Chapter 2 She Left

"Without a doubt, Sylvia holds great importance in Callan's heart." Dolores eyed Lacey triumphantly, her eyebrows arching. "Now that she's come back, you'll have to return Callan to her."

Lacey remained motionless, fixing her gaze on Dolores, her fingers instinctively tightening around the suitcase handle.

Dolores' sharp words pierced Lacey's heart.

Unfazed by Lacey's silence, Dolores pressed on.

"Do you know how outstanding Callan is? You come from humble beginnings. There's a vast divide between you two. How can you possibly measure up?"

Lacey's lashes shielded the hurt in her eyes. She cast her gaze downward, offering no response as she brushed past Dolores with her suitcase in tow.

Dolores grew incensed by Lacey's indifference.

Seizing Lacey's arm, she sneered. "Sylvia boasts a far superior pedigree compared to you. You're nothing but an orphan with a sickly foster mother. The contrast couldn't be starker."

Lacey's demeanor turned icy in an instant.

Her foster mother was off-limits. She wouldn't tolerate anyone disparaging her.

Lacey shook off Dolores' hand that was holding her arm and said coldly, "Perhaps you should get your eyes checked. You take Sylvia as a treasure, but don't forget she left your son when he needed her most."

Lacey's retort ignited Dolores' fury.

Lacey dared to mock her insight!

Dolores lunged forward, poised to slap Lacey.

Reacting swiftly, Lacey seized Dolores' wrist and stated firmly, "Let's be clear. I am your son's lawful wife, not someone for you to hit."

She then shook off Dolores' hand.

Caught off guard, Dolores tumbled onto the sofa from the force.

Fuming and breathless, she glared at Lacey, seething, "Lacey! How dare you? How dare you strike me?"

Ignoring Dolores' expletives, Lacey grabbed her suitcase and exited the villa without a backward glance.

Meanwhile, Dolores stormed to the study, her face contorted with rage, muttering curses against Lacey.

Wiping her tears, she approached Callan, who was engrossed in company documents, and launched into a dramatic tirade about Lacey.

Callan idly skimmed through the documents spread across his desk, absorbing every word his mother uttered. Dolores' announcement of Lacey's departure momentarily froze his hand. Though his expression remained composed, shock rippled through him.

Lacey had truly left.

Despite their three-year marriage, he couldn't contend with the man who held her heart captive.

Callan vividly recalled Lacey's anguish-filled cries of Christopher's name in her sleep.

Christopher must be the one she loved deeply, the one she couldn't forget.

Callan was aware that Lacey had spent years searching for Christopher, never relenting in her efforts.

His expression grew colder, and he found himself unable to decipher a single word on the documents.

Meanwhile, Lacey's foster mother, Nevaeh Elliott, was perplexed by her return with a suitcase in hand.

"Why the sudden return, dear?" Nevaeh inquired, concern etched in her features.

Wanting to spare Nevaeh worry, Lacey responded vaguely, "Just felt like coming home for a few days."

Observing the weary expression on her face, Nevaeh refrained from probing further.

After exchanging pleasantries with her, Lacey retreated to her room to rest.

The following morning, she awoke as usual, intending to enjoy her day off.

Drifting back into slumber, her peace was shattered by the shrill ring of her phone.

Lacey groggily reached for her phone, squinting at the caller ID through sleepy eyes. Seeing it was the company director, she reluctantly answered.

"Lacey, we have a major client requesting your expertise for a special hairstyle!" the director urged. "Hurry over to the office!"

Lacey felt a twinge of irritation. However, spurred on by the director's insistence, she skipped breakfast and headed straight to the studio.

But by noon, the client mentioned by the director had yet to arrive.

Despite her attempts to step out for breakfast and return, the director insisted she remain in the studio, citing the possibility of the client's imminent arrival.

Feeling helpless, Lacey slouched in her chair in the studio, battling sleepiness. Suddenly, she overheard some colleagues chatting.

"Did you catch the news? Sylvia Barnes signed with Owen Entertainment yesterday."

"Isn't she the actress who recently returned to revamp her career?"

"Yeah..."

The chatter gradually faded into the background. Lacey's brow furrowed, a sense of isolation settling upon her.

Just the day before, Callan had suggested a divorce. Coincidentally, Owen Entertainment signed Sylvia.

With a bitter smile, Lacey was once again reminded of Sylvia's significance in Callan's life.

Waiting expectantly in the studio until 2 PM, Lacey saw no one arrive.

Suddenly, her phone chimed with a message.

Lacey hastily check it.

"Lacey, the client's hairstyle is sorted. You're no longer needed. You can leave now."

Realization dawned on Lacey as she stormed towards the design room, her face flushed with anger, demanding an explanation.

Upon flinging the door open, she was met with the sight of the director warmly welcoming a stunning woman-Sylvia Barnes.