Francis had just left Natalie when he turned to contact Clara. However, no matter how many times he tried, all he heard was a busy signal. This was an unusual situation. As he recalled, since they had met, no matter the time or how late it was, whenever he reached out to Clara, she always answered immediately. He never thought of it as anything special. He had long since become accustomed to the idea that whenever he turned around, Clara would be there. So, when the mechanical voice sounded again, he furrowed his brow, feeling uneasy. He hung up the phone and contacted Wesley instead. This time, the call connected quickly. Wesley was woken up by the sound of the phone ringing. After a while, he finally mumbled, “Daddy.” Francis opened the door and got into the car. As he started the engine, he ordered, “Go check if Mommy is asleep in her room.” Wesley pouted, somewhat unwilling. “But I don’t want to go.” Francis’ voice deepened. “Wesley.” Wesley knew he had to obey. Reluctantly, he climbed out of bed, walking toward the door while saying, “How could Mommy not be home? She doesn’t have anywhere to go.” Even though Wesley was still young, he understood that Clara was different from Natalie. Clara had no friends, no job, and besides taking care of him at home, she was too lazy to take him out to play. He grumbled as he went to knock on Clara’s door. He knocked for a while but heard no response. He didn’t think much of it. Yawning, he sleepily said, “Mommy’s already asleep.” Asleep? That’s impossible. The payment notification just came through 15 minutes ago. How could she have fallen asleep so fast? Francis felt even more uneasy. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and frowned. “Wesley, go in the room and check.” Hearing the pressure in his voice, Wesley reluctantly pushed the door open. He didn’t like Clara’s room at all. Whether it was day or night, the curtains were always drawn, and the room was dark and eerie. There was a bitter smell everywhere, nothing like the sweet and fragrant scent of Natalie. Wesley shuffled in wearing slippers. He stood at the door and called, “Mommy?” Still no response. He pouted, tiptoeing to flip the light switch with a snap, then shouted angrily, “Mommy!” The light suddenly flooded the room. It was empty, with no decorations. Even the bedspread was a depressing dark gray, like a witch’s lair. Wesley scrunched his face, not daring to move forward. He vaguely saw the blanket bulging, then quickly turned around to leave, not even bothering to close the door. “Mommy really is asleep. I called her several times, but she didn’t wake up.” “Daddy, I’m so sleepy,” he complained, his voice full of childish whine. Although Francis still felt suspicious, he believed Wesley’s firm statement and, after telling him to rest, hung up the phone. … It got dark quickly in winter. The sky had turned completely dark by seven or eight o’clock. On New Year’s Day, the streets are quieter than usual. Many people are still at home, recovering from the New Year’s Eve celebrations, so the sidewalks are less crowded. Light snow drifts down, and festive decorations from the holidays are still hanging around. Francis drove with one hand, frowning as he glanced at the payment notification again. Maybe it’s just an online purchase, but what could Clara have bought that costs 75 thousand dollars? He tried to guess but realized he didn’t really know Clara well enough. He didn’t even know what she liked or where she usually went. Suddenly, he felt a sense of frustration rising in him. He furrowed his brows and dialed another number. “Help me check something.” … Clara had a rare, peaceful sleep. When she opened her eyes, blurry at first, she saw someone sitting by the window. She was startled and shot up, instinctively wrapping herself in the blanket. “Who’s there?” The person said, “It’s me. Why are you so scared now?” “Zoe?” Clara’s eyes widened in shock. Zoe Williams rose and slowly turned to face her. She wore a moon-white dress, a glossy pearl necklace around her neck. The midday sun slanted through the window and shone on her, casting a golden glow on her, making her look just like a fairy. Just like when they first met. Seeing that familiar face, Clara suddenly felt a lump in her throat. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, brimming with grievance. When she realized that her husband and son had shifted their affections to another woman, she didn’t cry. When she had to go through an abortion alone, she didn’t cry. But at the moment, she felt like crying so badly. Tears streamed down uncontrollably. She sobbed, calling, “Zoe.” “Hey,” Zoe walked toward her, gently draping a coat over her shoulders and speaking softly, “I’m here.” Zoe is here. Clara could hardly remember the last time she had heard those words. In order to marry Francis, she had severed ties with her family, and after six years, she still hadn’t returned home. At that moment, the family who loved her was right in front of her, and she couldn’t help but feel heartbroken, unable to hold back the tears. She suddenly threw herself into Zoe’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, as if trying to cry away all the grievances of the past six years. She had been blind, her judgment clouded, thinking that Francis was her soulmate, that they would be happy together for the rest of their lives. But in just six short years, he had hurt her so deeply. She cried in sorrow and despair. Zoe said nothing, simply holding her silently and gently patting her back. After crying for almost ten minutes, Clara finally managed to calm down, feeling a little embarrassed as she wiped away her tears. Her eyes were red as she asked, “Zoe, how did you know I’m here?” She was sure she hadn’t told anyone where she was. Zoe raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of pride in her gaze. “Do you really think the Westwood family has been sitting idly for so many years?” Now, the Westwood family, along with the Pierce family and the Harrison family, formed the three main powers in Riverdale. The entire black market information network in Riverdale was controlled by Clara older brother. If the Westwood family wanted to, there was no information they couldn’t find out. Clara bitterly smiled and lowered her head. “I almost forgot that I’m still a Westwood.” For the past six years, she had concealed her identity, married Francis, forced herself to change the habits of being a pampered lady, had children, and took care of the family. She used to never touch any housework, but for him, Clara had learned to cook and do laundry. Suddenly, thinking back to the past, she felt a bit dazed. How have I lived these six years? Surrounded by two indifferent and ungrateful people, constantly busy doing everything for them all this time. Zoe sighed and sat down next to her, taking her hand. “Who hasn’t loved a few bad guys when they were young? Clara, your parents have been waiting for you to come back. But you are really heartless. You’ve been gone for six years, not even coming home for New Year.” Feeling the warmth of Zoe’s hand, Clara’s heart ached. “How could I have the nerve to go back home?” Back then, her parents had been so angry they nearly had heart attacks, but she had left with Francis without a second thought. She had made such a huge mistake. Now, she couldn’t summon the courage to go back.
Cool Lady
Status: Ongoing
