Ch. 1336..1340
Chapter 1336
After dinner, Odell spent some time with his grandmother before going upstairs to put the three mischievous children to bed.
Around ten o'clock, he finally returned to his and Sylvia's bedroom.
He got home before the clock even struck six today and somehow the time passed by without him noticing. He felt like he had barely done anything at all.
He opened the door and stepped into the damning silence of the room, shored in darkness. There were no sounds at all except for the faint whisper of the wind blowing in through the windows left open.
He reached for the switch and turned on the light. The bedroom was completely untouched since he had left for work earlier this morning.
It was also uncomfortably cold. The bedroom seemed like a foreign space to him. It was nothing like when Sylvia was here with him.
Back then, no matter what time he came home, he would step into a cozy room filled with warmth. He would take a deep breath and catch the scent of Sylvia inside the room.
Now, it was nothing but an off-putting silence that welcomed him into the room. It was disrupting the senses.
He went to the window and proceeded to close it shut.
After that, he went to the bathroom where he took a shower. Soon enough, he found himself on the bed staring at the ceiling.
By this hour, Sylvia was probably asleep at Meadow Hills.
He shut his eyes.
The past few nights, he had trouble falling asleep.
Just when it seemed like he was about to fall asleep, he
was rudely awakened when he turned to his side and tried
to cuddle with someone that was no longer there, only to
brush his arms against the empty bed.
He felt a suffocating sadness swelling inside him.
He sat up and reached for his phone.
She had been away for almost a week. She was probably
not that upset anymore by this point.
He texted her a short message, “Are you asleep?”
The
blocked.
message could not be sent as his number was still
Asullen look appeared on his face. He searched for Sylvia’s number in his contacts and clicked the dial button without a second thought.
As usual, the call was unable to connect.
Just as he had thought, he was still blocked.
His face darkened, and he flung the phone aside and frowned. He was in a dark mood.
Did she have to get so angry with him just because of something rather trivial that Shermaine had done completely by accident?
Even after so many days had passed, did she not miss him
at all? Did she not care about him at all?
Meadow Hills.
Sylvia and her colleagues were seated in a circle around a bonfire that they had set up behind the hotel.
The bonfire was gigantic, the flames soared up into the sky.
They ate barbecue and danced around the bonfire. Everyone was having a merry time.
The fire shone its brilliant light over their faces, each of them grinning from ear to ear and radiating with joy. It was certainly a memory to be cherished.
Immersed in the wonderful atmosphere, Sylvia found that she was unable to discard all her unpleasant memories to a side.
They did not head back to the hotel until it was nearly
midnight and they were exhausted from the evening's activities.
Sylvia was completely worn out upon returning to her room. She threw off her coat and crashed onto the bed. It did not take long before she fell into a deep sleep.
The curtains were not shut entirely and her bed was positioned next to the windows. The snow continued to fall outside while she was asleep.
The faint glow of the moon poured into the room. Underneath the dim moonlight, one could see that Sylvia was smiling even in her sleep.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
Westchester, Carter Tower.
The dim glow of the setting sun spilled into the office.
Odell had just finished reviewing the final sheet of documents for the day, so he picked up his jacket and left his office.
Shermaine, who was posted by the desk right outside his office, quickly rose from her seat and greeted Odell with a pleasant and warm smile.
Odell continued heading toward the elevator without even batting an eye. She suddenly asked, “Master Carter, are you leaving already?”
“Yeah,” Odell answered and continued walking.
She tried to find something to talk about. “There’s going to be a party tonight. Aren’t you going to join? Most of the top branch will be there as well.”
“Cliff can go in my place.”
“Alright.”
Shermaine looked at Odell strutting into the elevator
without sparing a look at her. She frowned sadly at this
sight.
How many days had it been?
Recently, Odell would leave the office as soon as he was finished with his work. He would head back home immediately without even entertaining the idea of going anywhere else at all.
Chapter 1337
Chapter 1337 Sylvia was already out of town. Why was he heading home so early? Was it because he had three children at home? Upon realizing this, a look of awe surfaced in Shermaine‘s eyes. She was wholly captivated by this man.
Not only was he handsome like a prince and more capable than most men, but he was also a man who was loyal and dedicated to his family.
She wagered that even if Odell happened to have the slightest bit of interest in her, his inbred sense of loyalty to his family would compel him to suppress his desire.
She decided that she could no longer follow Aunt Ruth‘s advice. So long as she remained passive , there would be no developments at all between them even if she waited for another year or two.
With this in mind, she racked her brain and tried to come up with something.
Odell returned home.
Liam and Isabel had come back from school as well.
