Ch. 1596..1600
Chapter 1596
Sherry felt as if her feet were made of lead. She wanted to approach to get a closer look, but her feet would not move. Even her voice had escaped her entirely. As much as she wanted to speak up, she had difficulty even forming a whisper.
Soon, Madam Stockton was wheeled away.
Queenie marched rapidly and nervously next to the crew of nurses. Julie trailed after closely as well. They passed by Sherry. Then, John suddenly walked up to her. There was a hint of redness and a piercing look in his eyes.
Sherry suddenly felt suffocated. Her lips quivered, “I... I’m sorry.”
John grimaced instinctively and spat, “I must have been blind to fall for a woman like you time and time again.”
Sherry felt a sour sting rising up to her nose, and she was overtaken by an urge to cry. She lowered her head to avoid looking at John and apologized in an aggrieved
voice, “I’m sorry... I’m sorry.”
“What is your apology good for at this point?” His towering figure domineered over her. He grabbed her by her chin and made her look into the sharp reflection in his eyes. “I wouldn’t forgive you even if you died right here and now.”
John’s spiteful remark was like a punch to the gut, and Sherry felt as if her insides were torn apart. Before she could utter a single word, he let go of her.
Then, he quickly marched away in the direction Madam Stockton was wheeled
toward.
Sherry could barely steady herself on her feet.
That was when a nurse passed by. It was one of the paramedics who had been in the ambulance, and she recognized Sherry.
When it looked like Sherry’s legs were going to give out underneath her, the nurse hurriedly stepped forward and held her steady. She said in a concerned voice, “Miss,
your arm is burned. We need to have it treated.” Sherry glanced at her left forearm.
It was only now that she remembered that she had burned her arm when she had dragged Madam Stockton out of the burning car.
Her clothes were burned right through, and blistering spots had formed on her arms.
It was a gruesome sight. She doubted that she would even have noticed her injury if not for the nurse pointing it out to her. She answered in a detached voice, “Thanks, I'll deal with it later.”
The nurse objected, “No, we have to have it treated now, or else it will leave permanent scars.”
Sherry only grunted and walked away.
The nurse assumed that Sherry was going to head to the ward to have her wound. treated, so she decided to stop pestering her and went back to her duties.
However, Sherry went in the other direction. Dressing her wound was the last night on her mind now. She had to wait for news of Madam Stockton.
It was a rather small hospital, so she assumed this was far from the best hospital in Glanchester. Still, she recalled that Madam Stockton still exhibited a glimmer of consciousness when she was dragged out of the car, and she hoped the doctors. would be able to save her.
She stepped out of the building into the open air outside.
Agust of cold wind blew from the oncoming direction. She took a deep breath and stared absently in front of her.
She wanted to wait for either John or Queenie to come out. She would suggest that they have Madam Stockton transferred to another hospital where they could provide better care for her with state-of-the-art facilities.
Before she could even catch her breath from the traumatic turn of events, several familiar figures began approaching her.
It was Peter leading the charge, followed by several bodyguards. They all looked at her with clear hostility.
Peter did not beat around the bush. “Sherry, Master Stockton doesn’t want you lingering around here anymore, so please come with us.”
Sherry was visibly upset by this and asked, “Where are you taking me?” She retreated a step backward.
Peter looked at her rather indifferently. The bodyguards he brought with him promptly stepped forward and had Sherry surrounded.
She frowned and tried to make a run for it. The bodyguards were quick to react and immediately cut off her path of retreat.
“Master Stockton is in a very bad mood right now. You’d do well to not upset him any further, or else there will be consequences. | suggest you stop causing trouble and follow us right now.”
As Sherry scowled, she stopped struggling and followed them without a whisper.
Chapter 1597
Peter motioned for Sherry to step into the car.
She obediently followed his directions without any qualms.
Peter did not follow her into the car. Instead, several bodyguards entered the vehicle with her. With that, the car drove off and took her away from the hospital.
Meanwhile, in a certain ward on the second floor of the hospital, Madam Stockton was lying on the hospital bed with a ventilator and an IV bag rigged up to her.
Queenie was seated next to her, her eyes were swelling with tears. The ward was as silent as a grave. It was so quiet that one could hear the regular drip of the IV bag.
There was a tall man standing stoically in front of the window. He gazed outside at a particular car that was driving out of the hospital compound. He continued staring at the said vehicle until it went out of sight.
