Chapter 63 – Second Chance Love of the Missing Groom Novel

Lulu‘s phone started ringing just then.

Sheryl took the child off her arms and said, “You should answer it.”

Picking up her phone and seeing that it was the number Abigail had just called her with, she was certain that it would be Abigail again, so she answered it with a smile. “Abigail…?”

Zachary’s breaths turned ragged at the sound of the familiar voice. He tried to speak, but his throat was suddenly too dry to do so. On the other end, Lulu thought Abigail did not hear her, and called out again. “Abigail…?” Allowing himself a moment to steady his breathing, Zachary eventually said, “I‘m not Abigail.”

Lulu was stunned, but hung up at the next instant, holding her phone and panicking.

Sheryl was watching and could feel her tension, so she asked worriedly, “What‘s wrong? Is Abigail in danger?” She still was not aware that Diarmuid had taken Abigail back to Cloud City, and simply presumed that she was still under Harvey‘s custody.

Lulu could only shake her head.

“Well, what’s wrong,”

Before she could finish, Lulu‘s phone was ringing again.

This time, she simply stared at the flashing screen without answering. “Why aren‘t you answering?” Sheryl asked, puzzled. “It‘s not Abigail,” Lulu replied, and left the room. Her phone was still ringing even when she arrived at the balcony, and the sound seemed to mess with her mind. Zachary was relentless-he would keep calling if she did not answer. After thinking about it for a while, Lulu answered, and Zachary promptly said, “Don‘t hang up.

Lulu was silent for a while, before finally asking, “Is Abigail alright?”

“I don‘t want to talk about her– just answer me honestly, where are you right now?” Zachary asked urgently.

When Lulu did not respond, Zachary lost his composure. “You left without a word! It’s like you disappeared without a trace! I had to look for you everywhere… Can‘t you at least say something for the sake of our relationship?” Lulu hung her head. “We‘re not meant for each other.” “Don‘t give me that! I want to see you–tell me where you are!” Zachary’s voice became louder in aggravation.

“It was over the moment I decided to leave you,” Lulu said quietly. “Can‘t we just live our separate lives?”

“No!” Zachary was almost bellowing. “A relationship goes two ways! It’s not a dictatorship!”

Lulu was not about to keep arguing, so she quickly changed the topic. “Abigail is still very weak. You’re with her, so take good care of her -”

“She has people tending to her–she doesn’t need me at all.” Seeing her reluctance to say anything, Zachary snapped, “I‘ll find you with a GPS tracker. Run away again, and you‘ll have my eternal spite!”

Lulu took a deep breath, but realized that she should at least say something because they used to be together. “I‘m in Sunny City.” Zachary was delighted to see her relent. “I‘ll apply for leave and head over immediately.” “Fine,” Lulu replied. With that, Zachary saved her number in his phone and returned the phone to Diarmuid before rushing out of the hospital.

Meanwhile, Lulu returned inside the house to find Sheryl changing cloth diapers for Tommy. She was not using disposable diapers because she believed them to be damp and stuffy. Even if cloth diapers needed washing and were troublesome, Abigail paid her expressly to take good care of Tommy

He was Sheryl‘s grandchild, and she would therefore do her best! Lulu approached her then. “Sheryl…”

Sheryl smiled. “What’s wrong? Do you need something?” “Yes.” Lulu admitted to it right away. “I broke up with my boyfriend years ago, but he keeps bugging me, which is very annoying. I‘m going to tell him that I‘m married and that Tommy is my son, so that he‘d stay away… Is that alright?” “Of course,” Sheryl replied without hesitation Although the child belonged to Abigail alone in her mind, Sheryl also could see how close Abigail was with Lulu. Given the latter’s care for Tommy and herself, she certainly could help that much.

“Thank you.” Lulu smiled. “Hey, we should be thanking you instead,” Sheryl replied politely. “I would‘ve no idea what to do with myself in this unfamiliar city.” “Alright, then let‘s not get too formal since we’re no strangers,” Lulu said. “I need to leave for work later. What would you like for dinner? I can get it on the way back…” “It’s fine. Just focus on your work–I‘ll just cook something for myself.” Sheryl was all too aware of how kind Lulu could be, but she did not want to impose.

Lulu laughed. “It‘s alright. You don‘t have to be cagey around me– just treat me like you would treat Abigail.”

Meanwhile, Sheryl gently rocked Tommy so that he would fall asleep, before turning back to Lulu. “Abigail is a mother now. Maybe you should consider marriage… A real marriage, I mean.”

Lulu had to blink back tears just then it was not as if she thought that Sheryl was meddling.

Instead, she was being emotional because that was what her own late mother had told her before. And now, her own mother could never bug her again. She smiled but did not respond to Sheryl‘s suggestion.

Meanwhile, Zachary arrived in Sunny City at top speed, reaching it before sunrise. There, he waited at the place where Lulu said they would meet. When it was time, Lulu appeared with Tommy in her arms.

Zachary had not slept, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He did not pay any attention to the child she was holding–all his attention was on Lulu.

She was a lot skinnier than before.

