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Novel Catalog
Chapter 17
Gale could hardly believe Shawn’s explanation. “Really?” she asked, voice full of disbelief.
Shawn raised an eyebrow. “Why would I lie to you?”
Gale, still processing the situation, nodded in response. It made sense in a twisted way. She had sleepwalked into Shawn’s bed, and he hadn’t noticed until now. How lucky was she that he hadn’t thrown her out?
“Stop dawdling,” Shawn snapped, interrupting her thoughts.
Gale quickly nodded, but as she stood up, dizziness overtook her, and a dry, sore throat reminded her that she had caught a cold. She had to get to the prison, but she knew she couldn’t leave without asking Shawn for permission first. What excuse could she possibly give?
Before she could come up with one, Shawn cut in again, “Go see a doctor. I don’t want to catch anything from you.”
Gale grinned, thankful for the opportunity to leave. “Okay!” She had never been more grateful to be sick.
After leaving Temperley Hall, Gale first visited the prison. Her father, Peter, had recovered somewhat, but his injuries still left him bedridden, needing assistance even for the simplest tasks.
“Gale,” Peter said weakly, “this family is dragging you down… If I disown you, maybe Shawn will let you go.”
Gale’s heart tightened. “Dad, you’ll always be my dad.”
Peter’s voice faltered. “I’ve thought about just ending it all, so Shawn’s anger might die down. But you and your mother would suffer even more. If I die, Shawn will only make things worse for you.”
She smiled softly. “I’m doing fine. Don’t worry.”
She couldn’t stay long, but before leaving, she paid ten thousand dollars for her father’s medical expenses and tucked another ten thousand into an envelope. “I’m sorry for all the trouble. Please take care of him,” she said with a firm resolve. Despite everything, Gale knew she had to play the game and win the support of those around her. One day, she would become strong enough to turn the tables.
Next, Gale headed to the hospital. “Gale?” the doctor greeted her.
“Yes.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, clearly used to hearing complaints.
“I have a cold. Coughing, sore throat, runny nose…” Gale explained.
The doctor, as though on autopilot, asked, “Do you have a fever?”
Gale touched her forehead and answered, “No.”
The doctor’s pen hovered over his pad before he casually asked, “Have you had any other symptoms recently?”
Gale hesitated. “I drank some seafood soup the other day and felt sick… threw up.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Gale’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she answered quietly, “I’m married.”
The doctor didn’t miss a beat. “Mr. Wood has already paid for your tests.”
Confused, Gale raised an eyebrow. “Tests? For what?”
The doctor handed her the forms for both a blood test and a pregnancy test.
Gale frowned. “Are you sure? I just have a cold. Why do I need blood tests?”
“Are you the doctor?” the doctor replied with a shrug, handing her the forms. “Mr. Wood has covered it. Just go ahead.”
Annoyed but resigned, Gale accepted. It only took half an hour for the results to come in, but Shawn had already called her before the thirty minutes were up.
“Are you dead? What’s taking so long?” he snapped.
“I’m on my way,” Gale replied quickly, knowing she was late because she had stopped by the prison first.
“Hurry up,” Shawn ordered.
She rushed to the Wood Group headquarters, where her first day in the jewelry department awaited. She worked late into the night, finishing her tasks. As she stepped out of the office, she noticed an empty water bottle discarded on the ground. She bent to pick it up when a familiar pair of shiny leather shoes appeared beside her.
“Gale,” Sam’s voice was filled with concern. “I can’t imagine how much suffering you’ve been through… I thought I could save you, but I turned out to be the villain.”
Gale’s face remained cold. “Let me go, Carson. You’re blocking my way.”
Two years ago, she might have been moved by his words. But now? After everything, her dignity had a price, and twenty thousand dollars was the cost.
“I read about your past, Gale. It broke my heart,” Sam continued, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Gale remained unmoved. “It’s all in the past. You don’t need to pretend.”
“No,” Sam pressed. “I can still make up for it.”
Gale scoffed. “Who do you think you are? Can you fight against Shawn? You can’t even stand up to your own father.”
Sam took a step forward, but Gale stepped back instantly. “Don’t touch me!”
She would never forget how Shawn had tortured her the night before, and the pain still lingered. Sam’s expression faltered, but he didn’t press further.
“I’ll try,” he said, his voice desperate. “Do you believe me?”
“I believe you,” Gale replied, “but I don’t need you anymore.”
She walked away, a weight lifting from her shoulders. Sam was just another person who had played his part and was now fading from her life.
By the time Gale returned to Temperley Hall, it was late. She found a bowl of soup on the table with a note from the housekeeper: “Mrs. Gale, Mr. Wood ordered you to finish the soup.”
Gale’s face scrunched up. Another bowl of Paula’s soup? Paula had been busy, but it was always the same. This time, it was thick chicken soup, and Gale had no appetite for it. She pinched her nose and drank it quickly, hoping it would go down without issue.
But as soon as she finished, she rushed to the bathroom and vomited. Looking at her pale face in the mirror, she wondered, What’s wrong with me? Was it the soup? Or was there something else?
Suddenly, another figure appeared in the mirror. Shawn, dressed in black silk pajamas, leaned against the doorframe lazily. “Did you vomit again?”
Gale wiped her mouth and nodded. “Yes.”
“Does it taste that bad?”
“A little. I don’t like soup. It’s greasy.”
Shawn sneered. “Paula used top-quality ingredients. It took her hours to make that bowl of soup.”
Gale scoffed. “She can give it to someone else. I’m undeserving of this.”
Shawn watched her quietly. “Who allowed you to come back so late?”
“I was working overtime,” Gale explained.
Shawn’s eyes narrowed. “You couldn’t walk faster?”
Gale shot back, “I worked all day and walked ten kilometers. You should consider it a blessing I didn’t collapse on the way back. How fast did you expect me to walk?”
Shawn’s eyes glinted dangerously. “Gale, you won’t die on the road. You’ll only die in my hands.”