Ch. 1326..1330

Chapter 1326

The teachers who had signed up for the sketching trip arrived with their respective luggage. Sylvia joined the group and waited with them for Christopher and the bus to arrive.

It was a quarter past noon, which was lunchtime for Liam and Isabel.

She picked up her phone and called Liam. The call got through instantly.

The little guy’s youthful but mature voice asked, “Yes, Mommy? What is it?”

Sylvia smiled. “Liam, is Issy with you?”

“Mommy, I’m here!” Isabel's loud voice rang out through the phone.

Sylvia smiled. “Liam, Issy, Mommy has an urgent job from the academy, and | have to be away for two weeks.” Liam simply hummed a reply.

Isabel asked, “Mommy, where are you going?”

“I'm going somewhere far away but the scenery is gorgeous. I’m going with the teachers from the academy, so don’t worry about

me. “Okay.”

Sylvia continued, “You two must listen to Aunt Tonya while I’m away. Remember to go to school on time and sleep early. Got it?” “Got it.”

“Don’t worry, Mommy! We will be good kids,” Isabel said.

Sylvia sighed a breath of relief. “When you guys go home later, take care of Flint for me as well. Is that okay?”

“Okay.”

“Alright!”

The two little rascals were quick with their answers.

It was then that the bus arrived.

Sylvia immediately said, “The bus is here. | have to go now. I'll talk to you guys soon.”

Isabel quickly said, “Okay, Mommy, hurry up and get on the bus!”

Liam added, “Have fun, Mommy.”

Their words warmed Sylvia’s heart and put a smile on her face. “Alright. See you guys soon.”

Sylvia hung up the phone and boarded the bus with the other teachers.

Christopher did a headcount to make sure everyone showed up before he told the driver to take off.

In the meantime, Sylvia called Aunt Tonya to inform her about the sketching trip and told her not to worry.

At Carter Tower, Odell had just finished another meeting.

The end of this meeting marked the close to his recent busy days. The remaining details could be finalized within the week.

He returned to his office and went through the

documents Cliff sent him before he had a sip of water that Shermaine brought in.

Maybe because he was at the end of this project, he felt a lot more relaxed than before. He glanced at his watch. It was 1 o’clock in the afternoon. It had been more than ten hours since the woman left his office last night.

She did not call or text him once in the last ten hours, thus she was probably still angry at him.

His mind uncontrollably replayed the scene where she questioned him if he had fallen for Shermaine. He had gotten so busy lately and had ignored her for long enough, hence the unreasonable tantrum last night.

He planned to explain things to her when he got home. He pursed his lips and got out of the office.

Shermaine opened the door with a lunch box and saw him walking out. “Sir, lunch is here. Where are you going?” y

“I'm going out.

“What about lunch?”

“Leave it.”

His words subsided as he walked past her and headed into the elevator.

Shermaine frowned, wondering if he was leaving to solve some urgent matter.

Half an hour later, the black MPV arrived at home.

Odell got out and went inside.

Only Aunt Tonya and Sebastian were playing with Flint in the living room. There was no sign of Sylvia anywhere.

Chapter 1327

Odell’s expression shifted. He looked at Aunt Tonya and asked, “Aunt Tonya, where’s Sylvia?”

Irritated, Aunt Tonya answered, “She’s not at home.”

“Where is she?”

“Go ask her yourself.” Aunt Tonya’s tone remained annoyed and irritated.

Odell looked at Sebastian. “Uncle Sebastian?”

Sebastian sighed. “Madam went on a trip with the teachers from the academy.”

“What trip?”

“lam not clear, but it seems like a sketching trip to somewhere far away. She’s away for two weeks.”

Two weeks?

Odell frowned. “When did she leave?”

“Earlier today. An hour ago, she called Tonya and was probably on her way to her destination already.”

Odell picked up his phone and called Sylvia.

“The number you have dialed is currently busy...”

It seemed like Sylvia’s line was engaged.

He then texted her on her social media. “Where are you now?”

