After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 10

Of all the people who might have done this, Rebecca could think of only one person with both the means and the motive–Jeffrey

without thinking twice, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number, her anger toward him boiling over.

“Who may I say is calling?” a secretary’s professional voice answered.

Rebecca stared at the phone in confusion, verifying she had indeed dialed Jeffrey’s private number, it made no sense that his secretary would be answering his personal line.

“This is Rebecca,” she said, pushing her confusion aside. “I need to speak, with Jeffrey

The secretary glanced at Jeffrey, who sat watching from his leather chair. Taking his subtle cue, she replied smoothly, “Mr. Hanson is in a meeting for the next two hours. Can I take a message?”

“He’s right there with you,” Rebecca said, her voice firm. She knew he never let anyone else handle his personal phone, not even his secretary.

The secretary instinctively looked to Jeffrey for instruction

Jeffrey took the phone from her and gestured for her to leave before speaking. “When my secretary said I was unavailable, thought that would be enough to make you understand I’m not taking your calls.”

“If you hadn’t deliberately sabotaged my job prospects, I wouldn’t be calling, Rebecca stated bluntly. “Why did you tell them to reject me!”

Jeffrey feigned ignorance. “What job?””

Rebecca shot back, “Don’t play dumb with me.”

“If you got rejected, maybe you should look at your own qualifications instead of blaming me,” Jeffrey said coldly. “After five years out of the workforce, what did you expect?”

Rebecca wasn’t buying it. “You’re seriously going to pretend you didn’t have someone block my hiring?”

“I didn’t,” Jeffrey answered quickly, “I just made it clear they shouldn’t lower their standards for you because of me. You’re not my wife anymore, and you don’t get special treatment.”

He never actually said it, but the message came through loud and clear. Everyone in their circle knew how to read between the lines.

“What’s the point of this?” Rebecca couldn’t figure out why he was so set on making her life miserable. ‘He’s agreed to the divorce, and he’s the one who cheated, so why is he still coming after me?” she thought to hersell.

Jeffrey hadn’t quite caught

there was no point in arguing further. She realized finding a decent job would

then, her phone buzzed with an

make an

knew his job

with her.

job prospects looking dim, she had to start her company search

connected to Jeffrey–former partners, business associates, even competitors–until only small and

another round of resumes, she turned to

1/3

Chapter 10

returned from apartment viewings, she found Andrea waiting by her

her path. “We need to

retorted, pushing past her toward the

closing the distance in her designer heels. “And I know you’re desperate for money right now.” She stood confidently in

this card with 300 thousand dollars is yours,” she added, extending the card

eyes turned cold as

that, I’ll make sure Jeffrey covers your mother’s medical treatments,” Andrea

we can negotiate.”

her motives. “Why are you doing

why?” Andrea replied, distracted by her

eyes with the familiarity of their past friendship. “Why would you

leave?”

she loves,” Andrea said, pulling back the card while steadying her emotions. “I can see he

not believe a single word she was

and destroyed my reputation just like she did back in our college days, rather than simply trying to make

the money’s not enough, just tell me how much you want,” Andrea said, growing uneasy under

had deep roots in this city and saw

elsewhere.

here, and I need to stay to care for

Andrea’s composure snapped. “Rebeccal”

out everything. What if one day he just cracks and tells her the real reason he’s with me? Then I’m finished, she thought to herself,