She Won't Forgive - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

The people inside froze when they saw Camila standing at the door, their faces draining of color. Noel stiffened the moment he noticed Camila.
Without so much as glancing at anyone in the room, Camila walked in slowly, her face blank. She stopped right in front of Noel and said coldly, "You were the one who chased me like your life depended on it.
"The one who got down on one knee and proposed under the stars. That's the only reason I said yes to the engagement. So if I'm a desperate leech, what does that make you?"
Noel's face instantly darkened.
Camila paused and then calmly added, "A pathetic simp?"
His expression instantly turned ice cold.
The others exchanged awkward glances, sneaking peeks at the two of them without daring to say a word. The room was dead silent.
Camila thought, 'So this was Luke's reason for texting me—just to let me see how worthless I am in Noel's eyes.'
After all, Noel's friends had never respected her. In their eyes, Shirley was the only one worthy of Noel.
Shirley glanced at Camila with a troubled look, frowning slightly. "Cami, don't take it the wrong way. Noey didn't mean it like that."
"And who the hell asked for your opinion?" Camila shot back without hesitation. "Noel and I are still engaged. You're a married woman.
"Yet you're having your already-engaged ex take you to a prenatal checkup, making out with him like no one's watching. What's next? Are you gonna take it to the bedroom—"
"Enough," Noel cut in sharply. "Don't make it worse than it already is. Do you have to make a scene?"
Camila sneered inwardly, 'A scene? Who's the one making a scene here? I caught my fiancé cheating, and I'm not even allowed to question him? Or does he think he's perfectly justified?'
Clearly, Noel thought the latter. He said, "I don't know how you found out I went with Shelly to the checkup, but there's a reason.
"Shelly just lost her husband, just returned to the country, and doesn't know how the medical system works here. As a man, there's no way I could let her handle this alone."
Camila asked just one question, "So, are you planning to take care of her kid too?"
"Of course," Noel replied without hesitation.
Utterly disappointed, Camila felt completely numb. She tilted her head back, fighting to keep the tears from falling.
She thought, 'So it's true love, huh? It's enough to make a proud man like Noel willingly play the stepdad. Since that's the case, I'll do them both a favor.'
Right in front of Noel, Camila raised her hand, the one still wearing the engagement ring. Locking eyes with him, she carefully slid off the ring that she once treasured like her life, and tossed it onto him. "Fine. I'll make it easy for you."
Noel's expression changed instantly. He reflexively caught the ring and snapped coldly, "Camila, what the hell are you doing?"
Camila's gaze was unwavering. "Isn't it obvious? Here's your ring back. We're done." Without sparing another glance at anyone in the room, she turned around and walked away.
Watching her walk away so decisively, Noel suddenly panicked, like something precious was slipping right through his fingers. He instinctively called after her, "Camila."
But Camila didn't even flinch. She left the room without looking back. The room went dead silent, as if time itself had stopped. No one dared to move.
After a long time, Shirley cautiously leaned closer to Noel, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault. I'll go explain things to Cami—"
"This has nothing to do with you. She's just being dramatic," Noel snapped impatiently, then glanced at the ring on the table, his tone certain. "She'll come back after she's done making a scene."
Noel naturally assumed Camila was just throwing a tantrum like always.
He thought, 'How many times have we broken up and gotten back together? Hasn't Camila always been the one to come back and apologize?
'This time will be no different. No one knows better than me how much she loves me. There's no way Camila would really leave me.'
Outside Midnight Mirage, Camila was still trembling from the surge of emotions.
She stood by the entrance for a while, waiting for the storm inside her to calm down. Then, wiping away her tears, she took out her phone and booked a ticket out of Emberwick.
When Noel dropped Shirley off and returned to Springside Villa, it was already past ten. The house was quiet. Only the housekeeper, Maria Hanson, was still up.
"Welcome home, Mr. Anderson," Maria greeted, glancing behind him. "Ms. Bateman didn't come back with you?"
Noel paused on the stairs and turned to look at Maria. "She's not back yet?"
"No," Maria replied.
With a cold tone, Noel continued upstairs and said, "Let her throw her tantrum. Just leave her be."
Maria could tell right away they must've had a fight. She thought to herself, 'Ms. Bateman has such a good temper. I can't believe Mr. Anderson still manages to argue with her.'
Noel worked in his study until almost eleven. He glanced at the clock, then at the door, frowning.
Normally, around this time, Camila would've brought him a glass of milk. Even on days like today, when they fought and she didn't come home, she would still have the housekeeper deliver it. But tonight, there was nothing—like she had simply forgotten all about it.
Noel grew impatient. He pushed open the door and happened to see Maria about to head off for the night.
"She's still not home?" he asked, naturally referring to Camila.
"No," Maria replied, following the usual pattern of their couple's quarrels. "Maybe Ms. Bateman won't be coming back tonight."
"What about the milk?" Noel asked.
"Huh?" Maria blinked in confusion. "What milk?"
Noel's expression darkened. "Nothing." He turned and went back to his room.
But the next morning, when he didn't see his clothes, perfectly paired and freshly ironed, hanging where they usually were, his face turned even gloomier. He immediately called Maria over and asked, "Where's my outfit for today? Why isn't it ready?"
"Ms. Bateman always prepared your clothes herself. Since she didn't come back last night..." Maria trailed off when she noticed the storm brewing on Noel's face.
She thought, 'Ms. Bateman used to take care of everything for him, down to the smallest detail.
'Even when he went on business trips, she'd give his assistant a list of reminders to make sure everything was ready. Now that she's gone, Mr. Anderson must be feeling the difference.'
In the end, Noel had to pick out his own outfit before heading out.
His foul mood, already bad enough, hit its peak the moment he arrived at the office and took a sip of the unsatisfying coffee. The young secretary who brought it looked like she was about to burst into tears.
Tyrell Lawton, Noel's assistant, heard the commotion and immediately pushed open the office door. "Mr. Anderson, the coffee you usually drink was always made by Ms. Bateman.
"Today's the weekend. Most of the staff are off, and Ms. Bateman didn't come in either. The secretary didn't know how you like it, so..."
With a loud bang, Noel slammed the cup onto the floor, fury written all over his face. "Ms. Bateman, Ms. Bateman—is she the center of the damn universe now? Does the whole world stop spinning without Camila?"
Tyrell froze, not daring to utter another word.
Noel, pissed off beyond words, didn't even bother with the coffee anymore. He grabbed his files and stormed into the conference room.
Tyrell quickly turned to the secretary. "What are you standing around for? Clean this up. Now." Then, pulling out his phone, he fired off a message to Camila: [Ms. Bateman, this is urgent. Please come back to the office. Mr. Anderson needs you.]
But even after ten minutes, there was no reply. Camila, who usually replied instantly when it came to anything related to Noel, didn't even leave him on read.
Tyrell frowned and thought, 'That's weird. Did she not see it?'