Chapter 7

There was a saying that if two people in love kissed beneath the fireworks at midnight, they would stay together forever.

As such, long before midnight arrived, most of the couples at the banquet had already found a spot to watch the fireworks.

After Joshua wheeled Sheila outside, there were only a few minutes left before midnight.

Then, all at once, he was gone.

Sheila slowly pushed her wheelchair through the crowd, searching for him.

Just as she had expected, in the hotel's garden, she found Joshua kissing Cecilia.

The fireworks burst across the night sky, dazzling and brilliant, bathing the two of them in shimmering light.

Standing beside them, Max looked up with a face full of happiness. The three of them looked like a warm, loving family.

Sheila remained quietly in the shadows, watching from a distance. It was as though her heart had already been corroded beyond repair. She did not even feel pain anymore.

After returning home, Sheila washed up and went to bed early.

Joshua had drunk quite a bit at the banquet and fell asleep even faster than she did.

In the middle of the night, his phone began ringing over and over.

Seeing no sign that he was about to wake up, Sheila struggled to sit upright and answered the call.

It was Joshua's assistant.

Before she could even speak, he hurriedly reported the situation.

"Mr. Stewart, something terrible has happened. Ms. Zeller was in a car accident.

"I had someone investigate it. It was arranged by your parents.

"They found out you're still involved with Ms. Zeller, so they sent people after her. Right now she's..."

Before he could finish, Joshua suddenly woke up. He snatched the phone from Sheila's hand.

Holding it to his ear, he listened in silence. With every passing second, his expression grew darker, like storm clouds gathering before a violent downpour.

A moment later, he ended the call. Even though anxiety was written all over his face, he forced himself to appear calm as he turned to Sheila.

"It's late. Go back to sleep. I have something I need to take care of.

"Get some rest and don't wait for me."

He left that night and never came home. Max disappeared with him as well.

Sheila knew exactly where they had gone. Cecilia had been injured in a car accident and the two of them must have been frantic and stayed at the hospital to take care of her.

She no longer cared. Her paperwork would be finished soon.

She assumed they would stay at the hospital for several days. To her surprise, both Joshua and Max returned home the very next evening. They acted as though nothing had happened.

Joshua fussed over her as usual. He even insisted on cooking dinner himself.

Max stayed glued to her side the entire time, carefully massaging her legs.

"Mom, if I massage your legs every day, they'll heal faster, right?"

Questions filled Sheila's mind, but she could not ask them outright.

Suppressing her emotions, she casually said, "I heard Ms. Zeller was in a car accident. Is she okay?"

Joshua, who had just brought another dish to the table, froze for a split second.

"Sheila... how did you know she was in a car accident?”

“I overheard part of your phone call last night. I didn't hear everything. I only caught that she'd been in an accident."

Joshua visibly relaxed. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you worrying.

"Her injuries are pretty serious. The doctors said she has multiple fractures and will have to stay in bed for a while.

"However, don't worry about her. I've already arranged for people from the company to take care of her."

Listening to him, a strange feeling of unease crept into Sheila's heart.

Joshua loved Cecilia more than anyone.

If she had really been that badly injured, he should have stayed by her bedside all day and night.

Why would he suddenly come home just to shower Sheila with attention?

After dinner, that uneasy feeling only grew stronger.

She could not shake the sense that something was terribly wrong.

However, Joshua said nothing.

That night before bed, he walked over carrying a mug of honey water and sat beside her.

"Sheila, you haven't been sleeping well lately. I made you some honey water. It'll help you sleep.

"Drink it."

She looked at the mug, instinctively unwilling to touch it. She tried to refuse again and again, but Joshua was much stronger than she was.

Half coaxing and half forcing, he lifted the mug to her lips.

"Be good. Drink it. You'll sleep much better."

She had no strength to resist. In the end, she drank every last drop.

Not long afterward, dizziness washed over her. The room began to spin and, before she knew it, everything faded into darkness.