The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 174

The days spent waiting for the test results back at the Baylor Manor felt like being trapped in an icy prison. Though Jamie showered her with care, the wound in her heart refused to heal.

Suzie grew quiet and withdrawn. Her responses became short and perfunctory, often just a simple nod. Most days, she would eat her meals quickly and retreat to her bedroom, locking the door behind her and sealing herself off in that small space.

Sometimes, she would sit silently by the window, lost in thought. Other times, she would lie in bed with her eyes closed, replaying memories of the past. As the long wait dragged on, a heavy gloom settled over her.

One afternoon, Jamie knocked on her door again. “Open up. I need to talk to you.”

Suzie, who had been sitting on the balcony, slowly rose and walked back into the room. She answered coldly through the door, “Go ahead. I can hear you.”

“I said, open the door,” Jamie insisted.

Suzie held her ground, her tone firm. “I don’t want to see you. Just say what you have to say from there.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jamie’s voice came again. “Suzie, don’t you want to hear about my plans for the children?”

At the mention of her children, Suzie’s hand involuntarily clenched the fabric of her dress, her knuckles turning white from the force. She held her breath and replied in a low voice, “Jamie, I’ve told you before. If you dare try to take them from me, I will fight you to the death.”

The words hung in the air, followed by a sudden silence from outside the door. Suzie’s heart pounded with panic. She stood frozen, a fresh wave of anxiety about her children washing over her.

Suzie’s lips parted, but she decided it was pointless to argue. She walked over to put the clothes away. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jamie stroll to the sofa and sit down. He adopted his usual posture, leaning back with one leg crossed over the other—a picture of arrogant confidence that always exuded an invisible pressure.

She turned slightly, positioning herself so he was out of her peripheral vision, and continued organizing her clothes as if he weren’t there.

After a long silence, Jamie’s cold voice came from behind her. “The driver lost your bag. This is to replace it.”

Suzie followed the sound of his voice and saw the designer shopping bag he had been carrying when he came in. She replied coolly, “My bag only cost me $10.99. I can’t possibly carry something so expensive from you.”