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.

hadn’t quite

arguing further. She realized finding a decent

buzzed with an

work, I could make an exception for old times sake. There’s a position for you at the Hanson

his job offer was just another way to

with her.

prospects looking dim, she had to start her

blacklisted every company connected to Jeffrey–former partners, business associates, even competitors–until only small and mid–sized

round of resumes, she

1/3

Chapter 10

she returned from apartment viewings, she found Andrea waiting

block her path. “We need to talk,” she

homewreckers,” Rebecca retorted, pushing past her toward the

know Jeffrey left you penniless after the divorce,” Andrea said, closing the distance in her designer heels. “And I know you’re desperate for money right now.” She stood confidently in head–to–toe limited edition

300 thousand dollars is yours,” she added, extending the

eyes turned cold as she glanced

mother’s medical treatments,” Andrea continued. “If you have other

we can negotiate.”

understand her motives. “Why are you

mean, why?” Andrea replied,

into her eyes with the familiarity of their past friendship. “Why would you still want

leave?”

while steadying her emotions.

a single

have easily framed me and destroyed my reputation just like she did back in our college days,

tell me how much you want,” Andrea said, growing uneasy under her

firmly. She had deep roots in this city and saw no reason to be driven

elsewhere.

to stay

Andrea’s composure snapped. “Rebeccal”

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