All Her Love Came Too Late

Susan Langley has always said that her father was a difficult man. That's why, after eight years of dating, Shawn Carter still hasn't met her parents. Determined to win over his future father-in-law, Shawn disguises himself as a staff member and deliberately orchestrates a chance encounter with Susan's father, Thomas Langley. Before long, the two become unlikely friends despite their age difference. Just as Shawn finally works up the courage to reveal his true identity, Thomas suddenly announces, "My picky daughter is finally getting married!" Shawn is overjoyed. But before he can tell Thomas who he is, he sees a photograph of Susan standing beside a man he's never seen before. "Susan insists on marrying him," Thomas continues. "She says that if she can't marry him, she'd rather remain single for the rest of her life. What do you think of my future son-in-law?" Chapter 1 In the photo, Susan Langley was leaning against the man's chest, her face beaming with joy. The man was holding her gently in his arms, and together, the pair looked like the perfect couple. Shawn Carter's fingers trembled uncontrollably as he stared at the photo in disbelief. How could this be? Just that morning, the two of them had still been curled up in each other's arms. "I wasn't exactly thrilled about the engagement at first. She had refused to date anyone for years. Then, out of nowhere, she brings a man home and tells me she's getting married. You can imagine how shocked I was," said Susan's father, Thomas Langley. He went on, "But then, I found out that she and her fiance went to the same high school. She had a crush on him back then, but Henry—her fiance—was extremely ambitious. So, he never had any interest in romantic relationships. Once he graduated, he went abroad. "Susan waited for him and refused to date anyone else all those years. In order to win him over, this foolish girl even flew overseas to see him every month for eight years. When she finally got him to say yes, she brought him home immediately and told me they were getting married. It's almost as if she's terrified he'd change his mind and leave her." As Thomas spoke, he showed Shawn several more photos. Every single one of them was irrefutable proof of Henry and Susan's relationship. Shawn could no longer hold himself together. His face drained of color as he stumbled backward. He recalled the last eight years he had spent with Susan. She had never posted about him on social media, nor had she ever introduced him to her family or friends. On top of that, she also insisted that he make an appointment whenever he wanted to visit her at work. Whenever he pressed her for an explanation, she'd let out a helpless sigh. "I've never been one to post on social media. As for my friends… You know what my family background is like. My social circle consists of family heirs and wealthy socialites, and all of my friends are gorgeous. If they ever get the chance to meet you, they'd definitely be interested in you. "I don't want someone else to discover that I have a wonderful boyfriend. I also believe in keeping my personal affairs and my work matters separate. I don't want our relationship to affect the company's day-to-day operations." After hearing the same explanations over and over again, Shawn eventually stopped asking. Two years ago, Shawn had begun to think about marriage. When he proposed to Susan, however, she told him, "My father is a strict man, and he's very particular about his future son-in-law. I don't want you to get hurt. Can we wait for two more years?" Shawn waited—only to end up finding out that she was marrying someone else. He felt like a complete fool. By then, he could no longer hear a single word Thomas was saying. So, he made up an excuse and left. On the way home, Shawn checked the social media account Thomas had sent him. The wedding announcement was the first post he saw. Henry had posted a photo of he down on one knee, proposing to Susan. The caption read, "I can't believe someone actually waited for me for eight whole years." When Shawn continued scrolling, he discovered everything Susan had done for Henry over the years. Three months ago, on Shawn's birthday, Susan had been admiring snow-covered mountains with Henry. Six months ago, when Shawn was hospitalized after a car accident, Susan and Henry had been watching the sunset over a small town in Santorio. A year ago, while Shawn had been pouring his heart and soul into preparing a proposal, Susan had been beneath the northern lights in Indland, confessing her love to Henry for the 999th time. More than a year ago, Henry and Susan had been caught in a shooting incident on the streets of Newton City, and Susan had thrown herself in front of him to shield him from a bullet. Shawn still remembered how Susan had been rushed back to the country on an emergency flight with her