“I didn’t, ” she retorted, then suddenly felt there was no need to explain. But his demeanor suggested that he was using this matter to go berserk. Her eyes widened as he suddenly unbuckled his belt. Clutching the blanket, she scrambled to get off the bed from the other side, but he lunged, pulling her back along with the blanket. ” Let go of me! ” she shouted, but her warning fell on deaf ears.
In moments, he yanked the blanket away and began tearing at her nightgown. The memory of his last drunken outburst resurfaced in her mind. She clutched her collar, pushing against him with all her strength, but it was futile against his manic energy. The belt buckle jabbed painfully into her as he pried her hands from her collar. Desperate, she shouted, ” Stop this madness! Look at who I am! ” It was useless… With a ripping sound, her nightgown tore open. ” Vance! ” she screamed, swinging her hand to strike his head.
He caught her wrist, pinning it above her head, and looked down at her, his pupils flickering with flames. ” What’s the use of shouting? Haven’t I been too good to you these years? Haven’t I indulged you too much? Is that why you’ve grown so bold? ” He wasn’t confused after all. ” I thank you for your kindness. Take it to Catherine! ” she bellowed. If you’re in heat, go find her! Don’t go crazy here! ” She couldn’t take the coldness of these five years anymore.
At the mention of Catherine, Vance’s movements finally slowed, though his piercing eyes still bore down on her from above. ” You’re still hung up on Cathy. Let me remind you: jealousy has limits. You can throw tantrums at home or in front of me all you want, but once it harms the company’s interests, my temper won’t stay good forever!”
“Let me make this clear! ” She gritted her teeth. ” First, I’m not jealous. Second, the one harming the company’s interests has never been me. I haven’t even touched the edges of your company.
You just reap what you sow. You two shameless people bear the consequences of your actions. Stop trying to shift the blame. Third, when Catherine cried, you tossed aside your company’s interests. Why didn’t you care about them then? ” Catherine’s post was still there. To protect her, he had gone against the whole world. Everything was in black and white. That finally brought Vance back to his senses. He got off her and began readjusting his belt. ” As I said, you will stay as Mrs. Bradford. Cathy’s return won’t threaten your position.
But I’d appreciate it if you could calm down a bit. ” He put his clothes back on and headed out. At the door, he turned back. ” I’ll give you the night to cool off. Tomorrow night, either you come back to the bedroom, or I’ll sleep in the guest room. “
Rebecca felt utterly helpless. She didn’t want to be Mrs. Bradford anymore. ” What’s your obsession with keeping me in this house? ” she demanded. ” I don’t want to be Mrs. Bradford forever. Let Catherine threaten my position. Is that so difficult? ” Vance paused, then laughed, dismissing it as another childish tantrum. Without a word, he headed to the master bedroom to take a shower. After that ordeal, Rebecca was covered in sweat. She took another quick shower, changed into a T – shirt, and lay back down. That night, heavy rain fell.
The sound of raindrops pattering against the glass window created a soothing white noise effect, and the temperature dropped sharply. Listening to the rain, she drifted off to sleep. The next morning, she woke up naturally. She checked the time, and it was already nine o’clock. Vance was outside talking to Nancy and hadn’t gone to the office yet. This wasn’t like his workaholic style at all. He gave some instructions and left. Only then did Rebecca get out of bed. At breakfast, Nancy came over to relay a message. ” Mr. Bradford said he’d be back after handling some matters.
He wants you to wait for him so you can go visit your parents together.” Rebecca immediately lost her appetite, unable to even stomach the oatmeal in front of her. She hadn’t said anything about visiting her parents. She had no desire to return. But she couldn’t vent her frustration at the housekeeper. She set down her spoon, preparing to leave the table. ” Ma’am… ” Nancy faltered. ” What else did he say? ” Rebecca asked, surprised by how verbose Vance could be. ” Well, ” Nancy said, ” there’s something I’m not sure if I should say. ” Rebecca sighed softly, ” Go ahead.”
“I don’t mean to meddle, ” Nancy stammered nervously. ” I’m just speaking from experience. You know, in a marriage, intimacy is important. Since Mr. Bradford took the initiative, wouldn’t things improve if you two had a child? ” Her words crossed the boundary a bit, but Rebecca knew that she was coming from a good place. Rebecca was grateful for Nancy’s meticulous care in the past five years, so she didn’t snap. Instead, she said, ” Thank you, Nancy, but my relationship with him isn’t that simple. Please don’t bring this up again.”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. ” Nancy panicked. Just then, Rebecca’s phone rang on the table. It was the delivery service. ” You have two items: one large box and one document. ” Her heart raced at the mention of the document. It had to be her French proficiency scores arriving. ” Please bring them up, ” she replied quickly, giving the delivery person access. Sure enough, it was the test results, and the large box contained clothes she had ordered for Vance last month. She signed off the packages, about to close the door when the elevator dinged.
Vance stepped out, asking, ” What’s this? ” Rebecca quickly hid the envelope behind her, trying to sound natural. ” Your clothes. ” Vance hummed with satisfaction. As he entered the house, he reached over to touch her hair, as if to say, ” That’s more like it. ” She twisted her body, terrified he’d spot the envelope behind her. He turned back, surprised she was still standing in place. ” Aren’t you going to open it and let me try them on? ” he asked. Of course, she couldn’t do that and risk exposing her plans to leave him.
“Open it yourself. ” Rebecca stood firm, turning her head away, her back against the wall as she clutched the envelope. Vance sighed, ” Your temper has gotten worse lately. ” But he didn’t push her any further, nor did he suspect that she was hiding something from him. He simply went inside. In the end, Nancy opened the package, while Rebecca swiftly hid her scores and retreated to the guest room. ” Rebecca, we’re leaving, ” Vance called out from outside. She turned around sharply. ” Could you respect me a little?Stop springing every decision on me as a last- minute notification? ” He came to the guest room door. ” Is this really a last – minute thing? Today is your father’s birthday. ” She didn’t respond, and he raised an eyebrow. ” Or should I go alone?”
“Wait, I’ll change, ” she said, trying to close the door. Vance blocked it with a hand, his gaze deep and suspicious. ” Is it necessary to close the door? Is it because of that dancer kid?”
“Ridiculous. ” She slammed the door shut. In their five years of marriage, every time she changed clothes, she closed the door.
It had been his habit from the start, as if being seen would somehow tarnish his purity. He was always so tightly buttoned up in front of her. Even his pajamas were fastened to the last button. These were real overactions, totally absurd. After changing, she came out to find Vance waiting on the sofa. ” Let’s go. ” She noticed an envelope on the coffee table, figuring it was for her father. The envelope looked thick, stuffed with cash. Certainly not a small amount. This happened every year for her family’s birthdays. The giver was willing, and the receivers were happy.
Only she, stuck in the middle, felt more oppressed the larger the amount. Getting into the car, she saw boxes of premium cigarettes and liquor in the backseat. Her boastful father loved these things. Her parents lived in a neighborhood half an hour’s drive away. Vance had bought the new house for them after the marriage.
He didn’t particularly like her family, but he always accommodated their requests. To marry her, he had given a huge sum, which her parents naturally kept entirely. Her mother had said, ” I raised you.
Am I supposed to give away my daughter for nothing? Vance is rich. He doesn’t care about this little money. ” Afterward, every time they met with him, they complained about how damp and cramped the old house was. Vance, ever so sharp, understood immediately and bought them this four – bedroom house as a gift. Two years ago, when her brother graduated from college, they sighed about how difficult it was to get a job. Vance understood once again and opened a company for her brother. And one time, she heard Vance’s phone chime with a reminder she glimpsed by chance.
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