Chapter 4

As soon as I closed the door, I heard Chloe’s voice, trying to persuade him.

“Leo, no matter who’s right or wrong, it’s not safe this late. You should go find Skylar and bring her back.”

“Let her go. Let’s see how much backbone she has. Someone with no family to fall back on, I don’t believe she’d dare divorce…”

I let out a cold scoff, taking long strides towards the elevator.

I had once seen him as my only salvation, sharing with him my childhood story of being raised by the community.

I never imagined it would become his leverage against me.

Eight years of my youth wasted on such a man. It truly wasn't worth it.

After calming myself, I hailed a cab and headed towards a secluded retreat.

I had waited three years for my baby, and now he was gone. I wanted to pray for him.

And to completely free myself from this relationship.

The first thing I did upon arriving was turn off my phone, cutting myself off from the outside world.

For seven whole days, my heart felt purified, emerging from the dark cloud that had hung over me.

It wasn't until the morning before I was due to leave for the teaching program that I turned my phone back on.

Hundreds of messages and missed calls flooded in.

Some from Ben Carter, some from Leo.

I went straight to Ben Carter’s messages.

[Skylar, I know you’ve been through a lot this time. The higher-ups will give you an explanation.]

[Skylar, no matter what, you need to take care of yourself. Don’t hurt yourself because of certain people or things.]

[Skylar, where exactly did you go? Are you safe?]

…

Every message was filled with concern, bringing a fleeting warmth to my wounded heart.

Since meeting Leo, Ben Carter and I had become close friends, able to talk about anything.

Over time, I learned that whenever he unexpectedly appeared, it was always at Leo’s request.

Leo wanted to help Chloe but didn't want me to know, so he used "being busy" as an excuse.

To make it more convincing, he used Ben Carter as a shield, making me believe he was genuinely busy.

At first, Ben Carter worried it would affect our relationship.

He tried to stay away whenever possible.

When I was pregnant, Leo took Lily to the zoo, leaving me to brave the snow and go for my prenatal check-up alone.

We ran into each other halfway there, and he drove me to the hospital, which is how we exchanged contact info.

This simple act, however, brought me an unexpected source of concern.

Unwilling to let Ben Carter worry, I quickly sent him a message.

After letting him know I was fine, I headed towards the train station.

All the messages Leo sent me were deleted; I didn't even open them.

From now on, he and I were strangers.

As soon as I sat down on the train, my phone rang.

It was Ben Carter.

The moment I answered, I saw his face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead.

He must have just finished training and called as soon as he saw my message.

Seeing my vibrant spirits, he shook his head and chuckled helplessly.

“You, you really scared Leo half to death this time. He’ll probably be obedient from now on.”

The teasing in Ben Carter’s voice made me confused.

I asked him why, and then I learned that Leo was searching for me everywhere.

When I first left, Leo thought I was just throwing a tantrum.

My angry phases usually only lasted two days, and he expected me to come back and apologize afterward.