He tapped ‘Send‘ but received a notification that the user had blocked him and that he could not send her messages. He felt disheartened. The woman had not only blocked his number but also blacklisted his social media account. His expression turned grim for a while before he looked at Aunt Tonya. “Aunt Tonya, lend me your phone.”

Aunt Tonya was surprised, but he walked closer and put his hand out.

Aunt Tonya pursed her lips. She was upset that he made Sylvia mad again, but they were still a couple and she could not just let the argument continue without end, so she gave him her phone.

Odell called Sylvia immediately.

A few ringtones later, the woman’s voice answered. She seemed to have just woken up from a nap as she said in a rough voice, “Aunt Tonya? What's wrong?”

Odell’s frosty gaze turned warm. “Where are you now?”

The moment his words subsided, the call was hung up. His expression turned grim again. Aunt Tonya and Sebastian pursed their lips in silence.

Only Flint stared at his father with his big googly eyes.

((

Daddy, did you make Mommy mad again?”

Odell looked askance at the boy.

The boy’s neck shrank in fear, and he buried himself in Aunt Tonya’s embrace. He grumbled, “Hmph! You're barely at home, and you made Mommy mad. What a man.”

Odell, Aunt Tonya, and Sebastian were silenced by the boy’s surprising words.

The room went quiet for a moment before Odell decided to leave.

Flint popped his head out from Aunt Tonya’s arms and watched his father stride out of the door. He pouted and continued his grumble, “Hmph! Bad temper! No wonder Mommy doesn’t want him!”

Both Aunt Tonya and Sebastian were left dumbfounded. After hanging up, the bus reached the airport.

Sylvia and the other teachers dragged their luggage to the counter for the boarding procedure. They then headed to the lounge to wait for their flight.

She picked up her phone for a glance.

The man had called her once using Aunt Tonya’s phone, and there was nothing else after that. He was probably mad at her. She did not expect his huge temper that

indicated that he had lost his patience for her.

She pressed her lips together. Since they would be boarding soon, she decided to turn off the phone and put the annoyance behind her.

It was then that she overheard the other teachers’ chatter. “Ms. Johnson, | thought you said Meadow Hills is too far for you to travel. Why did you join us at the last minute?” Ms. Johnson said, “It’s a long story.”

“Since there’s some time left before we board, let’s talk about it. Did something happen?”

Chapter 1328

Ms. Johnson sighed and said helplessly, “You know about my husband cheating on me two years ago, don’t you? | forgave him back then because of the kids, and | thought he would be better. Now, he’s cheated on me again, so | confronted him.

“He scolded me and shifted the blame on me. I’m so tired and exhausted, so | thought of coming out to take a fresh breath of

air.

The person Ms. Johnson was confiding in was Ms. Kang, and she got upset as well. “What a prick! Men never change! He cheated, yet he thinks he did the right thing?”

After venting her emotions, Ms. Kang continued, “What are you going to do next? Get a divorce?”

“The kids are still young. He treats me poorly, but he’s quite good to the kids. | don’t know. My mind is in a mess now, and | need an escape. I'll see what | can do after | get my head straight.”

“Sounds like a plan. Don’t pressure yourself too much.” “will.” Overhearing their conversation, a frown appeared on Sylvia’s face.

Odell had cheated on her during their first marriage, but due to the complexity of the matter and the number of misunderstandings, it was not something that could be solved in just a few words.

Things had just gotten even more complicated since then. “Ms. Ross, | remember you didn’t join us at first as well. What brings you here today?” Ms. Kang suddenly turned around to ask.

Slightly stunned, Sylvia regained her composure and answered with a smile, “I only have so many classes at the academy, and I have some free time at home, so | thought I'd take the chance to have a little getaway.”

“Oh, | see.” Ms. Kang nodded.

Ms. Jackson revealed jealousy in her gaze. “Ms. Ross, | am really jealous of you. Not only do you have a great husband, but you also don’t even need to worry about home.”

“I'm jealous as well. The Carters‘ family business is huge, and they must have a lot of servants at home. Besides, your husband treats you well.”

“Ms. Ross, you're also a good woman.” “You're right.

