After the divorce, he begged

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“Rebecca, where are you?” Stanley’s voice was urgent, the words coming out faster than usual. “Jeffrey’s had an incident. Can you come to Jelasburg?”

Rebecca blinked, slightly stunned. “What happened to him?”

“He passed out. He’s in the hospital now,” Stanley said, trying to keep his voice steady.

Rebecca’s tense heart eased just a little.

For the past month, nobody had brought up Jeffrey around her, and he hadn’t contacted her either.

The endless grind at work and the dinner parties she always had to wrangle her way through barely left her any breathing room. So when she heard something had happened to him, her heart automatically tightened up before she could even process it.

Maybe she just didn’t want Samuel’s dad to get hurt.

Or maybe those five years had left feelings buried too deep to ever pull out.

“He’s been having a rough time lately,” Stanley said, standing outside the hospital room, watching Jeffrey through the glass. Jeffrey looked gaunt and worn out. “Can you come see him?”

Rebecca paused for a moment. “I’m not a doctor. Me being there won’t help.”

Stanley sounded more urgent. “How can you know that if you haven’t even come by?”

Rebecca didn’t answer.

Stanley kept trying to convince her. “Just come see him, for how he’s treated you these past years. Stay until he wakes up, then you can leave–is that okay?”

“Sorry,” Rebecca said, pushing down all the guilt in her chest. “I’m swamped here–I’ve got too much going on. I’m hanging up now.”

“Rebecca, wait-” Stanley’s voice got lost mid–sentence as she pressed end, leaving nothing but silence on the line.

Rebecca gripped her phone tightly, countless emotions battling inside her heart.

‘Stanley wouldn’t have reached out unless things were truly bad,‘ Rebecca thought. But just like she’d said—she wasn’t a doctor, and her showing up wouldn’t change anything. Maybe it was better if their lives stayed separate from now on.

“Mr. Garcia’s calling again,” Mark reminded her quietly.

Rebecca looked down.

Her phone kept lighting up with Mr. Garcia’s number.

16:13 Fri, Oct 10 B

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up, then texted him: [Jeffrey and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. If

was so pissed he wanted to smash

his fist into the

didn’t agree?” Gregory asked, glancing at Stanley’s expression and putting the

her all this time, and when it really counts, she just

Ms. Jensen way too much before,” Gregory

not about being ruthless–maybe she’s

she sees Mr. Hanson like this, her heart would melt, she’d

up with Andrea, no doubt about that, but it’s not like Rebecca’s completely innocent either,” Stanley blurted out, the stress pushing him to speak harsher than he meant. “She was the only one he ever cared for–when things blew up, did she try working through his issues? Nope. She went straight for divorce papers. Makes you wonder how much she ever actually

just gave Stanley

pressed on, his tone rising. “She was happy to share the good times, but

more Stanley spoke, the more his

of this mess was Jeffrey’s fault, but Rebecca

to solve something, you have to know what the problem is,” Gregory said, always the level- headed one. “You

his wounds, and he would never show

attention.

him well because of who he is now–not because of anything he’s been

in that, Rebecca

handled this

with Mr. Hanson more than anyone else. That’s exactly why he saw her as the only one fit to

blame too,” Stanley muttered, throwing his

Oct

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stay with Mr. Hanson, and I’ll let you know as soon as he wakes

right here,”

up, then at least his best friend could stick

don’t need

replied back almost

get

the last five years, Rebecca pressed her pale lips

started typing out a question:

had always been perfect—his checkups spotless, and

just seemed completely out of

the words almost immediately,

a tangled mess

little words–normally Rebecca could fire those off in three seconds flat, but this time she took almost twenty. Talk

still something between those two, I’ll

name in private; in public, she was always “boss.” “Are you thinking of heading to the airport? I can book your ticket if you

Rebecca: “No”