Whispers Turn

The car door slammed shut, and the engine roared to life a Gilbert pulled away.

He dropped his hand from the steering wheel for a moment to glance in the rearview mirror, catching the fading figure of his girlfriend. A bitter smile crossed his face.

Sorry?

Oh, the irony. His girlfriend, always uttering those three words because of her ex–boyfriend!

It dawned on him then–he didn’t matter to her at all.

Was Edgar really that great? Every time he showed up, Sherilyn only had eyes for him!

As the evening came around, Gilbert checked his phone. It was disturbingly quiet–no missed calls, no messages. Nothing from Sherilyn all day!

The frustration bubbling inside him couldn’t be contained any longer. He scrolled through his contacts and dialed a number.

On the other end was Yates Elliott. “Mr. Gilbert? What’s got you calling today?”

“Cut the chatter. Where are you guys hanging out tonight? Alright, got it.”

After hanging up, Gilbert grabbed his car keys and left his office, leaving Sherilyn behind–she clearly didn’t need him.

Without him around, she was probably having the time of her life, right?

Sherilyn had been waiting at the front gate for 20 minutes, yet there was no sign of Gilbert.

She couldn’t help but wonder, was he not coming at all?

Considering their spat that morning, it was possible. But he could have at least given her a heads–up instead of just leaving her hanging like this.

Pulling out her phone, Sherilyn dialed his number, but it went unanswered until the call automatically disconnected.

Sighing, she decided to head back to Sunset Ridge Community. Lately, she hadn’t spent much time with Jenna anyway.

With that thought, she began walking towards the bus stop.

But after a few steps, she hesitated. Gilbert could afford to be upset, but she couldn’t risk

179

* What if she angered him? What about Jenna then?

Taking a deep breath, then another Sherilyn tried to calm herself and sent him a message. Didn’t see you, so I’m heading back to Golden Oak Manor on my own

own!

Afterward, she took the bus to Golden Oak Manor.

That night after a shower and lying in bed, Sherilyn checked her phone again. Still no message from Gilbert.

Such a big man, but so sensitive.

After drying her hair, she went downstairs for a glass of water and couldn’t help but recall the scene she had witnessed during the day. Had she seen wrong?

The girl with Edgar looked a lot like Yuna Martin. But she couldn’t be sure, since she had only met Yuna once before.

She had wanted to get a closer look, chasing after them…

Should she call Edgar to ask? But on what grounds? How should she even phrase it? Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Torn, Sherilyn couldn’t decide.

Suddenly, everything went dark, and a dizzy spell hit her hard, her heartbeat racing.

It must be the side effects of the medication!

Closing her eyes, she hoped the feeling would pass…

But this time, it only got worse.

What to do?

Feeling overwhelmingly sick, Sherilyn grabbed her phone and dialed Gilbert’s number.

One ring, two rings.

But the call ended without him picking up.

As the dizziness and palpitations overwhelmed her, Sherilyn collapsed to the floor… On the other end, Gilbert returned from the bathroom and checked his phone.

He saw Sherilyn’s message and the missed call. A smirk played on his lips–back to Golden Oak Manor, huh? She even called him?

Yates, sitting nearby, saw everything. “Your wife’s made the first move. Take the hint and go back to her.”

“Go back?” Gilbert pocketed his phone with a scoff. “Why should I? Am I that easy to manipulate?”