Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
Anne followed her gaze with curiosity.
1 min left
Rebecca pressed her lips together, heart thundering in her chest.
She had almost forgotten–the first time she met Richard, her heart had raced just like this.
But this time, she was certain.
It was Alistair.
Anne gave a scoff. “Wearing clothes like that? No way that’s the
broke loser-”
“Anne!” Rebecca snapped, louder than intended.
Anne flinched. “What?!” she said, eyes wide.
Rebecca blinked, suddenly aware she’d overreacted.
She had no idea why Anne’s words had hit her like a slap–all she knew was that they sounded vulgar, almost offensive, like they didn’t belong in the same air she was breathing.
“You’ve already found your ideal match,” Rebecca said, voice taut. “So maybe watch your words. It’s unbecoming.”
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
Anne rolled her eyes. “All right, all right. I’ll be more… refined.”
1 min left
Only after the man had disappeared down the corridor did Anne fully process what had just happened.
A strange realization flickered in her eyes.
Had Rebecca just defended Alistair… because she’d called him
broke?
******
When Alistair rejoined them after a brief detour, he had three warm churros in hand, each wrapped neatly in wax paper.
Whenever they had the time, the three of them liked to go for walks like this, just to enjoy the breeze and the quiet.
He handed the first churro to Eloise, who took it with both hands.
“Thank you, Daddy,” she said sweetly.
The second was offered to Caroline, who accepted it with a smile. “Thanks, honey.”
The last one he kept for himself.
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
**) 1 min left
The evening air was crisp and cool. They strolled slowly along the lakeside trail, stopping occasionally to take in the view–just like any other ordinary family of three.
A soft spring breeze brushed past, lifting away the lingering edge of Alistair’s earlier frustration, which had come on the heels of a sudden, belated clarity.
Caroline had been quietly observing him. When she noticed that his mood had finally leveled out, she began to relax.
Then, something caught her eye.
She turned her head just in time to see someone dart behind a
billboard.
Her brows knit in quiet suspicion.
Rebecca never imagined she’d find herself doing something this pathetic–lurking behind an ad board like some disturbed voyeur.
And the person she was following… was Alistair.
If someone had asked her why, she wouldn’t have known how to explain it.
Peeking cautiously from behind the signage, she watched the little family walking farther and farther away. Their laughter floated
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
1 min leff
back on the breeze. The more distant they became, the heavier
the silence in her chest grew, pressing against her ribs with a slow, gnawing ache.
She finally understood that…
If their previous encounter could still be rationalized–maybe Alistair had staged it to get back at her for choosing Richard, maybe he’d hired someone to play house with him in public–then what about this? This couldn’t have been planned.
He had no way of knowing she’d be here tonight.
Rebecca bit down hard on her lower lip.
He’s really remarried? He’s someone else’s husband now? Someone else’s daughter calls him “Daddy“?
A swell of indignation rose in her chest.
We’ve only been divorced for how long? How could he move on so
fast?
But this time, she didn’t step forward to confront him. She didn’t
even try.
Because she couldn’t think of a single reason that would justify it.
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
Lucky Draw
They were divorced. Papers signed, names crossed out, done. The bridge had been burned; they were strangers now.
She drifted home like a ghost, walked into her condo, and was struck by how still everything was. The silence stretched across every surface like dust. For a brief moment, she remembered how Alistair used to wait for her in the living room no matter how late
she came home.
Even if he was only following orders, the fact that someone had been there had waited–was more comforting than the empty space she stood in now.
Something bitter began to spread through the air around her, thick and unspoken.
But Rebecca didn’t call it regret.
It’s just loneliness. That’s all. I’m not used to being alone yet.
She slowly crouched to the floor and covered her face with both hands, the silence closing in until she couldn’t tell whether it was sadness or exhaustion weighing her down.
She didn’t even notice when the front door opened.
Richard stepped inside and saw her immediately–slumped in the center of the room, face buried in her hands, shoulders trembling
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
like a soaked stray cat curled against a curb.
He let out a dry, soundless scoff.
Lucky Draw
Of course.
She hadn’t called or begged him to come back like she usually did, but he knew she had to be falling apart.
He even regretted giving in to his mother’s nagging and coming over to check on her.
If he’d waited just a little longer, he figured, she would’ve broken down and called him herself.
Right on cue, after a few more minutes of silent sobbing, she fumbled through her purse for her phone.
Richard stepped out quietly and shut the door behind him with deliberate care.
He leaned back against the white hallway wall, pulled out his phone, and waited for it to ring, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in smug amusement.
Tch. Mom really thinks Rebecca’s getting harder to handle? Please.
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
Lucky Draw
No one knew her like he did. Rebecca would never truly leave him.
Sure, she threw the occasional tantrum, played the cold card and
tried to act untouchable. But all he had to do was disappear for two or three days and she’d crumble.
And now? Just wait. He was always right.
So he waited.
Five minutes. Nothing.
He stayed patient. Still no call.
Eventually, he picked up the phone and held it in his hand, watching the screen like it might change its mind. Another ten minutes ticked by. Still nothing. No texts. No calls. No missed notifications.
He frowned, staring at his phone.
What the hell? Did she forget my number?
Impossible. She had it saved under “My Dearest.”
Then it clicked.
She’s hesitating. Still too proud. Probably sitting there trying to
Chapter 61 A Frantic Rebecca
**Lucky Draw
figure out what to say–how to make it sound like I’m the one who
should come crawling back.
Inside the house, the dial tone droned through the speaker.
“The number you have dialed is not in service.”
Write your comment
