His Secret Wife Was My Best Friend Chapter 11

His Secret Wife Was My Best Friend Chapter 11 Room To Begin Again

Benedict watched Cecily arrange the takeout he’d brought on the table: fish and fries, along with burgers. When he spoke, he sounded apologetic.

“I was in a rush. This was all I could pick up on the way. Let me take you out for a proper meal once things settle down in a day or two.”

Cecily took a happy bite of her burger.

“I haven’t had this in ages. I’d forgotten how good it tastes.”

Benedict finished first, then carefully set up the small appliances she had bought.

She made two coffees, and they leaned against the terrace railing, chatting without any hurry.

“Thank you for inviting me to join your company.”

“You don’t have to be so formal with me…”

He paused, suddenly less sure of himself.

“Before I emailed you, a classmate mentioned you were getting married back home. I thought you probably wouldn’t come.

“But I remembered how much you wanted to make your mark in jewelry. I couldn’t quite give up on the idea, so I sent the offer anyway.”

Cecily smiled faintly.

She was grateful he hadn’t given up. During those hopeless days, that offer had been almost the only thing she could hold on to.

“I was going to get married,” she said evenly. “Then I realized we weren’t right for each other, and we broke up.”

Benedict caught the sadness beneath her voice and didn’t press for details.

He set down his coffee and solemnly offered her his hand.

“Then here’s to leaving the past behind. Welcome to the company, Ms. Sutton. And

to a new start.”

Smiling, Cecily shook his hand.

“Thank you for having me, Mr. Fenton. I’ll be counting on your guidance.”

Benedict’s jewelry brand was new, but his family had substantial resources, and years in Greyhaven had given him a strong network. The company quickly found its footing.

Cecily was constantly busy, traveling between her home and the office day after day.

Ms. Wren sent several emails daily. Some passed on her mother’s demands that she return; others reported what Gareth was doing.

Cecily answered none of them. Eventually, she blocked the emails altogether and concentrated on her work.

She had no idea that, thousands of miles away in Northcote, the Suttons and the Hollises were locked in a bitter dispute.

Once her mother realized Cecily wasn’t coming back easily, she abandoned any pretense of cooperation. She demanded full reimbursement for the canceled wedding, along with substantial compensation for the business losses and the public humiliation inflicted on Cecily and the family.

The Hollises knew they were in the wrong. After beating his son on two separate occasions, Gareth’s father paid what Mrs. Sutton demanded. The family lost both money and standing.

When Gareth went out now, admiration had been replaced by whispers and pointing fingers.

“How can he act like nothing happened? I heard he drove Cecily Sutton away.”

“Shameless, that’s how. Apparently, he’d married someone else and got her pregnant, and he was still planning a wedding with Cecily. Isn’t that deceiving her into marriage?”

Gareth had come out to look for Cecily. Hearing the gossip, he could no longer endure the humiliation and turned away with a dark expression.

Searching for her had left him frantic and full of anger he had nowhere to direct. He didn’t even know where he wanted to go.

Rosemere remained as quiet as a graveyard. His parents found fault with everything he did. His employees no longer looked at him with their old admiration.

It seemed Cecily had taken every bit of stability and order in his life with her when she left.

He was sitting in his car, his head aching, when Daphne called.

“Gareth, come quickly! Your mother’s going to kill me!”

There was a scream, then the line went dead.

Alarmed, he drove straight to the family home.