Sydney woke up after an unknown length of time, stirred by the soft buzz of her phone vibrating.
The light in the room felt harsh in her groggy state. She shielded her eyes with one hand and fumbled for the phone, answering drowsily. “Hello?”
“Syd, why aren’t you home yet?”
It was Tiffany–anxious, nearly frantic. She had returned from work to find it already past 3:00 a.m., and Sydney still
hadn’t come back. Fear had gripped her. She thought something might have happened at the Sterling estate.
Sydney rubbed her eyes, slowly adjusting to the light. As she sat up from the sofa, her thoughts cleared. “I’m okay. I’m
waiting at Hampton Corp. for Caleb to finish a meeting.”
“What kind of meeting lasts until 3:00 a.m.?” Tiffany questioned.
“I don’t know either.”
By then, the building’s central air conditioning had shut off. Cold seeped into the room.
Sydney blew on her nose and spoke softly. “I’ll go check the meeting room. Don’t worry. Go wash up and try to sleep.”
After ending the call, she picked up her down jacket from the back of the sofa and stood. Her legs were still numb, so she
moved carefully.
The corridor was pitch black. The once–bright hallway and conference room were empty. She paused, slightly
disoriented.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the elevator lobby. A young woman, likely in her early twenties, rushed into the
conference room as if dropping something. When she emerged, she spotted Sydney standing in the soft glow cast from
the CEO’s office.
“Why are you still here?” Sydney asked.
She froze, then answered in a flustered voice, “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was left. I turned off the hallway lights. Do
you want me to walk you downstairs?”
Sydney kept her voice quiet. “The meeting’s over?”
“Yes. It ended long ago.” The young woman suddenly remembered something. “Mr. Hampton got a phone call around 9:00 p.m. and left in a hurry. Maybe he forgot to tell you.”
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Chapter 50
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Sydney stood still, stunned. The ground felt solid beneath her feet again, but nothing else did. The cake he had bought, the unexpected visit–it all felt imagined.
He had left her alone here at night. That was the truth. That was who Caleb had always been. It fit him. He had never
once considered that she might feel hurt.
And since no one cared how she felt, she had learned to act like nothing mattered.
‘It’s fine. We’re divorced anyway,‘ she thought.
She steadied herself and finally spoke. “Okay. Just get home safe.”
Caleb had left around 9:00 p.m. Now it was past 3:00 a.m. That was six hours without a word, without a thought for her.
The truly absurd part came two days later, when Nancy called while Sydney was with a patient at the clinic.
“Ms. Wilson, are you free to come by today?”
“What happened?”
Sydney assumed the divorce papers were ready.
Nancy hesitated. “Timmy’s had a high fever the last few nights. He’s listless and hasn’t been eating. Mr. Hampton asked
me to find a medicinal diet recipe for him.”
A flicker of anger stirred in Sydney. She stepped to the window and drew a slow breath. “You heard what I told Caleb’s
mother that day, didn’t you?”
The truth was that she no longer had any ties to the Hampton family.
Nancy sounded conflicted. “I did, but Mr. Hampton still asked me to-”
“Then tell him the truth.”
“But you promised not to tell him about the divorce.”
“I said I wouldn’t tell Caleb about the divorce,” Sydney replied evenly. “I never agreed to treat his lover’s son. If Penelope studied medicine too, then ask her for a prescription.”
With that, she ended the call.
After composing herself, she returned to her desk and faced her patient. “Sorry, Ms. Norwood. Let’s continue.”
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Chapter 50
“No rush,” Agatha said, her eyes bright with curiosity.
She took Sydney’s hand and smiled. “Dr. Wilson, you’re really single?”
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