of your prime for what? Nothing but ridicule and a played-out heart!”
Only a true best friend could hit where it hurt most accurately.
Leanne replied, “So, I guess you wouldn’t mind if we stopped being friends.for, let’s say, five hundred years?”
“No, no, no,” Joy quickly backpedaled, realizing she had got carried away. “I’m off work now. Just wait for me to pick you up. I’m treating you to a feast!”
1/2
Chapter 10
“Your idea of a feast is usually liquid, I presume.”
Joy chuckled. “You know me inside out.”
She wasn’t much of a drinker, but she loved her occasional drinks, claiming work stress and the joy of alcohol. Whenever she offered to treat Leanne to a feast, it inevitably ended at a bar.
Leanne stepped out of the hospital to find Joy’s called ride waiting curbside, her head poking out of the window, waving.
Settling into the car, Leanne habitually pulled out her hand sanitizer, and well-trained, Joy extended her hands for a spritz.
“There’s a new bar with a promotion tonight, fifty percent off for couples!”
The word ‘discount’ was Joy’s weakness, and ‘fifty percent off was like a siren’s call, impossible to resist.
Leanne pointed out. “We’re not a couple.”
“Why so literal?” Joy wrapped an arm around her. “We say we are, and who’s to argue? People are open-minded these days. Worst comes to worst. We land a peck on each
other there!”
Leanne declined, “I’ll pass, thanks.”
“No veto. You’re married, and I’m still single. Technically, I’m at a greater loss.”
Due to Joy’s impulsive confidence, getting into the bar was easier than Leanne expected She wrapped an arm around Leanne’s waist and gave the bouncer a nod. “Pretty obvious huh? I’m the ‘t’ in the relationship.”
Leanne was speechless.
Joy was determined to lift her spirits and ordered a feast of delicacies and premium drinks they usually wouldn’t splurge on..
The bar was upscale, the ambiance pleasant, and the snacks tasty. But tonight, it was packed. The booming music created an atmosphere, restless and noisy.
Ever the gossip queen actively trawling the internet, Joy knew all the latest buzz. “Your husband came back to stake his claim on the inheritance, didn’t he?” she asked.
11