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Novel Catalog
Chapter 29
As Ethan carried Rebecca into his arms and walked toward the sleek Lamborghini, Catherine felt the last shred of hope she had for him wither away. The car sped off into the distance, and with it, her belief in him was shattered. For the second time, he had left her behind.
From this moment on, any affection she had once felt for Ethan was replaced by nothing but hatred and disgust.
“Oh, you poor thing.” James’ voice reached her as he approached, holding an umbrella, his eyes narrowing with a mockingly sympathetic expression. “The young lady of the Jones family, once above everyone else, has now lost all her power.”
Catherine, too exhausted to engage with him, merely walked away toward her car in silence.
His voice followed her. “Uncle Jeffery and Aunt Sally will definitely hear about today. It’s clear they favor Rebecca over you. Don’t bother dreaming about going back to the Jones family. No one there wants you.”
She slammed the car door shut, her hands shaking slightly. She drove away, though his words weren’t new to her. They didn’t matter. Her life was already miserable, and now, it felt as if no one really cared for her.
At 6:00 P.M., Shaun returned home after work.
In the past, Catherine would have been bustling around the house at this hour, the lights bright and the delicious aroma of dinner filling the air. He would always catch a glimpse of her moving around the kitchen, preparing a meal.
Today, however, there was only darkness.
He flipped on the lights and found Catherine curled up on the couch, her hair disheveled, her eyes heavy with sorrow. She was holding Fudge close to her chest, her chin resting on the cat’s head as she sat motionless, her entire demeanor defeated.
Shaun had always seen her full of energy, vibrant in his presence. Seeing her like this now was unsettling.
“The bidding didn’t go well?” he asked, hanging his coat on the couch.
“Failing once isn’t a big deal. You’re still young—”
“I’m allowed to be deceived like a fool because I’m young?” Catherine shot back sharply, her eyes fiery with anger. “People like you, who sit at the top of society, don’t care about other people’s feelings, right?”
A flicker of annoyance passed over Shaun’s face. He assumed she was projecting her anger onto him, as usual. “With that kind of attitude, you got what you deserved.”
“That’s right, I’m a failure,” Catherine snapped, her voice laced with bitterness. “My biggest failure was trusting you.”
She clenched her fists. It was clear that Shaun didn’t love her, but legally, she was still his wife. Yet, he had deceived her like a fool, making her feel powerless.
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” Shaun said, his irritation rising. “You wouldn’t have even had the chance to participate in the bidding if I hadn’t helped you. If I knew you’d act like this, I wouldn’t have bothered.”
“Thank you very much. I beg you to stay out of my affairs in the future,” she spat, her voice cold.
She stood up, Fudge leaping from her lap as the tense atmosphere between the two of them caused the cat to scratch her shirt in distress.
Shaun’s frustration was evident as he looked at her. He had been impressed with her designs, but now he saw her in a new light. Sure, talent was important, but there were always people better and stronger than others. One failure was enough for him to see her true nature.
Honestly, he found her behavior distasteful.
“Remember what you said,” Shaun said, his voice hard. “From now on, apart from looking after Fudge, I want nothing to do with you. You don’t have to cook for me either. It’ll just make me sick.”
He grabbed the cat and his coat and stormed out of the house.
An eerie silence settled over the room as Catherine stood there, feeling even colder than before. Fudge, her only comfort, was gone too.
Her mind felt blank as the weight of everything pressed down on her. The sun slowly faded into the darkness outside, mirroring the despair she felt within.
Later, Catherine left the house, driven by a sense of aimlessness. She ended up at a bar.
The server brought her several bottles of beer. She opened one and began drinking it down in large gulps, the cold liquid a fleeting comfort.
She had never been one to drink, but tonight, the alcohol seemed to numb her pain.
As she drank, she watched the young people on the dance floor, their carefree joy a stark contrast to the emptiness she felt. Her life used to be easier, more full of hope, with people by her side.
Gradually, her vision began to blur, and the sorrow she had been suppressing began to rise to the surface.
What she didn’t notice was the person who had been watching her from a corner of the bar. After a brief moment, the person made a phone call.
“Janet, guess who I just saw?”