“A few minutes later, Vance entered the room with his tie already loosened. The top button of his shirt was undone ; his sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up to his forearms. ” Not coming out to eat with me? ” he asked, sounding as if the afternoon’s anger had dissipated. For five years, he always returned home late sometimes not eating at home at all. But most times, even if he came back late, he would still have something to eat. For her, those moments felt like holidays.
She’d buzz around him like a bee, serving food and ladling soup, almost to the point of feeding it directly into his mouth. But no matter how attentive she was, what did it achieve? Perhaps it only annoyed him further. ” What did you have for dinner? From now on, there is no need to cater to my tastes. Tell Nancy to make what you like, ” he added. Clearly, he believed her instructing Nancy to make spicy crabs was an attempt to please him He pulled up a chair and sat down by the bed.
“Rebecca…”
She frowned, silently watching as he took out his phone and tapped away in front of her. Soon, her phone chimed with the bank alert of another big transfer. He declared, ” Cathy loves those rings. Since you already sold them off, I gave them to her. Take the money and buy yourself some jewelry you actually like. ” So, that was what this was all about. It explained why he had suddenly come in front of her with such a friendly attitude to talk. With her back to him, she hummed, ” Sure.” Countdown to leaving Vance Bradford, Day 25: [ He gave our wedding rings to someone else. But hey, I don’t even want him anymore. Why bother about them? ” So agreeable today? ” His voice softened. ” I was gonna buy something for you, but clearly, you don’t like the stuff I pick.”
“Yeah, no biggie, ” she responded nonchalantly. ” Well then. ” He relaxed. ” Cathy likes posting pictures. It’s just a girly thing. Don’t let it bug you.”
Rebecca closed her eyes, as if trying to fall asleep. ” Yeah, I know. ” She’d already blocked Catherine anyway. No more posts for her to see. ” What’s going on? Heading to bed already? ” Vance frowned. ” You feeling okay? Let me check ” He leaned down to get a better look at her face. ” You’re not crying quiefly, are you? Get up and let me see ” His hands slipped under her waist, lifting her from the bed. She opened her eyes, and he saw that they were dry. There were no tears at all – not even the redness around the edges that she used to get.
Her gaze, however, was distant, as it veiled in mist. ” Are you really that tired? ” He set her back down. ” Then go ahead and get some steep. ” He tucked her in and watched her close her eyes once again. His voice was hesitant. ” I’m heading out on a business trip tomorrow. ” Her eyes snapped open. Didn’t that mean she could sneak off to Arelmoor without him knowing? She sat up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. ” How long will you be gone?”
“Three or four days – maybe a week if it drags on. ” He frowned, sensing her reaction was over the top. ” Why?” Her heart bubbled with excitement, but on the surface, she appeared nonchalant. ” Nothing. Who are you going with?”
“Aiden… ” He faltered. ” And maybe Cathy too.”
“Oh. ” She lay back down. ” Good. Let me know before you come back, and I’ll have Nancy prepare food. ” He stared at her incredulously. ” You’re not mad? ” She shook her head. ” Go to bed early. You have a trip tomorrow and need to rest well.”
“It’s a group thing. ” He leaned closer to her, trying to peer into her eyes. She pushed him away. ” Go take a shower.
I’ve already bathed, so don’t get too close to me. ” His brows furrowed in displeasure. ” What does that mean? You think I’m dirty? ” She was speechless. ” You’ve been out all day. Who knows how many germs you’ve brought back? Of course you’re dirty. ” This was especially true, with Catherine’s perfume clinging to him. Did she have to spell it out? His face darkened as he got up and headed to the bathroom. Even after he left, Catherine’s perfume still lingered in the air. She got up, sprayed her own perfume all around the room, and took a deep breath.
Then she told herself, ” Forget it. I’ll be leaving soon anyway. No point wasting energy on these pointless things. ” The next morning, when Vance got up, Rebecca was still asleep. She assumed he would pack his things and leave on his own accord, but unexpectedly, he insisted on waking her up. ” I’m tired! ” She swatted his hand away. ” Mrs. Bradford, ” he drawled from the bedside. ” You’re slacking more and more clothes, and not even packing my luggage? ” not checking if I’ve eaten, not preparing my She opened her eyes, fed up.
She went into the walk – in closet, opened his suitcase, and prepared a week’s worth of clothes, folding them neatly and placing them inside. She also portioned out his daily essentials and packed them into the suitcase. Finally, she dragged the suitcase back into the bedroom, opened a drawer, took out a pack of condoms, and was about to put them in. He grabbed her arm, stopping her. ” Where did you get this thing? ” In fact, it had been there since their wedding – something she had prepared.
At that time, she hadn’t yet decided if their marriage was suitable for having children. At least right after getting married, she felt they lacked an emotional foundation, so it seemed better not to have kids for the time being.
Rebecca hadn’t expected her preparation to be completely unnecessary. She sneered, ” I prepared it for you. Am I a worthy wife or what?”
“You…. ” Vance snatched the box and hurled it into the trash. ” I don’t need this stuff. Even if there’s a kid, I can afford to raise them. Right now, I’m good without one. ” He closed the suitcase, locked it, and stepped out. She stood there in a daze, then shook her head, driving all the unhappiness and pain from her mind. She had her own plans to worry about.
The form from yesterday hadn’t been completed ; it was still missing bits. After breakfast, she went out to the bank to get a deposit certificate, then returned home and shut herself in her room to continue filling out the form. By afternoon, she still wasn’t done. However, she couldn’t delay any longer. She had a flight to catch. She gathered all the materials, planning to fill them out on the way. Nancy saw her wheeling out the suitcase and asked in surprise. Her question was reasonable since Rebecca rarely went out alone.
“I’m going back to university for a school anniversary celebration. I’ll be back in two days. Don’t tell Vance, so he doesn’t worry, ** Rebecca replied. ” Oh… alright, ” Nancy agreed. Outside, Rebecca hailed a cab and headed straight to the airport. She arrived in Arelmoor that evening and sent a message to Lauren, letting the latter know she had arrived and that they could meet at the visa office the next day. Then she took a cab straight to her hotel. Once she checked in, she didn’t bother resting.
Instead, she turned on her laptop and continued filling out the form, working until three in the morning before finally completing it and emailing it back to the school. She set her alarm and went to bed. Her sleep time was severely insufficient, but the next day, she felt surprisingly energetic. The weather in the north was excellent, nothing like the constant rain in the south during this season. Sitting in the cab, she gazed at the street scenes she hadn’t seen in five years. A dreamlike sense of familiarity, carrying a faint sorrow, struck her intensely.
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