Silent Dreams Never Die — Author: John Miller 397
Awakened Housewife: Ignore Betrayer’s Begs
Chapter 397 A Midnight Call
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He had never once answered her question, though.
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Even though she’d often be sore for a day or two afterward, she always prioritized his pleasure. Even when clearly uncomfortable, she went along, letting him explore and take what he wanted.
Dreaming of all this now, Vincent felt as if he were drowning, weighed down in deep water, lacking the strength to push back to the surface. He struggled in his sleep, his breathing growing labored, until he jolted awake with a start.
The suffocating heaviness slowly receded, but it left behind a hollow, aching emptiness. His hand moved instinctively to the other side of the bed, finding only cold, undisturbed sheets.
He and Scarlett hadn’t shared a bed often, yet in that moment, the loneliness felt acute and
strange.
The room was dim. Vincent stared into the darkness, the pressure on his chest refusing to lift. He rolled over, and the sudden glow of his phone screen caught his eye.
Driven by the persistent ache inside, he picked up the phone and, without overthinking it, dialed Scarlett’s number.
It rang twice before she answered. It was past two in the morning, yet she’d picked up so quickly.
Vincent didn’t dwell on why. He just lowered his voice, softening it. “Were you asleep?”
Her reply was cool and distant. “What is it?”
The contrast to her old, attentive self was stark. She sounded like a stranger.
Vincent cleared his throat softly. “When will you be back? Maybe we could get a meal together sometime?”
“No need,” she refused flatly.
Hearing her tone, Vincent tried again, quicker this time. “Vanessa was asking for you. She wants to go see the snow, said she wants to build a snowman with you.”
Scarlett didn’t understand what he was playing at, but her answer remained firm. “I’m studying
exams. I don’t have time to go out and play.”
for
my
With that, she seemed ready to hang up.
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Chapter 397 A Midnight Call
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But before she could, a distressed sound came from beside her–Claire, thrashing in the grip of another nightmare. She frowned in her sleep, crying out a terrified “No!”
Seeing this, Scarlett didn’t bother ending the call. She simply set the phone down and rushed over, her voice shifting to one of concern. “Claire? Claire, it’s okay. I’m here.”
On his end, Vincent held the phone, listening. A strange sense of relief washed over him, hearing she was with Claire. Yet, he found himself unwilling to hang up.
Hearing the soft, worried cadence of Scarlett’s voice soothed that hollow feeling inside him, made it a little more bearable. He pressed the phone closer to his ear and, almost without thinking, the words slipped out, low and raw. “Scarlett… I miss you.”
Meanwhile, after hanging up the phone, Scarlett went to check on Claire. She was having another nightmare, murmuring heartbreaking words under her breath.
Scarlett was focused on calming Claire, stroking her hair and whispering reassurances until her friend’s breathing evened out and she sank back into sleep.
Only then did Scarlett remember the phone. Picking it up, she was startled to see the call was still connected–the timer showed they’d been on for over twenty minutes.
After a stunned moment, she brought it to her ear. “Vincent?” she whispered tentatively.
On the other end, Vincent, who had been listening to the quiet sounds of her movement, responded instantly, his voice oddly gentle. “Yeah. I’m here.”
His tone threw her off. It held a softness she couldn’t place, leaving her feeling disoriented. After a pause, she said, “If there’s nothing else, I’m going to hang up.”
Vincent, afraid she would, spoke quickly. “It just feels like it’s been a long time since we just… shared a meal.”
But as the last word left his lips, the distinct dial tone buzzed in his ear. She had already hung
Scarlett, after saying she would end the call, had moved the phone away. She hadn’t clearly heard his final sentence at all, only a muffled sound of him speaking.
Vincent lay on his side in the dark, staring at the now–black screen. A vague sense of loss settled over him, his thoughts drifting aimlessly.
Almost unconsciously, he opened his text messages and scrolled to his thread with Scarlett. He kept scrolling up, through a dense history that served as stark evidence of her once unwavering
devotion.
The more he read, the more he felt the finality of her change.
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Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer’s Begs
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