Flint was lying on the couch with Isabel. Both of them
screwed their eyes onto their tablets. Isabel was watching her favorite show while Flint watched a cartoon. Madam Carter was nearby and chatting with Aunt Tonya.
Liam was not in the living room. Chances were that he was in his room playing on the computer as usual.
Odell sat at the dining table and sipped tea while watching the rest of the family members. From time to time, he would exchange some words with Madam Carter.
They hung around in the living room until it was dinner time.
After they had dinner, it was almost eight o'clock. Odell was about to tell them to head back to their rooms when Isabel's phone began ringing.
Odell could tell from the ringing that it was a video call.
Everyone in the living room suddenly fell silent.
Odell took a peek at Isabel.
Flint and Liam who were already halfway up the stairs suddenly turned around and drew over to Isabel's side. The three children suddenly turned to Odell with a cautious look in their eyes.
Their demeanor suddenly turned vigilant. It was as if they had some reason to be wary of Odell. Odell made a look and remained seated at the dining table
about five meters away from them.
Once Isabel was sure that Odell would not approach, she accepted the video call.
Her eyes along with Liam and Flint's radiated with joy the moment the video call connected. Flint was the first to cry out enthusiastically, “Mommy—”
Sylvia‘s voice as she greeted them was like music to their ears, “Hey!”
It brought them an immediate sense of joy.
It sure looked like she was having a good time over there without her husband and her children.
Odell reflected as he clenched the cup tightly in his hands. A look of displeasure colored his eyes instantly. The children immediately started bickering away at the phone. Isabel asked, “Mommy, why do you look a little pale? Is it cold?”
Sylvia answered , “Mommy just came back from a walk. It's very very cold outside but don't worry, | made sure to wear more layers of clothing so the cold didn't get to me.” Isabel was amused. “Oh, oh~”
Flint quickly asked, “Mommy, where did you go today?” Sylvia said, “Mommy went to two different places today. | went to see the frozen lake, then | went to a famous local street where | bought some interesting little toys for you kids.” As Sylvia said this, she reached for several toys outside of the frame and presented them in front of the camera.
Flint was overjoyed and certainly let it show. “Wow, it's so pretty! Flint loves it!”
Isabel pinched his cheeks and expressed with mock disdain, “Hey you fatso Flint, could you stop being so dramatic?” Flint pouted. “But I'm telling the truth.”
Isabel lifted her foot and playfully kicked him away.
Flint dodged out of the way and burrowed himself into his brother's arms for safety. .
Liam put his arms around him.
Sylvia spoke up to distract them, “Liam, did anything happen to you and your sister at school over the last two days?” Liam answered stoically, “Not much.”
Isabel suddenly exclaimed, “Mommy, Liam won first place in the district-wide math competition again.”
Sylvia‘s eyes glowed with pride. “Wow! That's my boy!”
The man who was seated at the dining table and sipping
tea suddenly darted a glance over.
Liam turned toward the camera and then gazed at his mother on the display quietly, his lips slowly curled into a soft, faint smile. Odell's mood was gradually worsening.
The brat won a competition and this was the first time he ever heard anything about it!
Isabel barely even bothered to mention it to him! These ungrateful little brats!
Chapter 1338
Chapter 1338 Odell took two large gulps of tea and swallowed his bitterness along with the tea.
Meanwhile , Madam Carter overheard Sylvia's voice on the phone and joined in on the conversation. “Sylvia, you won't believe how well Liam is doing at school. Isabel has been telling me that he always gets first place in every exam and competition he participates in. There have been several other schools in the district trying to get Liam to transfer over to their school. He‘s very popular.” Odell felt his hand stiffening around the cup yet again.
What? Why was this the first time he had heard about any of this at all?
Sylvia smiled and answered jubilantly, “Grandma, | got a call from Liam‘s teacher two days ago as well. They're telling me they want Liam to skip a grade.” Madam Carter remarked with a proud smile, “That's our boy Liam.”
Sylvia echoed the same sentiment with a bright smile.“ Certainly.”
Flint chimed in, “Hurray, that's my brother!”
They continued chatting for quite some time before they finally wrapped up the call. Madam Carter was getting tired and went back to her room.
Isabel put away her phone. Then she took Flint and proceeded to head upstairs.
Liam followed after them.
Thump!
Odell clapped his cup against the surface of the table and called out after them, “Stop.” The three children quickly halted and turned back to look at him.
Flint, who was held in the arms of his sister, asked in a curious tone, “Daddy, who are you talking to?” Odell fixed his eyes on Liam. “Liam, you stay here. Both of you, go upstairs.”
Flint answered, “Okay, okay.”
With that, he headed upstairs with Isabel.
Liam turned to Odell and asked unflinchingly , “What's the matter?”
