Chapter 18 At first , I didn't believe it . But when I clicked on the link my friend had sent and saw the message in Suzy's updates that read , I've known the other person for decades , what gift would be best ?, it finally clicked . In my mind , Suzy had very few friends The only man she'd ever known , aside from me , was Bernard . Naturally , this gift must have been for him . This must be her way of making amends , recognizing her mistake , and trying to make things right with a thoughtful gift . That thought brought a smirk to my lips . When that time came , I would make sure she never ran away from me again or spoke to me in that way . Just then , my phone buzzed . It was a call from Andrew . " Dad , is everything going smoothly on your side ? Have you found Mom ? Tommy and Thalia really miss her . They keep asking for her every day , and I'm worried it's starting to affect their mental health . " I'd been troubled by this , but now , with newfound confidence , I replied , " Everything's going smoothly , but your mom is still not in a position to return just yet . Have Tommy and Thalia wait three more days . I'll definitely bring her back after that Andrew said on the other end . " That's good to hear . Dad , make sure to teach Mom a lesson . She shouldn't be acting like this . The grandkids are still so young and need her to take care of them . " I nodded lightly . As I was about to hang up , I remembered something and added , " But she's still your mother . When you talk to her , be respectful . Don't make her angry again . I don't have time to keep smoothing things over . " Andrew quickly agreed , understanding what I meant Suzy's POV I was browsing online stores , searching for the perfect gift for Bernard , but nothing felt right . He was from such a powerful family , and with all the money he had at his disposal , it felt My Husband Staged Our Divorce to Mary His First Love 1/3 57.8 % 23:24 Mon , Aug 11 X silly to buy him something that could be easily replaced . Bernard had everything , so what could I possibly give him that would show how much I cared ? Then I came across a comment that caught my eye . It suggested : [ Based on your description , this person likely has a high status and doesn't really need anything . If your relationship is good , I think you could make something by hand for him . Winter's coming , so why not knit him a scarf ? It might be more practical than an expensive gift . ] That suggestion clicked immediately . Bernard didn't need another expensive trinket , and anything that money could buy was already within his reach . But a handmade scarf ? Now that was personal . It was something only I could give , something that came from my heart . It felt more meaningful , more sincere . The next morning , I went out and bought the materials to start knitting . I thought it'd be a great surprise , so I decided to tell him I'd stay in the city a few more days to enjoy its beauty . Birchwood , the city I was in , was by far the most beautiful part of Havendale , and Bernard would totally understand why I wanted to stay and soak it all in . I spent two days and two nights working on that scarf . Every stitch felt like a small piece of my care and attention going into the gift . By the end of it , I was so proud of what I had made . That evening , I sent Bernard a message : [ Are you free tonight ? I want to treat you to dinner . ] But then , in a moment of distraction , I realized I'd accidentally sent the message to Franco's secondary number . I stared at the screen , realizing I had made a mistake . It was too late to take it back . More than two minutes had passed , and I couldn't unsend the message . " Crap , " I cursed under my breath . I should've deleted all of Franco's contact details , but I hadn't . Now , this was the price I paid for not taking care of it sooner . Chapter 18 212 500 23.24 Mon , Aug 11 MARD Than A minuTAG Tan ngroom 57 % X I should've deleted all of Franco's contact details , but I hadn't . Now , this was the price I paid for not taking care of it sooner . Just as I was about to delete it , I got a message from Bernard : [ Do you have time tonight? Let's go out for dinner . ] I blinked , surprised . I hadn't expected Bernard to think the same way . I quickly opened his chat and replied : [ Sure , I was thinking about asking you to go out for dinner . ] His reply came quickly : [ Then I should've waited a bit to message you so that you could invite me first . ] A smile tugged at my lips . His words warmed my heart . After everything I had been through , Bernard was the only one who put me first and really valued me . Chapter 18