CHAPTER 173: CHAPTER 173: MOVING OUT

Shannon Quinn permitted Simon Rhodes to spread the news of their divorce to the media, but did not mention a word about the child.

She would bear the brunt of the disparaging remarks herself, not wanting the child to be dragged into it.

The news stirred up quite an uproar online, but divorce did not bring any forgiveness; most comments were adding insult to injury.

However, the hype is always temporary; it will likely calm down in three to five days and return to tranquility.

"Ding dong—" The doorbell rang just as Shannon Quinn was tidying up the room.

Aidan Lockwood had mentioned on the phone earlier that he would come over, so Shannon Quinn was not surprised when someone knocked on the door.

She quickly set down what she was doing and got up to open the door.

"Mr. Lockwood, you’re here so early?"

"I happened to be passing by, so I came early. Is the child asleep?"

Shannon Quinn stepped aside to let him in, nodding her head: "Just fell asleep."

"Tired?"

"Not really. The baby doesn’t fuss much, just eats and sleeps." Shannon Quinn said as she poured him some water, "Make yourself comfortable, the house is a mess with the baby around, don’t mind it."

Aidan Lockwood sat on the sofa, chuckled, and said, "It’s all good, don’t fuss over it, no need to be so formal with me."

Shannon Quinn placed the teacup in front of him, seated herself in the single armchair nearby, and asked Aidan Lockwood, "What’s up, Mr. Lockwood, coming over in person?"

"Didn’t you mention you wanted to transfer to another city?"

"Yes, can it be arranged?"

Aidan Lockwood laughed, "Isn’t it just a matter of my word? Eldoria Sechi intends to open a branch in Southedge with us, if you think it’s suitable, you can transfer there."

"When would that be?"

"Whenever you’re ready. This month, you can go at any time."

"I’d like to go ahead and find a place to live first."

"Don’t worry about that. The company will definitely arrange a dorm for you. Just go over."

"Alright then, give me another week to handle some matters and pack up things."

She wasn’t sure if her decision was impulsive; she wanted to find a place where she knew nobody, to start a new life with a different mindset.

Yet, she couldn’t quite recognize the slight reluctance she felt towards this city.

Before leaving, Shannon Quinn still made time to visit Catherine Yardley at the hospital.

After Catherine Yardley’s surgery, Shannon Quinn had been getting updates about her condition from Sheila Yardley. Fortunately, the kidney donor came in time, which was a narrow escape.

Catherine Yardley had moved to another ward, and Shannon Quinn hadn’t visited before. After inquiring at the nurse’s station, she found out her current ward number.

Following the nurse’s directions, she was almost at the ward when she saw Sheila Yardley in the corridor.

She didn’t immediately greet her, but instead stopped and squinted to clearly see the man standing in front of Catherine Yardley, her brows furrowing in confusion.

It was Caleb Grant.

How were they connected?

The keen Caleb Grant noticed Shannon Quinn’s arrival, glanced her way, and soon Sheila Yardley followed his gaze and noticed Shannon Quinn, appearing slightly flustered.

Soon after, Caleb Grant said something to her softly and left first.

"Shannon," once Caleb Grant was slightly away, Sheila Yardley greeted her, "Why are you here?"

Shannon Quinn stepped forward and, instead of answering, asked: "What did he want from you?"

Sheila Yardley stammered as she explained, "I just happened to run into him. Didn’t he help with my brother’s matter before? So we greeted when we met and chatted a bit."

Shannon Quinn looked at her with some doubt. It wasn’t hard to see from Sheila Yardley’s evasive gaze that she was hiding something, but Shannon didn’t press further, instead reminding her: "People like them aren’t as straightforward as they seem, don’t get too involved, and don’t easily trust what they say."

This was a lesson she learned from Vincent Rhodes. Perhaps he had his own dilemmas, but she had indeed been fooled by him.

The games of high society aren’t for ordinary people to play.

Though Caleb Grant hadn’t done anything to harm Sheila Yardley yet, his inexplicable help several times naturally raised suspicion.

Sheila Yardley guiltily avoided looking into Shannon Quinn’s eyes, merely smiled nonchalantly, nodded, and obediently said, "I got it."

"How’s Aunt been lately?"

"Recovered very well, the doctor said she could be discharged next week."

"Is the money still enough?"

"Um... My brother borrowed some from friends, so we’re okay for now."

She lied. They were actually short on surgery costs, and it was Julian Yardley who pooled funds from friends. But the post-surgery expenses were all covered by Caleb Grant.

She wanted to refuse Caleb Grant’s help, but she couldn’t manage to gather that much money at once; anyways, she owed him a large debt already. She could only slowly repay him by working later.

As if afraid Shannon Quinn would ask more and expose some flaw, Sheila Yardley immediately changed the topic: "Mom’s been asking about you a lot recently. After learning you had a child, she’s been concerned about the child’s situation. Others might think you’re her daughter."

Shannon Quinn chuckled lightly, lowered her eyes to the ground, and said, "Then just treat me as your sister."

After saying that, she pushed open the ward’s door and walked in.

Catherine Yardley was resting, and Sheila Yardley walked ahead to wake her: "Mom, look who’s here?"

Catherine Yardley opened her eyes, and upon seeing Shannon Quinn, she immediately smiled and made an attempt to sit up from the bed. Sheila Yardley assisted her slightly, helping her sit up against the headboard.

Shannon Quinn looked at Catherine Yardley; she was indeed recovering well, her complexion better than before, and she looked more spirited.

"How have you been feeling lately, Aunt?" Shannon Quinn asked after a few seconds of silence.

The address "Aunt" slightly startled Catherine Yardley, causing her a bit of melancholy, but she quickly accepted reality. No matter what, Shannon Quinn was concerned for her, and she should be happy.

"Much better now. A few more days and I can be discharged. It’s like I got a second chance at life," Catherine Yardley paused and cautiously asked, "How about you?"

"Not bad."

"The baby is doing well too, right? Is it a boy or a girl? Why didn’t you bring him along?"

"Oh, Mom, so many questions, how can Shannon answer them all?"

Catherine Yardley smiled embarrassedly, worried Shannon Quinn might find her bothersome. But Shannon Quinn answered, "He’s a boy. My friend is watching him at home, so I didn’t bring him out."

"When I’m discharged, can I go see him?" After asking, Catherine Yardley worried her request might put Shannon Quinn in a difficult position. Shannon hadn’t answered yet, but she quickly explained, "I don’t mean anything else. I just think you’ve helped us a lot and often come to see me, so..."

Shannon Quinn understood Catherine Yardley’s explanation and smiled, saying, "I’m moving the day after tomorrow to Southedge, so don’t worry about it. Just focus on getting well."