Making Headlines With Someone Else

Winter had come to Shutterstone. The cold was bone-deep, and the northern wind made the tree branches rustle.Eden Estate, a manor with a sprawling yard, was silent. Several exquisite dishes were laid out on the dining table—the way they were arranged was enough to show the chef's effort.A woman in a camel-colored sweater sat at the dining table. Her eyes were lowered as she waited and waited. Gradually, the dishes started turning cold.It was hard to tell how long it had been. Suddenly, the clock on the wall chimed. Celeste Linden slowly raised her head to look at it. It was already midnight.She pulled out her phone and checked the pinned conversation on her WhatsApp. The profile picture belonged to Oliver Shaw. Several messages were in the conversation, but none had replies.It was Celeste and Oliver's fifth wedding anniversary, but it didn't mean anything. To Celeste, the past five years of their marriage had been practically nonexistent. Not once over the past five years had

It was already 10:30 pm when Celeste returned to Maple Garden, her new apartment. She felt sated from her meal and short reprieve. This was a freedom she'd never experienced in the past—it delighted but also exhausted her.After showering and going through her skincare routine, she got into bed and fell asleep almost immediately. It was her first night in this apartment, but she didn't feel a trace of discomfort.Suddenly, she was rudely awakened by her phone's ringtone. She jolted awake and hurriedly answered the phone when she saw the name "Yvonne Shaw" flashing on the screen. "Hello? Aunt Yvonne?""What took you so long to answer? Where's Oliver? Why can't I reach him?" Yvonne was Oliver's aunt. Her voice was resentful and contemptuous, which Celeste was used to."I'm at the hospital with my mother tonight. As for Oliver… I don't know." Celeste decided to lie after some thought. She couldn't let too many people know about the divorce for now—Thomas would need time to accept it.

Thomas spent three days in the hospital before insisting on being discharged. No one could change his mind, so they could only have the family doctor move into Shaw Manor with all the necessary equipment.Now that Thomas' condition had stabilized, Celeste felt much more at ease. It was too bad Oliver had ignored the text she'd sent him. He hadn't replied to it or done anything.She couldn't be bothered to say anything. She already felt much better that she didn't have to face him every day. It was so liberating for her to be able to ask Macy out for meals whenever she wanted; they could just eat and shop at their own pace.…Oliver spent the whole afternoon in his study, but he was distracted. He couldn't focus on the documents before him. Celeste, who had always been gentle and obedient, had done a 180 these days. It got on his nerves—she was challenging him.Since he couldn't focus on his work, he set the documents aside and called Jeremy. "Meet me at our old spot."When Jeremy

When Celeste and Oliver arrived at Shaw Manor, Thomas was watching the news in the living room. He beamed when he saw Celeste enter the living room. "You're here, Cece! Why didn't you tell me beforehand that you were coming? I would've had Jenna prepare your favorite dishes!"Jenna Green was Thomas' housekeeper. Celeste was taken aback by his words. Hadn't Oliver said Thomas was waiting for them?She secretly cursed Oliver before smiling and saying, "We wanted to surprise you—telling you would've ruined the surprise, no? How do you feel, Grandpa?""I'm fine. I'm healthy as can be!" Thomas did indeed look spirited, which made Celeste less worried.When she saw that he was alone, she asked, "Isn't Aunt Yvonne home?""She and Tamara went out to buy some things. They'll be right back."Just then, Oliver came in after ending a phone call. Thomas was even more surprised to see him. "Who's that, Cece? What's he doing in my house?"He squinted at Oliver. "Hurry up and help me see who that guy

It was past 6:00 pm when Celeste arrived at the Linden residence. On her way there, Mildred had called her twice to urge her to come faster.When she entered the living room, her cousin, Lana Linden, narrowed her eyes and snorted disdainfully. "I told you guys, didn't I? Mr. Shaw doesn't even care about her! Why would he have come with her?""He's busy," Celeste said coolly as she glanced at Lana."Busy enough that he doesn't even have time for dinner?" Lana's brother, Ben Linden, asked contemptuously.When Mildred saw Celeste was alone, her affectionate expression immediately disappeared. "You're useless! How can you not even have your husband's heart?"We've invited him over for dinner so many times since you two got married, but how many times has he shown up? If you'd managed to have his son, he wouldn't be so scornful of us!""That's enough, Mom. Let's eat," Gary said."Exactly. It's enough that we have Cece here." Gary's wife, Janet Harrison, came over to help Mildred to t