Shortly after that, Peter came in to join them in the ward. He quietly went up to John and informed in a soft voice, “Master Stockton, we've done everything you've instructed us to do.”
John shot a glance at Madam Stockton who was still lying on the bed, then asked, ” Have you contacted Glanchester Hospital yet?”
“| did. They have dispatched an ambulance, and it should arrive any time now.” After a pause, Peter added, “They've also made arrangements to have the best doctor in the hospital attend to Madam Stockton. The moment she is transported to the hospital, she will be placed in the doctor’s capable hands.”
Glanchester Hospital was the best hospital in the region. They had a whole host of the most reputable doctors across the country. The current hospital’s facilities were nothing compared to Glanchester Hospital's. They hoped that things would take a turn for the better once she was transported there.
“Alright,” John grunted, then he sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes, finally feeling the exhaustion at last. Peter retreated outside without making another sound. The ward descended into silence again.
Julie stood by the window and quietly gazed at John for some time. She stole a look out of the window in the direction John was staring at just now.
The car that transported Sherry out of the area had disappeared a long time ago. She wondered where John sent her off to. Did he send her home? Or perhaps he sent her somewhere else instead?
Something flickered in her eyes as she turned her attention to Madam Stockton. The old lady seemed as pale as a sheet as she lay motionlessly on the bed. She was on her last legs. Chances were slim that she was going to wake up at all.
It was highly doubtful that John would forgive Sherry even if he had felt genuine affection for her at one point. She had tried to take away his darling daughter, and in turn, was responsible for his mother being reduced to a vegetative state.
Julie smirked without anyone noticing. Meanwhile, the car transporting Sherry drove down the highway at a constant speed.
Sherry was seated in the back row with bodyguards flanking her on both sides. She could not even fidget around in her seat. She darted her eyes across the window.
After leaving the hospital, they rode down the highway without making any stops. It seemed like they were heading back to the house.
Unexpectedly, the driver did not turn into the intersection leading back to the house, but instead skipped the junction and pressed forward. They were headed toward a rural section of the region.
Sherry immediately took notice of this and quickly asked, “Where are you taking me?”
The driver and the other members inside the car ignored her entirely. Nobody would entertain her question at all. She frowned and immediately reached for the phone in her pocket.
As soon as she revealed her phone, the bodyguard snatched the phone right out of her palms faster than she could blink. She was flabbergasted and tried to snatch her phone back.
Sensing her sudden movement, the bodyguard sitting on her left grabbed her and forced her back into her seat. He held her arms with an iron grip and refused to let
her go. Sherry roared viciously, “Let go of me! Give me my phone!” Chapter 159/
Seated in the passenger seat was the leader of the bodyguards. He turned around and addressed her for the very first time in their entire car ride, “Ms. Sherry, we’re only following Master Stockton’s orders. I’m sure you’re smart enough to know that things will not end well for you if you continue to defy us.”
Chapter 1598
Sherry felt a lump growing in her throat. She held her breath and sank back into her
seat.
Upon ensuring that she was going to stop resisting, the bodyguard on her left let go of her arm. Shortly after that, the car swerved into the woods.
It was an entirely uninhabited area. What was strange was that someone seemed to have taken a special effort to develop the area. The asphalt road was well-paved with rows of tall and dense trees along both sides.
After passing through the woods, the car stopped.
Sherry saw a house. It was a large and well-designed villa, but it looked poorly maintained since it was filled with dried leaves coating its roof and courtyard. She had not even gotten out of the car, but already she could feel a terrible shiver run through her.
Her escorts proceeded to step out of the car one after another.
“Miss, this way, please.” The leader beckoned her to follow.
She took a deep breath and got out of the car as told, then she followed them inside.
They stopped at the courtyard.
This place was a significant distance away from the city. It was in the middle of the forest and was rather cold.
She was only wearing a sweater, thus she shivered from the cold and quickly retreated into the house in hopes of getting some warmth.
The moment she pushed the door open, she was assaulted by a terrible smell.
The floor and furniture inside were covered with a thick layer of dust, and the doors and windows were shut. The last time the interior had seen any glimpse of flight must have been ages ago. Not a soul had ever lived in this place.
She quickly flung the windows open. After that, she grabbed a rug and used it to sweep the accumulated dust off the couch before settling down on the couch herself. Cold gusts of wind blew in through the window. She wrapped a blanket around herself to get some warmth.
