Chapter 682

Jenny's reasoning was flawed. She began by cursing Skylar, only to end up begging for mercy. This wasn't a soap opera; Skylar wouldn't be swayed by her pathetic display. Skylar switched off her phone, got in the car, and drove toward Pearlhall Residence. Gloria was about to be discharged, and she and Joe planned to visit her after work.

Jenny lay in bed, lamenting her ignored text and suffering from a raging fever. Skylar shouldn't have ignored her, regardless of the circumstances, should she? Jenny took three days of leave to recover. Howard was her only visitor; Joe didn't show, and Rowan, despite posting daily Instagram stories (which she couldn't have missed), pointedly ignored her.

"I did nothing wrong," she declared. "Why can't you all treat me as you did before?" Would things be different if Skylar and Minerva hadn't entered her life?

Unexpectedly, she encountered a traffic jam. Stuck for half an hour, Skylar glanced at the road ahead; they were completely stationary. She wouldn't reach Pearlhall Residence anytime soon. She called Joe, who consoled her and urged her not to panic. Perhaps the other drivers had lost patience after waiting so long.

As the cars finally began to inch forward, a loud crash sounded. Skylar's car had been rear-ended! The car lurched forward, her head hitting the steering wheel. Dizziness and ringing ears overwhelmed her. A concussion? Someone knocked on her window, gesturing for her to open the door.

Skylar braced herself before exiting, struggling to maintain her balance.

"Call a traffic cop," she said.

Skylar called emergency services; she needed a checkup. Her phone was snatched from her hand. Before she could react, she was yanked into a neighboring car and a needle plunged into her arm. She lost consciousness before she could fight back.

Jeremy arrived home early, at 5:50. He carried a cake. Natalie was surprised. "You…" she murmured. How had he thought of a cake?

Jeremy set the cake down, his expression calm, as if nothing unusual had happened at the airport. "Today's our wedding anniversary. Have you forgotten?"

Natalie froze. "Wedding anniversary?" she asked.

They had been married for a year. Perhaps because of their long acquaintance and prior relationship, Natalie felt as though they'd been married much longer. Only a year had passed, yet she'd forgotten.