Chapter 13

“Alright, I want to know more about the process. What’s the best way to keep her comfortable during pregnancy?” Shaun enquired. For the next ten minutes, the vet explained the process in detail and gave him a cat pregnancy guide in the end. “A pregnant cat must watch its nutrition intake. Your cat is quite weak to begin with, thus miscarriage might happen easily. It’s best if you hire someone to look after it.” “...” Shaun was at a loss for words. Was it still a pet that they were talking about here? For some reason, he was suddenly reminded of Catherine’s exceptional cooking skills. It occurred to him that he might have been too rude to her just now. Right, he should probably stop bringing up the topic of her leaving the house when he returned later. Back at Jadeite Bay, he opened the door and turned the lights on. Something did not feel right. The door of the guest room was open and there was no one in sight. He could not find a single garment of women’s clothing in there. Catherine had left. His eyebrows twitched into a frown. Fudge meowed lazily in his arms. She glanced around the room before lowering her head in disappointment. The man was frustrated but thought that her departure might be for the best. They should not get too involved in each other’s life anyway. He could make it up to her with a larger compensation on the day of their divorce. As for Fudge, well, he could always hire a sitter. … 10 a.m. Catherine woke up from the couch feeling groggy. After checking into the room last night, she discovered lots of hair on the bed. The bedsheets looked unwashed at first glance. She was a clean freak, thus she ended up falling asleep on the couch instead. Freya rang when she was about to freshen up. “Babe, aren’t you living with your husband? How did you end up in a budget hotel?” “How do you know about this?” “Come on, everyone is talking about it on the group chat.” There was a hint of frustration in her voice. “That mean woman, Janet Campbell, even brought up your past. She told everyone that you’ve been chased out of the Jones household because your elder sister is back. All those hypocrites who were envious of your status as the young lady are now mocking you relentlessly.” “Oh,” she mumbled. Janet Campbell was a daughter from another affluent household in Melbourne. The two of them used to be classmates in school. However, Janet had always been jealous of Catherine for her beautiful looks and outstanding academic achievements, hence they had never been the closest of friends. It was not unusual for her to ruin Catherine’s reputation when the latter was already in a bad position. “Aren’t you furious?” Freya asked, feeling annoyed. “What’s happening? You’ve never stepped foot into a hotel with less than five stars.” “Things have changed. My dad has suspended all of my cards and I don’t have much on me. Last night, Shaun chased me out of the house.” “Why didn’t you come to me?” “It was late and I didn’t want to wake you up.” “Catherine, you’re such a fool. Tell me the address.” 40 minutes later, Freya showed up, looking as if she was in a haste. She felt sorry for her friend after glancing around the small and dodgy room. There was even a stash of tart cards slipped through the door by prostitutes looking for business. “Come on, leave this place right away and stay at mine.” “No, you have a boyfriend. Plus, it’s not a good idea for the long term. I plan to rent a place.” Catherine shook her head to refuse the kind offer. After giving it some consideration, Freya agreed. “That’s not a bad idea. Ethan came to my place again last night looking for you. He’s seriously so annoying.” Catherine felt her throat tightening up at the sound of this name. There was a time when the man would back her up on everything. However, she felt utterly disheartened upon remembering what he said yesterday. “He’s the last person I wish to see right now.” “Me too.” Freya nodded, but soon, a confused expression washed over her face. “By the way, you’re now a married woman, so why did Shaun chase you out of the house in the middle of the night?” Catherine forced out a bitter smile before briefly explaining what happened. Freya felt deeply for her best friend. “That man is sick. You’re his other half by law. Are you less important to him than a cat?” “That’s not at all surprising, is it?” Freya hesitated. “Um… Well, it was your decision to marry him anyway.” Catherine remained silent. She regretted her choice. A sigh escaped Freya’s lips. “Right, let’s go get some food. I know a good place where the food reminds one of home. We can start looking for a house after taking care of our bellies. Oh, why don’t we invite Cindy Turner too?” While on their way to the restaurant, Catherine called Cindy. “Freya and I are heading out for a meal. It’s been a while since we last met. Do you want to tag along?” “I’m in the middle of a photo shoot. Sorry.” “It’s alright. Let’s do it some other time.” “She’s becoming more famous each day. She wouldn’t be who she is today if you hadn’t written and composed for her back then,” Freya commented after the call ended. “We’re still friends, after all. It’s normal that she’s busy.” … Grapefruit Restaurant was the up-and-coming restaurant that had recently opened in Melbourne. There was a spacious courtyard designed in the middle of the restaurant. Luxurious cars were found outside of the restaurant. This was a place that only the really wealthy could afford. The two of them parked the car and headed into the restaurant. A few familiar faces entered their sight the minute they stepped foot into that place, including Rebecca, Janet, as well as… “Cindy!” Freya called out to the woman. Cindy, who was wearing sunglasses, revealed an awkward smile. Annoyed, Freya approached the women with Catherine. “You told us over the phone not long ago that you’re busy working on a photo shoot, yet here you are with these women. Do you know who they are? Janet is Catherine’s worst enemy and Rebecca is the two-faced fox who stole her boyfriend.” “Who are you calling two-faced? Watch your tone.” Janet stepped forward to push Freya rudely. Catherine reached out to catch her friend as she glanced at the group of women with contempt. She would not have come here if she knew this was going to happen. However, she could not deny that Cindy had truly disappointed her. “Cindy, why are you hanging out with them? It’s one thing with Rebecca, but you should know better than anyone about my history with Janet.” “Why?” Janet linked her arm with Cindy as a smug look spread across her face. “Do you really have to ask? Not only have you lost the right to the Jones family’s inheritance, but you’ve also resorted to staying in a cheap budget hotel. A person like you doesn’t deserve to be friends with Cindy. She’s the most popular singer at the minute whereas you’re only a phoenix that has fallen. You’re a nobody.” Catherine narrowed her eyes at Cindy. “I want to hear it from your mouth.”