Chapter 550: It’s Enough To Never Meet Him Again
"Thank you, Wendy." Michael held onto Wendy’s hand and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
Wendy was about to speak when her phone rang.
It was a call from Rheinsville City and from a familiar number to Wendy.
She did not pick up immediately but looked over at Michael and announced, "It’s from Todd."
"How dare he calls!" Michael was in great spirits, and it was all ruined because of Todd.
He took Wendy’s phone and placed Todd on speaker.
Once the call got through, Todd immediately uttered, "Corrine, I saw the news about you."
"Mr. Lewis, I did not know that as a busy man, you had time to enjoy tabloid news," Michael spoke acidly.
Todd was taken aback to hear Michael’s voice on the other end of the line and was at a loss for words for a second.
Michael then sneered, "Mr. Lewis, have you come up with a good reason or excuse for removing Wendy’s clothes the other night?"
At Michael’s words, Todd subconsciously tightened his grip on his phone.
His heart pounded furiously.
"You..." Todd’s voice was shaking audibly. "You both know about it?"
"Are you admitting to it now? What a disappointment!
"I was all prepared to hear some pretty lies that you might weave into your explanation." Michael gritted his teeth as he hissed. "Todd Lewis, I could not imagine that you’d stoop so low and do such a thing.
"Did you think that if I believed that Wendy was violated by someone else, you would have a chance?"
"I’m sorry..." Todd’s voice over the receiver quivered.
He knew that the truth of this matter would be revealed someday.
"Sorry? Hah!" Hearing his apology, Michael simply hollered, "Todd Lewis, do you realize what great damages your handiwork had caused us?
"Wendy was having nightmares every night and often woke up trembling from those nightmares.
"She almost wanted to abort our child for fear that it was Clement’s!"
Whenever Michael recounted this, he shook.
Thankfully, he did not agree to let Wendy abort the child.
It was also a good thing that Wendy’s body was not suited for the surgery to abort the child.
Otherwise, if she learned of the actual truth after the deed was done, she would have lost her mind.
All these were a result of Todd’s lie.
"Actually, a few days ago, I..." Todd was not done with his sentence, but he swallowed his words.
Even if he shared with the couple that he wanted to reveal the truth to Wendy a few days ago, what meaning would that hold?
Whether Michael believed him or not, even his faith would hold no meaning.
It was no longer possible for him to remain friends with both of them.
Gripping tightly onto his phone, Todd closed his eyes.
Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes.
He regretted his actions. He sincerely wished that he had done things differently.
He did not even want to associate himself with doing such an underhanded thing.
Such a low act had been carried out by Todd himself.
He despised himself for it. How could he even dream of being forgiven by Wendy and Michael?
"I’m sorry. I really am sorry...," Todd uttered as he sniffed.
Without the guts to utter another word, he hung up.
Hearing the disconnect tone, Michael shook in fury while Todd sank to the floor after the call.
He sat with his hands holding his knees, sobbing.
...
"Did he just hang up on me?" Michael huffed and clenched the phone tightly in his fist.
Turning to Wendy, Michael emphasized, "Wendy, did you see that? Did he just hang up on me? The gall! How dare he!"
Wendy gently patted Michael on his back as though to comfort him.
Yet she did not know what to say at that point.
"How did he have the cheek to even call you?" Michael was incensed. "He acted like nothing had happened and tried to call you about those tabloid news.
"If not for the fact that we caught Clement, he might never tell us what actually transpired that night.
"You were so disturbed over what happened that night, and all he uttered was a mere ’sorry’?"
"He was really overboard with what he did," Wendy’s gaze remained on her feet as she spoke with a heavy heart.
She, too, was in disbelief that Todd would do such a thing.
Sighing gently, Wendy continued, "It’s in the past now. Don’t waste your energy on it. We now know the truth after all.
"Todd is in Rheinsville City while we are in Lake City. We’ll probably never meet again, so just let it go."
"Just let it go?" Michael shook his head, apparently unable to not dwell on the matter. He continued, "If not for him spinning such a major lie, you would not have spent so many nights enduring nightmare after nightmare.
"I cannot let this just pass. I must settle this score with Todd!"
"Just forget about it, Michael," Wendy responded helplessly. "After all, there was no concrete injury. We’re both fine now. It’ll be enough to never meet him again."
"Are you sure there was no concrete injury?" Michael replied. "Remember the thoughts you had when you went to see the gynecologist back then?"
"I..." Wendy bit her lip. She had been in utter despair back then.
