CHAPTER 456: CHAPTER 456: MADWOMAN

In the supermarket, Simon Rhodes pushed the shopping cart, carefully browsing the shelves with Susan Wilde.

"Simon, do you think this is cute?"

Simon glanced at the baby clothes she was pointing at and smiled slightly, "Aren’t these for girls?"

Susan took the box down, examining it closely, and said, "Baby clothes aren’t divided by gender. Besides, how do you know I’m not having a girl?"

Simon didn’t argue with her, just chuckled and nodded, "If you like it, then buy it."

Susan put the pink clothes into the cart and asked him, "Be honest, do you have a preference for boys over girls?"

Simon: "Girls are great, especially if she looks like you."

Susan skeptically observed his expression and, seeing no insincerity, turned and continued walking, "I actually hope for a boy."

Simon: "Oh? Why?"

She said, "Girls easily get bullied; I want to have a son I can teach to care for girls properly in the future."

Simon tightened his grip on her hand a little and joked, "Who would dare bully my daughter?"

Susan turned to look at him, released his hand, and walked backward, smiling at him, "You have a point, husband."

Simon: "Watch where you’re going."

No sooner had he spoken than a person suddenly emerged at the end of the aisle, grabbing Susan and accusing her, "You wicked woman! Where are you hiding Shawn?"

Susan was completely startled, and Rowan Alder pushed her against the shelf. Some items dropped down, and Simon rushed forward to catch the large box of baby gift sets falling over Susan’s head with one hand and pushed Rowan away with the other.

He asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Leaning against Simon, Susan shook her head, a bit shaken, "I’m fine."

Only then did she realize that the disheveled, haggard woman was Rowan Alder.

After regaining her balance, Rowan tried to pounce again but was restrained by security personnel who arrived in a hurry. A woman who seemed to be a manager rushed over, "Where did this crazy woman come from? Get her out and call the police!"

Rowan continued to shout some unsavory words, and Susan could only catch that it was related to a child, without understanding what had happened.

"Are you two okay?" The manager stepped forward to ask, noticing they were in the maternity section and grew concerned thinking Susan might be pregnant.

Simon looked anxiously at Susan, who just smiled and shook her head, "I’m fine."

"It’s good if you’re okay, we’re really sorry."

"No problem, you should get back to work."

"Alright, let us know if you need anything."

Rowan was taken away, and the onlookers quickly dispersed. Staff organized the fallen items, but Simon still felt uneasy, "We should go to the hospital for a check-up later."

Susan was slightly exasperated, "She just grabbed my arm, no bruises or abrasions, it’s not that serious."

Simon: "I would feel more at ease if you got checked."

Susan knew there was no point in arguing, so she didn’t say much else, just muttered, "How can such an old issue still come looking for us?"

Simon pondered and asked, "You don’t still have contact with Shawn, do you?"

Susan rolled her eyes at him, "Do you think I’m crazy to stay in touch with him?"

Simon: "As long as there’s no problem."

Susan: "But I am a bit curious about what happened, how did Rowan Alder end up like this?"

Simon: "No matter how she’s ended up, she shouldn’t come and cause you trouble. I’ll have to talk to Shawn, and if he can’t handle it, I will."

Susan looked in the direction where Rowan had been taken away and said softly, "Forget it, there’s no point in us getting involved since nothing really happened."

"Then you can’t go out without me from now on. Just hang out in the yard with Shannon and the others."

Susan: "You’re exaggerating. You’re making pregnant women sound too delicate. My grandmother used to say she still cut wood on the mountain when she was pregnant with my mom."

"That was then, and this is now."

"I find it hard to reason with you. Later at the hospital, let the doctor lecture you thoroughly."

...

Shawn received a call from the police station but didn’t go in person. He just sent someone to bail her out and take her home.

"Miss Dixon’s mental state isn’t good, she looks very haggard. Perhaps you should go see her."

Shawn sat on the sofa, lowering his eyes as if contemplating something. After a few seconds, he spoke, "I understand, you can go."

Shawn drove to the place once known as home and frowned as he pushed the door open.

The place was a mess; all the shoes from the shoe cabinet were thrown out, and all the porcelain decorations on the cabinet by the door were smashed on the ground, not a single one intact.

Dried blood drops could faintly be seen on the floor.

The leather sofa looked like it was slashed, without a single intact spot.

The TV lay smashed into pieces on the floor, next to a defaced wedding photo of them, scribbled all over with a black pen, obscuring their faces.

The purple-red liquid from shattered wine bottles on the floor was nearly dried up...

Clearly, this had been going on for some time.

Pushing open the bedroom door, he heard the sound of tearing fabric.

He saw her sitting on the floor with disheveled hair, randomly cutting clothes from the cabinet with scissors.

Some belonged to him, and some to the child.

The room was almost piled with irregular shredded cloth, as if she was using this method to vent her anger and resentment.

Frowning, Shawn looked at her, feeling somewhat oppressed by the sight.

Rowan slowly turned to look at him, her expression initially vacant. Then she set down the scissors, stood up slowly, and looked at him cheerfully, "Shawn, you’re back? Are you tired? Hungry? I’ll make you something to eat."

Shawn kept a straight face, watching her approach.

Seeing his silence, Rowan’s smile gradually faded, and she cautiously frowned at him, "Are you still mad? Please don’t be angry, okay? I know I was wrong, I won’t dare again. I’ll listen to you from now on, okay?"

Observing her unstable mental state, Shawn couldn’t tell if she was acting or truly insane.

She walked barefoot out of the room, broom in hand, beginning to sweep the cloth strips on the floor, murmuring to herself, "It’s so messy, so dirty. Shawn likes things clean and won’t be happy seeing this."

As she swept, she suddenly paused, crouched down to pick up a piece of children’s clothing on the floor, staring at it in confusion, then mumbled, "Why are there baby clothes? Where did the baby come from?"

Speaking, she opened the bedside drawer and wardrobe, searching everywhere, kindly calling, "Baby, don’t hide. Come out, okay?"