Ch. 1611..1615
Chapter 1611
He stared at Sherry and said to Peter, “Hire some men to mow the lawn. | don’t want to see any grass or weeds in this house after an hour.”
Peter slightly furrowed his brows. “Yes, sir.”
He acted quickly. In less than ten minutes, the workers were already mowing the lawn.
John leaned on the chair elegantly as he looked at Sherry with an evil grin.
Sherry clenched her fists tightly, watching the workers mow every blade of grass from the lawn.
In fact, not only the front yard but even the garden and every other corner of the house that had greenery on it had the plants removed.
Only concrete and mud remained. The workers left after they finished mowing the lawn. John remained seated in the house and his gaze was glued to Sherry.
Sherry’s fists remained clenched as she looked at him. Her voice was slightly trembling when she said, “Are you planning to starve me to death?”
She was not given food, and now even the lawn was mowed. What else could the man be planning if not starving her to death? John narrowed his eyes. He curled his lips and said, “Then, do you think | should let you live a good life?” Sherry’s chest tightened. It felt like something was pounding on her heart.
She suddenly gained a mysterious courage to look him in the eyes and was no longer afraid of him torturing her to death. Her eyes were bloodshot as she said, “John, | know | indirectly caused Madam Stockton’s accident, but | never once thought of hurting her. | never wanted this to happen. If you think I’m the one who caused it, just go to the police and arrest me. You have no right to imprison me here and torture me!”
She did indirectly cause Madam Stockton’s car crash because she had taken Caprice out, but she did not wish for it to happen or directly caused it. She even tried her best to save Madam Stockton and prevented tragedy!
Must she be starved to death just to make it up to Madam Stockton’s tragedy? All she did was take Caprice out for a while! She did not even do anything!
The more Sherry thought about it, the heavier her grief became. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but the man simply stared at her with a grim look.
He watched as she leaned on the wall with her body curled. She had to rely on the wall to get to her feet, and her teary eyes made her look extremely pitiful.
For some reason, his chest tightened, and it grew more suffocating as he watched. It felt like his chest would burst any moment. He was not enjoying it either. Maybe it was his anger that tortured him.
He got up and walked to her.
Sherry instinctively covered her neck with her hands.
John grinned. “Sherry, do you really think this is grief?”
“| don’t,” she said, but her tears continued to trickle down her cheeks.
John narrowed his eyes. He scoffed and said, “Then, why are you telling me all this?”
Sherry choked on her emotions and was silenced. John’s gaze turned frosty, and so did his expression. “Nothing left to say? Feeling guilty? Where's your confidence now?” Sherry tightened her lips as she looked into his eyes. “Why don’t you just end me?”
What else could she say? She apologized countless times and did indeed feel guilty for indirectly putting Madam Stockton ina comatose state.
What else could she do?
Must she make it up to Madam Stockton with her life?
Sherry then removed her hand from her neck. She looked up at him and exposed her neck to him.
“Just strangle me to death so that | can make it up to Madam Stockton.”
She closed her eyes. However, maybe because of her fear of death, her eyelids trembled even when she closed her eyes.
Her lips were tightened, and she looked like she had made up her mind to welcome death.
Chapter 1612
John frowned. His hands somehow froze for a moment, but he managed to lift them after a while.
When his fingers touched her neck, she trembled terribly.
“Hmph,” he scoffed. He really thought she was not afraid of death. He simply put his fingers on her neck but did nothing else.
Sherry’s body stiffened from the moment he touched her, but nothing happened after that. She could not help but open her eyes. She saw his deep gaze staring at herself with a ridiculing grin.
It somehow infuriated her. “Are you going to do it or not?”
Why did he stop all of a sudden?
John pursed his lips and simply pinched the side of her neck.
Sherry cried in pain.
John chuckled. “Strangling you will only dirty my hands. | am keeping you here so that | can torture you.” “Then, I'll ram myself into the wall,” Sherry said.
He raised a brow. “Fine. Do it. I'll wait.”
Sherry was once again silenced. The anger and embarrassment rushed up to her mind and made her flush. Frustrated, she ran towards him and rammed into his chest.
Thud.
He staggered backward a few steps before he regained his balance.
Sherry felt great, but it was not enough. She shouted, “You bastard, I'll ram you to death!” As though she transformed into a furious bull, she charged toward him madly.
John was rendered speechless.
Peter and the other bodyguards in the yard were stunned, but they dared not do anything other than keep their eyes on Sherry. Right when she was about to ram into John, and Peter and the other bodyguards
strongly believed that her momentum would be enough to throw John off balance, John suddenly took a step to the side.
Sherry missed and her momentum drove her forward. She lost control of herself and ultimately rammed into a pillar in the corridor.
Fortunately, she reacted quickly enough to put her hands in front of her face, or else she would have rammed her head into the pillar.
The room went quiet for a few moments before laughter sounded.
Sherry turned around and saw Peter and the bodyguards chuckling. Even John curled his lips at her. However, before she could have a clear look at the man’s face, the man’s expression turned frosty and he stared at Peter and the bodyguards.
