Forbidden Passion

Chapter 509 Vanessa Stirred the Pot with Phoebe

Phoebe was down for the count, barely able to get a word out. One morning, right after the meeting, Brandon summoned her to his office. Phoebe knocked and walked in.

"Take a seat," Brandon said, giving her a quick once-over. Once she was settled, he got straight to it. "I heard Theodore's been MIA for a few days, and you've been running the show with the VP?" Phoebe coughed a bit, her voice all raspy. "Yeah."

Brandon's face scrunched up. "You look like crap. Have you seen a doctor?"

"I just grabbed some meds, no biggie," Phoebe shrugged.

"You kids never learn. You wait till you're half-dead before seeing a doc," Brandon grumbled, then switched gears. "So, Theodore's been with a teacher at the hospital?"

Phoebe's lips tightened. "It's Vanessa's mom."

"Unbelievable!" Brandon snapped. "He's ditching work to babysit someone else's mom, and you're just letting it slide?"

Phoebe just stared at the floor, not saying a word.

Brandon, seeing her all meek and quiet, got even more ticked off. "Phoebe, you're his wife. Grow a backbone. If you keep acting like a doormat, of course, he's gonna walk all over you." After getting chewed out by Brandon, Phoebe left his office feeling like she'd been hit by a truck.

That night, Phoebe was burning up with a fever. She was sprawled out on the couch, half-conscious, when the doorbell rang. She didn't budge.

Then came the banging on the door, so loud it cut through her fever haze, even with a pillow over her head.

Phoebe dragged herself off the couch, using it for support, and shuffled to the door.

When she opened it, there stood Vanessa and Ruby. Phoebe frowned, her voice barely a whisper, "You sure you got the right place?"

as she was about to shut the door, Vanessa jammed her cane in the gap and waltzed in with a grin. "Nope, Theodore sent me to grab

making her throat itch

come himself?" Phoebe

right onto the living room carpet. She spotted the cat tree in the corner, where Ollie

sarcastically, "Anyone would think it was

and said, "Who knows, maybe soon my mom

fists clenched in

a lung. Instinctively, she reached out to help. Phoebe jerked away, her icy stare cutting through Ruby.

her hand hanging in the

are you pretending to be all nice? She

and she hissed at Vanessa,

who was hacking so hard she looked like she might keel over. She bit her lip, itching to push Phoebe's buttons more but worried it might blow up

Theodore a heads-up. If he found out she was stirring the

since

"Vanessa, that's mine and Theodore's room. Even if you're dying to

teeth, shooting daggers at Vanessa before turning and coughing her way to the

her heart aching to tell her the truth-that Theodore hadn't sent them for the clothes. Vanessa had eavesdropped on Theodore

under her thumb, and Ruby couldn't risk crossing

cat tree, glaring at Ollie, the cat Phoebe and Theodore had raised together. Jealousy burned in her eyes, especially since Ollie

some time. She

to

'Is Vanessa out of her

time, dodging the crutch. It