The Wasted Ten Years Chapter 06
Shannon found herself thinking back to the time she had spent with Jude.
After they had achieved success their careers, the first thing they did was get married
She and Jude had been childhood sweethearts. They had both lost their parents at a young age, and they had supported each other through every hardship to reach where they were today.
Jude always remembered everything she liked.
He even put her wishes first when it came to having children.
“Shannon, if you don’t want kids, we won’t have them.”
At that time, neither of them had planned to start a family, and for the first few years of their marriage, they remained childfree.
It was not until Shannon was twenty-seven or twenty-eight that she suddenly changed her mind.
“When we get older, Jervis Group will need a successor. Otherwise, after everything we’ve worked for, there won’t be anyone to inherit what we’ve built.”
That was what she had told Jude back then.
Besides, they had never been against having children, so they decided to let nature take its course.
However, neither of them could have predicted what happened next.
Jude fell seriously ill and had half of his stomach removed.
The illness stemmed from years of drinking when he was younger. If he had not undergone the surgery, the condition could eventually develop into cancer.
After that, Jude’s health gradually worsened.
He could no longer handle strenuous activities, and his doctor also advised them against having children.
Shannon felt powerless, while Jude could not bring himself to accept what he had become.
During that time, his depression repeatedly returned.
Shannon remained by his side, supporting him emotionally and constantly fearing that he might lose the will to live.
Over time, she became exhausted.
She no longer wanted to walk through the door every day and see Jude’s gaunt face, nor did she want to see the forced smile he struggled to put on.
As time went on, Shannon came to see Jude as a hypocrite, and she forgot everything he had sacrificed for her.
She forgot that he had lost half his stomach because of her.
She forgot that without him, Jervis Group would never have become what it was.
She forgot that he had been the reason she was able to turn her life around.
Shannon closed her eyes and eased Micah’s arms away from her.
Micah felt a pang of jealousy when he noticed how distracted she was.
“Shay, are you still thinking about Jude?”
Shannon quickly denied it.
“I was just thinking… maybe we should have a baby. If we have a son, what should we call him? Or if we have a daughter…”
Her voice trailed off as the memory of having the same conversation with Jude while they dreamed about their future together flashed through her mind
Micah instantly brightened when he heard her say that.
“I don’t care if we have a son of a daughter. As long as the baby takes after you, I’ll be happy. The child can take your last name, and whatever name we choose will sound wonderful.”
Shannon watched how readily Micah went along with her and found herself wishing Jude could be the same.
In truth, she had never really intended to divorce Jude. She had only hoped it would make him more compliant.
For an entire week, Micah stayed by her side.
Meanwhile, Jude never sent so much as a single text.
In the past, no matter how fiercely they fought or how harshly they spoke to each other, Jude would always check on her in the
end.
This time, however, he seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
Shannon could not shake the feeling of unease, so she called the housekeeper to ask about what was happening at home.
“Mr. Stafford moved out a long time ago.”
The answer caught her off guard.
“What about his things? He didn’t take them with him?” she asked.
“Mr. Stafford said there was no need to keep them. He said you could handle them however you wanted, Miss Jervis.”
Shannon tightened her grip on the phone as a dull ache spread through her chest.
She did not even know what she was worried about. All she wanted was to go home and see for herself.
