Billionaire's Regret: Losing Me And Our Son - Chapter 184: Chapter 184

Shirley sighed deeply. "Running a marriage is so much harder than I ever thought. I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did."
I didn't know how to respond. I felt a rush of emotions—sadness, frustration, and even some guilt.
To ease the tension, I jokingly added, "Well, you never know. I've already been divorced once, and if it happens again, I think I'll just give up on marriage. I'll just stay by your side with Benedict for the rest of my life. Promise you won't mind me as your lifelong roommate?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Shirley laughed, but then her voice turned serious. "Natalia, your situation is different from mine. You've already chosen someone you love, so you need to move forward with courage."
I bit my lip, replying almost instinctively, "It's not that simple... Happiness isn't just something you get by being brave."
Shirley immediately sensed the shift in my tone.
She hesitated before asking, "Natalia, is everything okay with you and Quinn? I heard someone mention the Dazzling Project today. I remember you two even had to postpone your honeymoon because of it."
"Yeah, the Dazzling Project is really important to Madden Group," I said, carefully omitting the part about my resignation.
But Shirley pressed on, "So, did you leave Madden Group because of the materials issue?"
I froze. "Mom, how do you know about this?"
It didn't make sense. Ben wouldn't have shared anything with Shirley, and York definitely wouldn't. He'd made it clear that I should never bring up anything related to Madden Group with her.
"I overheard something from the housekeeper, and then I did some searching online," Shirley replied calmly, clearly not someone who could be easily misled.
At this point, I knew I couldn't hide anything. I took a deep breath and explained everything about the mistakes with the Dazzling Project.
"The stock price for Madden Group took a hit, but it doesn't seem too bad. Has anyone from the Madden family caused you any trouble over it?" Shirley's first response was immediate concern for me. "Has anyone given you a hard time?"
Her worry warmed my heart, and I smiled, reassuring her, "Mom, your daughter is tougher than you think."
She paused, then asked, "Your dad wouldn't lend you the materials. How does Quinn feel about it?"
I felt a sudden buzzing in my head, and I couldn't help but ask, "Mom... Is this really about the materials? Is that why you're thinking about divorcing Dad?"
Shirley quickly shook her head. "No, it's not about that. I want to divorce your father, but it has nothing to do with you."
She let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, I've been holding him back from the start. Now we're both older. Your grandmother's death made me realize a lot of things, and I had a sudden clarity about it all."
Shirley sounded wistful, and though I didn't fully understand, I could sense that there was much more to the story between her and Ben.
She didn't say anything more, and I didn't press further—some memories were better left unspoken.
We talked for another ten minutes or so, and as the night stretched on, I suggested she get some rest.
"Get some sleep, Mom," I said softly. "It's late, and you've got a lot to think about. Tomorrow, I'll bring Benedict over for dinner," I said to Shirley, my voice bubbling with excitement. "I just learned how to make this amazing duck breast. You've mentioned wanting to try duck before, so I'll cook it for you. How does that sound?"
Shirley laughed and agreed.
After hanging up, the tension in my chest eased. Spending time with Shirley would help, but I also took comfort in the thought that, even if Quinn and I found ourselves at another crossroads in our relationship.
I wouldn't cling to something that wasn't meant to be. Instead, I'd focus on protecting the people I loved, just like Shirley was doing now.
The next morning, I woke up early, packed the gifts I'd carefully chosen for Shirley, and had the housekeeper prepare all the ingredients for the dish I was going to cook.
But when I arrived at the Smith family home with Benedict in tow, I didn't see Shirley anywhere.
Normally, she'd be waiting for me under the flower arch when I arrived.
"Maybe she's still asleep," I muttered to myself as I parked the car and unbuckled Benedict from his car seat.
The housekeeper stepped up to greet us and took the gifts and ingredients from my hands.
"Is Mom napping?" I asked her.
"She left early this morning and hasn't come back yet," the housekeeper replied.
That immediately set off alarm bells in my head. After getting Benedict settled, I tried calling Shirley.
But for some reason, I couldn't get through. Maybe it was the signal, or maybe she'd put her phone on airplane mode. Either way, it just kept ringing with no answer.
It was already past noon, and there was still no word from Shirley.
A sinking feeling crept into my gut as I dialed York. "York, have you seen Mom today?" I told him I couldn't reach Shirley.
"Stay put. I'll drive back right now," he said, urgency in his voice.
After hanging up, I tried calling Shirley again, but it was no use. Still nothing.
I waited in the yard, pacing, and when I saw York's car pull up, I rushed to meet him.
"What's going on?" York asked, his brow furrowed. "You're saying Mom left this morning when you arrived?"
"Yes," I replied, nodding. "I told her last night I'd be bringing Benedict today. If something came up and she had to leave, she would've let me know."
York immediately called the housekeeper to get more details.
I glanced at his empty car and asked, "Why didn't you and Dad come back together?"
"Dad left about half an hour ago for the airport. There's an overseas project that needs his attention. He should already be on his way there," York explained.
I frowned. Something wasn't right.
York kept asking the housekeeper for more information, but we weren't getting anywhere. We couldn't just keep waiting.
I suggested, "What if her phone's dead? Mom usually goes to the flower market, or she likes to take walks in the park. Shouldn't we split up and check those places?"
The housekeeper nodded. "Madam enjoys the flower market, and she often walks in the nearby park. As for her friends, there's only a few she keeps in touch with, like Mrs. Louis."
York instructed the housekeeper to check the flower market.
"I'll go check the park," I volunteered. "You handle Mrs. Louis."
"Alright. Stay in touch if you find anything," York said, before spreading the staff out to search.
York even called in his most trusted assistant to dig into Shirley's phone records.
By the time I arrived at the park, over two hours had passed since I realized something was off with Shirley.
With each minute that passed, my anxiety only grew. Shirley was still unreachable.
A terrible feeling gnawed at me, deep in my chest. Something was wrong—something that felt dangerously wrong. I feared Shirley might be in trouble.
I couldn't wait any longer. I had to call the police.