Sylvia got embarrassed halfway and said with a smile, It's not the bed of roses that you think. We also have our own problems to take care of.”

She did not mention that she only joined the trip because of Odell and Shermaine.

However, she was unsure about Odell and Shermaine’s relationship, or more precisely, she refused to believe that Odell would cheat on her. Unfortunately, it was not a topic for casual conversation.

Ms. Kang smiled. “If you put it that way, my family has a lot of problems too.”

“Yeah. Everyone has their own problems at home,” Ms. Jackson added.

Odell returned to the office.

As soon as he entered the room, Cliff came in and noticed the grumpy expression on his boss’s face. He said in a small voice, “Sir, we’ve found out where Madam has gone to.”

“Where?”

“The Art Academy has organized a sketching trip to Meadow Hills. The organizer is President Dendro. There were only sixteen teachers who joined the trip, including her. The bus they boarded left around noon earlier, and they are probably boarding the plane by now.”

Cliff carefully sized up his boss’s expression. Odell propped his forehead on his hand with obvious irritation and annoyance on his face.

Meadow Hills‘ cold weather and the quiet environment was a great location for live sketching, but it was a few thousand kilometers from Westchester. The trip would take two whole weeks, and she had just left her family like that.

Cliff then added, “Sir, | believe Madam has been having a tough time lately. Maybe going on a trip to Meadow Hills can relieve her emotions.”

Odell’s furrowed brows eased. Indeed, going on a trip to cool her head down might be a good idea.

However, the thought of her blocking his number and his social media and refusing to give him the chance to explain bugged him.

Chapter 1329

Chapter 1329 ‘Fine. I'll look for her when she’s calmed down.

As he regained his cool composure, he got up and said, ” Inform the departments that we are bringing next week‘s weekly meeting ahead, and it will be in an hour at the main meeting room. Tell them to be prepared.”

“Yes, sir.” Cliff nodded and went out. As soon as he stepped out of the office, he ran into Shermaine.

Shermaine went up to Cliff and asked in a small voice,” Assistant Bogard, what's wrong with Master Carter? | noticed the sour look on his face when he came up.”

Cliff said, “Something happened to his family.” “His family? Is it because of Mrs. Carter?” Shermaine asked. Cliff was surprised by the insight. “How did you know?”

Shermaine frowned and wore an apologetic look.” Yesterday night, | went in with a thermal flask and accidentally spilled water on him. | tried helping, but he suddenly stood up, and | accidentally fell onto him. Mrs. Carter came in and saw us...”

Cliff furrowed his brows. “How can you be this careless?”. JLAL

Shermaine's gaze shifted. She did not expect Cliff, someone who had been on her side, to berate her. She suppressed her grief and wore an innocent look. “I didn't do it on purpose. Master Carter didn’t hold the flask properly and it slipped.”

Cliff sighed. The anger on his face faded a little. “What happened after that? Did Master Carter explain the situation to Mrs. Carter?”

“Mrs. Carter was furious and didn't give Master Carter the chance to explain. She even questioned him if he was having an affair with me. In irritation, Master Carter shouted at her and sent her away.”

Cliff frowned again. “He really shouted at her?” “Yeah, | was there. | saw it with my own eyes.”

Cliff sighed. “No wonder Mrs. Carter is that angry.” It had been a few years since the two got back together, and Odell had never raised his voice at Sylvia. Now that he scolded her, she must think that Odell was protecting Shermaine, hence the short temper.

They had gotten into an argument a while ago because of Shermaine and Charles.

Shermaine carefully sized up the sullen look on Cliff's face and asked, “Assistant Bogard, did something happen to Mrs. Carter?”

“Mrs. Carter left the house.” Shermaine was stunned.

Cliff continued, “Well, she didn't exactly leave the house. She'll be back, but it will take a while. Now that the boss is getting riled up about this, you'd better not mention his wife in front of him. Just stick to your job scope and don't try anything funny.” Shermaine nodded repeatedly and answered, “I understand. | won't cross the line.”

Cliff went off.

