Rebirth: The New Bride Wants A Divorce-Chapter 338: I am coming with you

Later that evening, Betty returned home from the academy, exhaustion clinging to her like a second skin. The street outside her small house looked the same as always, quiet and unassuming, yet the uneasy feeling followed her all the way to the door.

Despite keeping herself busy throughout the day, the sense of being watched never truly left.

She paused at the entrance, glancing over her shoulder. Nothing. No footsteps. No lingering shadow. Just the hum of distant traffic and the flicker of a streetlight.

"Maybe I am being too paranoid about it," she muttered to herself, forcing out a breath as she unlocked the door.

Inside, the house welcomed her with familiar stillness. Betty slipped off her shoes, dropped her bag by the couch, and headed toward the small kitchen, determined to distract her thoughts. Cooking usually helped. The routine, the sounds, the smells—it grounded her.

She washed her hands, tied her hair back, and pulled ingredients from the fridge. A simple dinner. Nothing fancy. As she chopped vegetables, the rhythmic sound of the knife against the board slowly eased her nerves.

Until she noticed the shadows.

They moved across the kitchen window, stretching and shrinking unnaturally, as though someone were pacing just outside. Betty froze, the knife hovering midair. Her eyes snapped toward the glass.

Nothing was there.

She swallowed and resumed chopping, telling herself it was probably the branches of the tree outside. The wind had picked up earlier. That had to be it.

Then the lights went out.

Betty gasped, the knife clattering onto the counter as darkness swallowed the room. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs. She stood still, listening, every sense sharpening.

Power cut, she told herself. It happens.

But before she could move, a loud crash echoed from outside her front door.

The unmistakable sound of a flower pot shattering.

Fear crept up her spine, cold and paralyzing. Her breathing turned shallow as one name surfaced in her mind, uninvited and terrifying.

Theo.

Her hands began to tremble. She backed away from the counter slowly, every warning her body screamed urging her to hide, to run, to do something. The memories of his hostile stare, the way his presence alone had always made her feel unsafe, flooded her thoughts.

She fumbled for her phone, only to realize it was still inside her bag in the living room.

Another shadow passed the window.

Betty’s chest tightened. No. No, no, no.

Before she could gather herself, the doorbell rang.

The sharp chime sliced through the silence, making her jump violently. A small scream escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her legs felt weak, but adrenaline forced her to move.

Someone was at the door.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as she looked around desperately for something to defend herself with. Her gaze landed on a heavy ceramic vase resting on the side table near the hallway.

She grabbed it, her fingers wrapping tightly around the cool surface. It was heavy, solid. Enough to hurt someone if she had to.

Her heart pounded harder with each cautious step she took toward the door. The bell rang again, longer this time.

Theo, her mind whispered cruelly. He found you.

She positioned herself to the side of the door, just like she had seen in movies, lifting the vase above her head. Her breathing came out ragged, her arms aching already from holding it up.

"Please... please don’t be him," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

With a shaky hand, she unlocked the door and pulled it open in one swift motion, raising the vase high, ready to strike.

"Betty, wait—!"

The familiar voice cut through her panic like lightning and she froze.

Her arms faltered, the vase slipping slightly in her grip as she stared wide-eyed at the man standing on her doorstep. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Shawn?" she gasped.

He stood there, eyes widened in shock, hands raised instinctively in surrender. "Whoa, hey—easy. It’s me."

The vase dropped from her hands, hitting the floor with a dull thud instead of shattering. Betty’s knees gave way as the fear finally crashed out of her system. Shawn lunged forward just in time to steady her.

"Hey, hey, I’ve got you," he said softly, guiding her back as she trembled uncontrollably. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Your phone wasn’t picking up, and when I rang the bell, you didn’t answer."

Betty clutched his jacket, her breath coming in broken sobs.

"Hey... I am sorry. Please do not cry, Betty," Shawn said softly, his arms wrapping around her as he tried to calm her down.

She only held him tighter, her fingers gripping the back of his jacket as if letting go would make everything come crashing back. The fear still clung to her, her shoulders trembling with every uneven breath.

Shawn rested his chin lightly on her head, guilt twisting in his chest. He had only wanted to surprise her after work. When he noticed the lights were off, he had assumed something was wrong and decided to check on her. Never once had it crossed his mind that his presence would frighten her this badly.

"It is okay," he murmured, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "I should have called again. Or knocked like a normal human being."

That earned him a weak, breathless laugh against his chest.

"I nearly attacked you with a vase," Betty mumbled.

He huffed softly. "I noticed. For a second, I thought I was about to be featured in tomorrow’s headlines."

She pulled back just enough to look at him, her eyes still watery but calmer now. "I really thought it was The-Thief."

Shawn’s expression softened. "I know. But it is not. And I am not letting anything happen to you."

The silence settled again, less heavy this time. Shawn glanced around the dim house. "The lights are still out. Let me check the fuse box."

"I am coming with you," Betty said immediately, grabbing his sleeve.

He raised a brow. "You do not trust me alone with your electricity?"

She shook her head. "I just... do not want to be alone right now."

"Fair enough," he said gently. "Bodyguard duty it is."

They walked together toward the fuse box near the back, Betty staying close enough that their shoulders brushed. Shawn crouched and opened the panel, peering inside.

"Ah," he said after a second. "Found the culprit."

Betty leaned closer. "What is it?"

"The fuse tripped," he replied, flicking it back into place. "Your house decided to give us a horror movie experience."

The lights blinked once, then flooded the house with warm brightness.

Betty let out a relieved sigh. "So the shadows were just my imagination, the crash was a pot falling, and the darkness was bad timing."

Shawn straightened and grinned. "Exactly. Congratulations, you survived your own suspense thriller."