Chapter 2 Elise's Return

After deciding to leave him for good, Annabelle met with a lawyer the next day to go over their assets. The cafe she had chosen was already in a remote area, and with the storm now raging outside, there were hardly any cars passing by. Annabelle's anxiety was gradually soothed by the sound of rain. Standing under the eaves, she figured there was no harm in staying a while longer to watch the rain and wait for it to stop. She declined the cafe owner's offer to help and watched as the woman locked the door and left. However, the rain didn't let up. It continued into the evening, with no sign of easing. Annabelle's legs began to ache faintly. With no other choice, she pulled out her phone and called Samuel. "Samuel, can you come pick me up?" The moment he realized she was stranded in the rain, Samuel grew anxious. Without saying much, he rushed out the door to get her himself. Annabelle felt a warmth spread through her heart as she heard the urgency in his voice on the other end of the line. Conflicting thoughts battled in her mind. Maybe he did care about her after all. Maybe she should give him another chance. Just after Samuel ended the call, a text appeared on his phone. "Sam, I'm back." As he turned onto the main road, the message hit him like a thunderclap, and he immediately stopped the car. Seconds later, he sent a message to his driver, turned the car around, and sped toward the airport. Back in the rain, Annabelle was lost in thought, picturing how she would tell Samuel about her fears and everything she had been feeling. She had no idea that as night fell and the downpour eased into a drizzle, while rainwater slowly rose to the base of her wheelchair, Samuel still hadn't shown up. Her heart sank little by little until it hit rock bottom. She tried calling him again, but no one picked up. When the call finally connected, a woman's voice came through. "Sam, do you really not love me anymore?" There was a long silence on the other end before Samuel finally spoke. "Elise, I'm married." "But you still came for me, didn't you?" she replied. "Then tell me. Why did you leave your wife, who's only three miles away, to drive 20 miles just to see me?" Hearing their conversation, Annabelle's breath caught in her throat, and a chill crept over her entire body. She tried to speak several times but couldn't get a word out. Her throat felt tight and sore. Panicked and unsure what to do, she reached to hang up, but her trembling finger hit the speakerphone by mistake. Samuel's hoarse and weary voice came through. "Yes. I still can't forget you. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Annabelle sat in stunned silence. It felt like a death sentence. Then came the sound of them kissing through the phone. Annabelle quickly hung up, and her grip on the phone loosened. She snapped out of her daze and reached to pick up her fallen phone, forgetting that her legs were still weak. In an instant, she collapsed into the cold water. Rain poured down on her like needles, beating against her skin. Her strength gradually drained away. She buried her face in her arms and broke into sobs. Samuel had secretly loved Elise for 15 years, and she had followed behind him for all that time. Their five-year marriage felt like a fragile bubble, and the moment it burst, it reminded her that it was time to wake from the dream. "Why? Why..." Annabelle murmured over and over again. Her heart felt colder than the autumn rain, freezing her as if she had fallen into an endless abyss. She didn't know when she had passed out. When she woke up next, she found herself in a hospital. She stared blankly for a long while before glancing at the clock. It was already noon the next day. Her phone had dried overnight and was unharmed, yet it remained silent with no messages. Just as she was about to get up and handle her discharge procedures, the door opened. She controlled herself and turned to look, but her eyes darkened at once. "Mrs. Felton, Mr. Felton's car got stuck in floodwaters last night, so he asked me to pick you up. How are you feeling?" The poor excuse made Annabelle's heart ache, but she didn't want to trouble the driver by exposing the lie. "I'm fine now. Let's go home." The driver quickly settled the discharge paperwork and brought her home. After arriving home, Annabelle paused at the door for a long moment. She gathered herself and forced a faint, uneasy smile before pushing the door open. The moment she opened the door, a woman's voice came from inside the house. "Sam, look how much Lucas looks like you."