Chapter 43


    Curtis had meticulously mapped out the trip, sparking a me of excitement in Leanne that she hadn’t


    felt in ages. She dived headfirst into the depths of the inte, scouring blog posts and travel forums


    for the hidden gems of d. She was serious about crafting the perfect itinerary.


    The promise of d’s spring had her imagination blooming with visions of the Northern Lights, fields


    of wildflowers, and the spectacle of seabirds returning from their


    southern winter sojourn across the ocean’s canvas.


    Yet, the honeymoon never happened. It fizzled out, just like that.


    Curtis became a rare sight at home, and his responses to Leanne’s calls grew colder. It waste when


    Curtis got home, straight to the shower, then bed, without so much as a whisper of conversation.


    Leanne was lost, swirling in what she thought was a dizzying romance, clueless as to why Curtis had


    suddenly turned so distant.


    At the time, Curtis had just broken away from the clutches of the Richardson Group,unching his


    venture, ElitePinnacle Investments. Curtis was a man brimming with pride, determined to make it


    without riding on the coattails of the Richardson family.


    Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    But for a fledgling investment bank to snag an IPO underwriting deal for a listedpany. was no walk


    in the park.


    Leanne tried to console herself, reasoning that his absence was due to the relentless grind of work,


    that his silence was born from sheer exhaustion, not ack of desire to


    connect.


    Back then, her love for Curtis was at its peak, so she mustered all her bravery and crashed Devin’s


    birthday bash uninvited, just to catch a glimpse of Curtis.


    But it was there she heard those words that would haunt her at night, sending chills that jolted her


    awake.


    It was only when the eyes of people in the room descended upon her, casting looks of disdain and pity,


    that she slowly came to a painful realization,


    Oh, it wasn’t his job. She just wasn’t worth it.


    It turned out he still loved Suzan. Leanne was nothing but apromise, a distraction


    as in the mood, easily discarded when he wasn’t.


    unseen.


    left Devin’s gift behind. As she walked out, her spine was straight, her shame


    Her shattered pridey scattered on the floor, crushed by Curtis’ hands.


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    He had brought her up to cloud nine, just to pull the rug out from under her.


    After that, the chill between Leanne and Curtis solidified into ice.


    It wasn’t long before Curtis left for Embend, Rumors swirled that he was still hung up on Suzan,


    resentful of being pressured into a loveless marriage, and had fled across the ocean to rekindle old


    mes.


    Leanne retreated back into her shell. For a long stretch, she spoke to no one but Joy.


    When Leanne returned to the silent haven at Crystal Cove Vis Number 9, the quiet was deafening.


    Laura, the housekeeper, bounded out, bubbling with news, “One of my friends works as a caretaker


    over at Number 12, looking after the elderly. Their kids are all settled abroad and the old folks are


    bored stiff. I mentioned our kittens and she asked if they could have one. They even had a family video


    call to vote on it and made a big show of it.”


    Laura was tingling with a sense of aplishment, and Leanne nodded in agreement, “Once the kitten


    is two months old and vinated, we can send it over.”


    “Vinations, eh?” Laura hadn’t realized there was so much to it, “They’ve already set up a kitty bed


    and stocked up on cat food. I’ll let them know.”


    “I have other friends who might be interested too. I’ll ask around,” Laura said, eager for a project since


    Leanne had caught her red-handed skipping out for card games. She was


    determined to make herself useful.


    “When all the cats are gone, Mr. Curtis won’t have his allergies to worry about, and he cante home


    every day.”


    Leanne faltered her steps ascent up the stairs. She didn’t tell Laura that Curtis’ absence. had nothing to


    do with the cats.


    He just didn’t want to face her at home.


    That night, Leanne’s battle with sleep resumed. She tossed and turned restlessly until she sumbed


    to a mtonin pill. Half an hourter, drowsiness crept in, but even then, her sleep was tainted, filled


    with tumultuous dreams.


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