clothes stained with blood. He had been completely terrified. Afraid that something might happen to her, he never left her side while she recovered from her injuries. Shawn had always believed that Susan was devoted to her work, which was why she needed to travel abroad once a month. He had assumed she was simply too busy to celebrate anniversaries and important holidays with him. Now, looking back, it all seemed utterly pathetic. After getting out of the taxi, Shawn stared at the home that had once made him feel warm and happy. When he pushed the door open and stepped inside, Susan was preparing dinner in the kitchen. His favorite dish—caramelized ribs—was already waiting on the table. "Welcome home, honey," Susan greeted. "Go wash your hands. Dinner's ready." When Shawn didn't move, she walked over and embraced him. "What's wrong? Did someone upset you?" Shawn clicked on the engagement photo. "Should I be congratulating you?" Chapter 2 The room fell silent. The moment Susan saw the photo, her expression turned cold. Ultimately, she adjusted her glasses and declared coolly, "You found out." Shawn couldn't believe how calm she was. "Aren't you going to explain yourself?" Susan pulled out a chair and took a seat. As she ladled herself a bowl of soup, she spoke casually as if they were discussing something trivial. "As you can see, I'm getting married." Shawn couldn't maintain his composure any longer. Knocking the bowl out of her hand, he demanded, "What does that make me then?" What did that make the past eight years of his life? Upon noticing the rage in his eyes, Susan sighed. "I wasn't planning to tell you because I knew you wouldn't be able to accept it, Shawn. However, since the situation has already come to this, you have no choice but to make your peace with it. "There's no need for you to worry. Even after I get married, nothing will change between us. I'll buy you another villa and hire the best driver, butlers, and housekeepers for you. As long as Henry doesn't find out about this, you can do whatever you want." She spoke with the tender tone and expression she had always used with him, but Shawn was clenching his fists. "You want me to be your secret lover?" he growled. Susan frowned. Taking his hand, she gently tried to reassure him. "As long as I'm here, no one would ever dare to call you that." Shawn's heart felt cold and empty. He reached into his pocket and asked bitterly, "Do you know what I prepared for you today?" Susan frowned in confusion. She was just about to ask him what he meant when her phone started to ring. The moment she picked up the call, she shot to her feet. "Where are you? I'll be there right away!" She was in such a hurry that she bumped straight into Shawn as she rushed toward the door. Caught off guard, the latter lost his balance and crashed onto the floor. The broken pieces of the porcelain bowl pierced his legs, but Susan left without so much as a backward glance. Blood seeped from his wounds, but the pain in his legs was nothing compared to the heartache he was experiencing. Inside the pocket of his jacket was a custom-made engagement ring. Initially, he had wanted to give Susan a surprise. But now, he didn't think it was necessary anymore. Shawn spent the entire night sitting by the window. Henry had updated his social media page again. He had gotten into a car accident, and Susan had rushed over to help him deal with it. She ended up staying by his side the entire night. By the time morning came, Shawn sent Susan a single text message that read, "Let's break up." Then, he began packing his things. They had lived in their current home for five years, so every corner of the house reminded him of the life they had together. He didn't take much with him, and he only packed some necessities. Just as he was about to leave, Thomas called him. Thomas' voice was as calm and relaxed as always. "The weather's really nice today. Come and have some coffee with me. The new mall I told you about is finally open." Hearing Thomas' voice again only left Shawn with a bitter ache in his chest. His friendship with Thomas was genuine. Now that he was leaving, he figured that he should at least bid him a proper goodbye. With that thought in mind, he agreed to meet up with him. However, once he arrived at the cafe, he saw two people standing behind Thomas. It was Susan and Henry. Shawn immediately turned to leave, but Thomas called out to him. "This is Shawn, the young man I've told you two about. Despite our age difference, we've become very good friends," Thomas told Susan and Henry. Then, he turned toward Shawn. "This is my daughter and my future son-in-law. Since we're all here, I thought I'd introduce them to you." Susan flashed Shawn a look of warning. Left with no other choice, Shawn ignored the dull ache in his heart and forced a smile. "They're shopping for a wedding dress today. You should