Peter and the bodyguards immediately stopped laughing and wore serious expressions.
Then, he looked at Sherry.
Sherry hugged the pillar and looked at him cautiously.
After locking eyes for a moment, he curled his lips. “You want to go out?”
Sherry’s eyes flickered.
What did he mean by that? Was he planning to release her? Or did he want her to do something to earn her freedom? She answered immediately, “Yes. Are you letting me go?”
John said with a smile, “No.” He then moved his long legs toward the entrance.
Sherry choked on her embarrassment.
The man left the building and entered the car.
Sherry’s eyes flickered. She quickly ran to the door, but before she could reach the car, the bodyguards stopped her.
Chapter 1613
Sherry tried to move past the bodyguards as she screamed, “Wait a minute!”
The man paused before he got into the car. He looked at her.
Sherry pursed her lips. She stared at the man with anticipation and asked, “How’s Caprice?” “She’s good, but...”
“But what?”
“You are no longer worthy of being her mother, and you don’t have the right to call her name anymore. From now on, please call her Ms. Stockton. If | hear you calling her name, you won’t even get a drop of water.”
His frosty voice subsided and he got into the car.
The silver MPV then disappeared further away, leaving Sherry frozen on the spot. Even after the car disappeared from her sight, she remained standing.
Ms. Stockton?
The man wanted her to call her own daughter Ms. Stockton?
The silver MPV cruised steadily ahead.
The man was holding Caprice in his arms. He went to Sherry’s place while Caprice was asleep.
It was not because he wanted to bring the girl to her mother, but because the girl was being clingy since the past few days and he simply could not leave her alone in the house, hence the decision of bringing her together.
Caprice was still sound asleep. Her chubby face looked adorable. He wiped the glistening sweat off her forehead and continued holding her.
Awhile later, Peter asked, “Sir, are we going back to the office or going home?”
“Home.”
Half an hour later, the car drove into Stockton Residence and soon stopped in front
of his house.
He carried Caprice out of the car.
Julie came out and welcomed him with a smile. “John, you're back.”
He hummed a reply.
“You've been busy for the whole afternoon. Why don’t you go have a rest? I'll take care of Caprice in the meantime.” Julie put her hands out and wanted to take Caprice from him.
However, John pursed his lips. “It's okay. You’ve been busy yourself. You should go rest too.” He then carried Caprice into the house alone.
Peter went in with his briefcase and work documents as well.
Julie's expression shifted.
The man should have just come home from the office, so why did he bring Peter and his work home?
He usually finished work at the office before he would even consider coming home. Had he not been to the office in the afternoon?
If he had not been to the office, he must have gone to Sherry’s place.
However, he looked more or less the same when he left for work, and if he really went to Sherry’s place, Sherry would have infuriated him.
She wondered where John kept Sherry.
Some thoughts later, she said to Mia, “Tomorrow, when John goes to work, follow him and find out where he is going. Be careful not to expose yourself.”
Meanwhile, deep in the suburbs, where Sherry was kept, she remained petrified even after John left.
It was the bodyguards who brought her back from her trance and urged her to go in.
She returned to the room and crashed on the couch. Her mind started to stroll down memory lane and replay all the conflicts she had with John in the past ten years.
Had they started on the wrong foot from the beginning?
Otherwise, why would they have ended up like this?
The thoughts pained her chest. She tried her best not to think about him, but she could not stop herself from missing Caprice. It was then that the bodyguard came in with a box of food.
Sherry was stunned.
The bodyguard put the body of food in front of her and said, “Ms. Fowler, Master Stockton told us to bring you this.”
John brought her food? Why?
The man just mowed the lawn in front of her, yet he told his men to deliver food to her?
Sherry’s eyes flickered. She brought the food closer to herself.
The bodyguard added, “Master Stockton told us to send you a meal once every two days. | think it’s better for you to eat some and keep some for the next day so that you won't starve.”
Chapter 1614
Chapter 1614 Once every two days? It was the worst form of torture!
She would not starve to death because of the food, but she would never be full either. Disheartened, she curved her lips into a bitter smile and thanked the bodyguard.
The bodyguard simply offered a piece of advice out of kindness. John would never order his bodyguard to tell her that the meal would only be delivered once every two days and that it would be wise for her to eat some and keep some for the next day to lessen the starvation.
The bodyguard nodded and went out.
Sherry opened the box. There was rice, some meat, and vegetables.
Due to starvation, her appetite was no longer as big as it used to be. She simply had a few bites and no longer felt hungry. After she put the leftovers in the refrigerator, she returned to the couch.
She felt a lot better now that she was not starving and the sudden comfort led her to sleep.
A few peaceful days went by, and John never showed up since then.
Ever since the bodyguard started to deliver meals to her, Sherry strategically divided the portions to make sure she had something to eat every meal, thus solving her hunger problem.
She stayed in the living room most of the time, and when she felt bored, she would try to talk to the bodyguards and befriend them. Unfortunately, the bodyguards never really talked to her.
