Chapter 20 Make Sure He Pays
Abigail shut her eyes. Her head was throbbing with relentless pain.
The sky outside had turned to night. As she turned to look out the window, her stare grew vacant.
Everything seemed unbearably meaningless.
Just then, her phone rang. She grabbed it, and her face lit up.
“Eloise!”
“Hey, my dear, guess where I am?” Eloise’s voice on the other end was light and teasing.
Abigail’s eyes widened. “Tilendo City?”
“Bingo! I’m downstairs at your place. Aren’t you coming down to greet me?” Eloise laughed.
Abigail responded, “Oh, my princess, I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve got a work injury and I’m at the hospital.”
“Send me the address. Right now!” Eloise’s tone shifted to urgent.
Hearing the sudden seriousness, Abigail couldn’t help but laugh, “Alright.”
She sent the address, and within half an hour, the door to the hospital room burst open. A strikingly glamorous woman charged in.
“Abbie, what’s going on? How did you get hurt at work? Why are you alone? Where’s your mute husband?” Eloise fired off her questions in quick succession.
Abigail immediately clutched her head in her hands. “Oh, slow down! Asking all these questions at once is giving me a migraine!”
Eloise’s anxiety only grew. “Okay, I won’t ask anymore.”
She pulled up a chair and sat beside Abigail. Her eyes were filled with concern.
Abigail managed a resigned smile. “He’s not mute, and soon enough, he won’t be my husband anymore.”
Eloise’s eyes went wide with shock. “What happened?”
She had only been abroad for three months. How could things have gone so wrong? Abigail, realizing the divorce was inevitable and couldn’t be hidden, laid it all out for
Eloise.
Eloise’s reaction went beyond mere shook he looked completely stunned.
After a moment, she pulled out her phone and did a quick search before turning to Abigail with an expression of disbelief.
“Abble, I thought you were telling me some wild story. I had no iden that it was all true,”
Abigail forced a weak smile. “Given everything I’m going through, why would I make this up?”
Eloise’s sympathy was palpable. “Poor you.”
She rose and wrapped Abigail in a comforting hug. “Don’t worry. I’m going to make sure that jerk pays for what he’s done. He won’t get away with this.”
“Please, don’t do anything reckless,” Abigail said. “His position is too powerful. If we provoke him, we’ll be the ones who suffer.”
Eloise’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll be careful. You focus on resting. I’m staying here with you tonight.”
Abigail nodded. “Okay.”
At that moment, Abigail felt an overwhelming desire not to be alone in the hospital. The isolation would only amplify her loneliness and despair.
After a week of recovery and a follow–up check confirming she was in the clear, Abigail was discharged.
During that week, Stephen had been conspicuously absent. He hadn’t responded to her messages or demands. It was as if she had ceased to exist in his world.
Eloise remained by her side until the discharge. “I’m going to head home for a shower. You should do the same. Let’s go out for pizzas tonight.”
“Sounds good,” Abigail agreed.
They parted ways, but less than an hour after Abigail arrived home, her phone rang with an unfamiliar number.
“Hello?”
“Abigail, this is Candace Blue. Is Eloise Smith your friend?” Candace’s voice was
grave.
Abigail’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes, what happened?”
Candace’s reply was terse. “You need to come to Havenwood Restaurant.”
Before Abigail could ask more, Candace hung up.