have better taste than an old man like me. Why don't you come along and help them choose?" As Thomas spoke, he led Shawn toward a bridal boutique. But Shawn felt a dull, throbbing ache in his chest. Inside the boutique, Susan changed into a wedding gown while Henry put on a suit. Standing side by side, they looked like they walked straight out of a romantic fairy tale. Henry turned to look at Shawn. "What do you think of this set, Mr. Carter?" Suppressing the pain in his heart, Shawn nodded. "It looks great. You and Ms. Langley make a wonderful couple." Susan's brows furrowed ever so slightly. She glanced at Shawn, but she couldn't detect anything unusual in his expression. Then, she remembered the message he had sent her that morning and suddenly grew irritated. Turning toward Henry, she wrapped her arms around him and deliberately leaned against his chest to straighten his tie. The pair stood incredibly close to each other. The air between them felt incredibly intimate, and the staff at the bridal store couldn't help but cover their faces in embarrassment. Shawn's face grew paler and paler. Unable to watch for any longer, he turned away and headed for the restroom. After splashing cold water over his face, Shawn suddenly felt someone grab his hand. Subsequently, he caught a whiff of Susan's rose-scented fragrance. "Why have you been secretly meeting with my father?" Susan demanded. Chapter 3 Shawn wanted to fling Susan's hand away, but she was holding onto him far too tightly. Closing the distance between them, she repeated, "Why have you been secretly meeting with my father?" Shawn didn't reply. Instead, he let out a wry laugh. How was he supposed to answer her question? Was he supposed to tell her he'd gone to great lengths to get close to Thomas all because he wanted to marry her? What a laughable thought. Shawn clenched his fists and didn't respond. Seeing this, Susan let go of him and softened her voice. "You're still the same as you've always been. Whenever you're angry, you just shut down." She wrapped her arms around him and gently coaxed, "Don't worry. Our relationship won't change just because I'm marrying another man. Henry doesn't know who you are, though, so you'll have to be more careful around him. Don't let him find out about us." She spoke in the same gentle voice she always had. Yet this time, it made Shawn feel cold and hollow. "Susan?" Henry's voice abruptly rang out from behind them. Susan instantly let go of Shawn and stepped away from him. Then, she walked off as if nothing had happened. Henry walked in after she left. The moment he saw Shawn, a mocking smile appeared on his face. "Do you enjoy being a homewrecker and seducing someone else's fiancee, Mr. Carter?" Shawn looked up at him in disbelief. A hint of contempt appeared on Henry's elegant, refined face. "Did you think I was unaware of your relationship with Susan?" Shawn felt his blood run cold. Before this, he had assumed that Henry had been deceived, and that he was completely unaware of his existence. But apparently, Henry had known about everything all along. Shawn let out a mocking laugh. "Since you're aware of everything, you should know perfectly well who the other man is." Henry didn't seem bothered in the slightest. "The person who's considered 'the other man' is the one who's not loved by their partner. Susan only got together with you because she was bored. I'm the one she truly loves. "Because I kept rejecting her, she settled for you and used you as my replacement. To her, you're nothing more than an insignificant plaything. Now that I'm back, you've naturally become the other man in the relationship," Henry declared matter-of-factly. Shawn had no interest in arguing with such a shameless person. He turned to leave, but Henry grabbed his arm. "Don't believe me?" Henry asked. "Why don't we conduct a little experiment? Let's see who Susan cares about more—you or me." As he spoke, he pulled a lighter from his pocket and set the carpet in the hallway on fire. As the flames spread almost instantly, Shawn stared at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" Henry looked at him coldly. "Don't blame me for being ruthless. You've been with Susan for too many years. I need to make sure she no longer has any feelings for you. I will become the Langley family's son-in-law no matter what!" Without warning, Henry grabbed Shawn and shoved him toward the heart of the fire. As Shawn crashed onto the ground, he was instantly met with a wave of scorching fire. The next second, Susan came rushing in, dressed in protective gear. She grabbed Shawn by the arm and was just about to pull him to safety when Henry cried out behind them. "Susan! Help me!" In an instant, Susan let go of Shawn without any hesitation and ran toward Henry. "Henry's physically frail, while you've always been relatively healthy. I'll get him out of here