Declan grabbed two outfits at random and headed into the fitting room.
Cordelia waited, coffee in hand, while two shopgirls whispered nearby.
“Wait, isn’t that the tycoon who’s always on TV? Mr. Beasley, right? God, he’s handsome!”
“I heard he’s forty, but look at him. How does he stay in shape like that? He must’ve been a total heartthrob back in the day.”
“He still is…”
Cordelia’s thoughts drifted to their school days.
Declan had always been stiff and serious.
But with his sharp features, striking eyes, and that cool, aloof vibe, girls practically threw themselves at him.
She was still lost in thought when one of the shopgirls turned to her with a dreamy smile. “Mrs. Beasley, we’re so jealous. You’ve got such an amazing husband.”
Cordelia raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Their admiring faces made something twist in her chest.
To them, she must have seemed lucky–married to a handsome, rich man, three kids, a lively home.
But only she knew the truth. Declan and she had grown apart, and the love was gone. This wasn’t what she had want-
- ed.
She set down her coffee. “If I had a choice,” she said quietly, “I’d rather be with someone kind and thoughtful.”
Declan was overbearing, lecturing nonstop, and worst of all, he didn’t love her.
But Cordelia kept that to herself.
Declan stepped out of the fitting room and heard every word.
His eyes dropped. He blinked fast, as if trying to shake it off, but the weight didn’t lift.
His fists clenched and loosened, repeatedly.
A shopgirl glanced his way, and he finally stepped forward.
“This one looks nice. Let’s just get it.”
The moment Cordelia said it, she realized it wasn’t the clothes at all.
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09:34
Chapter 14
It was Declan. He made everything look good.
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At checkout, he asked casually, “You were checking the weather overseas earlier. Planning to… leave the country?”
Cordelia froze for a second.
That must have been from the previous life.
To avoid suspicion, she went along with it. “Uh… yeah. I was thinking about it.”
She felt his mood drop right away.
His jaw tightened, and his brows drew together.
Even his fists clenched, like he was holding something back.
“So it’s true,” he muttered.
“What?” she asked.
Declan didn’t answer. He just handed over his card and paid.
He couldn’t lie to himself anymore.
Cordelia was still hung up on Quentin and planning to leave him to find Quentin.
On the way home, Declan stayed silent.
Cordelia’s gaze drifted to a jewelry shop window. A necklace with an aquamarine stone caught her eye.
She’d always loved blue. The aquamarine shimmered like ocean water, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
But Declan was sulking, and she didn’t feel like asking to stop.
He went straight to the study when they got home.
Cordelia, bored and restless, pulled Norma aside.
She made it sound like small talk, but she was really trying to figure out just how far things had gone between Declan and Belinda.
“Norma, don’t you think it’s weird? There’s nothing of Declan’s in this house.”
Norma gave her a strange look.
“Has he been seeing someone? Did he move out to live with her or something?” Cordelia pressed on.
Norma let out a breath.
“Mrs. Beasley, two months ago, you two had a huge fight. You had all his stuff thrown out.
“And you… told him to leave.”
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Chapter 14
Cordelia went still, her curiosity gone.
“Wait… I did that?”
She pointed at herself, stunned.
Norma nodded firmly. Cordelia swallowed hard.
No wonder Declan had looked so strange when she teased him earlier.
“Mrs. Beasley, are you okay?”
Norma caught the shift in Cordelia’s expression and froze, wondering if she’d said something wrong.
“I… I’m fine,” Cordelia said after a pause.
Learning why Declan had moved out lifted her mood.
Still, things felt awkward between them, and starting with the kids might give her an easy out.
With this thought, Cordelia knocked on the study door.
There was no answer.
She pushed it open. A magazine lay open on the desk, the cover showing a gentle–looking man.
The caption read, “Quentin Melton, Psychology PhD.”
Curious, she picked it up for a closer look. Quentin was indeed attractive.
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Her eyes lingered on the words “Psychology PhD“. Then it struck her that a psychologist might be able to help Con- rad.
Just then, Declan walked in and saw her staring at the photo like she was lost in it.
His face hardened, jealousy flickering across it.
She turned at the sound of the door and saw him. “You went out?”
He grunted in reply,
Her eyes dropped to the small blue velvet box in his hand.
“What’s that?”
Declan waited until she set the magazine down, then stepped forward and held it out. “It’s for you.”
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. He wasn’t the type to give gifts for no reason.
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