Chapter 36
“Would you rather Lena attend instead of your mom?” Brad leaned down, softening his voice as he looked into the eyes of the little boy standing in front of him.
Nick pouted, crossing his arms with a tiny huff. “If Mom goes, it’s just gonna be embarrassing. But Lena is different–she’s a movie star, an award- winning actress. If she shows up, all my classmates will be jealous…”
Brad glanced down at his son without responding, eyes unreadable.
Though there was a door between them, every word of that conversation slipped clearly into Sally’s ears.
She stood by her dresser, folding her clothes in measured motions. In the mirror, her striking face was calm–except for the mocking curl at the corner of her lips.
She already knew what they were thinking. Her son’s opinion? Just an echo of Brad’s. Thinking back on everything they’d been through, she could only feel how laughable it all was now.
A child that young, already so twisted in his values… And Brad didn’t even try to correct him. He just let Nick speak like that, without a single word of guidance.
There was only one explanation. Because he agreed.
Once she’d packed up. Sally made her way upstairs to check on Howard. After confirming that his condition had stabilized, she gathered her medical supplies and headed back downstairs.
By the time she reached the main floor, Jaxon was already gone. His car had vanished from the driveway, too–he must’ve left a while ago. Brad and Nick had also left ahead of her.
“Hello, Mrs. Zale.”
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the stillness. Sally looked up toward the front door and saw Caleb standing there, a polite smile on his face.
“Caleb?” she blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“I came with Mr. Zale this morning,” Caleb spoke respectfully, like it was a perfectly natural arrangement. “He asked me to stay behind to give you a ride–said it’s hard to get a cab up here.”
Sally blinked. Her heart skipped a beat. She didn’t expect Jaxon to be so thoughtful. Was it gratitude? A way to say thanks for coming so urgently last night to treat Howard?
It was early morning, and being halfway up a mountain, getting a cab was indeed difficult. Sally gave him a faint smile and nodded. “Thank you so much for the ride.”
“Not at all,” replied Caleb.
Once in the car, she rolled the window down, letting the forest air drift in. The winding road, the morning sun, the distant chirping of birds–all of
it soothed her nerves.
Halfway through the ride, Caleb took a call. Sally didn’t pay much attention at first–she only vaguely caught that it was Jaxon on the other end.
But the moment she heard the name “Hazel“, her gaze shifted toward the rearview mirror. Caleb was focused on the road, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his phone.
“Yes, sir, the number definitely belongs to Hazel,” he answered the call. “I confirmed it with the contact multiple times. She probably just didn’t pick up yesterday—maybe something came up.
*… Understood. After I drop off Mrs. Zale, I’ll try calling her again.”
A crease formed between Sally’s brows. She reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and quickly toggled the secondary SIM into airplane mode.
Better safe than sorry–if a call came in out of nowhere, she’d have no good way to explain it.
Caleb hung up shortly after, his full attention returning to the road. They reached the base of the hill, the car now approaching the main highway.
As Sally quietly rolled up the window, a thought tugged at her. She hesitated–then finally spoke.
‘Caleb, is Mr. Zale trying to contact Hazel for something important?”
Caleb blinked in the rearview mirror. “Mrs. Zale, you know Hazel?”
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11:54 AM
Chapter 36
Just as she expected. He asked. “I’ve heard the name,” Sally replied. “Isn’t she known for working with crystal? I believe she’s skilled at restoring antique pieces. But I’ve never met her personally.”
Caleb nodded, impressed. “Ah, so her reputation precedes her. I don’t know much about her myself, but Mr. Zale broke a very valuable crystal artifact recently. We consulted several experts, and none of them could fix it. Then someone suggested that Hazel might be able to handle it.”
“Apparently, she’s got a real gift for restoration,” he continued. “We only just managed to get her number through a contact a few days ago.”
“Oh?” Sally tilted her head. “Where did the number come from?”
“One of our corporate clients,” replied Caleb. “Said he knew her personally and passed it along.”
Sally nodded slowly, filing that detail away.
“Why do you ask?” Caleb added casually. “Do you have something that needs restoring?”
“No, no,” she said, a soft chuckle in her voice. “It’s for a friend. But their piece isn’t that valuable. A normal restorer should be able to handle it.”
“Well, if they need a specialist, feel free to reach out,” said Caleb.
Sally met his eyes in the rearview mirror, offering a polite smile.
No need for that, she thought silently.
When she got home, Abigail had already helped little Lillian get dressed, her backpack slung neatly over her shoulders.
Not wanting to delay any longer, Sally took Lillian’s hand and walked her out the door, catching a ride to the school.
́As they arrived, the graduation ceremony for Nick’s class was just getting underway. Sally only glanced toward the playground briefly–then
quickly turned her head away.
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Clusters of students and parents were already gathered, taking photos and chatting. She didn’t need to look twice to know that “the happy family of three” must be there, too.
“Sally, what are they doing over there?” Lillian tugged at her hand, wide–eyed. She stopped and looked up with curiosity at the colorful balloons and decorated stage, her feet rooted in place.
“That’s a graduation ceremony,” Sally said with a warm smile. She crouched beside the girl and gently brushed back a lock of hair. “When you finish elementary school, you’ll have one too. You’ll take pictures with your classmates, and I’ll be there to witness it all.”
Lillian beamed at the idea. But just then, a cold voice sounded behind them. “You said you weren’t coming. So why are you here?”
Sally turned at the sound, her expression neutral. Behind her stood Brad, Lena, and her son, Nick–each adult holding one of the boy’s hands.
From a distance, they really did look like one happy family.
“I’m just dropping Lillian off at school,” Sally replied coolly. “Not here for Nick’s ceremony.”
Brad’s eyes flicked to the child standing beside her. Only now did he notice Lillian–and more importantly, Sally holding her hand.
A shadow passed through his gaze, sharp and questioning.
“Who is she?” His voice dipped, low and cold.
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