first." Ignoring how dangerous it was, she grabbed Henry and dashed toward the exit. Thick smoke quickly filled the hallway, obscuring Shawn's view. His entire body burned, and it felt as though an enormous weight was pressing down on his chest. He found it impossible to breathe or cry out for help. … Shawn didn't know how much time had passed before he woke up on a hospital bed. "The smoke was so thick that you suffered carbon dioxide poisoning," the doctor told him. "Fortunately, you were sent to the hospital in time. If you'd arrived any later, there would've been nothing we could do." Susan was sitting beside his bed with dark circles underneath her eyes. Once the doctor left, she asked, "Why did you start the fire?" Shawn stared at her in shock. "You think I started the fire?" She shot him a disappointed look. "The investigation results are already in. Someone had started the fire, and you and Henry were the only ones present at the scene. "Henry told me what happened. He said you threatened him and demanded that he leave me. When he refused, you started the fire. What happened to you, Shawn?" Susan cried, looking deeply disappointed. Shawn found the entire situation absurd. "And you believe him?" he asked incredulously. To his dismay, Susan insisted, "Henry is a kind person. His arm was burned in the fire. But even while he was injured, he was still speaking up for you. He even asked me not to hold you accountable. I'm really disappointed in you, Shawn." With that, she turned and left. Shawn lay on the hospital bed, staring blankly at Susan's retreating figure. Then, he let out a bitter laugh. He should've known. Even when their lives were on the line, Henry had been the only person Susan cared about. So, why would she ever believe him? Henry was all she cared about. Shawn had no one to blame but himself. He had simply fallen in love with the wrong woman. Chapter 4 In the days that followed, Susan never came to see Shawn again. The nurses couldn't help but pity him whenever they saw him sitting alone. Some of them would even whisper amongst themselves. "Mr. Carter was brought in the same day as the gentleman in the room next door. Both of them were injured in the fire, but Mr. Young's girlfriend comes to visit him every day. She brings him all kinds of homemade meals and takes such good care of him. "Meanwhile, no one ever comes to visit Mr. Carter. Some people are truly born luckier than others." Shawn listened to the nurses talk about how Susan carefully looked after Henry and fussed over him as though he was the most precious thing in the world. By then, his heart had already grown numb to the pain. On the day he was discharged, Shawn moved out of the home he'd shared with Susan for the last five years. Then, he turned his attention to the work he had left unfinished. Shawn had studied architecture for seven years. After graduating, he'd worked at one of the country's top architectural firms for two years. Now, he was an independent designer. Determined to make a name for himself, he'd entered one of the industry's most prestigious architectural design competitions. He had made it all the way to the finals. All he needed to do now was wait for the results to be published so he could bring his years of hard work to a close. However, when he checked the competition's website, he saw Henry's name displayed prominently beneath his design. Henry had used his design to secure first place in the competition. Shawn's mind went blank, and he immediately called the competition organizers. "We've already checked the submission," they told him. "The design titled 'Home' was indeed submitted by Mr. Young. As for your entry, the organizing committee found it to contain plagiarized material and has decided to disqualify you from the competition. "You've also been banned from participating in any future competitions for life." Shawn opened the industry's online forums, only to find countless pages of discussions about his alleged plagiarism. Then, a former colleague called him. "What's going on with all those online accusations, Shawn? Did you actually plagiarize someone else's work?" the colleague asked. "The news has already spread throughout the industry. If you didn't do it, you need to clear your name as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll never be able to work in this field again." Shawn's hand trembled uncontrollably. "Home" was a design that he'd spent six entire months creating. He had drawn every detail by hand at his house. Susan knew about every sketch, every draft, and every design detail. The only person who could've gotten hold of his complete set of drawings was none other than Susan. Shawn's blood ran cold. He tracked Susan down and demanded, "Why did you take my work and give it to someone else?" Susan's voice was cold and indifferent. "Henry just returned to the country. He needs