Her frenzied heart began to calm down again. All around her was nothing but the ring of silence. After a while, she felt the searing pain in her arm. She winced from the pain, then she darted a glance to the side.
She noticed a clock on the wall that was still functional and ticking along. It must have been the only animate object here until her presence invaded this sanctuary.
It would be noon soon.
She noticed the bodyguards eating lunch from takeaway containers. None of them bothered to hand her a box as if she was invisible to them. She had not eaten anything all day, and her stomach was growling and protesting.
She went up to them and asked, “Hey, do you have any for me?” They only swiped a disinterested look at her, then they turned their attention back to the food and continued wolfing it down.
None for her.
She nestled back on the couch. The clock hand continued to tick along. All she could do was endure the searing pain in her arm while zoning out.
She thought about Caprice. She should be well taken care of by Aunt Wanda and Jason, but she wondered if Caprice had eaten yet.
She wondered if Caprice would be upset since she was in the middle of nowhere while John was with Madam Stockton in the hospital. The child must be lonely without her parents around.
Speaking of Madam Stockton... She wondered if John had her transferred to another hospital and if her condition was going to improve at all.
At Glanchester Hospital, Madam Stockton was sent to the emergency room as soon as she was transported there.
John stood watchfully outside the emergency room. Queenie and Julie were next to him, their eyes fixed on the door of the emergency room.
Time passed. Every second felt like an eternity.
After what seemed like forever, the door was opened at last. The doctor in charge of the surgery stepped out. He took off his surgical mask and revealed a grave expression underneath.
Chapter 1599
John’s expression was terrible as he frowned.
Queenie put a hand over her mouth and began to weep.
Julie sank her head toward the ground and seemed just as depressed as the other two, except she was hiding a wretched smile.
Meanwhile, in the forest, Sherry remained nested on the couch and stared outside all afternoon. At one point, she accidentally fell asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was surrounded by darkness. The only sound there was to be heard were the faint rustling of wind against the leaves and the ticking of the clock. She shivered from the cold.
After taking a moment, she gently stretched her legs and jumped off the couch. She was going to go to the courtyard to see if the bodyguards were still around since the presence of any other person would help her feel less lonely.
She had only stepped off the couch when a dark shadow suddenly flashed past her peripheral vision. It appeared behind the couch out of nowhere. In the pitch-black darkness, its silhouette looked especially ominous.
She shrieked the moment she noticed its presence. “Ahh!” She was so frightened that her legs immediately gave out underneath her as she sank onto the floor with a loud thump.
The mysterious figure began to approach her, and she could feel its footsteps vibrating across the floor.
“Ghost! Help! Help!” she cried out and tried to crawl outside in her haggard and frenzied state.
Just as she was about to pick herself off the ground, she felt a hand seizing her by her neck. It was cold to the touch.
That was when she heard the familiar and snappy voice of a man, “What are you so scared of? Have you sinned far too much?” Her eyes grew wide open. “John?”
She turned around, but before she could do so, John tightened his grip around her neck and held her in place. She could feel his chest pressing against her back but could not move otherwise.
She clawed at his arms and struggled to breathe. “Let go!” She was going to be strangled. “Heh.” John sneered and continued choking her.
“Hey...” She could hardly breathe or speak. The only thing she could do was claw at his arms, the only thing driving her her will for survival.
It felt like the man was here to kill her. He put his all into strangling her.
Her mind was turning blank as air could not pass into her lungs.
He... Was he going to strangle her in this remote place?
She began to cry without realizing it. Her strength was slowly sapping away from her body, and she was turning limp.
At the very last moment, she saw a vision. It was the familiar face of her daughter, Caprice. Her adorable Caprice as well as Sylvia’s....
Smack. Her arms drooped lifelessly and smacked against her hips. John suddenly realized she was losing consciousness and proceeded to release his grip.
Sherry’s body thumped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut off.
He was very alert and quickly grabbed her.
“Sherry!” he called her name.
She sank into his arms and did not move.
John frowned at this sight. He began to gently slap her face while calling his name constantly, “Sherry, stop playing. Get up!” Sherry’s eyes were shut. There was no response from her.
John immediately set her on the ground and pressed his palms against her chest to force air into her lungs. He repeated the motion several times.
After a handful of attempts, Sherry gasped at last. Risen back to life, she wheezed for air and drew as much oxygen as she could into her lungs.
