Sydney did not deny it. For three years, she had kept a spot in the closet just for that dress. Each year, she had it professionally cleaned and preserved. She had treasured it because she believed people married only once in a lifetime, and a wedding dress was something to keep.<\/p>\n
But now, they were divorcing. Knowing Caleb would likely bring his new love into this house soon after, that dress, like her, had become redundant.<\/p>\n
Sydney gave a faint smile. \u201cIt\u2019s ruined. I noticed the other day it has a huge tear.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven so, you can\u2019t just toss it like that.\u201d Caleb studied her forced smile, assuming she could not bear to part with it. \u201cTell you what\u2014I\u2019ll have someone from the boutique take a look. Maybe it can be repaired.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t bother.\u201d Sydney shook her head and met his eyes. \u201cSome things, once broken, can\u2019t be fixed.\u201d<\/p>\n
She was not just talking about the dress. She meant their marriage. Before he could say more, she turned and walked back inside.<\/p>\n
Watching her limp slightly, Caleb suddenly remembered. He hurried to catch up. \u201cWait, are you still hurt? It\u2019s been days. Why are you still limping?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018A little late, aren\u2019t we?\u2019 she thought mockingly.<\/p>\n
Sydney needed his guilt now. She lowered her eyes and answered plainly, \u201cIt was almost better, but last night I had to kneel outside the Sterling estate for four hours.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d Caleb stared at her and noticed her swollen, reddened palms. His pupils tightened. \u201cYour hands too?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney blinked. \u201cGot beaten.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her tone was casual, without a hint of complaint.<\/p>\n
Caleb frowned. \u201cWhy did you kneel for so long? And why were you beaten?\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not dare imagine the details. \u2018Isn\u2019t Sydney practically family to the Sterlings? How did one visit leave her like this?\u2019<\/p>\n
Sydney looked up, and for a moment, a memory of her younger self, eager to marry him, flashed through her mind. She had truly dreamed of growing old with Caleb. She stayed silent for a long moment, then smiled faintly. \u201cBecause you didn\u2019t come with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Frustration swelled in his chest. His throat tightened. \u201cYou\u2019re still smiling. Doesn\u2019t it hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does.\u201d Sydney nodded. \u201cBut I\u2019m used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsed to it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed her palm gently and spoke as if it was someone else\u2019s story. \u201cAnytime you don\u2019t come with me, something like this happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
This was not even the worst. Since childhood, whenever she stepped out of line, Eloise would punish her. That pebble-lined path in the Sterlings\u2019 courtyard was made just for her.<\/p>\n
Before she turned seven, Sydney already knew how to kneel perfectly\u2014knees aligned, legs straight, toes tucked\u2014to satisfy Eloise.<\/p>\n
Caleb crouched and lifted the hem of her dress. What he saw twisted his gut.<\/p>\n
Her knees were badly swollen, dark bruises blooming beneath. Her calves were mottled purple and blue, as if someone had painted her skin with cruelty. Against her fair complexion, the bruises looked even more painful.<\/p>\n
Compared to this, Penelope\u2019s lightly reddened knees were not even close.<\/p>\n
Caleb\u2019s anger surged. Without a word, he lifted Sydney into his arms and settled her on the sofa. His brow furrowed deeply. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you call me?\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sterling and Hampton families once stood as equals. Only recently, after Julian Sterling\u2019s ruthless reforms, had the gap grown.<\/p>\n
Still, Caleb\u2019s wife should not be treated like garbage.<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s eyes were clear. Her tone was gentle as she teased, \u201cYou said you had an emergency when you left. I figured it was important. Didn\u2019t want to bother you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Caleb was at a loss for words.<\/p>\n
For a moment, he thought, \u2018If I\u2019d known chasing after Penelope would cost this much, would I have gone?\u2019<\/p>\n
That thought lingered as he met Sydney\u2019s obedient, docile face. His chest tightened. He fetched the first-aid kit and began gently applying ointment. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sydney stayed silent. She wanted to be a good wife and daughter-in-law. She truly believed Caleb would be a good partner.<\/p>\n
To outsiders, the Sterlings were her family. What kind of woman badmouthed her family to her husband?<\/p>\n
Sydney was no fool, and Caleb had never loved her enough to make her feel safe doing that. She had always known he barely loved her. Only recently did she realize he had never loved her at all.<\/p>\n
It was good she had never depended on anyone\u2019s love to survive.<\/p>\n
Her fingers pressed lightly into her palm. Her voice softened. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to put you in a tough spot between me and the Sterlings. After all, Hampton Corp. still does business with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
She could not tell the truth. All she could do was lie with a perfectly sincere face.<\/p>\n
Caleb swallowed bitter guilt. Her consideration should never have been used against her.<\/p>\n
He took a breath, pushed down the bitterness, and gently ruffled her hair. \u201cI\u2019m sorry. I should have done better. And I forgot our anniversary too. Is there anything you want? I\u2019ll get it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm\u2026\u201d Sydney tilted her head and said in a light, steady voice, \u201cThen I want you to like the birthday gift I gave you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded. \u201cYeap.\u201d<\/p>\n
When she turned 20, Sydney\u2019s birthday wish was to marry Caleb. At 24, it was to leave him, cleanly and completely.<\/p>\n
For the briefest moment, as she met his sincere gaze, guilt flickered inside her. Then his phone rang. It was not the usual tone but a custom ringtone.<\/p>\n
Sydney saw the caller ID: Penelope.<\/p>\n
Caleb picked up, said a few words, and shot to his feet, his expression hardening. \u201cHow bad is it? Why didn\u2019t you have the driver take you? How\u2019d you twist your ankle just walking? Send me your location. I\u2019m coming now.\u201d<\/p>\n
He hung up, ready to leave despite not finishing Sydney\u2019s treatment. The cotton swab in his hand made him hesitate.<\/p>\n
Sydney reached out, took the swab, and offered him an out with practiced gentleness. \u201cI\u2019ll finish it myself. You go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
They said that the loudest child got the candy. In Sydney\u2019s world, crying only brought punishment. Still, she believed she would someday buy all the candy she wanted.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d Caleb looked visibly relieved. He added, almost defensively, \u201cPenny got hurt. She\u2019s out with the kid alone. I just want to check on her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he turned and left quickly.<\/p>\n
For some reason, Sydney called after him, \u201cPenny\u2026 Cal, why have I rarely heard you call her Penelope?\u201d<\/p>\n
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 7 Chapter 7 Sydney did […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-when-love-is-gone-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21990\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}