After saying goodbye, Desmond suddenly turned back. ” It’s not shameful to have a broken leg or scars.
The shame lies with those who mock you. They’re the ugly ones. Kind people will only cheer for you. Bye, Rebecca. ” 1 He ran off, his arms swinging under the moonlight as if verifying his words. Kind people would cheer for her. Rebecca stood in place, gazing long after his departing figure, unable to find calm. This was the first time someone had told her that her imperfections were not shameful. The ones who laughed at her were.
She had never shared the pain of being ridiculed with anyone, not even with her beloved grandmother. Yet, somehow, Desmond seemed to understand. A voice suddenly came from the darkness. ” He’s gone. Still reluctant to head back? ” She turned around, and Vance emerged from the shadows. ” No wonder you’ve been mentioning divorce to me time and again. ” Under the lamplight, he no longer possessed his earlier grace from the banquet hall ; exhaustion was plain on his face. ” You’ve misunderstood, ” she said.
She and Desmond hadn’t known each other for a long time, but Vance didn’t seem to hear her explanation. ” Were the flowers at home from him? ” he pressed, oblivious to her explanation.
“Yes,” Rebecca replied, unwilling to explain further. Vance took a step forward. The distance between them was so close now that she could see the deep lines around his eyes. At barely 30, he already bore the marks of time. ” Rebecca, ” he muttered, gripping her shoulder. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air. ” Have I ever treated you badly these years? ” Exhaustion leaked from the deep furrows in his brow and the dark circles under his eyes. She sighed, ” No.” She admitted that he had tried, in his own way, to take care of her – food, clothes, shelter, money. He’d been generous to her grandma and family, showering them with wealth. But even all that wasn’t enough. It would have been better if he had just given her a large sum of money instead of marrying her. ” If I haven’t wronged you, how could you treat me like this? ” he croaked, the rims of his eyes reddening. ” How could you join forces with others to hurt me? Isn’t what’s mine yours? Isn’t my business your business? Isn’t my money also yours? Aren’t we one?
“Now he remembered they were one. But he had always been on the side of his friends and Catherine, treating her like an outsider. ” Vance, ” she said, taking a deep breath, ” now you suddenly remember we’re married? ” He faltered, deeper weariness flooding his face. ” Are you still upset about Catherine? She was trying to help, knowing Mr. Lemke values stable families and strong marriages. That’s why she didn’t clarify at the afternoon tea. But what difference does it make? Am I not your husband? The marriage certificate says it all. I’m your legal husband.”
“Actually, it wasn’t necessary, ” Rebecca responded, her tone cool. ” Not necessary? ” He furrowed his brow, confused. ” No need for her to help you. No need for pretense. All we need is…”
“Shut up! ” he yelled, already sensing where the conversation was going. ” Do you think after a divorce, he’ll marry you? Don’t be naive. ” He let go of her shoulder and stormed off. The wind blew over, carrying the scent of his cologne. It was the same fragrance Catherine had worn that evening. Rebecca disliked it, feeling suffocated, and hurried inside.
There, her flowers from last night lay shattered with the vase. They had fallen victim to Vance’s anger, and Nancy was absent. Vance was a workaholic, something Rebecca had always acknowledged. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have built such a successful business at such a young age. He cared about partnering with Pascal, but the deal was blown off. He had every reason to be frustrated, but it had nothing to do with her. She wasn’t the one who had passed off as his wife. She bent down to pick up the broken vase when the door opened, and Nancy’s voice rang out.
“Madam, leave it to me. ” Nancy hurried over, afraid Rebecca might hurt herself with the glass. ” I went to fetch the clothes.” Some of their clothes had been in the professional laundry for care, and she had gone to retrieve them. ” I saw Mr. Bradford just now. ” Rebecca hummed, having just watched him leave. Nancy added, ” He sat alone by the lake. Unsure what he was doing.” It was not hard to figure out. The deal was lost, and he needed some time to calm down. ” It’s fine. Don’t worry about him, ” Rebecca replied. Before, she would have fretted immensely.
