The episode prevented Rebecca from revealing the truth. But if Rebecca had truly wanted to continue, no one could have stopped her. From across the table, Vance cast her a pleading glance, subtly shaking his head and mouthing, “Don’t say it.” Truth be told, she hadn’t intended to say it in the first place. She had deliberately spoken only half the sentence, just to watch the two of them scramble in panic. Throughout this afternoon tea session, some sat as if on pins and needles, while others remained perfectly at ease.
As Rebecca reached for her teacup, Lauren suddenly noticed something in her hand. “Is that a wedding ring? You’re married? To whom?” The question landed like a bolt from the blue, causing Vance and Catherine to pale dramatically. Rebecca glanced at Vance’s hand resting beside his teacup, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips. He had never once worn a wedding ring; the pair from their ceremony had been removed immediately after the wedding and left to gather dust somewhere unknown. “Yes, I’ve been married for five years now,” she replied calmly.”My husband’s last name is Bradford.”
“What a coincidence! ” Vance interjected hastily. The underlying message was clear. He was urging her not to say anything more. ” Yes, he is also involved in business, though his operations aren’t on the same grand scale as Mr. Bradford here, ” Rebecca said, taking a sip of her tea. Through the steam rising from the cup, she could clearly see the relief washing over his face. ” What an incredible coincidence. Next time, be sure to bring him along, and we can all have tea together, ” Pascal said warmly, showing extra courtesy since she was Lauren’s student.
Vance’s expression shifted once more, and Rebecca found it amusing. In their entire five years of marriage, the range of emotions he had displayed didn’t come close to the variety she had witnessed just this afternoon. Given the circumstances, Vance couldn’t linger much longer. After chatting for a short while, he mentioned having other matters to attend to and suggested they wrap up, but he was uneasy about leaving Rebecca there alone, worried she might say something indiscreet. He signaled her with his eyes, urging her to leave as well. Lauren received a phone call.
From the context of the conversation, it seemed someone was seeking her out for something important. Rebecca didn’t want to hold up her instructor’s business any longer, so it was indeed time for her to leave as well. Vance offered politely, ” Where are you guys staying? Let me give you a ride. ” They were lodged at the hotel right next door, so there was no real need for a ride. Still concerned for Rebecca, Lauren asked, ” Rebecca, where do you live? ” Rebecca glanced at Vance before replying with the name of her street and neighborhood.
“Honey, I’ll just take a cab over on my own, ” Lauren said to Pascal. ” You can escort Rebecca home. ” Vance smoothly interjected, ” Actually, we live in the neighborhood right next to hers. We can give her a ride. ” Lauren hesitated, but Rebecca readily agreed, ” That would be great. Thank you, Mr. Bradford. ” Her mocking tone made Vance frown, but she didn’t care. With that decided, Vance, Rebecca, and Catherine took the elevator down to the underground parking lot. Once they reached the place, however, Catherine didn’t continue walking forward with them.
Instead, she stopped at the entrance, smiling brightly with a coquettish tone. ” Alright, you guys go ahead. I’ll just take a cab. Rebecca, I’m handing your husband back to you now. ” What did she mean by handing him back? When had Rebecca ever agreed to lend him out in the first place? Catherine clung to Rebecca’s arm, swaying it playfully in a saccharine manner. ” Please don’t be angry. Today’s misunderstanding really wasn’t intentional. Vance places so much importance on this collaboration, and Mr. and Mrs. Lemke have such a strong marital bond.
Having the partnering couple appear harmonious adds positive points to the project, so we just went along with the mix – up without correcting it. After all, you… ” She subconsciously glanced down at Rebecca’s leg, pressing closer. ” You won’t hold it against us, right?”
“Us? ” Rebecca let out a cold laugh. ” Who exactly are you referring to with ‘ us ‘ ? ” Catherine’s expression changed immediately. Rebecca strongly disliked having strangers cling to her like this, especially when that stranger was Catherine.