"But the matter has passed. Moreover, Todd had helped me significantly in the past." Wendy was clear about repaying others for the help she received or responding in kind when one inflicted harm on her.
She continued, "Todd saw me through my most difficult days in Rheinsville City.
Let’s just call it even with the many years of gratitude I owe him. We’re just no longer friends from now on."
Wendy knew that Michael was outraged.
She squeezed his hand, and with tears falling from her eyes, she repeated herself, "After we take down Christian, let’s just enjoy our time together, shall we?"
Michael had no idea how Wendy pulled through those years.
Yet he could imagine the turmoil that she had to endure back then.
She had to care for the twins alone while working.
Not only so, for her to be this outstanding in design, he knew that Todd and Timothy Woods had supported Wendy heavily back then.
Michael had intended to avenge Wendy.
Yet, Wendy could not let go of the great help she received from Todd.
If Michael really laid his hands on Todd, she would be very uncomfortable about it.
Nonetheless, to put this matter aside was a high call for Michael.
"Let it go and let’s go home." Wendy retrieved her phone from Michael before putting on her seat belt and plastering a warm smile on her face for him.
Seeing Wendy’s smile made Michael’s anger subside significantly.
Sighing, Michael put on his seat belt and no longer spoke about the matter.
"Let’s go home." Michael pulled his lips back into a smile in response.
...
Once they arrived home, it was already past 10.
To Wendy’s surprise, the twins were still up.
Upon hearing the door open, Leah and Jake hurried over.
Once Leah spotted Wendy, she rushed up to her and threw her arms around her.
"Mommy, Daddy, you’re finally home! If you were any later, we’d be in bed!" Leah exclaimed.
Jake’s gaze fell upon Wendy and noticed the bloodstains on her clothes. Out of worry and concern, he asked, "Mommy, what did you get on you?"
Upon hearing this, Leah took a step back to study Wendy’s clothes and paled upon noticing the stains. "Mommy, why is there so much blood on you?"
"Ah, this isn’t blood..." Wendy explained. "It’s ketchup. I accidentally got some on myself."
"Oh, ketchup? How did you get so much on you? You must have been really clumsy, Mommy," Leah teased.
Jake, on the other hand, clearly did not buy Wendy’s explanation.
The reason why Jake stayed up was that his parents did not come to pick him up after school.
He had been greeted at the school door by Michael’s bodyguard.
Jake had seen that bodyguard before and recognized that he was one of his father’s employees.
For Wendy and Michael not to come pick him up was nothing out of the ordinary.
However, that day, Zess did not pick them up either.
Moreover, when they arrived home, no one was there.
At that point, Jake noticed that something was off.
When he called Zess, she told him that she was feeling unwell so she had gone to see a doctor and would return soon.
However, when Zess returned, she did not have a bag of medicines with her.
Jake had noticed how she did not seem unwell either.
When Jake checked in on her, she responded that it was a usual minor ailment and nothing serious.
As the bright child he was, Jake realized that something must have happened.
However, because they were children, none of the adults elaborated further.
So Jake stayed up, worried about Michael and Wendy.
He had even considered calling Wendy and Michael to ask them what had happened.
But from Zess’s calm demeanor, Jake knew that his parents were unlikely to be in any danger.
After much thought, Jake decided against making the call and merely waited quietly at home.
When he noticed the blood on Wendy’s body, he had been truly alarmed.
However, Wendy had claimed that it was ketchup, and the color of her face looked healthy as usual.
Jake was clear that Wendy had merely said that it was ketchup as an excuse.
Still, all that mattered to him was that his parents were fine.
With that, he was at ease.
He recognized that he was far too young.
Even though he knew about many things that were happening around him, he still could not help resolve any of them.
Therefore, he did not probe further into such matters.
"Mommy will be more careful in the future," Wendy assured Leah as she ruffled her hair lovingly.
Smiling, she continued, "It’s getting late, and you still have school tomorrow. Run along. Time for bed."
"Okay." Leah nodded. "Jake and I were waiting for you both to come home. Now that you both are, we’ll turn in."
Turning, Leah waltzed to her brother’s side, held onto Jake’s hand, and said, "Jake, let’s go to bed."
Jake nodded quietly.
"Would you like Daddy to tell you a bedtime story?" Michael offered Leah.
"No need. I’m all grown up now. I can put myself to bed," Leah responded, straightening herself in pride.
"You’re the best, Leah," Michael praised her.
