The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

Cecilia Sinclair clenched her teeth, the liquor spilling down from the corners of her mouth. She looked like she was in agony.

"That’s enough." Sean Sinclair immediately grabbed Leila Jennings’s wrist, his brow furrowed. "Leila, that’s enough."

He knew the drink definitely didn’t contain any sort of stupefying drug; Leila Jennings was just forcing her to drink.

But it was still enough.

Cherry Cole said, "President Sinclair, you can’t even stand to see Cecilia Sinclair being forced to drink a little alcohol? What about when Leila was being drowned in a water tank?"

Sean Sinclair froze for a moment.

He didn’t know what Leila Jennings had looked like while being held underwater, but given that the cold water had spread all the way to the hallway that day, he could imagine.

Especially after seeing how incredibly weak Leila Jennings was at the Dalton Clinic.

He didn’t know what had come over him back then. All he could see was the image of Leila Jennings standing with Nathaniel Cole, and he was too consumed by anger to notice anything else. Thinking back now, Leila’s lips had been deathly pale and bloodless that day.

She’d even been on an IV.

Sean Sinclair’s fingers, wrapped around Leila Jennings’s wrist, loosened slightly.

Cherry Cole continued to press, "What? Does the Sinclair Family think you can bully her just because she doesn’t have a brother or any family to back her up? Times have changed. Leila has me to back her up now."

She took the glass from Leila Jennings’s hand, shoved it against Cecilia Sinclair’s mouth, and continued to pour.

The glass was quickly empty. Cherry Cole set it down, dissatisfied.

Leila Jennings also let go of her chin. Cecilia Sinclair’s body went limp, and she collapsed to the floor, coughing nonstop, trying to throw up all the alcohol she’d swallowed.

When she realized she couldn’t, she shouted in a panic, "Brother, call an ambulance! Call an ambulance!"

Seeing his sister looking so small and helpless, Sean Sinclair’s heart ached. He knelt and held her, comforting her. "There’s nothing in it. There’s nothing in the alcohol, don’t worry."

"There is! There is!" Cecilia Sinclair insisted.

Cherry Cole stood to the side, smiling.

Leila Jennings watched the siblings with a cold expression, then took out her phone to call her lawyer. She told him to drop the lawsuit right in front of them.

Then, she warned Cecilia Sinclair, "Cecilia, don’t you ever mess with me again. I’ve recorded everything you said tonight, including your confession to drugging me and your motive. Next time, I won’t be dropping the lawsuit."

Cecilia Sinclair’s eyes widened. "You’re despicable and shameless!" she cursed.

Leila Jennings couldn’t be bothered to respond.

"Cherry, let’s go."

Cherry Cole picked up her bag and placed the small speaker and the pill bottle in front of the red-eyed Cecilia Sinclair. "A gift for you. You’re welcome."

Cecilia Sinclair immediately tipped out a pill and tasted it gingerly. It was sour.

It really was just Vitamin C.

Tears of relief streamed from her eyes.

’Thank goodness!’

Sean Sinclair helped his sister up and started to go after Leila Jennings, but Cecilia, now alert, grabbed his arm. With red eyes, she said, "Brother, my legs feel weak."

’There’s no way I’m letting my brother go after that venomous woman, Leila!’

"You’re fine now. Get home by yourself." Sean Sinclair pried his sister’s hand off and strode after them.

Leila Jennings and Cherry Cole had already stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. The moment they looked up, they both saw Sean Sinclair heading toward them.

Cherry Cole’s hand was already on the ’close door’ button. Leila Jennings whispered, "Cherry, press it faster."

"I’m pressing, I’m pressing," Cherry Cole whispered back. In reality, her finger was moving so fast it was practically a blur.

Sean Sinclair was just two steps away when the elevator doors slid shut with a THUD.

Leila Jennings and Cherry Cole both breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

’Good, he didn’t make it.’

’So clingy.’

Leila Jennings took out her phone. Sure enough, Sean Sinclair had sent her a message, telling her to wait for him downstairs.

Leila Jennings reached out and randomly pressed the buttons for four or five different floors.

"Cherry, pick a floor."

Cherry Cole chose the sixty-sixth floor. "This one. My suite is here. We can stay here tonight. Didn’t you quit your job? And tomorrow’s the weekend."

