Chapter 676 Phoebe Passed Away!
Landon rushed Katelyn to the hospital in a hurry.
After the doctor checked her out, he confirmed it was acute pneumonia. The doc, who knew Landon pretty well, couldn't help but give him a piece of his mind, "How'd she catch a cold in this weather? Seriously, Landon! No matter how big your business is, you gotta take care of your family."
Landon couldn't really explain. He couldn't admit that Katelyn wasn't his kid and that Phoebe didn't give a damn about her. All he could do was force a bitter smile and say, "Got it."
The doctor scribbled down the hospitalization order and said, "She needs to stay for about three days, get an IV if needed, and if everything's good after that, she can go home."
Landon nodded, expressing his gratitude before handing Katelyn back to the maid. He then moved to handle the admission paperwork himself.
As he was about to leave, the doctor casually asked, "Where's Phoebe? Why isn't she here?"
Landon gave a faint smile and replied, "Busy, I guess."
The doctor thought of the rumors and sighed lightly, not asking any more questions.
Landon finished the admission process.
The room was a cute little pink suite, a super VIP children's ward.
The maid was really fond of Katelyn. Gently, she kissed the baby's face and silently expressed her gratitude that Landon cared so deeply for Katelyn, despite not being her biological father. The maid thought maybe Landon had some issues with his sexual function.
After the nurse finished her tasks and left, the maid coaxed Katelyn to sleep, gently patting her. Then she saw Landon standing by the window, looking all pensive and lost in thought.
After much hesitation, the maid finally spoke up, "Mr. Carter, don't worry. There's a remedy from my hometown that works wonders for men's issues! I'll go back and get it for you during the holidays. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Landon was taken aback, then understood. He didn't turn around or explain, instead, he said calmly, "Thank you."
Hearing this, the maid felt a surge of emotion. She couldn't help but say, "Once you're better, get along well with Mrs. Carter. I'm sure you'll have kids in the future! You're such a good person, God wouldn't be so unfair."
Landon lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. "Really? Am I a good person?" he asked.
If he were good, how could he have slept with a girl for three years without taking responsibility?
Seeing his expression change, the maid realized she had crossed a line and didn't dare to speak further.
Night fell.
The maid stayed at the hospital to take care of Katelyn, while Landon went back to the villa to get some things. As soon as his car entered the villa, the maid at home was startled and lowered her head. "Mr. Carter."
Then she raised her voice and called out, "Mrs. Carter! Mr. Carter is back."
Landon was about to go upstairs when he paused. Under the bright crystal chandelier, his face showed a hint of gloom. The faint sounds coming from upstairs made him understand why the maid was so flustered.
Someone was in the house!
Landon turned slightly, glanced at the maid, and sneered, "It seems you've forgotten who pays your salary! Pack your things and get out tonight!"
The maid was one of Phoebe's confidants, brought from her family. She moved her lips and said, "Mrs. Carter won't agree!"
Landon's sneer deepened. "Did she get my permission to bring someone home?" he said.
Hearing this, the maid was stunned.
She assumed Landon was aware of the situation and would always protect Phoebe's dignity. She didn't expect him to disclose it so readily.
Landon couldn't be bothered with her and slowly made his way upstairs. The closer he got to the main bedroom, the more obvious the sounds became, increasingly clear and intimate.
It even reached a frantic pace.
Landon walked slowly to the door. He was sure the people inside heard his footsteps but didn't stop, which meant Phoebe was doing it on purpose to show him.
No matter what, Katelyn was her child. Now that Katelyn was hospitalized with a fever, Phoebe, as her mother, still had the mind to do such things with a man!
Landon thought to himself, 'Back then, I genuinely wanted to build a life with her.'
Maybe he couldn't forget Caitlyn for a while, but he had his limits in marriage. He never expected Phoebe to be so unrefined, and she certainly didn't know he had installed surveillance in the bedroom.
Thinking of this, Landon calmly pushed open the bedroom door. Sure enough, the couple inside was in the throes of passion.
The first sight was quite a shock to Landon. He never imagined that Phoebe's body could be so stunning or that her expressions in bed could be so alluring.
He looked at the entwined couple and calmly said, "Sorry to interrupt. I'm just here to get some clothes. You can continue."