this win to establish a name for himself in the industry." Her tone was calm, and she spoke as if she was stating the obvious. Shawn clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. In a trembling voice, he cried, "So you stole my work and gave it to him? I spent a great deal of time and effort on this project, Susan! This competition meant just as much to me! What you did is considered plagiarism!" Upon hearing the word "plagiarism", Susan's expression hardened. "The competition is already over, and the organizing committee has already issued an announcement. There's no point in bringing this up now." "Besides," she added, "You deliberately started that fire and nearly got Henry seriously injured. I only gave him a few of your designs. You should just consider it an apology to him." Shawn couldn't believe his ears. "An apology? I'm not the one who started the fire, so why on earth would I apologize to him?" he roared. "I'm not going to let this slide." With that, Shawn turned and walked away. Susan might have had all of his original drawings, but she wasn't able to steal his unique understanding of the design and the countless references he'd collected while studying buildings or gathering inspiration. She wasn't able to steal everything he had spent years preparing before putting pencil to paper. He would submit all of it to the organizing committee and demand a new investigation. He was going to clear his name. While he was driving to the committee's office, a vehicle suddenly came barreling toward the side of his vehicle. In the next moment, a deafening crash tore through the air. The impact sent Shawn's body flying. His head slammed violently against the window, and the world started to spin around him. Then, blood trickled down his eyelid and stained his vision crimson. Right before he lost consciousness, he looked through the window of his car toward the SUV that crashed into him. The person who was behind the wheel was none other than Henry. Chapter 5 The road was a mess. Trembling, Henry gripped the steering wheel with one hand and called Susan with the other. "There's been an accident, Susan. Please come and help me," he pleaded. Ten minutes later, Susan arrived at the scene. The moment she saw Shawn trapped inside the wrecked car with blood pouring from his injuries, her eyes widened in shock. "Shawn!" she screamed. "How did this happen? Call an ambulance right now!" To her dismay, Henry immediately stopped her. "No. We can't make a big deal out of this. It'll ruin me." He looked toward her and continued in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I was just afraid he'd go to the organizing committee and expose me. Don't blame me… Please don't blame me…" Seeing this, she pulled him into a tight embrace. "Don't be scared. Leave it to me. I'll take care of everything." Then, she glanced guiltily at Shawn, who was lying on the ground. … By the time Shawn regained consciousness, a week had passed. He had suffered internal bleeding in his head and multiple fractures throughout his body. It took several rounds of surgery before his condition was finally stable. Susan was sitting by his bedside. Her face looked haggard, but the moment he woke up, her expression was instantly flooded with relief and joy. She clutched his hand tightly. "Shawn! You're finally awake. How are you feeling?" Afterward, the doctor came over to examine him. "His vitals are recovering well. As long as he gets plenty of rest from now on, he should be fine." Upon hearing this, Susan let out a breath of relief. Still shaken by what happened, she continued holding onto Shawn's hand, but the latter yanked his hand away from her. "It was Henry's doing, wasn't it?" Shawn asked. Susan fell silent. His voice trembled. "Where is the evidence I was planning to hand over to the committee?" A trace of heartache flashed across Susan's face. "You just woke up, Shawn. Let's not talk about that right now, okay?" Shawn used what little strength he had left to push Susan away. "He almost killed me, Susan Langley!" he screamed. "I almost died!" He stared at the woman he had loved for eight years with grief and resentment. "To protect him, you handed my hard work to him on a silver platter and allowed him to deliberately crash his car into mine." "How could I have ever fallen in love with you?" he cried; the pain in his chest was making it difficult for him to breathe. "I won't let this slide, and I'll make those who hurt me pay for what they've done." Susan sighed. She looked guilt-ridden, but her voice remained firm. "There's no point, Shawn. I won't let you hurt Henry." Shawn stared at the resolute look in her eyes and suddenly came to a realization. "What are you implying?" "I burned all the evidence you collected. The competition is already over, and the committee has been dissolved. There won't be any more dispute over who 'Home' belongs