Chapter 614 A Timely Help

When Anne got home, Yancey wasn’t there. Meryl had left, too; the house was completely empty. Anne was focused entirely on Bella. She carefully placed Bella on the bed and called Yancey. The call still wouldn’t connect.

Thinking about the argument with Yancey that morning, Anne felt helpless. She hadn’t rested the whole night, and after all this, her nerves were at their breaking point.

“Forget it,” she thought. She lay down on the bed, planning to catch up on sleep. When she woke up, it was already noon, and Bella was crying loudly. Anne guessed the baby was hungry. She started feeding Bella while absentmindedly rubbing her temples. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized it was already 2 p.m. She hadn’t even had breakfast yet.

As she passed by Yancey’s room, she couldn’t resist stepping inside to take a look. Yancey was a neat freak. His room was clean and tidy, with the bed perfectly made. On the desk sat several thick stacks of books, all medical-related, covered with dense notes. She’d heard he’d won a national scholarship this semester. Anne’s gaze swept around the room until it landed on an empty corner. Yancey’s suitcase was gone. She froze, needing a few seconds to process it. Quickly, she opened the closet and found that several of Yancey’s clothes were missing, too.

“He… just left without saying a word?” she thought to herself. Anne pressed her lips together, shaking her head helplessly. A strange sense of loss crept into her chest. This was their first argument. She hadn’t expected him to storm off after just one fight. Shaking her head again, she thought, “Why can’t we just talk things through? He’s an adult. How can he still act like a child?”

Feeling frustrated, Anne closed the closet doors and sat down in the living room to calm herself. She had always assumed that as long as she was willing, Yancey would never leave. But she had been wrong. Yancey wasn’t communicating. He wasn’t answering her calls. Was this… the silent treatment? It took her a full 20 minutes to snap out of it. Yancey was gone, but life had to go on.

Bella’s cries broke through Anne’s thoughts. She rushed over, picking up her daughter and soothing her. Taking care of the baby alone was overwhelming. She couldn’t even find time to eat, and everything felt chaotic. Just as she was struggling to cope, there was a knock at the door. Holding the still-crying Bella, Anne went to open it.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“We were sent by Mr. Paltrow,” the man at the front said. He was a butler, followed by two maids. One of the maids saw Bella crying, immediately washed her hands in the bathroom, and gently took Bella from Anne’s arms. The other headed into the kitchen, seemingly preparing to cook.

The butler explained, “From now on, the two of them will stay here to take care of you and Bella’s daily needs. Mr. Paltrow has already covered their salaries.” With that, he nodded politely to Anne and turned to leave. The maid holding Bella changed her diaper and started playing with her using black-and-white flashcards. Within minutes, the other maid had brought food to the table.

“There isn’t much left in the fridge. I’ve prepared something simple for now. Once I finish cleaning, I’ll go grocery shopping.” Anne, starving, grabbed a fork and began eating. Dante’s help was something Anne didn’t want to accept, but she couldn’t deny how much she needed it right now. This nanny had been taking care of Bella before, and the baby was already comfortable with her. With the two women handling the chores, Anne finally felt some relief.

After finishing her meal, she picked up her phone and called Dante. He answered quickly. “Has my gift reached your heart?”

Anne’s tone was cold. “I’ll pay them myself. I don’t need you covering their wages.”

“Still trying to cut ties with me?” Dante chuckled as if he had expected this. “Don’t do it for yourself, then. Do it for my daughter. But if you’re feeling generous, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind being paid double.”

Anne was about to hang up.

“I heard that pretty boy moved out of your place,” Dante added. “What’s the matter? Did he get what he wanted from you and then leave?”

Anne narrowed her eyes. “Dante, if you licked your lips, I bet even you’d be poisoned by your own venom.”

Unfazed by her jab, Dante laughed. “I’m the only one who’s truly sincere with you, Anne. Yancey isn’t right for you. You’re not even compatible. You two will never work out.”

Anne said nothing and hung up abruptly. She realized she didn’t know much about Yancey at all. His school, his major, his age—those were all she knew. She didn’t even know where his family lived. Now, even if she wanted to find him, she wouldn’t know where to start.

Early in the morning, Meryl returned to the orchestra and noticed people pointing and whispering about her. She ignored them, went back to her dorm to drop off her things, slung her cello over her shoulder, and headed for the classroom. With only a few days left until the composition competition, she walked with her earphones in, listening to a variety of music, hoping for inspiration. Classical and pop tracks alternated in her ears. Just as she neared the classroom, someone abruptly yanked her earphones out.

Meryl turned to see Christine standing there. Christine, who had locked her in the concert hall that day, had been detained for half a month by the police and had just been released yesterday. Fresh out, she’d heard about the online drama. Christine sneered, “Meryl, I heard you’ve been accused of plagiarism?”

Meryl gave her a cold glance and extended her hand, signaling for her earphones to be returned. Christine lifted her chin arrogantly. “What are you so smug about? If the plagiarism claims are confirmed, it won’t matter whose protege you are, you’ll be kicked out of the orchestra and blacklisted in this industry.”

Meryl chuckled. “Christine, you probably don’t know this yet, but right after you were taken into custody, your father came groveling to my husband to plead for you.” She paused, looking Christine up and down. “He’s not young anymore, and you’re making him worry like this? How do you even sleep at night? Instead of keeping a low profile, you’re still…”

Her words left Christine speechless. Christine opened her mouth, but no words came out. Frustrated, she stomped her foot and walked away. Meryl watched her retreating figure and shook her head. Whoever had orchestrated the online smear campaign and used Casey for publicity, it clearly wasn’t Christine. Meryl thought this woman lacked the brains. She was just a loud, clueless bully.