Sherry continued the same mundane life for a few more days, and despite her effort, she failed to lower the bodyguards’ attention.
The walls around the house were taller than others, so climbing out was not an option; there were no trees around for her to climb as well. The only exit and entrance was the main gate.
The sky was covered in dark clouds, and it started to drizzle.
Sherry squatted by the door and watched the bodyguards under their umbrellas with a bored expression. If this continued, she would be imprisoned for the rest of her life.
Meanwhile, back at John’s own house, he was having an online meeting in the study. Screech.
The door suddenly opened and caught his attention.
Caprice, in her pajamas and messy hair, came in while rubbing her eyes.
He narrowed his eyes. He said to the meeting attendees, “Please excuse me for a while.” He got up and walked over to Caprice.
Caprice pouted and looked at him with a grievance.
John carried her into his arms and asked softly, “Caprice, did you have a nightmare?” When Caprice shook her head, he was baffled by the girl’s reaction.
The girl said, “Caprice is scared.”
“Daddy is here. What are you afraid of?”
“When | woke up, | was alone.”
The sky was dark and it was raining outside. She opened her eyes and saw no one in the room, thus she got scared. Tears rolled down her eyes.
John hugged her tightly. “Daddy’s got a meeting. I’m sorry | can’t be with you. | won't leave you alone again.”
Caprice hummed a reply. She looked calmer than before now that she was in her father’s embrace, but her hands clung to his shirt tightly, afraid that he would put her down.
He smiled and carried her to the couch. He sat her down on his lap and tidied her hair. She looked at him with teary eyes. She grumbled, “Daddy, | miss Mommy. When is she coming back?” John’s hands froze and his expression went blank.
A few seconds later, he curled his lips and said with a smile, “Mommy's gone to a far, faraway place. | don’t know when she is coming back either.”
Afar, faraway place? Caprice furrowed her brows. “Then, is she going to come back?”
John went silent for a moment. “Whether she comes back or not, Daddy will always be with you.”
Chapter 1615
Chapter 1615 Caprice pouted. “But | want Mommy to come back.” John pursed his lips.
He looked at the girl’s pouty lips and sulky expression. It took him a while to say, will call her later and ask her when she is coming back.”
It was impossible for Sherry to return now. The woman tried to steal Caprice away and put his mother in a comatose state. He would never let her come back to be Caprice’s mother.
All he could do was cheer the girl up.
The girl was still a toddler and had barely spent enough time with Sherry to remember her as her mother, so she would probably forget that Sherry was her mother as time went by.
Caprice hummed a delightful reply when she heard her father. John smiled as he continued to tidy the girl’s hair. Then, he carried her back to his desk. While holding Caprice in his arm, he wore a serious look and said to the attendees of the meeting, “Go on.”
The attendees immediately continued where they left off a while ago. John listened to his subordinates’ reports while Caprice sat on his lap obediently.
Although the girl had no idea what the adults were talking about, she was not bored. She simply stared at the screen and watched quietly.
Maybe because the girl’s presence lifted up the tension, the meeting went on smoothly. The meeting ended in less than an hour. John turned off the computer and lifted the girl up. “Caprice, let's go have a look at Grandma.” “Mm-hmm.” The girl nodded and hummed obediently.
Ever since Madam Stockton was discharged back home, he would bring Caprice to visit her every day. Even though it was raining and it seemed like it was getting heavier, he insisted on bringing the girl to her grandmother.
Jason, the bodyguard, held the big umbrella over the father and daughter’s heads. John carefully held Caprice in his arms and protected her from the heavy rain. After a short walk, they arrived at Madam Stockton’s place. It was dark, but the house was brightly lit.
Madam Stockton remained unconscious on her bed while Queenie and Emerence were beside her. Emerence stood up and welcomed them with a smile. Queenie showed a rather tired smile at them.
John slightly narrowed his eyes. “You go rest. Caprice and | will stay here to accompany Mother.”
The doctor said it would be best for the family members to keep talking to Madam Stockton so that it could stimulate her brain and increase the chances of her waking up. Ever since she was discharged, Queenie had been staying by her side day and night.
Queenie then said, “It’s okay. Even if you can stay up all night, Caprice can't. | don’t have anything else to do as well.”
John furrowed his brows and said in a slightly heavier tone, “Go have a rest next door.” He sounded indubitable. Queenie compromised. She hummed a reply and went out of the room.
John then looked at Emerence. “Aunt Emerence, you should go take some rest as well.”
Emerence nodded and went out.
John put Caprice by the bed before he sat down on the chair.
Caprice deftly crawled beside Madam Stockton and spoke softly, “Grandma, Caprice and Daddy are here to see you.” Alas, Madam Stockton did not respond.
Caprice pursed her lips and sighed softly. She held Madam Stockton’s hand and started rubbing it. She learned it from Emerence a few days ago.
Emerence told her that rubbing the hands might wake Madam Stockton up, so the girl believed it. After rubbing one hand, Caprice crawled to the other side and started rubbing the other. She looked serious when rubbing, and she rubbed as hard as she could.