to. "As for the person who crashed into you, the police have already caught him. He was a drunk driver. The case has been closed, and the incident had nothing to do with Henry. Even if you file a complaint after you're discharged, nothing will change." Shawn's eyes widened in disbelief. Susan's words felt like a knife twisting in his chest. His entire body went numb, and all of a sudden, he let out a broken laugh. "I can't believe you're willing to go this far for him." It seemed like he had overestimated how important he was to her after all. As a searing pain tore through his chest, his physical injuries began to ache as well. Subsequently, the monitors beside his bed started to beep rapidly. The noise finally snapped Susan out of her trance. "I know you're not willing to accept this, Shawn, but Henry didn't mean for any of this to happen. He was just scared. "I'll make it up to you. Didn't you say that you like kids? Do you want a child of our own? We can have a baby. Let's go back to the way things were," she hurriedly tried to comfort him. Shawn fell silent and simply closed his eyes. Unfortunately for her, it was no longer possible for them to go back to the way things were in the past. Chapter 6 After that, Susan did exactly as she mentioned and pretended to act as if nothing had happened. Just like she used to, she cooked for Shawn every day and brought all sorts of trinkets to the hospital to cheer him up. Afraid he'd get bored, she brought him his favorite books and came by every day to keep him company. She even wiped him down, changed his bedpan, and helped him through his rehabilitation process without a single complaint. "Your girlfriend treats you so well," the nurses couldn't help but praise. "I've worked at this hospital for the longest time, but I've never seen a woman take such good care of her boyfriend." Upon hearing this, Shawn let out a wry laugh. … One day, after finishing his rehabilitation exercises, Shawn noticed something strange when he returned to his hospital room. The people in the hallway were looking at him differently. Even the nurses who usually chatted with him were now flashing him contemptuous looks. While administering an IV, the nurse in charge of the procedure was deliberately rough, and she even missed his vein several times. Wincing from the pain, Shawn sucked in a sharp breath and quietly asked, "Would you like to try the other hand?" To his dismay, the nurse sneered. "You're a grown man, yet you willingly disgraced yourself by becoming a homewrecker? You even got beaten up until you landed in a hospital. Why are you whining about a tiny needle?" Shawn's eyes widened; he had no idea what she was talking about. "A homewrecker? What do you mean?" The nurse yanked her hand away from him. "The news has already spread across the internet. You're a man who broke up somebody else's marriage." She continued, "The woman who's been coming to see you every day must be the one who's having an affair with you. You knew she had a husband, yet you still threw yourself at her and tried to destroy her family. Have you no shame?" The nurse's remarks made his heart ache. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone. The hottest trending topic at the moment was a scandal involving him. "Rising Designer Accused of Plagiarism, Then Exposed for Breaking Up a Marriage," the headline read. Shawn was getting berated all over the internet. To make matters worse, someone had even dug up his phone number and home address. Not long after the story broke, his phone was bombarded with calls. When he accidentally answered one, he was immediately greeted with a barrage of vicious insults. Moments later, his sister, Stella Carter, called. "I saw the news. What's going on, Shawn? Why are they calling you a homewrecker?" she sobbed over the phone. "Some people came to our house. When Dad found out what happened, he got so angry that he had a heart attack. Please come and check on him!" Shawn's mind went blank, and he immediately felt dizzy. Ignoring the fact that he was still recovering, he hailed a taxi and rushed to his father on crutches. The moment he saw his elderly father lying unconscious in a hospital bed, he felt incredibly heartbroken. How did this happen? Shawn's eyes welled up with tears, and his hands began to tremble uncontrollably. "What's with the online articles, Shawn? Haven't you and Susan been dating for eight years? How did you suddenly become a homewrecker?" Stella choked between sobs. Shawn clenched his fists. He knew exactly who was behind this. It was none other than Henry Young. He turned around and went straight to Henry. The moment he saw him, he punched him hard across the face. The next second, Susan showed up and instantly stepped in front of Henry. "What are you doing, Shawn?" she demanded. "Are you aware of what he's done?" Shawn roared. Susan frowned. She