Leaving on a Summer's Day

After returning to the bedroom, Heather found herself slipping into a daze, her mind foggy as she drifted into a heavy sleep.

At one point, she sensed Mitchell had returned. She could feel his gaze lingering on her for what seemed like an eternity while she lay still. A short time later, his phone rang sharply, and after a few more rings, he hesitated for a moment before getting up and leaving.

The next morning, Mitchell didn't even bother to come back.

Vanessa pushed a plate of breakfast in front of Heather, her expression filled with motherly affection. "Mitchell said something came up at the company, so he had to leave in a rush this morning. If you don't mind, stay with me here at the manor. It might be less boring."

Heather froze for a moment, looking at Vanessa's calm face. If it weren't for hearing her conversation with Mitchell last night—regarding her knowing about his affair—Heather might have actually believed Vanessa was just being caring.

But now, both of them felt like nothing more than liars in Heather's eyes… leaving her alone, the only one kept in the dark, tricked and manipulated by everyone around her.

She chuckled bitterly to herself, but kept a composed, almost indifferent look on her face. With less than a week until her departure, Heather had no intention of complicating matters any further.

"Yesterday, the wedding planners contacted me about a few things that needed to be confirmed. Mitchell and I have been preparing for this wedding for so long, and we both want everything to go perfectly. I'll come back and spend time with you another day, Mrs. Bennett."

Vanessa smiled in the perfect, reassuring way and didn't stop her. Heather had known this wasn't about Vanessa's concern but more about keeping her from suspecting anything.

After breakfast, Heather left the Bennetts' manor and headed to the wedding planning company.

She hadn't lied—she truly had business with the planners today. Last week, when she asked them to replace the bride with Bethany, Heather had promised to send over the necessary materials for the wedding.

This week, Mitchell had been glued to her side, and she had managed to gather some information. Mitchell had no defenses against her. His phone and computer were both unlocked with her birthday as the password.

While Mitchell showered, Heather took the opportunity to go through his phone and computer. It was then that she found out—Mitchell had not only gotten a marriage certificate with Bethany, but they had also gotten their wedding photos taken and even gone a honeymoon trip.

The half month he claimed to be on a business trip? He had spent it with Bethany on their honeymoon.

Heather forwarded the wedding photos and the intimate pictures of the two to the planners, along with all the other details they needed to make changes.

Once all of this was done, Heather felt a strange emptiness inside her, though it wasn't as painful as she had imagined it would be.

After leaving the wedding planners, she remembered the results of her recent checkup might be ready, so she drove to the hospital.

As she parked, she noticed Mitchell's car was in the parking lot as well. Before she could even reach the place to collect her results, she spotted Mitchell and Bethany walking out of the obstetrics and gynecology department.

The two were smiling, and Mitchell was carefully holding Bethany's lower back, looking like a loving couple who was expecting.

The numbness in her heart, which she thought had long set in, flared painfully at the sight.

Bethany looked up, noticed Heather standing there, and deliberately leaned closer to Mitchell before speaking, "Ms. Longstaff, what a surprise to see you here. Are you here for a checkup because you're pregnant too?"

Hearing her name, Mitchell immediately withdrew his hand and looked up, his face tightening with sudden panic. His hands hovered in the air as if unsure where to place them. Soon, a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Heather, what are you doing at the hospital?"

"I'm here to pick up my test results," Heather replied coldly, locking eyes with Bethany, who was clearly provoking her.

Mitchell hurriedly moved closer to Heather, his face full of urgency as he tried to explain.

"Heather, I ran into Bethany on my way to the office. She got hurt, and since she was a student we helped out in the past, I decided to bring her to the hospital. That's when we found out she's pregnant, so... I just brought her here for a checkup."

Heather took a deep breath, the sharp pain in her chest easing slightly.

"I see. Ms. Caldwell, you were so concerned about keeping up the fake marriage for your mother's sake a few months ago, and now you're already pregnant. Congratulations."

Bethany gave Mitchell a loving glance, causing him to break out into a nervous sweat.

"Thanks, Ms. Longstaff. I'm already two months pregnant, and it's twins. Last night, the father wasn't exactly gentle with me, but nothing too serious happened. He couldn't make it today, so luckily Mr. Bennett was here to help..."

"Since you're fine, I'll leave now. Heather, did you get your report? Let me take you home." Mitchell cut off Bethany's rambling and quickly grabbed Heather's hand.

Heather pulled her gaze away from Bethany, her face calm as she shook her head.

As if afraid of them being in the same space together, Mitchell hurriedly pulled her away.

After collecting the results, they quickly left the hospital.

Heather felt like a puppet on strings, letting Mitchell guide her out.

She had once told him—if he betrayed her, she would make sure he would never find her again.

She intended to keep that promise. Plus, there was one last gift waiting for Mitchell on the wedding day.