The young man was scared and wanted to leave.
But Phoebe clung to him, provocatively staring at Landon. "Landon, do you feel nothing at all?" she asked.
Landon was heading to the closet and replied indifferently, "No! If you insist I feel something, it's disgust."
Hearing this, Phoebe went crazy. She forcefully broke free from the young man's arms and threw a pillow at Landon. "Landon, are you even a man? You just stand there watching your wife sleep with someone else, and you feel nothing?" she shouted.
The pillow hit Landon and fell to the floor.
Landon bent down and picked it up, placing it back on the bed. He managed a faint, almost sardonic smile as he remarked, "Did you even consider that you're my wife before doing these things?"
He didn't want to say more to her and went to the closet to get some things. When he came out, the young man had already left.
Phoebe had put on a sexy silk nightgown. Seeing him come out, she knelt and hugged his legs, crying sadly. "Landon, I just love you too much! I can't stand you seeing her! I swear I won't find anyone else again. Let's live well together, okay?" she said.
Landon looked down at her. Her forehead still had the sweat of passion, yet she was confessing her love to him.
Even though Landon had been wild and playful in his youth, this declaration still shocked him. How could Phoebe's love be so absurd and degrading? Did she even know what boundaries and shame were?
Landon tried to pull away but couldn't, so he simply kicked her away. Phoebe lay on the floor, crying and begging him not to leave.
Landon straightened his clothes and said, "First, Katelyn is in the hospital because of you. She has acute pneumonia, and you are here having sex with your lover! Second, from today on, I won't come back, and Katelyn won't come back either. You won't see her again. I'll take care of her."
Hearing this, Phoebe was stunned. Tears streamed down her beautiful face as she murmured, "But she's my child! Landon, you want to take my child away?"
Landon's voice was icy. "Did you ever treat her like your daughter?"
His mind was made up. He grabbed his luggage and quickly went downstairs. Phoebe clutched her nightgown and hurried after him, but she tripped and fell. The maid rushed to help her and shouted at the door, "Mrs. Carter has fallen!"
But Landon didn't look back and left.
Three days later, Katelyn was discharged, and Landon took her to another villa.
Phoebe showed up to make a scene, even bringing Briana to demand Katelyn. Landon and Briana talked in the study for a few minutes. When they came out, Briana slapped Phoebe and shouted, "Slut!"
Phoebe covered her face, not daring to speak.
Briana's face was grim as she said, "You've disgraced the Cole family. You better beg Landon for forgiveness!"
Hearing this, Phoebe burst into tears.
Several burly maids were hired to throw the delicate Phoebe out. They spoke rudely, "We get paid by Mr. Carter, not to sit around! Whether you're Ms. Carter's biological mother or not, you can't see her without Mr. Carter's permission."
Another maid added insult, "You must have been caught cheating by Mr. Carter."
Phoebe raised her hand to hit them, but these maids were not delicate ladies; they quickly threw her out the door. The previous maid had stayed behind and, with a few words, made Phoebe's scandal clear yet discreet.
Phoebe couldn't sway Landon. She sincerely wanted to reconcile, but Landon was heartless. She had no choice but to continue drinking.
She found one lover after another, each of them bearing a slight resemblance to Landon.
She started spending large sums of money on these young men, buying expensive watches and sports cars. Every time the accountant brought the bills to Landon, he was nervous.
Yet Landon didn't even bat an eye. This small amount of money was nothing to the Carter family, and he didn't care at all. He always signed off without hesitation.
Two years later, on a regular workday.
Landon left work early, eager to spend some quality time with Katelyn. He intended to surprise her with a kids' meal, something she loved and often envied her friends for having.
As he got into the car, the driver, seeing his good mood, smiled and said, "Only Ms. Carter can make Mr. Carter this happy!"
Thinking of Katelyn, Landon smiled slightly and said, "She's quite the troublemaker!"
The driver started the car and agreed, "My grandson is at that age too, very naughty, much more so than Ms. Carter!"
Landon said, "You always praise her! You better buy her some ice cream later."
The driver readily agreed.
The car had only been driving for a while when Landon's phone rang. Seeing Phoebe's number on the caller ID, he furrowed his brow slightly.