Rising from his seat, he held her gaze and said her name with echoing sentiment, “Lulu.” Lulu said nothing and sat opposite him, while Zachary was smiling. He was happy to see her. What other reason would he need? “I missed you every moment since you left me.” Lulu felt herself straining to hold her resolve even as she looked at him. Nonetheless, she stopped herself from relenting and said cruelly, “I‘m married. This is my child.” It was a slap to Zachary‘s face! That was when he looked at the child in her arms, his pupils dilating as his gaze darkened. “W–What? You‘re married?!” He sprang to his feet, exclaiming, “I don‘t believe you!” He was convinced that Lulu loved him, and would never marry another man, let alone have his child.

Even if she did leave him, he believed that Lulu would have her reasons, but it would never be because of another man!

“Don’t try to dissuade me with this. I‘d never believe you!” Lulu snapped, “Don’t be so loud, You’d wake ‘Tommy.” Zachary was left caught off guard, and when he came to his senses to look at the baby again, he asked, “His name is Tommy?” Lulu nodded, and kept trying to dissuade him. “Tommy really is my child. I never said goodbye because I know that I‘ve wronged you. I‘m sorry–forgive me for being fickle and leaving with another man, betraying our relationship and your feelings. Please forgive me.” Zachary‘s composure cracked at her solemn tone. “Are you really bailing on me?”

Lulu lowered her head, pretending that she was brushing her nose against Tommy’s just so that she did not have to look at Zachary. “Yes,” she replied flatly.

Zachary‘s hands balled into fists at her sides, but while he never resorted to harsh words, his tone was still severe. “You could have told me that you had another man. Did you have to leave without a word? Leaving me hanging?”

“I‘m sorry…” “I don‘t need apologies!” Zachary bellowed, and stormed out of the cafe. When he was gone, Lulu‘s disguise fell apart and her expression turned sorrowful.

It was over between her and Zachary, and she felt miserable.

But she had to do it.

Allowing herself a moment to let her breathing turn even, she left with Tommy.

Meanwhile, Abigail received an invitation at the hospital. It left her frowning after she read it!

Abigail was frowning because Harvey was the one who had sent her the invitation to an art exhibition he was organizing!

What was his purpose? What did he want?

She could not tell.

“What‘s on your mind?” Diarmuid asked as he entered to find her pensive with a card in her hand. Holding out his hand, he asked, “What is that?”

Abigail passed it to him nonchalantly. “Courtesy of Harvey Gooding.”

Diarmuid frowned at the mention of the name, and after reading it, he asked, “Are you going?”

Initially, Abigail had no such intention since she was not as friendly with Harvey as she would like to think

However, to disgust Diarmuid and make him willing to divorce her, she said, “Yeah.”

Diarmuid pursed her lips. He had no idea what Abigail was thinking, but he certainly did not want her to go–not after Harvey tried to claim her for himself on more than one occasion.

Moreover, the man was hardly cultured even if he graduated from a famous university. He would not even be able to tell between Monet and Manet! The art exhibition was planned with ulterior motives in the first place. “You should be resting as per your postpartum care routine.” He tried to come up with an excuse.

“I‘m going,” Abigail insisted.

The more he did not want her to do it, the more eager she would be to do it just to upset him.

If he demanded black, she would take white!

Diarmuid was left staring at her silently, but she simply turned away and repeated staunchly, “I‘m going.” “Fine,” Diarmuid replied, seemingly seeing through her just then. “I’ll go with you–I‘d be worried if you went alone.”

Abigail was speechless for a while, but soon told him, “You should get back to work. I know you‘re a busy man, but Mrs. Watson is here with me. Don’t worry I won’t leave again until you’ve agreed to divorce me.”

In the end, she understood very well that as long as he refused to divorce her, she would never feel peace even if she escaped. There was every chance that he could capture her again, not to mention she could not run away with a broken foot even if she wanted to–his vigilance was simply overkill. The only thing she could do to lead a peaceful life was to make Diarmuid let her go on his own accord

It was no exaggeration to say that she was convinced he was nuts-he was unhappy with their marriage in the first place, so why was he so obsessed to hold on to it now?

“I’m your husband, and it‘s my responsibility,” he said as if it made perfect sense, and Abigail certainly could not refute it when they were legally married. Her lips twitched, but nothing came to mind, and so they went together after getting the doctor‘s approval. She was still in her postpartum phase and keeping warm was necessary, which included layers and a cap. A nurse wheeled her out since her foot was still plastered, and required a crutch or a wheelchair to move the latter was preferable since she had recently given birth.

That was when Diarmuid scooped her up in his arms. She blinked, surprise showing in her crystalline gaze as she batted her eyelashes. “What are you doing? The wheelchair is right there.” “Jimmy will put it in the car,” Diarmuid said, not caring about her displeasure–he wanted her in his arms.

Abigail‘s arms were dangling at her sides when he deliberately loosened his grip. Terrified, thinking that he was dropping her, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck as her heart raced. “Are you really strong enough? Don‘t push yourself! I would really become a cripple if you dropped me again!”

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