SWNOVELS Chapter 727: Drunken Mishap
Audrey sat there for an unknown amount of time when Little Lucky came downstairs and walked up to her. "Mommy, I'm so sleepy," Little Lucky said in her sweet, childish voice. Every time it was bedtime, Little Lucky would look for her parents. Audrey snapped back to reality and picked up Little Lucky, feeling much more at ease. Little Lucky's body was soft and fragrant. Such a small child, losing her mother so early, how pitiful. Audrey wanted to take Meredith's place but knew she couldn't.
Little Lucky placed her hand on Audrey's chest and called out, "Mommy," with a satisfied smile. It was then that Audrey realized Little Lucky wasn't calling out to her but to the heart that beat within her chest. A bond between mother and daughter, Little Lucky had grown up listening to her mother's heartbeat inside Meredith's womb. How could she not be familiar with it? The beating of her mother's heart was why Little Lucky felt close to her. Audrey kissed Little Lucky lovingly and held her tightly. "Rowan, Mommy loves you." She gently patted Little Lucky, coaxing her to sleep. Little Lucky mimicked Audrey's actions, lightly patting Audrey back, making herself giggle. Her laughter was beautiful and healing. Audrey often marveled at how there could be such an adorable baby in the world.
Meanwhile, Terrence had gone alone to a bustling bar to drown his sorrows and called Harvey. Harvey had just returned from training at the police station and would surely go to see Selene first; he had no time to drink with Terrence. Terrence felt miserable, his chest aching as if it had been shattered by a stick, yet there were no visible wounds. Thinking about his wife's betrayal filled him with resentment, but he didn't hate her. He blamed himself for not saving his wife earlier, causing her so much suffering.
He didn't blame his wife but couldn't accept it either. What man could? In the past, Terrence would have dealt with the other man and kicked his wife out. How could he tolerate betrayal? But now, Terrence found himself strangely enduring this bitterness. He laughed at himself and downed another drink.
Eventually, he lost count of how many drinks he'd had. Amidst the blurry figures, he thought he saw Meredith in the crowd. Stumbling towards her, he called out, "Meredith, Meredith..." He smiled, believing that Meredith couldn't bear to hurt him and had come back for him.
Terrence was heavily intoxicated; the alcohol numbed his brain. As he approached, the vision of Meredith moved further away. He followed the figure outside while Harvey arrived just in time to see Terrence stumbling towards the riverbank, unresponsive to calls.
Harvey hurried after him. "Boss, Boss." Harvey hadn't wanted to come but did so after a friend at the bar informed him about Terrence's condition. Harvey brought Selene along as well.
On the way, Selene mentioned Terrence and Audrey's cold war, making Harvey even more worried. Drunk and following the figure before him, Terrence reached the riverbank and began climbing over the railing.
"Boss," Harvey shouted in alarm and pulled him back. "Boss, it's not worth it. A fight doesn't mean you should end your life."
To Terrence, there seemed to be a path ahead of him. Selene was also shocked by his actions.
"He's had too much to drink," Selene said. "Let's get him into the car."
"Good thing we came; otherwise, there'd be headlines tomorrow morning about Sterling Corporation's president drowning by the river," Harvey said as he helped Terrence towards the car.
Terrence fell asleep immediately in the car and couldn't be roused; he kept muttering "Meredith" in his sleep.
Harvey was frustrated and spoke without restraint: "Ever since Meredith came back, Boss has been more depressed. If this continues, he'll end up with depression; she might as well have stayed away instead of tormenting him like this." "Let's get him to a hotel first," Selene suggested. "You should call the Sterling family."
Despite his complaints, Harvey did as Selene instructed.
After settling Terrence in at the hotel, Harvey called the Sterling family landline and spoke with the housekeeper. He learned that the couple had fought but hadn't heard anything about a divorce; they only knew about the argument. By now, Audrey had coaxed Little Lucky to sleep.
Hearing all this made Harvey even angrier. After hanging up, he told Selene: "I don't know what's wrong with Meredith now; can't she just live a good life? Surviving such an ordeal wasn't easy."