It had been two years. At first, Phoebe would occasionally call, unwilling to give up on reconciliation, but Landon's decision was unchangeable. Eventually, she stopped hoping and focused on her young lovers. Landon had heard she was doing quite well this past year.
Why was she thinking of him now?
Landon thought for a moment and answered the phone. But it wasn't Phoebe's voice; it was a middle-aged man. The man said, "Is this Mr. Carter? Mrs. Carter was in a car accident an hour ago and urgently needs surgery. We need you to come sign the consent form."
A car accident. Landon squinted slightly, feeling nothing, but he knew they were still legally married and he had to sign the form. He then asked for the location and had the driver take him there.
The driver, having heard bits and pieces, asked, "Did something happen to Mrs. Carter?"
Landon placed his hand on his knee and said calmly, "Yes," then added, "She was in a car accident."
Hearing this, the driver said no more.
Being close to Landon, he knew a lot about their marital issues.
Twenty minutes later, Landon arrived at the hospital.
Phoebe's condition was critical; even surgery might not help. Landon learned she wasn't alone; her young lover was in the car too. However, the young lover was already dead.
Phoebe's life was hanging by a thread as she lay on the white hospital bed, her pupils nearly dilated. Only when she saw Landon did she show any sign of life.
She seemed to want to sit up, but her bones below the waist were all shattered. She could only look at him weakly as tears slid down her cheeks.
Landon stood by her bed, surrounded by her parents and family, all too afraid to speak because Phoebe's affairs with her lovers were well-known.
But Landon was very calm and said, "I've signed the consent form. The surgery can start soon."
Hearing this, Phoebe shook her head. She struggled to breathe, staring at Landon for a long time before gathering the strength to speak, "Landon, after all these years, do you still hate me?"
Landon knew she didn't have much time left. So he said calmly, "Actually, I've never hated you."
Hearing this, Phoebe wasn't comforted; she was even more heartbroken. In her final moments, she spoke her truth, "Because you never loved me, so you don't hate me, right? Even when I had a child with another man, you didn't hate me. Should I say you're magnanimous... or that you never cared about me or our marriage?"
The Cole family was shocked.
Landon asked them to leave. Once they were gone, he looked at the dying Phoebe and said, "I've asked the driver to bring Katelyn."
Phoebe's eyes widened as she glared at Landon, saying, "Landon, I hate that name! Katelyn, Caitlyn... Why does my own child's name belong to her? You think about her every day, dream of being with her again, don't you? Landon, you don't hate me, but I hate you!"
However, Landon didn't care. He looked at Phoebe with a softened expression, tinged with a hint of pity, and spoke gently, "Back then, you and I were quite similar—neither of us knew how to love; we only knew how to have fun. Later, I learned what love was, but the person I loved couldn't be mine, so I chose to let go. Then I met Caitlyn. I liked her, and it was only after losing her that I realized I could truly love someone."
He continued, "Yes, I chose the name. Because I miss her! Anyway, you didn't want Katelyn. You didn't care what she was called or how she was, right? I'm more merciful than you; before you die, I'll let you see her, or rather, let her see you. But Katelyn's memory is limited! I think she'll forget your face. She'll remember the nanny, the teachers, and every gentle woman around her, but she won't remember you."
Landon spoke gently, turning Phoebe's greatest mistake into a knife and stabbing it into her heart. He continued, "In my heart, Katelyn is my and Caitlyn's child. She has little to do with you! Actually, I've never told you that I don't care about physical matters. Otherwise, I wouldn't have liked Caitlyn after so many flings."
Phoebe's eyes closed slightly, her heart breaking.
The maid brought Katelyn over, but they only had time for a brief meeting. Not wanting Katelyn to witness such a scene, Landon quickly took her away. As he expected, Katelyn didn't recognize Phoebe lying in the hospital bed.
Phoebe died at nine that night.
Landon gave her a grand funeral, but he didn't plan to bury her in the Carter family cemetery. Instead, he found another good plot, considering they were once married.
The Hawkins family had ties with the Carter family, and Amara was Landon's former subordinate.
Amara received the call saying she needed to go to Boston. At the time, she was drinking juice with Caitlyn. After listening to the call, she slowly put down the phone and softly said, "Phoebe has passed away."
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