Chapter 9

The day before Joshua and Cecilia's wedding, Sheila finally received the call she had been waiting for.

Her immigration paperwork had been approved.

For days, she had wandered through life like an empty shell. Only after answering that phone call did a trace of color finally return to her face.

After hanging up with the embassy, she immediately booked a flight to Francoria.

Once everything was arranged, she slowly packed her belongings, pushing her wheelchair from room to room.

There was nothing in this house worth taking with her. Other than her identification and important documents, she planned to leave everything behind, including every gift Joshua and Max had ever given her — from the little crafts Max had made with his own hands to the expensive jewelry Joshua had bought for her.

Once upon a time, she had treasured every single one of them, carefully storing them away as though they were priceless…

Until she entered that forbidden room yesterday. Only then had she realized that every gift she had ever received was merely a copy of one Cecilia had received first. Even the little ceramic figurine Max had supposedly made especially for her had been nothing more than one of his failed practice pieces.

She gathered every item connected to Joshua and Max, then she carried everything into the backyard.

One by one, she threw them into a fire.

The flames slowly rose into the night sky. As she watched them burn, it felt as though the last pieces of her heart were being reduced to ashes along with them.

Only after the fire had completely died out did she wheel herself back inside.

The moment she entered the house, she saw Joshua and Max coming downstairs. Both of them were dressed in formal suits, as though they had just returned from an important event.

The instant they saw Sheila, their expressions changed. They hurried over to her.

"Sheila, where have you been? Why are all the gifts we gave you gone from your room?"

Sheila answered calmly. "They were getting dusty. So, I cleaned them up and put them away."

The father and son visibly relaxed. They assumed she still had not discovered that her uterus had been removed.

When they first noticed the missing gifts, they had genuinely panicked. Seeing that she seemed no different than usual, Joshua smiled gently.

“I have been so busy lately that I have not spent much time with you. I only managed to stop by today to see how you're doing.

"We'll be away for the next few days too. However, once everything's over, how about the three of us take a family vacation together?"

Max happily threw himself into her arms. "Mom, aren't you excited? I am! My favorite thing is traveling with you and Dad."

Sheila's expression remained calm. She said nothing and she only gave a faint nod.

Relieved by her response, the father and son gave her a few more reminders before hurrying out the door.

What they did not know was that the moment they left, Sheila quietly wheeled herself out into the moonlit night with a suitcase resting on her lap.

Without looking back, she disappeared into the darkness.

Never to return.

...

The next day was the secret wedding Joshua had spent so long preparing for Cecilia.

Standing at the front of the chapel, Joshua watched the guests chatting and laughing as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

For some reason, an uneasy feeling settled over him.

He had invited only his closest friends. None of them would ever gossip in front of Sheila or reveal the truth. So why was his heart pounding so hard?

He told himself it was simply because he was finally marrying the woman he truly loved.

Even so, he could not shake the feeling.

Unable to resist, he called his assistant. "Go check whether Sheila is still at home.

"Whatever happens, don't let her find out about this wedding. If she discovers it, she'll definitely make a scene. Do you understand?"

Only after hanging up did he finally feel a little more at ease.

The ceremony began.

Dressed in a flowing white wedding gown, Cecilia slowly walked toward him beneath everyone's expectant gaze.

Walking ahead of her was the flower boy, Max.

Smiling brightly, he held out the wedding rings to Joshua.

Joshua reached for one of the rings.

Just as he was about to slide it onto Cecilia's finger, the phone in his pocket rang. His brows drew together.

Seeing his assistant's name on the screen, he answered with obvious irritation.

Before he could speak, the assistant's panicked voice burst through the phone.

"Mr. Stewart, something terrible has happened! Mrs. Stewart found out everything you did to her! While we weren't paying attention, she packed her luggage and left!

"We just received confirmation. The flight Mrs. Stewart boarded encountered severe turbulence. It crashed into the ocean. There were no survivors and not a single body has been recovered."