After the divorce, he begged

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“I’m heading out,” Stanley said after making sure Jeffrey was alright. “If you need anything, just call me or Gregory,”

Jeffrey grunted in response.

Stanley disappeared in a flash.

When Stanley got downstairs, Rebecca had just climbed into Ian’s car.

Jessica was in the front seat, glancing back at Rebecca with concern. “Jeffrey didn’t give you any trouble, right?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No.”

“That’s a relief,” Jessica said, feeling a bit of the worry she’d been carrying finally lift. She’d barely managed to calm down since hearing Rebecca had ended up at the hospital because of Jeffrey. “I was really afraid he’d lose it and hassle you again, like back in the day.”

“If he gives me any trouble, I’ll just turn around and leave,” Rebecca reminded herself to keep her head clear. “We’re not a couple anymore. He can’t force me to stay.”

If we were still married, people would just call it a family spat, and after some mediation, nothing would really get solved.

But now that the divorce is final and feelings are over, any weird behavior from him could straight–up count as a crime.

“How long are you thinking of sticking around?” Ian asked, glancing over with a hint of curiosity.

“We’ll see,” Rebecca said as she slipped her phone into her bag. “If I’ve got a project running here, I’ll probably be popping in and out for about a month.”

Ian and Jessica exchanged glances.

Both of them were thinking the same thing: ‘Did Jeffrey really set up this project just to make Rebecca stay?‘

Rebecca saw right through them. “He won’t stick his nose in my business. This has nothing to do with him.”

For the rest of the ride, the three of them chatted like they always did.

It was like that whole confession had never even happened.

They stopped at a restaurant for dinner, and lan was his usual lively self, cracking jokes about their recent adventures, sharing funny stories from the past. Nobody acted weird or distant; it was seriously like nothing had ever happened between them.

Stanley had snuck over, hoping to catch some spicy gossip, but all he picked up was the usual boring day–to- day chatter. The letdown was real.

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regular life stuff, Stanley thought, rolling his eyes at how dull it all

there’s no way I can make any of this

before they knew it. As Rebecca, Jessica, and fan stepped out of the restaurant,

dressed super casually, looking beyond exhausted, her eyes

with her, she might not

from before swapped out for something hopeless and dim. “Can I talk

nothing to say to you,” Rebecca said coldly, turning on

I could’ve really admired

girl from some remote little town. Rebecca understood better than anyone how much that takes, and the first time she saw Andrea, she genuinely wanted to reach out

of Jessica–there was something just genuinely kind and easy- going

who managed to make it through

Andrea just had to go and take the worst turn

all that old swagger gone. “I don’t have anyone else. You’re

She just told Jessica she was leaving,

reputation and teamed up with others to make her life miserable,

yelled, her voice full

again, her voice cracking as she tried

to catch up and stop

collapsed to the ground–despair crashed over her, swallowing her whole. In that moment, she couldn’t fight off the

later, a middle–aged

eyes red and watery,

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Not picking up calls, not answering texts–are

hurts!” Andrea yelled, her scalp stinging

feel pain now?” The woman looked pissed, her patience clearly running thin. “Did you even think about that when you wouldn’t pick up

despite the stabbing pain. “Every time. you call, it’s just endless crap about your problems! Let me make this clear–don’t even dream

Smack!

sent a ringing slap across Andrea’s

Andrea’s lip, but she glared back, stubborn

eyes burning with fury. “I already took the dowry. In a

just scoffed, cold

your face,” she sneered. “You blew your chance with Jeffrey, the only guy

Scott!” Andrea spat, her sarcasm cutting deeper with every word. “You tried screwing with birth control–stabbed holes in condoms and pulled every trashy stunt you could, but he didn’t give you a second look. Wow, what an impressive role

exploded, face dark

Andrea choked, emotion clawing at her throat. “With parents who are nothing but drunk gambling losers, no wonder my

who the hell would ever choose to

dreamed of having a real, normal family?‘ she