Chapter 172 Henry Has Been Waiting for Her!
The next day, in the Montague Group's conference room, Henry was running the shareholders' meeting.
The vibe was super tense when, outta nowhere, the door swung open. Celeste rushed in and whispered to Henry, "Grace left from Evergreen City with her fam. Their flight's already in the air!"
Henry totally lost it.
He just stared at the table, zoned out, then mumbled, "Where'd she go?"
Celeste answered, "Vesper City!"
Henry remembered some dude named Brent in Vesper City who had a thing for Grace and had chased her before.
He leaned back a bit, trying to keep it together, and told the Montague Group folks, "Sorry! Meeting's on hold for half an hour."
Everyone knew Henry was a workaholic who never let anything mess with his schedule.
As Henry got up to leave, people started whispering, "Bet it's Mrs. Montague who left! When else have you seen Mr. Montague lose his cool?"
A senior employee sighed, "Henry's a business whiz, but he sucks at family stuff."
Henry went back to his office, stood by the big window, and started dialing Grace's number, but all he got was a message saying it was invalid.
Henry pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips.
Celeste, standing behind him, softly said, "I checked. Grace changed her number. The old one's canceled!"
Henry was floored.
After a bit, he slowly pulled out a lighter, lit the cigarette, took a drag, and in a hoarse voice, inquired, "Did she say anything about me when she left? Any message? Even a few words, even a few letters."
"No!" Celeste choked up a bit.
Celeste had been with Henry for years and couldn't help but feel for him. "I'll help you track her down. We'll find her!"
Henry didn't say a word. He took a deep drag, his fingers shaking.
When the cigarette was almost gone, Henry's voice was barely a whisper. "Celeste, you see, she didn't leave me a single word, just took Taylor and split. It shows she still hates me! Last night, I lost it and kissed her. She must be grossed out by me, she must hate being around me, so she left without a word!"
He went on, "I haven't treated her right, haven't made it up to her, and she just left like that!"
"If I find her, how do I face her? Celeste, do you think she'll still hate me, still run when she sees me?" he asked.
Celeste didn't know, and she couldn't know.
Henry gazed out the window, his voice gravelly. "A couple of years back, I lied to her, said I was into her. She said finding that kind of love again would take ages. Celeste, if I lay off, let her do her thing, do you reckon one day she'll recall how she used to dig me? Not hold a grudge, not point fingers, and maybe consider coming back to Evergreen City. Then, just maybe, she might say, 'Henry, long time no see.'"
Celeste cried.
Henry took a moment to stub out the cigarette, then looked at the ash and softly said, "Resume the meeting!" Then he turned and walked to the door.
His back was still perfect.
When he ran the meeting, he kept it top-notch, like Grace leaving hadn't fazed him.
But only Celeste was aware of the fresh ache in Henry's heart, a wound named Grace.Grace took off, and Henry didn't go after her.
Just like he told Celeste, he gave her the freedom she wanted, let her live her life.
Henry slowly got used to it—used to life without Grace, used to not having Taylor around, and he had to get used to no news or words from them. Sometimes he thought Grace was cold-hearted, just leaving like that.
Time flew by, spring turned to fall, and it was almost October.
In the Montague Group president's office, Henry was behind his desk, buried in paperwork. The afternoon autumn sun slanted through the floor-to-ceiling window, casting him in a strikingly handsome light.
The door creaked open. He knew it was Celeste and asked, "The golf thing with Mr. Carter at four, still on?"
Celeste didn't say anything. She walked over and dropped a manila envelope in front of him.
Henry looked up at her. After a moment, it hit him, and his nose tingled. "Is it from her?"
Celeste nodded and said yes, then left.
The door closed softly.
In the big office, Henry sat there, feeling all sorts of things.
After a long time, he opened the envelope.
Inside were scattered photos of Taylor. There were pics of her sleeping, sitting in a stroller munching on an apple, and learning to walk—taking two steps with a face full of surprise and pride.
Taylor looked great, with delicate features, just like Grace.
Henry looked at all the photos, over and over, but Grace wasn't in any of them. He leaned back in his chair, feeling a bit lost.
After a while, he opened a saved photo on his phone.
A 21-year-old Grace, lying on the pillow.
Henry stared at it for a long time, suddenly remembering today was Taylor's birthday, and also Grace's day of suffering.
He pressed Celeste's extension, his voice rough. "Cancel the thing with Mr. Carter."
Celeste guessed why and agreed.
Henry hung up, looked at the photos again, then put them in his suit pocket, grabbed his coat, and left work early. When he got up, the cufflinks on his white shirt gleamed—the same pair Grace had bought him.
At four in the afternoon, he got back to the villa.
The housekeeper saw him and quickly opened the car door, concerned. "Mr. Montague, you feeling okay?"
Henry waved his hand to show he was fine.
Walking into the hall, the housekeeper was setting the table, and he paused and said lightly, "Make a few more dishes tonight, and bake a small cake."
The housekeeper remembered what day it was and quickly got to it.
Henry went upstairs and walked into the bedroom, gently touching the small crib.
The crib had never been moved. When Grace left with Taylor, Taylor couldn't even sit up, and now she could walk. Maybe she could even say a full sentence. Did she still remember Henry?
Henry looked up, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Later, he went to the walk-in closet. Most of Grace's stuff was still there; she only took some clothes. All the jewelry was still there.
The longer she was gone, the more he missed her.
That night, Henry sat in the dining room, blowing out the birthday cake candles alone. He missed Grace and Taylor at the empty dining table.
Henry wondered when they would come back.
Later, Henry moved to Tranquil Heights.
Years passed, the roses at Tranquil Heights bloomed and withered, but he never got any news from Grace.
Later, Henry wasn't sure if he stayed single because he was waiting for Grace.