Chapter 12

Chapter 12
Martha sighed , feeling helpless . She thought Celeste lacked assertiveness and always let Trevor have his way . This . caused her to miss out on countless opportunities to improve their relationship . That was why , after all these years , there had been no progress between them .
However , since Celeste had spoken , Martha didn’t press further .
Once dinner officially began , the family chatted as they ato . The atmosphere was lively . Celeste , however , spoke very little and quietly focused on her meal .
From the moment Trevor entered Fleming Manor until now , over ten minutes had passed . Still , he and Celeste hadn’t exchanged a single word . There had been no interaction whatsoever .
This was typical of their relationship . Everyone else was used to it and didn’t find it unusual .
When Jordyn wanted to eat something , she usually relied on Celeste . However , by now , she was accustomed to asking Trevor to get what she wanted for her instead .
But when she wanted to eat shrimp , she instinctively looked at Celeste . In the past , Celeste would always peel shrimp for her and Trevor .
“ Mom , I want some shrimp , ” Jordyn whined .
Even though Celeste had decided to divorce Trevor and didn’t plan to fight for custody of Jordyn , she was still her daughter . It was her duty to care for her and fulfill her needs whenever possible . I
Upon hearing her request , Celeste responded , “ Alright . ”
She set down her fork and began peeling the shrimp for Jordyn
Martha glanced at her hands and suddenly paused . “ Cel , where’s your ring ? ”
At that , everyone – including Trevor – looked at Celeste’s hand .
Since their wedding , Celeste had always worn the ring Martha had prepared for them despite their icy and loveless marriage . In contrast , Trevor had never worn his wedding ring – not even once . No one knew where it had ended
Over the years , Celeste had never taken hers off . Her attachment to the ring had even become a source of ridicule from Teagan .
But today , Celeste wasn’t wearing it . Initially , no one noticed . After all , people didn’t normally pay close attention to others ‘ hands . It was Martha’s remark that drew everyone’s attention .
Celeste paused briefly in her task but quickly resumed peeling the shrimp with a composed expression . She explained , “ I hurried out this morning and accidentally left it at home . ”
In truth , she had removed the ring , when she prepared the divorce papers . She had placed it in the same envelope . that held the divorce papers . But since she and Trevor hadn’t officially divorced and knowing that Martha would he strongly opposed to the idea , she chose not to reveal this just yet .
Martha was satisfied with her answer . She smiled and responded , “ Ah , that explains it . ”
The conversation soon shifted back to normal , and everyone resumed eating
After dinner , the group moved to the living room for desser . Martha , ever eager to bring Celeste and Trevor closer , arranged for them to sit together .
Chapter 12
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As usual , Trevor didn’t even glance at Celeste . Celeste didn’t want to sit next to him but didn’t want to outright refuse Martha either , so she quietly took the seat beside him .
It was the closest they had sat to each other in months . She could smell the faint , familiar scent of his cologne , but her heart remained calm . She focused on her dessert , taking small bites of her fruit pudding without attempting to initiate conversation .
Martha , on the other hand , was delighted . She looked at the pair and smiled . “ You two look perfect together . ”
Visually , they did make a striking couple . Trevor was tall and handsome , while Celeste was demure and beautiful . But their appearances were where their compatibility ended . In every other aspect , Celeste felt woefully Inadequate .
Teagan and Queenie refrained from dampening Martha’s enthusiasm even though they thought she was just wasting her time .
That night , per Martha’s wishes , everyone stayed overnight in Fleming Manor .
At around 8:00 pm , Trevor accompanied Martha to her study to discuss business matters .
Meanwhile , Jordyn tugged on Celeste’s hand , saying she wanted to bathe and sleep . Celeste went upstairs with her to help her get ready for bed .
Sitting in the small bathtub , Jordyn looked at Celeste and hesitantly asked , “ Mom , are you busy tomorrow morning ? ”
Though she was willing to let Celeste take her to school the next day , she secretly wished Wynn could go instead . Celeste shook her head and replied , “ I’m not busy . Why ? ”
Jordyn pouted slightly in disappointment upon hearing that She muttered , “ Never mind . ”
Celeste didn’t press her further .
After Jordyn was done taking a bath , Celeste dried her hair gently . Once her hair was dry , Jordyn yawned and said she wanted to sleep .
Celeste noticed her gaze lingering on her phone , so she reminded her , “ You can look at it for a little while , but you need to sleep by 9:30 pm . Don’t stay up too late , okay ? ”
“ Okay , ” Jordyn replied , though she felt a bit annoyed .
She wanted to message Wynn about the change in plans for tomorrow , but she didn’t want to upset her . Hence , she hurriedly pushed Celeste toward the door irritably .
“ Mom , you can go now . I’ll turn off my phone and sleep by 9:30 . ”
Jordyn was usually disciplined in such matters , so Celeste nodded and bid her goodnight before leaving the room .
As soon as Celeste was gone , Jordyn locked the door behind her . Celeste paused for a moment when she heard the soft click of the door lock . She didn’t think that Jordyn was guarding against anyone else – it was likely only her . Jordyn probably wanted to discuss something with Wynn .
As Celeste thought , Jordyn immediately opened her phone and messaged Wynn on WhatsApp .
Celeste had no way of knowing what they talked about , nor did she care to find out . She returned to her room .
Having spent years visiting Fleming Manor , she had many of her belongings stored there . She found pajamas and took a shower . Afterward , she sat on her usualled a
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brought in her bag .
Time passed unnoticed , and her eyes grew tired . She checked the clock and realized it was already 11:30 pm , but Trevor had yet to return .
She wondered whether he wasn’t planning to come back at all or if he was busy with work .
Lost in thought , Celeste found herself leaving the bedroom and heading downstairs . That was when she heard a voice from the shadows .
“ Everyone else has gone to bed . Are you avoiding going back because Celeste is there ? You don’t want to face her , do you ? ”
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Chapter 13