John stopped his pumping. Something gleamed in his eyes underneath the lens of his glasses, but it flickered out as quickly as it appeared.
He rose on his feet and stared at Sherry. Sherry came to and immediately retreated backward. Did she pass out just now? Was he trying to strangle her to death? This man was truly out to kill her!
An intense fear seized her. She continued crawling backward until her back was pressed against the cold, hard surface of the wall. There was nowhere else for her to
Chapter 1600
John stood unmoving.
His whole figure was engulfed in the darkness of the night, save for the shining gleam of his gold-rimmed glasses. He noted the frantic and terrified demeanor of Sherry but did not utter a word.
Sherry was deeply terrified of the man. He was more menacing than the devil himself. She wrapped her arms around her neck protectively and whimpered, “I didn’t know your mother was tailing me. After you called me, | began to regret what | was doing and wanted to bring Caprice back... | never intended for anything to happen to your mother...”
She was curled up into a ball and had never felt as terrible as she did at this moment. John watched her silently. After a long time, he approached her.
Sherry shrunk away from him, but there was nowhere for her to go with the wall right behind her. She guarded her neck with her hands and stuck close to the wall, hoping she could somehow slip through it like a ghost.
John suddenly stopped when he realized how terrified Sherry was. Sherry seemed slightly eased when she noticed him stopping, but the same cautious look lingered in her eyes. John frowned and asked, “So, you're saying that it’s not your fault, is that it?”
If she had not taken Caprice in the first place, Madam Stockton would not have had to chase her down, and none of what happened after would have gone down at all. Sherry realized this as well and knew that she had exhausted all excuses.
“Is it because I’m not good enough for you? Am | supposed to hold my tongue and just learn to deal with it when | see you sneaking around with the man you used to cheat on me with?” He could not suppress his emotions and trotted up to Sherry. He bent over and grabbed her by her chin. “You just decided to up and leave with our daughter just because | lost your temper at you once because of your actions?”
There was a sharp and angered look in his eyes when he roared from the depths of his soul, “Sherry, how could you be so heartless?! Did you have any idea how hard | tried to look for her in the years when you went missing? Do you know that | married you not only for Caprice but mainly because | wanted to marry you?
“| cared so much about you that | looked past what happened back then and help Mason, the man you dumped me for! | did it just because you asked me to!
“And what did you ever do for me? Nine years ago, | cut off all ties with my family to be with you, and where did that get me? You cheated on me and dumped me because | was too poor for you!
“Now that I’m willing to move past all the hurt and betrayal and focus on building our future together, you were going to take Caprice away from me! And what about what happened to my mom?
“Is this how you treat me?!” He poured everything out in one go.
Sherry felt a tightness suffocating her chest as tears fell endlessly. She was choking back on her tears so badly that she could not even get a word out.
John saw her tears and felt overtaken by remorse, but it only lasted an instant. He steeled himself and said, “Look at you... What's with that look on your face? Are you going to use your tears to soften me?”
“I'm sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...” Sherry covered her face with shame. She did not want to use her tears against John. She did not want to deceive him any further, but the tears would not stop. It was as if a dam had broke.
She continued to weep and repeated like a machine, “I’m sorry. | wasn’t trying to endanger your mom. It was an accident. I’m sorry, I’m sorry | hurt you... You... Why don’t you just strangle me to death...”
She bawled her eyes out.
John frowned. After a while, Sherry was still crying and it began to annoy him.’ Enough!” Sherry covered her mouth. Her body was still twitching against her will. She could not make herself stop even if she wanted to.
John glared at her icily. “Now that you understand what you've done, you're going to stay here and repent. You'd better pray that my mother can wake up at one point. That’s the only way I’d ever let you out of here. If she doesn’t wake up, you can rot here for all | care!”
With that, he walked away without bothering to cast one last look at her.
Sherry was left all by herself in the solitude of the house. Her whimpers and cries
echoed in the empty house.
She cried for what seemed like ages until her tears dried up and she exhausted
herself mentally and physically. At last, she managed to calm down, her sobs turning to weak whimpers.
She balanced herself against the wall and stood up. She walked out of the living room, dragging her feet behind her. Then, she looked at the gate.
She saw the same bodyguards that brought her to this place earlier today and the car they came here in was parked outside, but John’s car was nowhere to be seen. He must have left already.