He would scold her and give her the cold shoulder. She wanted to give up, but then he would accept her kindness, making her feel like he still had feelings for her after all.

That’s why Annabelle Linton had struggled for so long, caught between letting go and holding on.

Leona Grant flipped to the last entry, written over three months ago. After that note was left, the journal was never updated again.

Because after that, Annabelle Linton’s attitude toward him had changed completely.

A distant look flickered in Leona Grant’s eyes.

He thought.

’If I had been a little nicer to Annabelle Linton back then, would we have ended up like this?’

Leona Grant’s deep gaze fell upon the entry. It was another typical note from Annabelle Linton.

I’ve left to stay with Grandpa at the old family home for a few days. You should come too if you have time. It’s clear Grandpa misses you a lot, but it’s okay if you can’t make it. I’ll just tell him you’re busy with work.

Oh, and I put your stomach medication in your study. It’s a different brand that works better. The spare key to the study is underneath this notebook. Madam King should know everything else. If there’s anything she’s unsure about, just have her call me.

Leona Grant immediately understood the subtext: have Madam King call her, not him.

Any other woman would have tried to find a way to cozy up to him. But she knew he found her annoying, so she considered his feelings, subtly diffusing the potential awkwardness with her gentle approach.

And yet, he had been so blind, only realizing it now...

Then again, even if he had noticed it back then, he would have just assumed she was playing hard to get.

Leona Grant sighed and slowly flipped through the entire journal, growing sadder with every page.

Annabelle Linton’s care for him had been truly meticulous.

As a wife, she had been virtuous and devoted. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

As a daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law, she was an empathetic and well-mannered junior.

He was beginning to understand why Grandpa, Ashley Grant, and the others were all so fond of her.

Who wouldn’t like a person like that?

But now that he saw everything clearly, it was already too late.

It seemed the only proof that their relationship had ever existed was this single journal.

Leona Grant stood up and walked into Annabelle Linton’s separate bedroom.

Her scent lingered in the room. It was faint, but he could still smell it.

The room was completely empty, leaving only the original furniture. All of Annabelle Linton’s belongings were gone.

There were no clothes in the closet, no cosmetics on the vanity. Even her bath towel was gone from the bathroom.

She had left without a trace.

On the nightstand sat a few jewelry boxes.

Leona Grant walked over and opened them.

Inside the jewelry boxes were their wedding rings, the necklace Grandpa had forced him to give her for their anniversary, and a pair of earrings he had also given her begrudgingly.

Her ring was still there, but he had thrown his away.

It was just as Annabelle Linton had said: he had never truly given her a gift.

He vividly remembered how she had looked on the verge of tears from happiness when he’d given her those things.

But now, she hadn’t taken a single thing he had given her.

When Annabelle Linton decided to be cruel, she was absolute, leaving no room for compromise.

His eyes stinging, Leona Grant went to the window to ease the ache in his chest.

But the garden outside was a riot of color, with flowers blooming in profusion—all planted by Annabelle Linton’s own hands.

He had even seen her with a small trowel, carefully placing fertilizer at the base of the flowers.

The past played out vividly in his mind, but now, the scene remained while the person was gone.