Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret - Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Brad's eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably as he listened to her words.
Right now, Sally looked exactly like she did three years ago, just before being sent to prison.
Back then, she entered in tears, completely shattered, fixing him with that same icy glare.
But now, her eyes held nothing beyond that iciness, utterly devoid of any other emotion. Not even a shred of affection for Brad remained.
Sally glared coldly at Brad and snapped, "If you dare slander me again, I swear I won't let you off either."
"Sally, you—" His voice trailed off, choked with anger.
Before Brad could finish, Sally jabbed a finger toward the door and cut him off. "Leave. Now. Before I lose my patience."
Brad seethed with rage at her reaction. But in the end, he didn't stay. He just turned and walked out.
Sally watched Brad's retreating figure with narrowed eyes, her hands at her sides involuntarily clenching into tight fists for a brief moment.
No sooner had Carlos left than Abigail showed up. Seated at her consultation desk, Sally noticed Abigail leading Lillian into the clinic.
Abigail jabbed a finger toward the door and snapped, "Why is that jerk back again?"
Before Sally could say a word, Carlos suddenly interjected, "Miss Nell, Lillian's here. Watch your mouth."
"Did I say anything wrong? He's a total jerk." Abigail glared at Carlos and snapped, "Men are all the same—good-for-nothings."
Carlos interjected anxiously, "No, don't drag me into this."
"Did I say your name? Why so quick to assume it's you? Afraid people won't realize you're just like the rest—" Abigail sneered.
"Look, I am a man, but that doesn't make me a jerk." Carlos glared at her. "Keep talking nonsense and I'll call the cops on you."
"Seriously, Sally, does that even sound like a reasonable thing to say?" Abigail shot Sally a look of disbelief, her tone dripping with annoyance and surprise.
Brad's arrival had put Sally in a foul mood, but as she listened to Carlos and Abigail bicker back and forth, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Sally grinned and said, "You two keep at it. I'm knocking off early today to take Lillian out for dinner." Sally grabbed her bag and took Lillian by the hand, heading for the clinic door.
Abigail shot Carlos a glare, then hurried after her. "Hey, wait up."
As Sally and the others walked out, Carlos called after them, grumbling, "So you're all just going to leave me here to pull a late shift by myself? Seriously, that's cold, guys."
Earlier that day, Sally planned to take Lillian out for dinner, so she asked Abigail to pick up the child and meet her at the clinic.
After dinner, it was already well past eight.
After tucking Lillian into bed, Sally went downstairs for a glass of water. Abigail was still in the living room.
As Sally came downstairs, Abigail glanced up from her game and said, "Hey, a longtime client reached out today. His floor vase, about 4.3 feet tall, got smashed and needs fixing. It's a pretty tough job. He wants to know if you're up for it?"
Sally never expected a job to come her way so soon. She hadn't worked on a floor vase this size in ages. Restoring it would take both time and expertise.
Besides, she was planning to start a social media channel, and documenting the restoration process of such a massive vase would definitely help her attract a ton of followers, a real boost for her channel down the line.
"Sure, take the job for me. Have them deliver it here later,' said Sally.
"You're really planning to fix it at home?" Abigail looked up, curiosity and confusion written across her face.
"Yeah," Sally said, pointing upstairs. "I'm planning to clear out the attic and set up a temporary crystalware studio there. That way, even if I'm working late at night, it won't disturb you guys."
"Sure thing. I'll contact the client tomorrow and have him deliver the vase here." Abigail nodded.
"Thanks," Sally said.
Sally gave a slight nod, then headed up to the third floor. She tidied up the attic—a quick but necessary task—and by the time she finished, it was close to midnight.
The next morning, the massive floor vase Abigail had mentioned was delivered to Windmere Estates.
Sally and Abigail struggled mightily to haul the massive vase up to the attic.
An enormous challenge only fired up Sally's competitive spirit.
For the next few days, Sally worked at the clinic during the day and devoted her evenings to restoring the vase. Though swamped with work from dawn till dusk, she found the routine deeply fulfilling.
For a full week, Sally immersed herself in this routine. There was no word from either Brad or Jaxon, and everything remained remarkably peaceful.
On the evening of the eighth day working on the vase, Sally's client reached out, saying he wanted to stop by and check on her progress.
Since he was a longtime client who had met her before, Sally agreed to have him come to Windmere Estates.
The client arrived just as Abigail was taking Lillian out for a walk.
Just as the client was about to leave, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"I'll go check downstairs. Please, take your time looking around," Sally said.
"Okay," the client said.
Sally went downstairs and opened the front door, only to freeze momentarily when she saw who was standing there.
Jaxon stood at the doorway, hands casually tucked in his pockets—his posture relaxed yet exuding an aloof, commanding presence.
Sally paused for a moment before asking, "Mr. Zale? What brings you here?"
Jaxon was about to respond when footsteps suddenly echoed from the stairs behind him. At the same time, a man's voice called from upstairs, "Sally."
Jaxon looked up at the sound and saw a man about his own height coming down from the second floor.
The newcomer had a refined, almost classical air that complemented Sally's graceful demeanor perfectly.
'It's only been a week,' Jaxon thought, a hint of jealousy flickering in his eyes, 'and there's already another man by her side? The second floor is all bedrooms.'
The client shot Jaxon a brief, indifferent glance, then brushed past him toward the door.
Before leaving, he glanced back at Sally and said, "I'll be going now. I'll drop by again another time."
Sally gave a slight nod and smiled. "Sure."
The client had barely left when Sally found her view blocked by a towering figure.
Before Sally could even look up, Jaxon stepped in close, grabbed her by the waist, and pinned her firmly against the wall. With a swift motion, he kicked the main door shut behind him.
The loud slam echoed through the entire house, making the air tense and electric.
"Who the hell is he?" Jaxon's deep voice growled from above Sally's head.
Pinned against the wall, Sally couldn't budge. As she looked up, her eyes locked with Jaxon's—his gaze was a tempest of cold fury that sent shivers down her spine.
"Just a client," Sally blurted.
"A client?" Jaxon's brow furrowed instantly, his voice edged with suspicion. "You brought a client into your home?"
Only then did Sally realize that Jaxon still didn't know about her side gig in crystalware restoration. He only knew her as a traditional medicine doctor. No wonder calling someone a client sounded so inappropriate.
"Yes." Sally wriggled free from his embrace and started walking toward the second floor. She deliberately changed the subject, asking, "Mr. Zale, what brings you here so unexpectedly?"
Jaxon followed her upstairs. "I came to see Lillian."
Sally paused mid-step on the spiral staircase. "That's really too bad. Abigail just took Lillian out for a walk. They probably won't be back for about half an hour."
Jaxon said nothing and made his way upstairs.
"Mr. Zale, upstairs is just bedrooms. Why are you going up there?" Sally asked, her tone wary.