had heard about the articles that were circulating online. She had also learned that Shawn's father, George Carter, had suffered a heart attack. So, what? "Your father's heart attack was caused by netizens with malicious intent. It has nothing to do with Henry. He never expected this to happen either. "I'll arrange for the best doctors to treat your father, but this is no excuse for you to assault Henry. Apologize to him right now!" she demanded. Upon hearing this, Shawn burst into laughter. "You want me to apologize to him? If he hadn't spread those lies online, my father would never have gotten a heart attack. If something happens to my father, he'd essentially be a murderer. Are you asking me to apologize to a murderer?" Susan's expression darkened. "Your father isn't dead yet, and Henry only posted a few things online because he was jealous. Do you really have to turn this into such a big deal?" she sneered. As she spoke, she grabbed Shawn's hand and forced him to lower his head before Henry. "Get down on your knees and apologize to Henry right now," she instructed. "If you do, I'll let this matter slide." Shawn couldn't believe his ears. "No way!" Seeing this, Henry instantly put on a sympathetic expression. In a phony voice, he said, "It's okay, Susan. Mr. Carter only acted rashly because he was angry. I don't blame him." His false magnanimity only made Susan angrier. Turning toward Shawn, she growled, "You refuse to apologize? Fine. Let's see how long you can keep this up!" With that, she turned and walked away without saying another word. Shawn remained where he was, staring at her retreating figure. He had lost all feelings for Susan right then and there. George was still lying unconscious in the hospital. The doctors had informed Shawn that there was nothing more they could do, and they could only hope for the best. Upon hearing this, Shawn felt extremely guilty and could no longer hold back his tears. When he went to pay the medical bills the next day, the doctor suddenly told him, "Your card has been frozen. Would you like to try another one?" Shawn went still. This card belonged to his father. How could it be frozen? He pulled out his own card and paid the bill. Just as he was about to call the bank, George's close friend, Martin Linfield, called him. "Hey, Shawn. Did your father offend anyone recently? The company has been shut down. I asked around, and it looks like Langley Group is behind it. "What happened? How did he manage to offend someone so influential?" Color drained from Shawn's face. It was Susan. She had shut down George's company. After his mother died, George had raised him and Stella all by himself. Over the years, that small renovation company had been their family's only source of income. Susan had shut it down and frozen every asset under George's name. But Stella was still in school, and George's medical treatment required a staggering amount of money. Moments later, Shawn finally understood what Susan had meant the other day—she was trying to back him into a corner. Chapter 7 Shawn's phone suddenly chimed. A video had been sent to him. When he clicked on it and saw what was on the screen, his hands began to tremble uncontrollably. It was a video of Stella getting taken. Shawn instantly grew lightheaded. Forcing himself to stay on his feet, he pulled out his phone and called Susan. "Please let Stella go. I'm begging you," he pleaded. "I'll do anything you want—just let Stella go. She's still a minor." At that moment, Shawn no longer cared about anything else. He was more than willing to throw away his pride and his dignity. All he wanted was for Stella to be safe. To his dismay, Henry was the one who answered the phone. "An apology needs to be sincere, Mr. Carter. You can't just say a few words over the phone. If you truly mean it, you'll come over here and apologize to me in person." Shawn knew exactly what he was implying. After hanging up, he hailed a taxi and headed straight to the address Henry had given him. Once he arrived at the location, he realized that a party was being held there. Leaning against Henry's chest, Susan stared coldly at Shawn. "Have you finally realized your mistake?" Shawn lowered his head. Clenching his fists, he forced the word through gritted teeth. "Yes." He dropped to his knees and looked up at Susan with a pleading expression. "I shouldn't have hit him. It was all my fault. Please let my sister go." Rain struck his face, but Shawn couldn't care less about how miserable he looked or what the people around them thought of him. Crawling toward Susan on his knees, he abandoned every last shred of his dignity and begged, "Please. Let Stella go. She's still a student. She's not even an adult yet." Susan's expression softened. She was just about to speak when Henry chimed in. "You want me to forgive you?" he asked, his lips curving up into a smirk. "It's