Chapter 39
Tracy had been a wreck since the party. The shock of Natalie’s return and Shawn’s sudden exit with her had her reeling. That night, the void of no response from Shawn to her calls amplified her jealousy and resentment with every ring.
Later, Tracy discovered Shawn was in the hospital. She was out of bed at the crack of dawn, cooking up a storm to bring him chicken soup.
Soon, she reached the hospital room, expecting to find Shawn in bed, but instead, he was by the window, suited up and ready to go.
“Shawn, how are you? I made you chicken soup the moment I heard you were here,” Tracy said, her hands fidgeting as she set the food down.
Shawn turned, a veil of aloofness covering his face. He’d been tossing and turning since Emma’s message the night before, his usual sleeping pills absent from his bedside table, leaving him wide awake. He’d called Eric to get the discharge process moving as soon as the hospital opened.
“I’ve just got a cold. It’s nothing. Ready to bounce,” Shawn said, his tone clipped.
The thermos in Tracy’s hand suddenly seemed out of place, like an unwanted guest.
“At least have some chicken soup before you go,” she urged, her voice hopeful as she poured some soup into a bowl.
Right then, Eric knocked and entered, a brief flash of surprise crossing his face at seeing Tracy, but he covered it quickly. “Mr. Guzman, your discharge is all set.”
“Great, let’s get out of here,” Shawn said, already heading for the door.
“Shawn, wait. You need to drink this. I put a lot of time into this. You’re just getting better. You need the nourishment,” Tracy said, her voice insistent as she gestured to the bowl of chicken soup.
Shawn took the bowl and sipped, the flavor lacking the warmth of Natalie’s cooking. He blinked away the thought and put the bowl down. “Eric can take it. Can’t drink it all now.”
“I’ll pack it up for you,” Tracy said, her hands already moving to box it up.
After Shawn left, Tracy was left staring at the barely–touched chicken soup. In a sudden burst of anger, she swept the bowl off the table.
She was certain it was all Natalie’s fault. Ever since Natalie hit Janisburg, Shawn had grown colder and more distant.
“Natalie, I won’t let you come between us. I will marry Shawn, no matter what,” Tracy vowed to the empty room, her voice echoing through the room, with the floor littered with remnants of the shattered breakfast. Her hands were balled into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white, and her face twisted with anger.
Eric cruised through the streets with Shawn in the back seat, his eyes glued to the passing scenery. Shawn’s distant behavior had Eric wondering if it had something to do with Natalie’s return. It also jogged his memory of the card Shawn had given him to deliver.
“Mr. Guzman, the card you gave me for Ms. Wilson–she wasn’t home either time I tried. I left it with the young lady she lives with,” Eric said, figuring that since she was Natalie’s roommate, it was close enough.
“Alright,” Shawn replied, his voice distant.
Seeing Shawn’s lack of interest in chatting and his somber mood, Eric decided to let the quiet fill the car for the rest of the way.
As soon as they got to the office, Aaron walked in. “Shawn, you’re on the mend, right?” Aaron asked, concern etched in his voice,
“Just a cold. Sabrina and Charles are making a bigger deal out of it than it is,” Shawn said, settling behind his desk and powering up his computer to dive into the backlog from his time off.
‘Can’t say I blame them. When you went down, it shook us all up,” Aaron said, his eyes on Shawn, looking for any signs of trouble. “You still having trouble sleeping?”
Shawn’s silence was as good as a yes.
“Maybe you ought to see a doctor, Aaron advised.
“It’s an old issue. I’ve got it handled,” Shawn said, brushing off the concern with a wave of his hand.
Knowing Shawn’s stubbornness, Aaron didn’t push it.
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Chapter 39
“I’ve been keeping tabs on Hawkeye. He’s been lying low. He stayed in Janisburg for a bit, headed to Jorlen later, and then vanished. Anything from Tracy’s side?” Aaron asked, sharing his thoughts on the matter.
Shawn shook his head. “Nothing so far.”
“It feels like Hawkeye wanted us to spot him this time,” Aaron said, voicing his suspicions.
“Keep watching. And keep an eye on the projects in Daharam and Meadowland. Get Hayden involved too,” Shawn instructed.
“Will do, Shawn. I’ll let you get to it,” Aaron said before heading out.
Shawn gave a noncommittal grunt as Aaron left.
With Aaron gone, Shawn rose and stood in front of the floor–to–ceiling windows on the top floor of Evercrest Group, gazing out, his mind lost in thought.
Feeling out of sorts after her hospital visit, Tracy aimed to clear her head with a shopping spree.
As she approached the mall, she was taken aback to see Natalie enter a toy store accompanied by another woman and two kids, all looking intently at the toys. Driven by curiosity, Tracy tailed them discreetly.
“Mom, can I get two toys?” Emma, holding a Barbie doll in one hand and a doctor’s kit in the other, approached Natalie, her expression torn.
“But we talked about getting just one, remember?” Natalie replied, her voice gentle yet firm.
Natalie and Sherry were shopping for gifts for their return to Yvengard and also picking up some things for Courtney.
“But Mom, I can’t decide. I want both of them,” Emma whined, her face a mess of indecision.
Sherry, noticing the predicament, offered a solution. “What if Natalie buys one as a gift, and I buy the other? That way, Emma and Zayn can each get two gifts.”
“Really? That’s fantastic! Thank you, Mom! Thank you, Sherry!” Emma exclaimed with glee, excited about the prospect of taking both toys home.
Zayn, already with a toy car in hand, went to pick another one upon hearing the good news. It was no secret that Zayn was car–crazy; every gift was a miniature vehicle, and his collection was growing by the day.
Exiting the toy store, the group continued their shopping spree for Courtney’s presents.
“Mom, let’s get beignets for Courtney later. Sherry always brings some back, and Courtney can’t get enough of them,” Zayn advised, showing his thoughtful side.
“Zayn, that’s so considerate. You remembered what Courtney likes,” Natalie said, tousling his hair affectionately.
“Don’t worry. It’s on the agenda. We’ll get the beignets first thing tomorrow. That place is a hit; if we go now, they’re probably all sold out,” Sherry said.
Tracy, having watched the happy family leave, finally stepped out, her mind racing with questions. She was sure she’d heard right–the kids called Natalie “Mom.”
She thought, ‘Are those kids Natalie’s? Did she remarry? No, those children are just preschoolers–could they belong to Shawn? Did Natalie get pregnant before the divorce? Why would she keep it from Shawn and the elder? If the elder knew, he would never have allowed the divorce to happen. Does Shawn know about these kids?
I’ve just seen Shawn this morning. If he knew, he wouldn’t have been so composed, and Henry wouldn’t have been so silent, either. It means Natalie has kept the existence of these children a secret! A whirlwind of conjectures was swirling in Tracy’s mind.
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