Odell asked sharply, “Why didn't you tell me about what you have been up to at school?”
Liam responded with another question instead, “A lot of things are going on at school at the moment. Which one are you referring to specifically?” A gloomy look appeared on Odell's face. “About your getting first place in the math competition as well as the teachers wanting you to skip a grade.”
“The competition results were just announced today. The teachers already told me about letting me skip a grade a long time ago but | never saw you at home around that time because you were busy with work. How am | supposed to tell you if | never see you?” Liam answered without the slightest tinge of reservation.
Odell felt his voice caught in his throat.
After an uncomfortable pause, he cleared his throat and stated in a somber voice, “I won't be so occupied with work from here on. One way or another, you can always give me a call and talk to me even if I'm busy with work. I'm your father, you can feel free to tell me about what's going on with you, whatever it may be. Do you understand?”
“Alright, | got it.” “Go back to your room.”
Liam turned and went upstairs.
Odell frowned and instructed Sebastian to bring him a glass of wine. He finally headed back to his bedroom after he finished the glass of wine.
He was still greeted by the same unfamiliarity as soon as he stepped into the bedroom. As neat and tidy as it may be, there was a clear lack of warmth inside.
He took a shower and went to bed. The glass of wine did serve to relax him but it did not help him fall asleep.
He reached for his phone and tried to call Sylvia again, but the call would not go through.
He could not text her either.
She was so happy during her video call with the children. Why had she not unblocked him yet? Did she not miss him at all? Was she going to keep ignoring him?
Was she still upset with him because of what happened with Shermaine? ..
Where was the mutual trust they spoke of back then?
The more Odell ruminated on it, the more upset he found himself becoming. He almost wanted to scramble out of bed right this moment and head to Meadow Hills so he could properly sort things out with her. He gave up on the idea as quickly as he had hatched it.
She could have all the space she wanted for a few more
days. When she eventually returned, he had all the time in the world to confront her and talk about how she had recklessly abandoned her children and husband.
It always seemed to him like days passed by in the blink of an eye when Sylvia was around but now it was as if time had slowed down to a crawl. Every waking moment felt like years.
Every day, he would head back home immediately after he was finished with work.
He found that Madam Carter was rather self-reliant, Aunt Tonya offered her all the company that she needed with the occasional conversation. Otherwise, she spent her time resting since she was easily exhausted due to her old age.
As for the brats, they did not require any special attention apart from time to time when he would urge them to go to bed early since they had school the next day.
Therefore, he eventually found that he had plenty of time on his hands. There simply was not much that he had to worry about when it came to the children.
Chapter 1339
Chapter 1339 The problem was that he could not find the concentration to do anything at all, nor did he have the capacity to socialize with his peers. He would head to Sylvia's workshop on the third floor and stay there with no specific purpose in mind. Sometimes he would sit there for hours on end.
The only thing that preserved his sanity was thinking about how he would confront Sylvia when she finally returned home from her spontaneous getaway.
At last, he had bided his time until the day when Sylvia was appointed to return. He had come up with dozens of approaches to confronting Sylvia by this point.
It was only slightly past noon and he was already done with his work for the day and headed home. Aunt Tonya and Sebastian were playing hide-and-seek with Flint.
Madam Carter was enjoying herself watching them play.
When Odell returned home, he saw all of them hanging around in the living room but there was no sight of Sylvia. They were all rather astonished to see him returning home so much earlier than usual.
Flint stopped hiding and emerged from behind the couch.
He ran toward Odell and threw himself at him while crying out, “Daddy!”
Odell took Flint into his arms and went to the couch.
Flint asked in a perplexed voice, “Daddy, why did you come home so early today?”
Odell answered nonchalantly, “There‘s not much to do at work today.”
“Oh, | see.”
Aunt Tonya, Madam Carter, and Sebastian exchanged knowing looks behind Odell‘s back. It took a lot of effort for them to suppress their laughter and hold their silence.
They all knew that today was the day Sylvia was due to return. Nobody knew what specific time she would arrive at Westchester. For a while, nobody uttered a voice in the living room.
Flint eventually got bored sitting on Odell's lap. He hopped down from the couch and went to Aunt Tonya and Sebastian to get them to continue playing with him.
Odell sipped a cup of tea and absent—mindedly flipped a book while listening to Flint's joyful shrieks echoing across the living room.
Several hours later, the sun began to set. It was beginning to turn dark outside. Odell peeked at his watch to see what time it was.
It was nearly evening already, where in the world was she?
That was when he heard a stampede of footsteps approaching the house.
He rose from his seat immediately.
It was just Isabel and Liam who had just come home from school.
Isabel trotted ahead of Liam, her school bag bouncing up and down behind her as she sprang toward the door. Liam trailed calmly behind her with his hands tucked inside his pockets.
