Chapter 412 A Mind in Turmoil
Susan was sitting in the office, her brain all scrambled.
The memory of dropping Hayden off at preschool was still fresh. If she left Seb, she'd never get to do that again. So today, when she said goodbye at preschool, she clung to Hayden's hand like it was a lifeline.
Hayden, all puzzled, asked what was up. Susan snapped out of it, let go, and said, "Hayden, you look so cute today. I just don't wanna let you go."
She remembered Hayden calling her silly, saying the sun would set soon, and he'd be back before she knew it. He promised they'd hang out after school.
Watching Hayden's tiny figure disappear into the preschool, Susan's eyes filled with tears.
Now she got why so many women stuck with loveless marriages and cold homes. They couldn't stand the thought of leaving their kids and wanted to give them a "complete" home.
Susan used to judge those women, thinking they were weak, dependent on men, and begging to keep a dead marriage alive.
But now, she understood. It wasn't that they didn't want out; they just couldn't bear to be away from their kids. Starting fresh meant dealing with the heartbreak of separation.
Susan was zoning out at her desk when a knock snapped her back to reality.
She looked up to see Isabella walking in with two cups of coffee. Susan quickly pulled herself together.
"Here, have some coffee. You look like crap today," Isabella muttered, setting a steaming cup in front of Susan.
"Thanks," Susan said, clutching the hot cup. The smell was comforting, and the warmth felt good on her cold hands.
Isabella sat down across from her, teasing, "Did you and Seb have a blowout last night?"
Susan knew she couldn't hide it, so she nodded. "Yeah, it was a big one."
But Isabella got serious. "Look, little fights can be good, but big ones can mess things up. Just let it go. Sometimes you gotta stroke their ego. When you get home, don't throw a fit. Be nice, and it'll blow over."
Susan thought, 'It's not that simple. In a few days, Seb and I might be done for good.'
"Are you even listening?" Isabella's voice cut through her thoughts.
"I'm not deaf. Of course, I hear you," Susan said, frowning.
Isabella propped her chin on her hand and said, "I think it's funny when Seb gets jealous."
"What are you talking about?" Susan asked, confused.
Isabella laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't notice. Seb was totally jealous of Derek last night. Didn't you see his face go dark?"
Susan suddenly got it.
No wonder Seb was so pissed last night and said all that nasty stuff. Was he just jealous?
But those words truly stung. She and Derek just bumped into each other and grabbed dinner. Even if it wasn't a coincidence, what's the big deal about having dinner and singing with a client? Did he really have to blow up and say all those hurtful things?
"He's just being petty," Susan grumbled.
Isabella chimed in, "Men are all petty, especially the successful ones. It means he cares."
"You, a single woman in your thirties, acting like you know men so well. Have you ever had a serious relationship?" Susan always pulled the single card when she wanted to shut down a convo, and it worked like a charm. Isabella would back off every time.
"I'm thirty, and even if I haven't been in a relationship, I've watched enough rom-coms to know the deal. But you, you've had more than one relationship and still act clueless. Hmph, I'm done talking to you. No more coffee for you next time." Isabella huffed and walked away with her coffee cup, clearly annoyed.
Watching Isabella's retreating figure, Susan couldn't help but smile.
Thinking about it, she'd been in three relationships, right? But she still couldn't handle any imperfections in her love life. Was she too picky, or were men just too unreliable?
Just then, Susan's phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and saw it was Catherine. Worried, she quickly picked up. "Mom, why are you calling now?"
Catherine knew she was swamped at work and usually didn't call during office hours.
Sure enough, Catherine's worried voice came through. "Susan, Dorothy's been acting really strange lately. She locks herself in her room, doesn't go out, doesn't answer calls, and keeps saying she doesn't want to live anymore. What should we do?"
Hearing this, Susan's head started to pound.
She knew Dorothy would be a mess after the divorce. With her personality, she'd definitely make a scene, but now she was eerily quiet, which was even more concerning.
"Mom, is she missing Amanda?" Susan asked.
"Of course she is. She went to the Thompson's to see Amanda a few days ago, but no one was home. She went several times, but no luck. Now she can't reach Henry either. She's in a lot of pain. She's been clutching Amanda's photo and even threw a fit and smashed things this morning. I think something's really wrong with her." Catherine's voice was breaking.
Hearing this, Susan thought for a moment and said, "Mom, I'll come over right away. Let's take her to see a doctor. Maybe a psychologist can help."
Susan felt that Dorothy's issue was psychological and decided to get her some professional help.
When she got to Dorothy's place, Catherine had everything ready and was trying to drag Dorothy out of the house.
Seeing Susan, Dorothy didn't react at all, like she didn't even see her.
In the taxi, Susan kept glancing back at Dorothy, noticing her empty eyes, distracted look, and the photo frame she was clutching, which had a picture of Amanda.
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