Chapter 63


    Chapter 63


    Sullivan pulled into the driveway of his sprawling estate, the sound of gravel crunching under the tires


    of his luxury car breaking the silence of the peaceful evening. The sight of his return caught the maid


    off guard, as she had no idea about Megan’s hospitalization and had assumed Sullivan was out of town


    on business


    As Sullivan killed the engine, the maid rushed to open the car door “Six are you here for dinner? The


    staff in the kitchen wasn’t expecting you, and it might take about an hour to prepare something,” she


    said with a slight tremor in her voice, aware of Sullivan’s usual impatience


    Sullivan, ha face etched with fatigue, replied with a dismissive wave, Just whip up something light.”


    The maid scurried away to carry out his orders.


    Stepping out of the car, Sullivan made his way into the grand foyer of the mansion. His staff had kept


    the ce spotless, as if in anticipation of his retum. Despite his absence, the house gleamed, the


    windows shining and the floors polished to a mirror finish.


    After a night of restless busyness, Sullivan was ready to head upstairs for a hot shower. But as he


    pushed open the door to the master bedroom, his gaze fell upon therge wedding portrait hanging


    above the bedhead


    In the photo, Megan’s smile was sweet and captivating. Their wedding had been a hasty affair, and


    since he wasn’t fond of her at the time, he had been reluctant to pose for pictures. This particr image


    was aposite, created by a photographer Megan had paid for


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    Sullivan had chided her for fooling herself, but Megan simply said he looked handsome in the picture.


    When she would tell him that, her eyes would sparkle like they held the stars and the ocean itself


    But now, those same eyes had been filled with tears as she begged him to let her go. She imed he


    despised her, that she was tired of the mutual torment, that she longed to be an ordinary person rather


    than Mrs. Lowry. Sullivan had to admit, Megan hadn’t been wrong. He had never forgiven her.


    –


    And now, he was even less inclined to do so she wanted to leave without giving him the chance to


    reconcile his feelings. He couldn’t forgive her for that.


    Standing by the foot of the bed, Sullivan stared at the photograph for a long while before he finally


    moved into the walk–in closet to grab a bathrobe. Searching for his toiletries, he realized just how out


    of ce he felt without Megan. Life without her was something he wasn’t ustomed to, and deep


    down, he suspected he cared too much about her.


    Even if it was hatred, it was still too much attention.


    He used to live with Megan, her presence a constant in his life, her body avable whenever he desired


    it. Yet, he never used to think of her during work, while sleeping, or even care whether she cried.


    This was not a pleasant realization for Sullivan, especially since the person in question was Megan –


    the woman he had loathed for three years.


    After his shower, the meal wasn’t ready yet. Sullivan leaned against the dresser that Megan would


    often sit at, lighting a cigarette and taking a long, thoughtful drag. Megan had left without taking her


    belongings with her. The dresser was cluttered with her myriad lotions and potions, a testimony to her


    nightly beauty rituals that left her skin soft and delicate to the touch.


    expecting to find more


    As he nced at the array of bottles and jars, curiosity got the better of him and he pulled open a


    drawer, exp cosmetics. Instead, he found a pale pink diary, thick and evidently a few years old.


    Gently flipping it open, Sullivan scanned the pages filled with Megan’s youthful handwriting,


    documenting her affection for him at 18- candid, passionate, and endearingly naive.


    [Sullivan ignored me all day today]


    [He didn’t even nce at the cupcakes I made him. Does he hate me?]


    [If he hates me, why did he lend me his jacket when I stained my skirt during my period. Could he


    secretly like me too? I don’t care, tomorrow Sullivan will definitely fall for me


    Sullivan turned to thest page. The date marked the bankruptcy of the Quigley family and the day


    Wyatt was sent to jail.


    He remembered that day, Megan had received a phone call. Her eyes brimming with unshed tears, she


    had helplessly murmured, “Sullivan!”


    He knew she wanted his help. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask, knowing all too well the distance


    that had grown between them. All she could do was silently plead with her husband for a shred of


    compassion, while Sullivan had been about to leave for a business trip to Harmony City.