Chapter 15
1106 Words
Shannon ignored Linda, one of Maxime's assistants. She didn’t care why the girl was there so late at night or why she had come out of her boss’s bedroom. After all, it wasn’t unusual for Maxime to play around with girls like that.
However, just because Shannon ignored her didn’t mean Linda felt the same. The woman quickly approached her, even matching her pace, wearing a smug smile on her face.
“So it’s true what people say, you really are in love with Max. I have to admit, your love and devotion to him go beyond that of his fanatic fans.”
Shannon didn’t respond. She silently listened to the chatter, just like she used to in the past. The only difference was that this time, her expression didn’t change in the slightest. Her eyes remained calm, unlike before, when she used to quietly harbor anger every time someone mocked her.
And it was that calmness that irritated Linda this time. She grabbed Shannon’s arm, forcing her to face her.
“What a shame, all those feelings wasted,” Linda said as their eyes locked. “Not only does Max not appreciate any of it, he despises it.”
“Oh, by the way, do you know what I just did in his room?”
Brushing off Linda’s hand, Shannon replied flatly, “I don’t care. That’s none of my business. Please don’t stand in my way, Miss Linda.”
She shoved past the woman and walked back to her room. Unfortunately for Linda, that composed reaction only infuriated her further.
Linda thought Shannon was far too lucky. Even if Maxime had never paid attention to her during their marriage, she still held the title of his wife, the Caldrich family's daughter-in-law. Not to mention the fact that Old Caldrich adored Shannon as his granddaughter-in-law.
Meanwhile, no matter how much Linda tried to seduce Maxime, it had all been in vain. She couldn’t even get close to being intimate with the actor. Forget being treated specially, just getting a bit of extra money out of him was nearly impossible.
She reached out again, intending to grab Shannon and teach her a lesson, but Shannon moved faster and dodged her easily.
“Tsk!” Linda clicked her tongue in frustration and threatened, “I’ll tell Max you’re still just as irrational as ever.”
As an outsider, Linda didn’t know that Shannon had returned to this house at Maxime’s request. She assumed things were still the same as before, with Shannon begging Maxime to let her stay.
In the past, whenever Linda or Maxime’s junior assistants complained about Shannon’s possessive or temperamental behavior, even when it was all made up, Maxime would scold Shannon and find her even more repulsive.
“Go ahead,” Shannon replied before stepping into her room and shutting the door right in Linda’s face.
Once alone in her room, she let out a sigh of relief. She knew that her past self had been foolish enough to get provoked by those kinds of remarks, but now, with a clearer mind, she realized just how stupid she had been over the last three years.
…
The next morning, Shannon overslept because she’d stayed up late sorting through some of her important belongings.
When she walked into the dining area, she saw Maxime lounging in the living room, watching TV. She frowned slightly but didn’t bother him, she ignored his presence altogether.
One of the housekeepers had just come out of the kitchen, and upon seeing Shannon, greeted her warmly.
“Miss Shan, good afternoon. It’s lovely to see you here again.”
Shannon gave her a gentle smile, just like she used to in the past, and replied casually,
“Good afternoon, Anne. Oh, I’m starving.”
“Lunch will be ready soon. If you’d like, I can ask someone to bring you some bread or something light to tide you over.”
“No need, I’ll just wait for lunch,” Shannon replied, walking over to the dining table and sitting down to wait for the food to be served.
Normally, if she were alone, things wouldn’t feel this formal, but this time, Maxime was home, and it seemed like he would be joining her for lunch as well.
Not long after, Maxime joined her at the table and the dishes were served.
The two of them quietly ate their lunch in silence.
Shannon remained completely silent. She didn’t try to make conversation or seek Maxime’s attention, which made the atmosphere feel heavy with silence. Maxime, who had hoped to hear something from her, began to grow slightly impatient.
He shot her a sharp, intense look, so much so that Shannon could no longer pretend she didn’t notice it.
“What’s wrong with you?” Shannon asked with a soft sigh.
Maxime scoffed lightly, ignoring her attitude and instead asking in return,
“Why didn’t you report anything when you came back last night?”
“Why should I report to you? Didn’t I already tell you?”
With that, she turned her attention back to her food, then added,
“If it’s nothing important, don’t talk to me or look at me like that.”
Hearing her words, Maxime grew a bit frustrated, but in this house—under the watchful eyes of those who might have been planted by his grandfather, he couldn’t afford to lose control. After all, his grandfather had reminded him to at least try to mend things with Shannon.
Maxime kept his gaze on her, leaned in slightly, and whispered,
“Behave yourself. You know Grandpa has placed someone, maybe even several people, to keep an eye on us. Don’t make them suspicious.”
There was a subtle threat at the end of his sentence.
Shannon had never liked being threatened, but because she used to love this man, she tolerated it. She tolerated threats even from the people closest to him. But not anymore.
Even if she had agreed to postpone the divorce for the sake of his grandfather’s recovery, that didn’t mean she would go back to being who she used to be.
For her now, her happiness came first, not Maxime.
“I’m not going to play house with you,” she said flatly. “We agreed to delay the divorce, not to act like a happily married couple. Besides, don’t you have your own ways of controlling the people in your house?”
Perhaps because he hadn’t expected such a reply, Maxime didn’t respond right away.
He simply stared at the woman, someone he knew, and yet somehow no longer recognized.
- Writer
