The Years Between Signing and Seeing novel Chapter 24

Suzie finished speaking and shot a disdainful glance at the veins bulging on his arm. “Get your hands off me!”

Jamie was utterly stunned. It took him a long moment to process her words before he slowly released her.

As Suzie walked away, his hoarse voice followed her. “Can you come to the hospital tomorrow at nine to see my grandfather? He misses you.”

Suzie paused. The sudden low, somber tone of his voice held a hint of sadness, but she had no interest in dissecting it. At the mention of Richard, she wanted to ask about the old man’s condition, but she didn’t want to hear it from him. She missed Richard, too—his kind smile, the affectionate way he would pat her head.

Suddenly, it clicked. Given Jamie’s deep affection for his grandfather, she understood his true motive for tonight’s dinner. It was all to get on her good side so she would visit Richard. Postponing the divorce served the same purpose; he probably thought that once they were divorced, she would no longer care for Richard. After all, if Richard found out about their split, the shock would surely cause a relapse.

Without turning around, Suzie replied, her back still to him, “I’ll be there on time tomorrow. Meet me at City Hall after we visit Richard. And don't worry, I’ll keep our secret from him.”

With that, she walked out. The loose sole of her shoe repeatedly folded under her foot with each step, a familiar sort of misery she had experienced before and didn’t care about now. She didn’t care if all the servants were staring at her, either.

The constant irritation under her foot grew worse, so she simply bent down, pulled the shoe off, and walked out with one bare foot.

Jamie, still standing by the table, watched her defiant figure retreat, the veins on his forehead slowly beginning to bulge. After a long moment, he finally tore his gaze away and glanced at the candlelight dinner he had asked the servants to prepare that morning. Instantly, the food seemed to lose all its color.

The next second, with a sharp crack, the plate shattered into pieces under his fist, and blood quickly welled up on the back of his hand.

“Oh my, Mr. Baylor, what are you doing?” a servant cried out from nearby, rushing over while shouting frantically, “Mr. Baylor is hurt! Get the first-aid kit, quickly!”

“Hey, hey,” Richard said gently. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’re going to make yourself sick crying like this.”

Suzie managed a tearful smile, wiping her eyes. “I’m just so happy that you’re awake.”

Richard looked at her with kind eyes. “You look a bit pale, my dear. Has that boy Jamie been giving you trouble again?”

“Who’s been bad-mouthing me to Grandpa while I’m not around?”

Just as Richard finished speaking, a familiar voice approached from the doorway. It was a gentle, caring voice—a tone Suzie knew he reserved exclusively for when they were in Richard's presence.