Shades of The Richest Simon Hall

Chapter 4 An Impulsive Exit

I dashed out with such urgency that I forgot my phone and neglected the cut on my forehead.

The night wrapped around me as I wandered aimlessly on foot.

Sifting through my thoughts, I stumbled upon a memory from two years back. Just like tonight, my phone had died, and with no way to get a ride, I had to make my way home on foot.

Simon frantically searched for me, unable to reach me for two whole hours.

When he finally found me, he pulled me close, his voice shaky with relief.

"You scared me senseless, Chloe. I was terrified something terrible had happened."

His eyes welled up seeing the blisters on my heels.

Yet now, seeing the fresh wound on my forehead, he remained detached.

It felt like a chasm had opened in my chest, the ache so profound that it left me numb.

As I trudged along in the darkness, my vision blurred, and I collapsed.

I came to in a hospital bed, greeted by the nurse's calm voice, "You fainted because of low blood sugar. Someone kind enough brought you in."

Only then did it hit me. I hadn't eaten a single thing all day before.

The seafood tofu soup I diligently prepared for an hour remained untouched.

The nurse paused, seemingly recalling something significant.

"You're over two months pregnant. You need to watch your diet and take care of yourself."

Staggered, I automatically glanced down at my still-flat abdomen.

I was pregnant?

I fought to soften my rigid lips into a smile.

Just yesterday, the thought of this child's arrival would have filled me with pure happiness.

But now...

After receiving the IV drip, I stumbled out of the hospital, disoriented and bewildered.

I barely set foot in my own home before a group of strangers forcefully dragged me away.

Panic surged through me.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?"

Before I knew it, I was staring at Simon, who stood solemnly before my mother's grave.

My heart lurched, and my voice faltered with fear.

"Simon, what's going on?"

He faced me, unsettlingly composed.

"What did you put in the soup? After Michie drank it, the pain was unbearable. Chloe, why can't you change?"

"What?"

I was shocked, instinctively rejecting the accusation.

"I didn't do anything! Are you saying I poisoned the soup?"

Simon's stare was cold, cutting through my defenses.

"Denied once again. You made the soup. Who else could it be? Did you find out Michie was carrying my child and tried to cause her to miscarry on purpose?"

Michelle too, was pregnant?

Unconsciously, my hand went to my own belly, fingers clenching tight.

"I swear, I didn't know. I had no idea she was expecting."

Simon's eyes remained frosty as a guard stepped forward, holding a grim-looking urn.

"Chloe, don't push me to extremes."

My shock turned into desperation, my voice breaking.

"I honestly did nothing wrong. Please, believe me!"

Simon frowned, clearly torn with suspicion.

I sensed his uncertainty and wanted to explain more, but his phone interrupted us.

After the call, an ominous shadow crossed his face as he turned back to me.

"Chloe, you went behind my back to talk to her! My warnings meant nothing, and now you'll regret it!"

In the blink of an eye, I witnessed my mother's urn crash to the ground, shattering into countless pieces.

"No!"

I screamed in torment, powerless to stop it.

Her ashes scattered into the wind, slipping through my fingers no matter how much I tried to gather them.

It was as if a blunt blade was carving into my heart, the agony leaving me breathless. I crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by grief and uncontrollable tears.