The look in Odell’s eyes darkened, and he went back to his seat.
Flint was the only one who ran up to them to greet them.
“Hello, welcome back!”
Isabel playfully pinched Flint's cheeks.
Flint suddenly took off and ran toward Liam, throwing his arms around Liam. Liam patted his head and said softly, “Go play over there.”
Flint pouted and went to Isabel.
Liam went upstairs without another word.
As usual, Isabel reached for her tablet to continue watching her shows.
Flint latched onto her like a parasite.
Odell stole a look at them.
They seemed oddly calm today. Did they not know that their mother was set to come home anytime today?
Odell grimaced. He picked up the book and continued reading
He waited and waited until the day had turned to night.
The housemaids were already setting up their dinner on the dining table.
Odell frowned and peeked in the direction of the entrance again.
It was so late already, where in the world was she?
Aunt Tonya voiced what was on Odell‘s mind all this time as well, “Why is Sylvia not home yet? Was the flight delayed?”
Isabel was lying next to her as she said this. Isabel suddenly turned up and casually mentioned, “Oh yeah, | forgot to tell you, Mommy isn‘t coming back.”
“Why isn‘t she coming back?” Odell asked abruptly. He wore a terrible scowl.
Isabel quickly averted her eyes from his sharp gaze. Even Flint instinctively shrank into a ball when he heard Odell’s sudden questioning. Odell pressed the issue. “Did your mother call you?”
Chapter 1340
Chapter 1340 Isabel stated calmly and unceremoniously, “Mommy called us when we were having lunch today. She mentioned that she made a last-minute decision to check out some other places with her colleagues and that it will probably be another two weeks until she comes back.”
Two weeks?
Odell scowled and seemed upset..
The woman was having way too much fun out there to want to come home to her children! He immediately picked up the phone and dialed her number.
His number was still blocked.
He turned to Isabel. “Give me your phone.”
Isabel hesitantly handed her phone over.
Odell took the phone and promptly called Sylvia.
The call was answered after only two rings. He immediately heard the familiar voice of Sylvia coming through the speakers. “Hey Isabel, what's up?” Odell growled, “Where have you been?”
Beep.
The call was promptly hung up.
Odell was at a loss for words.
His face was horridly pale, countless veins bulged on his forehead.
There was nothing but a damning silence in the living room.
Madam Carter and Aunt Tonya did not dare to utter a word.
Flint burrowed himself into Isabel's arms.
Isabel wrapped her arms around him and looked at Odell warily.
Clack!
Odell threw the phone on the table and stomped out of the living room.
Madam Carter immediately called out after him, “Odell, it's almost time for dinner. Where are you going?” Odell continued marching out without giving the slightest response.
He was fuming Madam Carter grimaced weakly and sighed.
Aunt Tonya expressed with a deep sigh, “He must be enraged. He came home at noon and has been waiting all day for Sylvia to come back. Then she goes and hangs up on him the moment he manages to call her.” “Ugh!” Madam Carter remarked with slight disdain, “It's his fault for always staying out till late back then.” Inside the car on the way to the prairie.
After hanging up the call, Sylvia stuffed the phone back in her bag Miss Johnson and Miss Forest who were with her turned toward her with a perplexed look.
Miss Johnson asked curiously, “Mrs. Sylvia, was that your daughter? Why did you hang up suddenly without saying anything to her?”
Sylvia stated matter of factly, “I think she just accidentally dialed my number without knowing it. She didn‘t answer me when | spoke so | just hung up.”
“| see.” Miss Johnson left it at that.
Miss Forest had nothing further to add. They went back to what they were previously talking about.
They were discussing the wonderful scenery outside.
ago
Sylvia could not focus on a single word they said.
METZ
Just from the brief interaction they had, she could tell that Odell was enraged. She felt that if he had confronted her in person, he just might strangle her right away.
Was it because she chose to not return home yet?
Did he not prefer it this way? He could focus on his work if she was not pestering him all day and causing unnecessary drama. Was this not what he always wanted?
Besides, he had his trustworthy and reliable secretary by his side to attend to all his needs.
She simply could not understand why he was so angry with her.
Once Odell stepped out of the house, he called Cliff right away.
Then he got into his car and drove off.
The car zoomed across the highway and arrived at the entrance of the Carter Tower in no more than twenty minutes.
It was already past office hours, so there were only a handful of offices that were still occupied, evident by the lights left on. There was not much traffic on the way here at this hour.
Odell rolled down the windows. Then he took a cigarette and tucked it between his lips.
Asurge of cold wind blew in through the window.
The cigarette smoke was blown apart and scattered into a cloud.
After some time had passed, his phone rang.