All Chapters of Leaving on a Summer's Day: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Mitchell had thought everything was perfectly planned, especially since he hadn't fallen out of love—he was just having a little fun with Bethany. He believed it wouldn't cause any issues. Vanessa kept talking, her words incessant. "Bethany's pregnancy is safe. She's carrying the Bennetts' bloodline, so your father and I agreed to keep her for now. Since Heather decided to leave without telling you, it means there's no turning back. You and Bethany are legally married, and now she's pregnant with your children. You should stop looking for Heather.""No!" Mitchell shot back, his voice filled with urgency. He snatched the phone out of Vanessa's hands. "I won't stop looking for her. She only blocked me, but she wouldn't block you..." The phone rang for what felt like forever, and then, finally, Heather's ethereal voice answered. "Hello?" Mitchell's body shook with emotion, his blood staining Vanessa's phone. His voice was hoarse and trembling. "Heather, it's me..." But th

Mitchell returned to Kennethville two days later.It was clear that Heather had already left Luiston, and staying there would be futile. He figured returning to Kennethville made more sense. The Bennetts' roots were in this town, and it would be easier to gather information here. He resorted to his old tactics, sending people to follow Susan, hoping to find another lead on Heather's whereabouts. But Susan was already onto him. She was the one who had told Heather he was coming.Mitchell, realizing he could not get any information from her, began to reach out to everyone who had known Heather, not letting a single lead slip by.The situation escalated quickly. More and more people were contacting Heather, trying to get any clue about her location. From those conversations, Heather finally pieced together the story behind the mess. It was all Mitchell's doing—he had stirred up this entire situation just to find her.Whenever someone approached her, Heather's response was always the

Bethany's expression froze, the joy in her eyes vanishing as sheer panic took its place. The terror she felt was laid bare in front of Mitchell, and in that moment, it looked almost comical.Though it was the height of summer, Bethany felt a chill crawl over her skin, a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. She had already experienced the madness that Mitchell could descend into for Heather's sake, twice now, and the fear of reliving it a third time made her stomach turn.Bethany tried to put on her most innocent, harmless expression. She couldn't let Mitchell know that she had sent those messages to Heather, though she was grateful she had already deleted the chat history. Trying to steady her trembling body, she spoke in the calmest tone she could muster, "Mitchell, what are you talking about? I haven't been in contact with Heather. Whatever she knows… it must've come from someone else."Without warning, Mitchell grabbed Bethany's wrist and yanked her phone from her han

Mitchell woke up groggily the next afternoon. The plates of spaghetti on the table had long since clumped together into an unrecognizable mess, and the floor was littered with overturned bottles of alcohol. The stifling summer heat amplified the pungent stench of stale liquor and souring food, creating an unbearable atmosphere. Yet, Mitchell seemed oblivious. He blended into the chaos of his surroundings, his hollow gaze reflecting the disarray within him. Day after day passed like this, a lifeless routine. There was still no news of Heather. Bethany, who had once loudly insisted on involving the police, had fallen strangely silent. Mitchell guessed Vanessa had made some kind of deal with her, though he couldn't bring himself to care. What he couldn't ignore, however, was the fallout. In Kennethville, Mitchell and the Bennetts' reputation had plummeted. Vanessa, fed up with his spiraling behavior, tried repeatedly to encourage him to pull himself together. When her effor

"Mitchell, you have to wake up. If you wake up, I'll swallow my pride and beg Heather to come see you." Vanessa's voice wavered, full of desperation. "But if you stay unconscious like this, you'll never get the chance to see her again..."Maybe it was Vanessa's words that finally got through to him. With a deep, strained breath, Mitchell struggled awake, gripping Vanessa's hand with what little strength he had left. "Mom... I want to see Heather..." Those words seemed to drain every ounce of energy from him. Destiny had tried to lure Heather back, yet even saying that Ian was gravely ill had failed to move her. Mitchell didn't know what more he could possibly do. Vanessa had always treated Heather like a daughter, and Heather, so soft-hearted, had always been so kind to her. Maybe this time, Vanessa really could convince Heather to return.Looking at Mitchell's anguished expression, Vanessa hesitated for a moment before agreeing to immediately call Heather, her resolve weaken