Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

Walker said, ”Then I’ll be in your hands.”

Fiona Linton waved her hand. ”I’ll treat him if I can. If I can’t, then my hands are tied. But don’t lose hope. Medicine is advancing rapidly. In a decade or so, there might be a treatment for him.”

”Mm.”

A hush fell over the living room.

Fiona Linton couldn’t stand the oppressive atmosphere. She waved her hand and said, ”I’m a bit tired. I’m going to go rest. Call me when dinner’s ready, alright?”

”Chloe.”

Walker listened intently for Chloe’s voice, tilting his head slightly to determine her direction. He’d lost track of where she was just a moment ago, and a sudden, inexplicable panic seized him.

Just then, the sound of soft footsteps reached him. A moment later, he felt a subtle shift in the air beside him, carrying her unique and faint fragrance.

He grabbed her arm, his hand sliding down until he found hers. He then laced his fingers through hers, completely enveloping her small hand in his.

”I thought you’d left,” he said softly.

Chloe gave their joined hands a gentle shake, then traced words onto his palm: ”I’ve been here the whole time.”

Feeling the cool touch of her fingertips and her breath so near, Walker’s tense heart finally relaxed.

He leaned against her shoulder and said, ”Chloe, I’m a bit tired.”

Chloe wanted to pull her hand away to type a message on her phone.

But he only tightened his grip on her hand. ”Don’t move. Just let me lean on you for a little while. I’ll be fine after I rest a bit.”

His warm breath on her neck sent a fine tremor through her.

Chloe’s back went rigid, her body tensing up.

The servants bustling around the living room departed silently, leaving the two of them alone in the vast space.

Back in this familiar place, surrounded by familiar things, Chloe felt no comfort at all.

She had left on this trip hoping to unwind, planning to have some fun before coming back to face the Holloway family. She never imagined it would lead to such a disaster, and it had caught her completely off guard.

”Great-Grandma...”

Just then, Noah’s cheerful, childish voice called out from the doorway.

A few seconds later, a kind, elderly voice drifted in. ”It’s so cold. Noah, why are you outside? Your little face is all cold. Come on, let’s go in.”

Chloe’s pupils constricted, her face turning deathly pale in alarm.

’That’s the old woman’s voice!’

’Grandma’s back!’

But time didn’t allow her to do anything. A moment later, the old woman came in, pushing a wheelchair.

The old woman froze the moment she saw her, but then a smile blossomed on her wrinkled face. ”Chloe, you’re back!”

The old woman came over, looking her up and down carefully before taking her hand, her eyes full of joy.

”I’m so relieved you’re back. You have no idea, I’ve been having nightmares the last few days and waking up feeling so unsettled. But now that I see you’re back, I can finally relax,” the old woman said in a rush.

Then, her eyes fell on Walker, his own wrapped in white gauze. The unease instantly returned. ”Walker, what happened to your eyes?”

Chloe’s face was pale and her lips trembled, but she couldn’t offer any response for a long moment.

Walker, too, was uncharacteristically silent. After all, the old woman’s sudden return had caught them completely unprepared.

”Chloe, you look so pale. Are you not feeling well?” Annie York asked with concern from where she stood nearby.

The old woman’s attention snapped back to Chloe’s face, her expression growing stern. ”Chloe, what on earth is wrong? Say something!”