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?"

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

Phoebe, making her throat itch and triggering

come himself?"

stomped right onto the living room carpet. She spotted the cat tree in the corner, where Ollie was hissing at her, and a look of disgust crossed her face. "He couldn't

back sarcastically, "Anyone would think it was his mom who was sick, not

flinch. She just smiled and said, "Who knows, maybe soon my mom will be

clenched

face turn beet red, like she was about to hack up a lung. Instinctively, she reached out to help. Phoebe

froze, her hand hanging in

thing and sneered, "Ruby, why are you

tightened, and she hissed at Vanessa, "Vanessa,

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 in her

without giving Theodore a heads-up. If he found out she was stirring the pot, all the effort Sophia had put

"Ms. Ziegler, since you're under the weather, I'll pack the

way toward the master bedroom, Phoebe stepped in front of her, her eyes icy. "Vanessa, that's mine and Theodore's room. Even if

shooting daggers at Vanessa before turning and coughing her way

defeated figure, her heart aching to tell her the truth-that Theodore hadn't sent them for the clothes. Vanessa had eavesdropped on Theodore and Lawton's chat and decided to come mess with Phoebe. But Ruby couldn't spill the

her under her thumb, and Ruby couldn't

to the cat tree, glaring at Ollie, the cat Phoebe and Theodore had raised together. Jealousy burned in

coughing echoing down the hallway, Vanessa knew she had some time. She suddenly

went wide with shock, too stunned to even scream

'Is Vanessa out of

in time, dodging the