Having said her piece, she pulled her arm away, not with so much force. Yet somehow, Catherine stumbled and fell to the ground. ” Rebecca, what are you doing? ” Vance reprimanded. Catherine reacted dramatically, scrambling to her feet and positioning herself to block Vance. She used her entire body to do so, pressing tightly against him. Then, in a pleading voice, she tried to calm him. ” Take it easy, Vance. That little push was just her instinctive reaction, and I couldn’t steady myself. She didn’t mean it. Please don’t argue with her over me. It would make me so sad.” Her performance was so over – the – top that surely only Vance could believe it. Particularly as she blocked him, she made a point of deliberately exposing the scraped area on her wrist for him to see. And on that wrist was the watch she had just purchased – the very same model which Rebecca owned ten. When Vance saw the scrape, his brows knitted together. ” Rebecca, what is the matter with you? You’ve always been so gentle and understanding. Why do you harbor such a strong prejudice against Catherine?”
“Prejudice? ” Rebecca let out a light, incredulous laugh.” What prejudice could I have? After all, she’s already being called Mrs. Bradford. What could I possibly hold against her? ” Vance was rendered speechless. Turning to Catherine, he asked with concern, ” Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, ” Catherine whined, but she deliberately brought her wrist right up to the edge of his chin.
Vance lowered his head and gently blew on her wound. ” Let’s get you some ointment so it won’t leave a Rebecca had never seen him so tender toward anyone before. Even after her car accident, when she had sustained multiple injuries all over her body, including the crippling of her leg and scars everywhere, he had never shown this kind of naturally flowing, deep – seated heartache. He had asked her if it hurt, telling her to cry it out. That was not heartache, it was guilt.
Did Vance feel pain, too? Rebecca understood why. His entire life would bear the weight of her. It was a burden he couldn’t escape, so how could he not hurt? The love of his life was right there beside him, yet because of her existence, they couldn’t be together openly and legitimately. How could that not cause him pain? He was torn between his conscience and the impulse to break free from his constraints. The constant internal conflict must be agonizing. How could it not hurt? Wouldn’t it be better to just let her go?Back home alone, Rebecca sat facing the ten watch boxes laid out before her. She stared at them for what felt like an eternity, tempted to grab each box and hurl it viciously against the wall. But she refrained, knowing impulses wouldn’t solve anything. Once her emotions had finally settled, she opened a second – hand trading app on her phone and began searching for buyers of luxury items. Soon, she found a local dealer and arranged for them to come pick up the items the next morning at ten o’clock, which was precisely the time when the housekeeper would go out to buy groceries.
With that matter handled, she turned on her computer and immersed herself fully in researching the procedures for applying for a visa. The troupe that Lauren was with would be departing in just one month, which meant her own time to leave was truly entering its final countdown. Seated in front of the computer, her mind free of distractions, she scrolled through one post after another. Her emotions surged with a mix of calm and exhilaration – the world had never felt so peaceful, yet so invigorating at the same time. Before she knew it, the entire evening had slipped away.
She was so deeply absorbed in her task that she didn’t even notice when Vance returned home. ” What are you doing? ” His voice suddenly sounded from the doorway behind her, startling her into hurriedly closing the laptop. Vance had come back, maintaining his usual mild demeanor as if nothing at all had happened. He walked over to her side and asked in a low, gentle voice, ” Watching a show? It must be really good if you’re still up this late watching it. ” This was his way of making small talk when there was nothing else to say.
Rebecca kept her hand pressed firmly on the laptop, holding it shut tightly. The web pages inside hadn’t even been closed yet.
” It’s a show you wouldn’t like.”
“I haven’t watched it yet. How do you know I wouldn’t like it? ” He reached out to lift the laptop lid. She tensed up, holding it down resolutely. Assuming she was still upset, he stopped trying to pry it open and instead squatted down beside her, looking at her profile. ” Still angry with me?”
“No. ” Her feelings encompassed many things: disappointment, despair, frustration…
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