simple. Just kneel here for the rest of the night." After a brief pause, he added, "However, we're having a party tonight. There are many people around the venue. If anyone asks why you're kneeling here, you'll have to confess that you're a shameless homewrecker who came here to atone for your mistakes. Can you do that?" Hearing Henry's words, Stella, bound and listening from the other end of the video call, suddenly shouted, "Don't listen to him, Shawn! Don't admit to something you never did!" A split second later, the call abruptly cut off. Shawn instantly panicked. "I'll do it. I'll do anything you want as long as you let my sister go!" The rain gradually grew heavier. As the party continued indoors, Shawn remained on his knees in the courtyard. At first, some of the party guests still checked on him. Some held umbrellas over his head, while others tried to pull him to his feet. But every time someone approached him, Shawn repeated the same words like a robot. "I'm a homewrecker. I ruined someone else's relationship. I've made a mistake, and I've come here to atone for my wrongdoings." Eventually, people stopped approaching him. Instead, they pulled out their phones and secretly took pictures and videos of him. After that night, Shawn was certain that he'd become a homewrecker that everyone loathed. No matter where he went, people would be able to recognize him from those videos. They would berate him for being a disgraceful man who lived off of his girlfriend, but he could no longer afford to care. All he wanted was for Stella to be safe. When the morning came and his legs had gone numb, Susan finally gave him an address. Ignoring the pain in his injured legs, he got into a taxi and rushed to the outskirts of the city. When he arrived at the abandoned factory, however, he found Stella lying lifelessly on the ground, surrounded by torn pieces of clothing. Shawn nearly broke down. By the time he got Stella to the hospital, he was essentially a walking corpse. "The patient was assaulted by multiple people," the doctor said grimly. "She has a fractured pelvis, extensive bruising, severe internal tearing, and massive blood loss…" Shawn felt the world spin around him. A high-pitched ringing filled his ears, and he nearly collapsed onto the ground. He couldn't collapse now. He was all that Stella had left. He needed to take care of her no matter what. Clinging to that last bit of resolve, Shawn forced himself to keep going. But when he returned from the cafeteria with a meal for Stella, he found her hospital bed soaked in blood. Stella had slit her wrists. Shawn couldn't take it anymore. Overwhelmed by the entire situation, he collapsed and lost consciousness. When he woke up, the doctor told him, "I'm sorry. We couldn't save your sister." Shawn lay motionless on the hospital bed. He felt so numb that he couldn't even cry. Stella was his younger sister. She had clung to him ever since she was a child, and she had always stood by his side no matter what happened. Because of a group of monsters, his beloved sister was now dead. This was all his fault. All of a sudden, Shawn found it difficult to breathe. Overwhelmed by self-hatred, he began to struggle for air as the vital sign monitor beside his bed started beeping erratically. The doctor hurried over and injected him with a sedative. "I know you're devastated by your sister's death, but you have to stay strong. You still have your father. Your father has woken up, and he still needs someone to take care of him. What's going to happen to him if you collapse too?" Shawn looked toward the bed next to him, his expression filled with pain. Just as the doctor had said, George had regained consciousness. But the heart attack had left him partially paralyzed, and he now needed help with basic tasks such as eating and drinking. As he lay on his hospital bed, George tried to lift his hand and wipe away Shawn's tears. Then, he made a few garbled sounds. Shawn knew that his father was trying to comfort him and urge him to keep going. Unable to suppress his emotions any longer, Shawn broke down sobbing. … A week later, Shawn completed the paperwork to discharge his father from the hospital. Then, he held a funeral for Stella and packed up all his belongings. Right before he left, his phone chimed. "When are you going to stop throwing a fit? It's been a week since I last heard from you. What exactly are you trying to do? All I did was ask you to apologize to Henry. Do you really have to turn it into such a big deal?" the text from Susan read. Shawn calmly turned off his phone. Afterward, he cleared the device's memory and tossed it into a river. With a soft splash, the phone that carried eight years' worth of memories with Susan disappeared beneath the rushing water. Shawn pushed his father's wheelchair into the airport. From now on, he wanted nothing to do with Susan ever again.