She stayed in her hometown for over ten days, each day filled with messages and calls from Cedric, full of excuses about why he couldn’t make it.
Dione played along, not wanting to confront him.
As the day of her appointment with Dr. Pierce approached, she packed up and made her way back to Cedar Ridge.
She didn’t tell Cedric she was returning, she didn’t owe him that, and instead, went straight to his studio to collect her things.
When she arrived, Ophelia was already there, sitting in Cedric’s usual chair, a coffee cup in hand. Her legs were crossed arrogantly as she barked orders to the employees around her.
Dione’s face darkened instantly as she strode toward Ophelia, knocking the coffee cup out of her hand with a sharp motion.
“Is this how you usually waste time? Making everyone else carry the load—what’s the point of you being here?” Dione demanded.
Ophelia, flustered and caught off guard, was about to retort when she noticed Cedric coming out of the room. In an instant, she switched tactics, feigning hurt and rushing to apologize.
“Sister Dione, you’ve misunderstood...”
“I wasn’t slacking off. I’ve been working nonstop and just finally got a moment to breathe.”
Cedric quickly stepped forward, grabbing Dione’s hand with a pleading expression.
“Wife, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? I would’ve picked you up from the airport.”
Dione shook his hand off and walked into the office without a word, her steps deliberate and cold.
Dione’s gaze swept across the office, and her brow creased without her even realizing it.
Every detail of this space, once carefully chosen by her, had been replaced. The mural that had once been elegant now depicted a playful cartoon, and the ornaments on the desk had morphed into tiny pink houses.
Cedric, who had followed her in, noticed the shift in her expression and quickly offered an explanation.
“The staff thought my office was too dull, so they redecorated it for me.”
“If you don’t like it, I’ll throw it all out.”
Dione turned to him, her hand extending with a quiet demand.
“Where’s my ‘Dina’? What have you done with it?”
Cedric seemed to snap to attention, his eyes scanning the room as he hastily searched. After a moment, he spotted it, tucked away in a box in the corner.