The two of them got off the elevator on the sixty-sixth floor.

Sean Sinclair took another elevator down to the first floor. He didn’t see them in the lobby, nor did he see them when he ran out to the street.

He called her.

She didn’t pick up. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Half an hour later, Leila Jennings texted him back with a simple excuse: ’My phone died.’

Sean Sinclair was already on his way to take his sister home. The moment he saw the message, he immediately called back.

"Why didn’t you wait for me downstairs?"

"I didn’t want to see Cecilia Sinclair."

Leila Jennings’s bluntness left Sean Sinclair speechless for a moment. In the past, no matter how angry she got, she would never have said something so direct.

She would at least have shown his family more tolerance for his sake.

From the passenger seat, Cecilia Sinclair yelled, "As if anyone wants to see you! You despicable, shameless wench!"

Before she could finish, Sean Sinclair hung up the phone. He had originally wanted to mediate their relationship, but it was only getting worse.

This was a man who could handle relationships with superiors, subordinates, and peers at work with perfect ease, yet he was completely helpless when it came to the relationships between his mother and wife, and his sister and wife.

Sean Sinclair looked exhausted.

He finally lost his temper. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel and snapped, "Cecilia Sinclair, will you only be happy once you’ve broken Leila and me up?"

Cecilia Sinclair was stunned by his yelling.

"Brother, whose side are you on anyway?"

"And whose side are you on?!"

"I’m on Mom and Dad’s side, of course! And Sarah’s side! I just don’t like Leila Jennings!" Cecilia Sinclair said petulantly, crossing her arms. "Our whole family doesn’t like Leila. Is that our fault? No, it’s Leila’s fault! Otherwise, why would we all like Sarah and not her?!"

"Brother, you obviously like Sarah, too. I’m trying to help you! If Leila Jennings had an affair, you could divorce her without any trouble, right? You wouldn’t even have to split the assets. Whoever cheats is the one who leaves with nothing!"

Sean Sinclair slammed on the brakes. He turned his head and said, "Get out."

"I won’t." Cecilia Sinclair sat there, unmoving. "If you dare to leave me on the side of the road, I’ll tell Mom and Dad."

It wasn’t that Sean Sinclair was helpless against her, but rather against his own parents.

But Cecilia’s words tonight had filled him with displeasure.

"I’ll say it again. Get out of the car."

He wanted to find Leila Jennings; he was in no mood to deal with Cecilia’s drama any longer.

Seeing he was serious, Cecilia Sinclair quickly grabbed the handle. "Don’t even think about leaving me on the side of the road! I’m calling Mom and Dad."

As she spoke, she used her phone’s AI assistant to call their parents.

The call connected immediately.

"Dad! Mom! Help! My brother is trying to kick me out of the car! He’s angry at me because of Leila Jennings and is going to abandon me on the side of the road!"

Sean Sinclair looked at her phone, his head throbbing.

Sure enough, the scolding and threats from his parents came through the phone.

Mr. Sinclair: "How could you kick Cecilia out of the car?"

Mrs. Sinclair: "If anything happens to Cecilia, your mother won’t go on living!"

Cecilia: "SOB SOB SOB..."

"Enough," Sean Sinclair said, turning his head to stare at his sister. His icy gaze sent a chill through Cecilia’s heart. She immediately hung up the phone and sat properly.

Sean Sinclair started the car again and drove Cecilia Sinclair home, his face expressionless the entire way.

The silence was so profound it frightened Cecilia.

Cecilia Sinclair texted her parents while secretly glancing at her brother.

Sean Sinclair saw her every move but remained silent.

The siblings drove home together.

When he opened the door and walked in, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair both looked over at him. Mrs. Sinclair said with a beaming smile, "Our son is back."

It was as if the life-and-death drama on the phone just moments ago had never happened.

"I’m just grabbing something from the study, then I’m leaving," Sean Sinclair said, walking straight toward the study.

As the study door opened, the CLICK of the latch reminded Mrs. Sinclair of something.

Mrs. Sinclair shot up from the sofa and exclaimed, "The study!"

’The divorce certificate is still on the desk in there! I haven’t put it away!’

She had thought the document was bad luck, so she’d just tossed it there and hadn’t bothered with it since.