After he entered the elevator, Shermaine returned to her workstation and her lips uncontrollably curled into a grin. She had not even started anything, and the man had scolded his wife.

How could the wife not know that arguing with the man would only irritate him at this sensitive time?

If she was not smart enough, how did she become Mrs. Carter in the first place?

The plane finally landed when the sky turned dark.

Sylvia put on a thick down jacket and followed Christopher and the teachers to the hotel.

She sat by the window in the car. The window got misty

due to the difference in temperature, so she wiped it and peeked outside.

The sky was dark but not pitch—-black. Both sides of the road were covered in thick layers of snow, and it was soothing to the eye.

Suddenly, the teacher next to her said, “Ms. Ross, are you going to call your family to tell them that we've arrived?” Sylvia finally remembered she had turned off her phone for the entire journey.

 

Chapter 1330

Chapter 1330 Sylvia turned on her phone and realized that Isabel had created a chat group with herself, Liam, and Flint.

Although Flint was still young and did not know how to use the chat function yet, he was probably dragged in by his sister to fill in the numbers.

There were a ton of voice messages in the chat group. already. Liam asked, “Mommy, have you landed?”

Isabel reported, “Mommy, we went back to our room after dinner. We're good kids.” Isabel then posted a picture of Flint eating dinner obediently.

Awhile later, Isabel asked, “Mommy, did you and Daddy argue again? Flint said Daddy came home in the afternoon, and when he found out that you went on the trip, he got so angry.”

Isabel then sent another voice message. “Yeah, yeah. He's so angry. He stared at me too!” The adorable voice was obviously Flint's. Sylvia was amused by her kids. She replied with a voice message, “Mommy just landed a while ago, and we're.

heading to the hotel.” She then took a picture of the night scenery and sent it to them. Isabel replied instantly with a voice message, “Wow! It's so beautifull”

It was Flint's voice.

Another message from the real Isabel came in after a few seconds. “Mommy, the place looks cold. You must wear more clothes and not catch a cold.”

Sylvia smiled. “Alright. Yes, madam!”

Liam asked, “Mommy had you eaten dinner?”

Sylvia replied, “Not yet. We're going to have dinner at the hotel soon, | guess.” Isabel chirped, “Mommy, eat more!” It was Flint's voice again.

Sylvia‘s grin widened. “Yeah, | know. You guys had better go to bed soon. Don't sleep so late, got it?” Flint replied using Isabel's phone again, “I got it!” Sylvia put her phone away with a lingering smile. The teacher beside her turned to her with a smile, “Ms. Ross, are those your kids that you just chatted with?”

Sylvia smiled whenever she thought of her three adorable kids. “Yeah.”

“They sound so adorable. | bet they look cute in person.” Sylvia tapped on her gallery and showed the teacher the picture of her kids.

The teacher was a fan of children. Her widened grin almost touched both sides of her ears when she saw the picture. She praised the kids and even was able to spot their respective characteristics.

Sylvia chatted with the teacher along the way. When they arrived at the hotel, the teacher suddenly asked, “Oh, right, what about Master Carter? Didn't he call you?” Sylvia looked slightly disheartened. “He's been busy lately.”

“| suppose so. He‘s the head of such a big company. | bet he’s busy all the time.” A few minutes later, they got out of the car.

LLLLLLLL

The hotel was located at the foot of Meadow Hills. It was not exactly huge or grand but exquisite and delicate. Christopher led the group in front and helped all the teachers to proceed with their check-in procedures. Back at Carter Tower in Westchester, the weekly meeting between the executives had just ended.

Odell returned to his office. He had finally finished all his work for the recent weeks, and when his mind finally calmed down, he thought of Sylvia who had gone on the trip without telling him.

His brows furrowed. He looked at Cliff, who was checking the meeting minutes, and said, “Give me your phone.” Cliff was slightly surprised. “What's the matter?”

“| want to make a call.”

Cliff's gaze shifted. He pulled his phone out, searched for Sylvia‘s contact and gave it to his boss.

Odell glanced at him when he received the phone and then dialed the number.

The dial tone rang.