Chapter 194
Andrea was fuming, but she had to keep things civil. She couldn’t tell if Jeffrey had sent someone after Ben, or if somebody else was sniffing around.
She said. “Give me some time to get the cash together. Once I pay you, keep your mouth shut and send me a photo of whoever reached out to you.”
Ben agreed, “No problem.”
Andrea said, “This money is a one–off buyout, not some installment deal. Even if someone waves more cash at you later, you’re not allowed to breathe a word about this.”
Ben said, “Understood.”
Andrea hung up the phone. She stood in her room, her face etched with worry. She pondered, ‘I can’t just ask Jeffrey for 1 million. If he starts digging into where the money goes, he’ll definitely figure out what happened
back then.
And even if I pay Ben, there is no guarantee he won’t sell me out later if someone offers him more. After all, I’ve already given him 3,000 dollars to keep quiet once before.
Without warning, memories of the hospital fiasco flooded Andrea’s mind. She thought, ‘Jessica swore she wouldn’t dig any further, but who’s to say she hadn’t already let it slip? If the investigator is part of Rebecca’s crew, this secret has to stay buried–silenced for good.
At this thought, Andrea sent Ben a location and texted: [Come here this weekend, and I’ll hand over the cash. Since you broke our agreement before, I need to keep some proof this time.]
Ben replied: [No problem.]
Andrea closed the chat with Ben and shot a text to Jessica: [Did you forget what you promised me?]
Jessica was on the phone with Rebecca when she got the message. She immediately told Rebecca about the
text.
“Why’s she suddenly hitting you up?” Rebecca asked.
Jessica replied, “Who knows? My guess? Ian probably unearthed something, and now she’s panicking.” She suddenly sat up straight and exclaimed, “That’s it.”
Rebecca asked, “What do you mean?”
Jessica said, “It has to be Ian. He must’ve dug up some major dirt, and now Andrea’s freaking out. That explains why she’s reaching out to me–she must be really rattled.
“I’d better check in with Ian, see what he’s uncovered. You go ahead and do your thing.”
Rebecca replied, “Alright.”
11:01 Thu, Oct 2
Chapter 194
Not long after the call ended, Samuel came out of the bathroom, freshly showered.
Rebecca coaxed him to sleep.
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66 vouchers
Before Rebecca even hit the shower, Jessica fired off a voice message. She said, “Ian says the doctor he found is the type who fixes scars. Did Andrea ever mention having any scars?”
Rebecca shot back: [Not on her arms or legs. No idea about the rest.]
Jessica asked, “Does she have a scar on her stomach or something?”
Rebecca paused, then dropped her own voice reply. She said, “Honestly, if it’s just getting rid of a scar, Andrea doesn’t need to freak out about Jeffrey knowing. It doesn’t matter what kind of scar she’s got–he wouldn’t give a damn.”
Jessica said, “Well, that’s just odd. Let’s drop it for now and wait till Ian figures things out. Sitting here guessing won’t get us anywhere.”
After wrapping up the chat, Rebecca hit the shower. That night, she crashed in bed with Samuel.
In the middle of the night, Jeffrey quietly slipped into bed, but neither Rebecca nor Samuel stirred.
The next morning, when Rebecca found out, she didn’t even bat an eye. Maybe it was because she was about to leave, and her mindset had shifted. Or maybe she just didn’t have the energy to get worked up over someone who didn’t really matter.
“Do you want me to come with you to the hospital?” Jeffrey asked while they were having breakfast.
Rebecca replied, “No need. You just take care of your own stuff.”
Jeffrey didn’t insist.
After that, neither of them said another word. It wasn’t until Rebecca and Samuel got in the car to head to the hospital that Jeffrey finally said, “Call me if you need anything.”
On the way to the hospital, Samuel snuggled up to Rebecca. He called out, “Mommy.”
“Yes?” Rebecca responded.
Samuel tilted his head up and said, “I have a little request.”
Rebecca replied gently, “Go ahead.”
“Can I sleep by Daddy’s side tonight?” Samuel asked. Since he would be gone soon, he wanted to share a little warmth before he left.
Rebecca replied, “Of course you can. That’s your choice–you can decide for yourself.”
But Jeffrey didn’t want any part of the warmth Samuel hoped to offer. When Samuel zoomed over to Jeffrey’s bed in his adorable pajamas, Jeffrey shooed him away without a second thought.
11:01 Thu, Oct 2
Chapter 194
Samuel tried to protest, but Jeffrey tapped his little head and said, “My bed’s for my wife only. Anyone else,
time to scoot.
And just like that, the warmth Samuel wanted to give disappeared–poof–gone.
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Jeffrey knew exactly why Samuel was acting strange–it must be because he and Rebecca had worked out some plan to leave together. Sure, Samuel was trying to patch things up, but that was not what Jeffrey wanted at all.
Truth was, he was never going to let them walk out of his life, no matter what. He thought, ‘If they want, they can go out and have fun for a couple of days. In the end, they still have to come home.
Over the next few days, Rebecca spent her days at the hospital, helping Amelia with her recovery exercises. Meanwhile, Jeffrey was working overtime at the company. Without even realizing it, their lives started to feel just like they used to–no yelling, no fights, no drama.
Everything was perfectly normal until Rebecca hit Jeffrey with her resignation notice.
Jeffrey called and asked, “You’re quitting?”
Rebecca was still at the hospital with Amelia, helping her through her rehab. Once the doctor finished up, Rebecca ducked into a quiet corner to take Jeffrey’s call.
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