She had spent five years accompanying Vance as he built his business. During that time, she had been constantly worried about whether he was tired, being treated unfairly, losing money, facing setbacks, or upset about his losses. D
Back then, Rebecca’s whole heart had been on Vance. She had arranged his meals meticulously, managed the household with care, and strived to provide him with a warm haven. Even if he often returned very late, she hoped that as soon as he stepped through the door, he could rest comfortably. Unfortunately, it seemed he didn’t need any of it. That was fine. The one he really loved would worry about him. Rebecca decided to take a shower first, then look up some information about studying abroad before going to bed.
But algorithms were truly annoying, always managing to push content one didn’t want to see right into view. She opened the app, and sure enough, Catherine’s new note jumped to the top of her feed. It was posted just minutes ago, about what had happened that evening. There was a photo of interlocked hands – Vance’s hand holding hers. The caption read: [ He has always been a tower – proud, spirited, and unyielding, no matter how fierce the storm is. Yet tonight, he endured grievance for my sake. Thank you for standing against the world for me.
Even if everyone blames you, you remain unshakable in my heart. ]
Rebecca let out a bitter laugh and tapped to dislike the note, hoping it wouldn’t appear again. Fortunately, she had never competed with Catherine for her position in Vance’s heart. Otherwise, it would have been a complete and utter defeat. Vance treated his career like his life. Yet he could so effortlessly abandon a major cooperation just because Catherine was upset, and he did it with such determination. In Catherine’s words, he was going against the whole world for her, guarding her like a tower.
Rebecca assumed Vance wouldn’t return home that night, but he did after she had fallen asleep in the guest room. She believed he wouldn’t disturb her, not after she blew off his big deal, if he insisted on shifting the blame onto her. But she was wrong. He tried the door, only to find it locked. He knocked, but she didn’t answer. Frustrated, he knocked harder. ” Rebecca, do you think a door in my own house can keep me out? ” He was not bluffing. If he wanted to, he could knock it down with one blow. But that was unnecessary.
Chaptys She got up and opened the door, assuming he was drunk again, given how unusually emotional he seemed. But she was wrong once more. There was no alcohol on his breath. Instead, he carried the damp scent of the neighborhood lake’s night mist, with a stray leaf clinging to his shoulder. ” What do you want? ” she asked, holding the door. ” This is my home, and you’re my wife. Do I need a reason to come in? ” His eyes were bloodshot, with faint shadows beneath them. ” Suit yourself,” she replied, weary of this back – and – forth.
1 It only engulfed her in waves of negative emotions without any meaning. She hoped for a swift resolution, but he refused, making any further words a waste of effort. She turned and lay back down on the bed. ” That’s your reaction? ” He followed her in. ” My project fell through, and this is how you respond? Do you know how many nights I stayed up, how many meetings I held, and how many versions of the project proposal I drafted? And this is your reaction? ” 1 He was still fixated on that issue. It was truly exhausting. ” What else do you expect? ” she shot back.” You want me to plead on your behalf?”
“No, ” he said, standing at the edge of her bed as he undid his cufflinks. ” Once I give something up, I never pick it back up. ” Rebecca let out a cold laugh, knowing that Catherine was the exception. Or perhaps he had never given up on Catherine at all. It was she who had abandoned him back then. ” Then why are you coming here to throw a fit? ” she countered. ” Throw a fit? ” He grabbed his shirt collar and yanked hard. The entire row of buttons popped off. ” Today, I’ll show you what I look like when I really throw a fit!”
Rebecca had no idea what had gotten Vance. From the moment she first knew him, he had always been distant, ethereal, and untouchable. A veil seemed to forever stand between them. Even after they married, he remained the same. But now, he was acting out of character. She stared at his burst – open shirt and the smooth lines of muscle revealed as it fell apart. ” What do you want? ” She cowered, pulling the blanket tightly around herself. ” What do you think I’m doing? ” His gaze held a rare ferocity.” You eat my food and use my things, yet you conspire with others to sabotage me. What do you think I’m going to do?”
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