Chapter 16
Caleb always focused his attention on the one he truly cared about. He constantly doted on
the woman he loved.
Just a few days ago, Tiffany had stopped by the hospital with some afternoon tea, only to
scold Caleb for half an hour.
Why? Because she caught him in the VIP ward, carefully tending to Penelope as if she were
the most fragile person in the world.
The next morning, Sydney completed her discharge paperwork smoothly.
Worried about her condition, Marcus sent her a message.
Marcus: [Syd, should I come pick you up from the hospital?]
Sydney replied while stepping into the elevator.
Sydney: [Don’t trouble yourself, Marc. Tiffany’s taking me to the airport.]
As she entered the underground parking lot, a familiar voice echoed from the stairwell. It
was Caleb on the phone.
“Do you
think I never understood her? I seriously didn’t expect her to get physical with Penny,” he said.
After hearing the other person, he sighed, sounding exhausted. “I never intended to let her take the fall for this. And I’m not divorcing her.”
A loud, incredulous shout came from the other end.
“Holy shit, really? Syd busted up your crush’s face, and you’re still not thinking of divorce?” After a brief pause, the other party teased, “Don’t tell me you’ve actually caught feelings for Syd?”
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“Cut the crap.” Caleb hesitated, then carefully chose his words. “If I divorce her now, the rumors alone will drown Penny, especially after the recent scandal. If we split now, my family will never let her off the hook.”
That twisted, self–righteous explanation made Sydney chuckle silently. She had always known the truth. But hearing it directly stung more than she expected.
“I made a promise,” Caleb said. “That I’d protect her for the rest of my life.”
“You mean that dumb childhood promise?” His friend clearly did not believe him, rolled his eyes on the other end, and continued, “Bro, you two only met once as kids. Are you even sure you have the right girl? Anyway, see you tonight at the usual spot?”
Caleb answered calmly, “Not tonight. I won’t be joining.”
“What, spending your birthday evening with Penelope?”
“No, with Sydney. I asked the doctor earlier. She specifically wanted to be discharged today.
I guess she wants to celebrate with me. I’m picking her up and bringing her home.” He chuckled softly. “She even prepared a birthday gift in advance. Tonight we’ll…”
Sydney didn’t wait to hear the rest. Just then, Tiffany’s car pulled up by the elevator. Without looking back, Sydney turned and left. She was not going home with him. Tonight, Caleb would be the only one opening that divorce agreement.
The so–called home she once tried so hard to belong to had been nothing more than a cover, a disguise for all of Caleb’s shameful secrets. Once he opened her gift, he would finally
understand she was done with him.
As soon as Sydney got in the car, Tiffany gestured toward the back seat. “Got your stuff from Nancy. Check if anything’s missing.”
There was a suitcase and a backpack. Sydney unzipped the backpack. All her essentials were there. She shook her head. “That’s everything. Let’s go to the airport.”
“Got it.” Tiffany pressed the gas pedal gently and eased out of the parking lot.
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For reasons she couldn’t explain, Sydney looked back. Caleb had just finished his call and stepped out of the stairwell. He looked tall and poised, still carrying that polite, gentle aura he always had.
Tiffany glanced at her in the mirror. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing.”
The car pulled out of the underground lot, and morning light filtered through the windshield.
Sydney smiled. “The weather’s nice today.”
“Yeah, haven’t seen the sun in days.”
No one could resist the warmth of winter sunlight.
Tiffany, still gripping the wheel, gave her a sidelong glance and raised an eyebrow. “You’ve never been this cheerful on any of our trips abroad. What’s so special about this one?”
“Tiff,” Sydney rolled down the window, slipped off her wedding ring, and flicked it into the wind. “This one’s different.”
This time, when she boarded the plane, she would still be the Hampton family’s daughter- in–law. She would still be someone else’s shield.
But when she came back, she would be just herself–Sydney Wilson.
