Chapter 4

Soon, Sara made two delicious-looking bowls of primavera chicken pasta and set them on the table. She and Spencer then ate in silence. Perhaps because he was starving, Spencer finished his meal in just a few minutes. He turned to Sara and said, "You should head to bed early tonight. I need to get some work done in the study. We're having dinner at Grandpa's tomorrow, so I'll stop by to pick you up in the evening." "Don't worry about coming back. I can just grab a cab to Grandpa's place. What time will you be there? I'll plan accordingly," Sara responded. "My schedule's clear tomorrow. I'd rather pick you up so we can go together. Cabs aren't always reliable." "Alright." Sara kept her head down, quietly finishing her pasta. With that, Spencer turned and headed upstairs. … Sara woke up the next morning to find that Spencer had already left for work. By midday, she made herself a small meal. Even though she wasn't hungry, she forced down a bowl of soup and a breadstick, reminding herself that she needed to eat for the baby. The doorbell rang just as she finished cleaning up. She opened the door to find the woman from yesterday's news standing on her doorstep. Sara could tell that Clementine was indeed stunning and graceful. "Ms. Lovelace, hello. I'm Clementine Wendell, a friend of Spencer's," Clementine introduced herself. "I know," Sara quietly replied, suddenly all too aware of how plain she felt standing before someone so effortlessly beautiful. She stepped aside to let Clementine in, then brought her a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table. "Sorry to show up unannounced, Ms. Lovelace. Spencer accidentally left his watch at my place yesterday. I couldn't get in touch with him today, and since I was nearby, I thought I'd stop by and drop it off." Clementine's voice was pleasant, and her smile radiant, but the sharp edge in her words didn't go unnoticed. "I'll make sure he gets it. Thanks for going out of your way to come here, Ms. Wendell." Sara's voice tensed slightly as she tried to manage the discomfort. "I'm not feeling well, so I won't keep you for a meal. I should get some rest, unless there's anything else." "Alright, I won't keep you any longer either. Get some rest. I'll be on my way," Clementine said with a polite smile. However, her smile disappeared as soon as she stepped out of the villa's front gates. She should have been the lady of this house! The day before, Spencer had picked her up from the airport and driven her to the hotel. However, when he was getting ready to leave, she'd deliberately spilled water on his hand, prompting him to remove his watch and go to the restroom. When he returned, he left almost immediately and left his watch behind. Clementine refused to believe the news of Spencer's marriage. After all, he had waited for her all these years, and she was sure he'd go on waiting. He was the sentimental type, and she'd been his first love. Even while she was abroad, she'd kept close tabs on his life, and not once had there been rumors of another woman. And yet, he was married—and of all people—to someone Oswin had picked for him. Sara looked so young, and Clementine doubted she was even old enough to marry. Whoever Spencer's wife was, Clementine wasn't about to back down without a fight. Her dancing career had ended because of her leg injury, but Spencer remained the one thing she wouldn't let go of. After Clementine left, Sara stayed on the couch and stared blankly at the watch. There was no mistaking it—it belonged to Spencer. He'd worn it for as long as she could remember. Oswin had given it to him for his college graduation. She remembered picking it up from his nightstand, examining it, and spotting the engraved initials "SC" on the back. Suddenly, her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She answered when she saw it was Spencer. "I'll be there in ten. Be ready to leave," he said. "Alright." Sara shook off the fog in her head, shoved her feelings aside, and headed to her room. She changed quickly, then waited by the door. Spencer's car arrived in less than two minutes. Sara got in without a word. Spencer could tell that something was off, but didn't know what to say—especially not after how often he'd ignored the way she felt. The pregnancy had left Sara more emotionally unpredictable than usual. Now, she was stuck trying to figure out how to handle Clementine's unexpected visit and the watch she'd brought back. Should she quietly slip it back onto Spencer's nightstand, or should she tell him about it? Neither of them spoke during the drive. By the time they pulled into the Tiernan residence, Winnifred Wright—a maid—was already making dinner. Sara was about to head into the kitchen when Spencer took her hand. "Winnifred's almost done. Why don't you take it easy today and skip helping?" He'd sensed something was off during the drive, though he had no idea what was bothering her. All he could offer was the chance for her to rest. "Alright. Maybe I'll check on Grandpa's flowers in the garden." Sara didn't push back. Besides, the garden might help clear her head. "Okay, I'll go see Grandpa in the study," Spencer replied. "Sure." And with that, they drifted off in different directions. Spencer walked into the study, and Oswin immediately hurled a pen holder at him. Spencer took the hit square on the forehead without dodging, and a visible gash began opening up. Oswin slammed the newspaper down on the desk. "You damn fool! Look at what you've done! Did you even think about Sara? You're out there messing around with other women, and now it's all over the news!" "I've already made arrangements to have it taken down," Spencer simply said. "You think Sara doesn't know? You don't appreciate the good wife you've got, and regret's going to catch up with you one day. Don't come crying to me when it does." "You're the one who pushed for this marriage. You should've known something like this would happen when I agreed to it." "Y-you! I ought to beat some sense into you!" Oswin sputtered, gripping his cane as he lunged at Spencer. Just then, Sara rushed in and stopped him. "Grandpa, please, calm down. Don't work yourself up." After helping Oswin back into his seat, she turned to Spencer and saw the blood running down his forehead. He looked like a complete mess. Sara had just reached the doorway when she heard Spencer say, "You're the one who pushed for this marriage. You should've known something like this would happen when I agreed to it." She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. Winnifred had just finished making dinner, and she had only come up to call them to go downstairs. She'd rushed in as soon as she heard Oswin losing it. Part of her worried that he might overexert himself—which could be dangerous for his health—while another part of her was concerned about Spencer. Oswin had been a soldier, and he still had enough strength to hurt Spencer. Unfortunately, Spencer had already gotten injured by the time she'd entered. Typical Spencer. Even with Oswin in a fury, he couldn't be bothered to back down or move out of the way. Bruce Conroy, the Tiernan residence's butler, came upstairs when he heard the commotion too. Sara quickly told him to take Oswin downstairs. Then, she grabbed some iodine and turned to Spencer, ready to treat his wound. "It's fine. It's just a small cut. Don't worry about it," Spencer said. "Even small cuts need treatment. Infections aren't something to mess with." Sara carefully applied the iodine with a cotton swab. Spencer felt frustrated. He'd gone to pick up Clementine at the airport yesterday, but he'd only taken her to the hotel before heading back to work. What's more, he'd ended up crashing in the office lounge after overtime dragged on. Reporters lurking around the airport arrivals were the last thing he'd expected. He had the news pulled as soon as it broke, but he wasn't sure if Sara had seen it. Did she really not care? Or was she acting differently today because she'd already seen it? Why hadn't she just asked him about it?