She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Celia let her gaze drift calmly over the names and numbers again. Her fingertip hovered above the screen, but she felt no urge to tap on anything.

All those messages, the concern, the questions, the accusations, sounded to her like noise from a distant, chaotic world. None of it had anything to do with her. None of it was worth her time.

Without hesitation, she pressed and selected all, then decisively hit delete.

All the unread notifications disappeared in a flash. It was like the whole world had gone quiet. She needed to reach out to Haley.

But as she pulled up her contacts and was about to tap Haley’s name, the screen suddenly lit up, the harsh ringtone blaring out of nowhere. Beckham was calling again.

Celia stared at his name flashing on the screen, her face completely blank. She made no move to answer the call, nor did she block the number as she had done previously.

Instead, she remained still, watching silently as the phone rang over a dozen times in the quiet room. Eventually, the call ended automatically, and the silence returned.

It was like she was silently saying to him, “Whatever you’re feeling, anger, worry, it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”

Once the ringing stopped, she reopened her contacts and dialed Haley’s number.

The phone rang twice. Haley answered, her voice a bit sleepy, but still clear. “Celia? Why are you calling so early?” The background was quiet, and she sounded surprised, but more ale than anything. “Did something happen?”

Hearing Haley’s familiar voice, Celia felt her tense back loosen a little, and the coldness in her eyes softened with a hint of warmth.

“Haley, I’m fine. Something unexpected happened, but it’s already handled,” she said, her voice lower and sounding tired.

“Unexpected?” Haley’s tone immediately turned serious, all traces of sleep gone. “What happened exactly? Where are you? Are you safe?” She fired off questions, sharp like a lawyer and full of genuine concern.

“I’m at the Cloud Hotel, top-floor suite,” Celia replied calmly, not hiding anything. “I need you to pick me up. And could you bring me a full change of clothes, underwear included?”

She paused, her voice dropping lower. “And the morning-after pill.”

There was a brief silence on the other end. Even Haley, who’d weathered plenty of storms, drew a sharp breath at those words. She knew that for Celia to ask for something like that, whatever had happened last night was definitely no small matter.

“Send me the address and room number,” Haley said, her voice regaining calm and decisiveness, with an extra note of authority. “Stay in your room and lock the door. Don’t open it for anyone but me. I’ll be there in

19:30 Mon, May 11 d

Chapter 37

twenty minutes.”

“Okay,” Celia replied softly.

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“Celia,” Haley said, her tone gentler but still carrying that undeniable strength. “Wait for me.”

After hanging up, Celia sent Haley her location, then set her phone aside and walked over to the window, pulling the curtain open a crack. Outside, the city was waking up in the morning light.

Traffic started to pick up, and the glass facades of the skyscrapers reflected the golden sunrise. Everything looked so orderly and full of life, a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her and the mess her body was in right now.

She leaned against the window and closed her eyes. The exhaustion and soreness in her body washed over her like a gentle tide, but the name she couldn’t shake off was Elliott.

His appearance last night was like a divine intervention, his embrace burning hot and strong, and his final low words still echoing in her ears.

All of this went beyond the realm of a friend’s son or a random act of kindness. And then there were the clothes he prepared this morning, perfectly sized. ‘What exactly does this man want?’ she thought.

Her chaotic thoughts were cut off by a knock at the door. Celia peeked through the peephole, saw it was Haley, and finally unlocked the door.

Haley stood outside, dressed in a sharp, dark gray suit, her long hair pulled back, makeup on point, and a plain paper bag in her hand.

She sized Celia up in a heartbeat, pale face, puffy eyelids, collar pulled up without thinking, and that forced calm barely covering up how tired she really was.

Haley didn’t say a word. She slipped inside, locked the door, and handed over the bag. “Go change first. The pill’s inside.” Her voice was steady, but one could hear the worry underneath.

Celia took the bag, feeling the soft, comfortable fabric inside. She headed into the bedroom and quickly changed. Every piece, from underwear to jacket, was classic Haley, simple, cozy, top quality, and fit her well.

When Celia came out after changing her clothes, Haley had already poured a cup of water, placing it on the coffee table.

She sat on the armchair opposite, her hands clasped on her knees, adopting the posture of a lawyer ready to listen to a statement. However, deep in her eyes, there was an unmistakable concern.

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