The bulge on the bed was still there, in the same spot and at the same angle as yesterday. Seeing this, Francis’ heart sank. He quickly stepped forward and yanked the covers away. As expected, the space beneath was empty. Clara was gone! In an instant, Francis’ nerves tightened. Wesley, who had been shouting, suddenly fell silent. The air was thick with an oppressive stillness, and his chest felt as though it were being squeezed by a giant hand, making it hard to breathe. He scanned the room, his eyes locking onto the curtain covering the wardrobe. His throat tightened, and each step he took felt heavier than the last. He pulled the curtain aside, but it was empty inside. Suddenly, the heavy air nearly suffocated him. His anxiety surged like a tidal wave, the worry and unease in his heart were like chains, tightly binding his limbs. He stood frozen in place. Even Wesley began to sense something was wrong. He shuffled over, tilting his head upward, confused, and asked, “Daddy, is Mommy gone?” Francis’ eyes were as dark as night. It felt like something was blocking his throat, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t speak. It wasn’t until he heard Wesley’s muffled sobs that he finally closed his eyes and lifted the child into his arms. “It’s okay. Mommy just went out. She’ll be back soon. I’ll take you to school today.” Wesley obediently clung to his neck, pressing his soft cheek against him, uneasy and sad. “Is it because I wasn’t good that Mommy disappeared?” “I didn’t mean to,” Wesley continued, his small voice breaking as he burst into tears. Francis bit his lip, gently patting his back to comfort him. After dropping Wesley off at school, Francis drove furiously, rushing back home. He headed straight for the second floor, to Clara’s bedroom. As expected, the trash bin by the bed was full. He frowned, hesitated for a moment, then turned and grabbed a glove. His face darkened as he reached in to retrieve a ring from inside. It was their wedding ring. They had been married for six years, and Clara had never taken it off. But now, it lay quietly in the trash. What does this mean? Francis couldn’t help but think deeply about it. He clenched his lips and, with a forceful kick, struck the bedside table. After venting his frustration, he slowly regained some composure, took a deep breath, and carefully placed the ring back before calling Clara again. Once again, all he got was a string of busy tones. Francis remained expressionless, his gaze cold and deep, like a statue, with no sign of any emotion. He calmly turned and walked toward the master bedroom. From the bottom of the closet, he pulled out an old phone. He dialed Clara’s number once more. It didn’t take long before the call connected. Clara’s voice came through, as lively as ever. “Hello, who’s this?” So, she had blocked him. Realizing this, Francis sneered bitterly. It was just a brief sneer. On the other end, Clara seemed to recognize him instantly. The phone call was abruptly cut off. Francis gripped the phone tightly in his right hand, the sharp edges leaving deep marks in his palm. He gritted his teeth and shouted, “Clara!” Riverdale was vast, yet suffocatingly small. No matter how many methods Francis tried, Clara remained just out of reach. “Whatever it takes, find Clara!” … The first-ever Fireworks Design Contest in Riverdale, titled ‘Dreamscapes in Fire,’ officially started on January 4th. This contest was tied to an international cultural exchange event in June. The top three winners would earn a seat at the exchange dinner and the prestigious chance to design the event’s fireworks display. This was a rare chance to make a name for oneself. Francis wouldn’t miss it. He valued his fireworks business highly, so when he learned of the contest, he decided to lead his team personally. The event was grand, with city leaders attending. It was held at Riverdale’s sports center, where contestants would design fireworks on the field and simulate their displays on large screens in the back. If there was enough time, participants could even create small fireworks samples in a safe environment for the judges and audience to experience firsthand. In addition to the authoritative judges, other industry professionals were invited to attend, and the first two rows of seats were packed with people. Various media outlets had already secured the best angles for filming. In the backstage prep room, Francis, dressed in a black t-shirt, furrowed his brow as he made another call. Beep, beep, beep… Once again, all he heard was the busy tone. After his last attempt to reach Clara using a new number failed, he hadn’t tried calling again. He handed the phone back to a colleague on the team, his expression grim. “Thank you.” His colleague quickly shook his head. “No problem, Mr. Pierce. It’s an honor to help you. Don’t worry, with you leading us, we’ll definitely win the championship!” Francis was a professional. He had studied chemistry and started designing fireworks right after graduation. He was incredibly talented. In less than six months, his fireworks design, “Petals in the Sky,” brought recognition to Riverdale. In just a few years, Francis became one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in Riverdale. This achievement was enough to be proud of anywhere. His parents in the Pierce family had always been proud of him. After he successfully joined the business association, they hoped he would take over the family business. But Francis was stubborn. He had no interest in that and was solely focused on fireworks. Moreover, when he suddenly married Clara—an orphan with no family—without warning, the Pierce family was utterly disappointed, and their relationship remained strained ever since. When Clara suddenly left home, Wesley had no one to look after him, and Natalie had volunteered to care for him. Though Francis didn’t want to trouble her, he had no other choice but to agree. That day, Natalie arrived at the contest with Wesley. The two of them were dressed in matching outfits, drawing attention with their striking appearance. Clara, intending to enter through the back door with her team, saw them first. Even after all this time, Wesley was smiling brightly, unaffected by everything. She couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Zoe, who wasn’t comfortable leaving Clara alone, attended as well. Hearing her sarcastic laugh, Zoe asked curiously, “What’s so funny? What did you see?”
Cool Lady
Status: Ongoing
