CHAPTER 155: CHAPTER 155: ARE YOU THINKING OF BREAKING UP?

Sheila Yardley’s smile froze, and she hesitated before nodding: "We’ve been having issues since before the New Year, haven’t been in touch for days."

"What’s wrong?" Shannon Quinn continued to ask.

Sheila sighed deeply and said, "Several things adding up. During the class reunion before the year-end, a senior from our department confessed to me, and he happened to see it..."

Erin Bishop couldn’t resist interrupting, "It’s not your fault, so why is he making a fuss?"

Sheila pouted, feeling a bit wronged, "Exactly, he wasn’t this petty before. I don’t know if it’s the stress from his work lately, but his temper is really bad. I didn’t accept that senior, and I explained right away that I have a boyfriend, yet he keeps fixating on this, no matter how much I coax him he’s lukewarm towards me. Later, I ran into Professor Lockwood at the hospital and chatted politely, and he got jealous again, asking if I favor Lockwood because he has more money."

"Have you noticed anything strange about him?"

Sheila thought for a moment and said, "He seems more irritable than before. Previously, if I angered him over minor things, saying a few kind words would make it go away. But this time, no matter what I say, he’s cold and indifferent; we didn’t even spend the New Year together, have hardly been in touch..."

"Is he thinking of breaking up with you?" Erin Bishop blurted out without a filter, her direct approach almost making her reveal Lynn Kendall and Ryder Griffin’s situation if not for Shannon Quinn’s earlier warning not to say anything.

Hearing the words "break up," Sheila was stunned as though that possibility had never crossed her mind; even now, as Erin pointed it out, she shook her head denying it, "Probably not, we’ve been together for many years, and had our fair share of fights. I suppose..."

"Elaine, sometimes men change, and when they want to break up, they usually won’t say it outright. They’ll hurt you in their way until you can’t take it anymore and propose to break up. There are many such cases, and you mentioned he’s different lately. You have to consider if he has another woman outside." Erin tactfully gave a reminder without saying it directly, suggesting Sheila pay attention to such matters.

Sheila seemed unwilling to think about that possibility, but her denial felt uncertain, "Probably not..."

Shannon Quinn interjected, "You can’t keep dragging on like this, if you get the chance, talk it out face to face."

Shannon was still hopeful that Ryder Griffin could come back, maybe he was just momentarily misguided by Lynn Kendall, especially with him on cold terms with Sheila, giving Lynn an opportunity to sneak in. If they could clear the misunderstandings, maybe Ryder could find his way back.

Ryder had always treated Sheila well, helping her out financially when Catherine Yardley was ill, perhaps his mood got sour just because of their argument, playing into Lynn’s hands.

Sheila nodded, "Alright, I’ll give him a call later."

"Hmm, don’t keep things hanging, be clear about whatever needs to be said."

After sending off Erin Bishop and Shannon Quinn, Sheila sat in a chair in the hospital corridor, absent-mindedly looking through Ryder’s number.

The things said earlier, she had never considered them. She thought her relationship with Ryder was stable, never considered breaking up, only thinking his work stress lately would pass in time.

Now she was a bit uneasy, indeed, never had this happened before, him not contacting her for so long, maybe he really wanted to break up?

Full of anxiety, Sheila dialed Ryder’s number.

Hearing the long "beep beep" sound, thinking it might auto-disconnect due to no answer, his voice suddenly came through: "What’s up?"

The two words blocked all of Sheila’s intentions to speak, the cold tone made her heart ache, she assumed calling him would at least calm him down somewhat over these days.

"... Are you still mad?"

"No."

Saying "no," yet his attitude spoke otherwise.

Sheila felt somewhat aggrieved as she believed she hadn’t done anything wrong, apologizing repeatedly with kind words, yet he maintained this attitude.

Could it really be as Erin Bishop said, he... wants to break up?

"Do you have time now? Can you come to the hospital?" she asked cautiously, speaking much more politely than before, as if afraid to trouble him, while he used to cherish her.

The line went silent for two seconds before his response: "Tomorrow."

Sheila wasn’t sure why he was postponing, growing more fearful in her heart, quickly adding, "Are you at home now? Could I come find you? Is that okay?"

Hearing her cautious tone, Ryder felt uncomfortable, turning to see Lynn Kendall lying on the bed seductively, hesitated for a moment, then told Sheila, "I’ll come find you."

After hanging up, he returned to the bed and picked up his jacket.

Lynn Kendall, in a spaghetti strap dress, sat up from the bed and asked him, "Darling, where are you going?"

Ryder didn’t reply, picked up the car keys from the bedside, and headed towards the door.

Lynn quickly rose and followed him to the door, rubbing against him asking, "What are you doing?"

Ryder frowned, feeling a bit impatient, pushed her aside, coldly throwing out, "You should go home today."

"I’ll wait for you here."

Ryder hesitated for a moment, but said nothing, seeming internally troubled, and slammed the door as he left.

The hospital at night had stark corridors and was somewhat desolate.

When Ryder arrived, he easily spotted Sheila sitting in a chair in a daze.

Seeing her at that moment, all his complicated emotions surged forth.

Heartache, guilt, yet also a strange defiance against someone.

It had been half a month since he’d seen her, she had clearly lost weight, originally not plump, now even more pitiful.

Glancing down to notice his black shoes enter her view, Sheila suddenly lifted her head, seeing him, and all her grievances and unrest instantly overwhelmed her, feeling her nose sting with tears she dared not shed in front of him.

"... You’re here." In a moment she didn’t know what to say, carefully afraid of saying anything wrong to upset him further.

Ryder made a sound of acknowledgment and sat next to her, face tense and silent. Sheila swallowed and asked him, "... Are we going to keep this up?"