Chapter 8 Exhausted Rebecca
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On Richard’s first night back, Rebecca could barely contain her excitement. She practically shooed Alistair out the door, eager to be alone with Richard. Wrapped in his gentle affection, she lost herself in dreams of their happy future together.
By Richard’s second night home, Rebecca discovered something new–taking care of a child was utterly exhausting.
After a night of constant attention, Daniel finally fell asleep, but it was already one in the morning. Rebecca’s beauty rest was completely shot.
Richard lay beside her, as tired as she was. Just yesterday, they’d been all over each other with passion. Tonight, they both collapsed in bed, completely wiped out.
“Rebecca,” Richard sighed, “let’s hire two nannies. One to handle the cooking and shopping, and another to look after Danny.”
Without hesitation, Rebecca refused. “No way. I don’t trust strangers with Danny, and I wouldn’t like anyone else’s cooking anyway.”
Richard tried to reason with her patiently. “Don’t stress so much. He’ll be fine. Everyone does it this way, don’t they?”
Rebecca stood her ground. “But Danny’s never been left with
Chapter 8 Exhausted Rebecca strangers before.”
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Richard’s smile had an odd edge to it. “Rebecca, aren’t you forgetting something? Alistair is technically a stranger too. You were comfortable leaving Danny with him. Why can’t you trust someone else?”
Rebecca’s first thought was that it wasn’t the same at all. How
could it be?
Alistair had been there when Daniel was born, after all.
The second night after Alistair had been shown the door, Rebecca lay flat on her back in the darkness. She listened to the steady breathing of the man she’d longed for all these years, staring blankly at the ceiling. A strange emptiness she couldn’t. quite name wrapped around her.
She didn’t understand it. The man she’d pined for was finally beside her. She could finally sleep in his arms every night. She’d dreamed about it for so long. Yet somehow, the passion she expected just wasn’t there.
Rebecca felt lost.
What’s wrong with me? I must be tired. Yes, that’s it. I’m just exhausted.
Rebecca closed her eyes wearily.
Some time later, Richard suddenly rolled over and pulled her into his arms. His hands began wandering over her body.
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Too tired to respond, Rebecca felt none of last night’s passion. She was about to push him away when a knock at the bedroom door startled them both.
Daniel stood there with unnaturally flushed cheeks, breathing heavily. “Mom, my head hurts,” he whimpered between sniffles.
Daniel was sick.
Rebecca and Richard rushed him to the children’s hospital in a panic. By the time they returned home, it was two in the morning.
To let Rebecca get some rest, Richard thoughtfully took the sick Daniel with him to care for.
*****
“Rebecca, would you mind giving me Alistair’s contact information?” Vivienne called around ten the next morning.
Rebecca had just gotten out of bed and paused, remembering that Vivienne had asked for Alistair’s number yesterday. The conversation had shifted before she could provide it.
She hadn’t expected Vivienne to be so persistent about it.
Rebecca sat at her vanity, applying mascara in the mirror while teasing Vivienne, “I never would’ve guessed you were serious! Is Anne right? Has he really gotten under your skin?”
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Vivienne gave a vague “hmm” before breaking into a grin. “You bet! Now hurry up and give me his number. Don’t keep a girl waiting!”
Rebecca scoffed, “The more eager you are, the less inclined I am to share.”
Vivienne clicked her tongue. “Rebecca, why do I hear a hint of jealousy in your voice? You’re not actually jealous, are you?”
“Jealous? Of Alistair?” Rebecca laughed dramatically. “Nice one, Vivienne! Your ability to insult me is really improving. Me, jealous of Alistair? Please! He’s nothing. He doesn’t deserve. that.”
Vivienne’s face grew serious. “Rebecca, sometimes you can’t see the forest for the trees. From where I’m standing, you’re in denial. After six years of being together day in and day out, can you honestly say you have zero feelings for Alistair? Put bluntly, even if you had a dog for that long, you’d feel something when it was gone. Don’t you-”
“Fine, fine! You want Alistair’s number? Just stop making me sick with this nonsense,” Rebecca interrupted with exasperation. She pulled up her contacts and recited a string of digits. “Hope you get your dream guy soon–as long as you don’t mind that he’s my reject.”
After hanging up, Rebecca sat motionless for a long while.
It was only now that she recalled how Vivienne had always praised Alistair so generously. She hadn’t taken it seriously
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before, but the more she thought about it, the more something felt off.
Is Vivienne finally making her move? She must have been hiding her true intentions all this time because he was technically my husband. Now that we’re officially done, she’s wasting no time going after him.
Rebecca smirked.
Vivienne has terrible taste, going after a man even I didn’t want anymore. No wonder Anne has been quietly working against her all this time!
She continued applying her makeup, but halfway through, she suddenly hurled her eyebrow pencil to the floor. Rage clouded her pretty face.
Well, well, Alistair! Who would’ve thought? Acting all docile to my face while secretly lining up his next victim! And it looks like he actually succeeded!
Rebecca was furious. One eyebrow pencil couldn’t possibly absorb all her anger, so the expensive bottles and jars on her vanity paid the price, shattering across the floor with a series of crashes.
Still seething, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number.
Alistair, who had turned off all his alarms and was nestled in the plush comfort of his five–star presidential suite planning to sleep in, was jolted awake by the shrill ring.
Chapter 8 Exhausted Rebecca
He fumbled for his phone, still half–asleep. “Hello?”
Hearing his groggy voice only infuriated Rebecca more.
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Sleeping peacefully, is he? While I tossed and turned all night! What gives him the right to sleep so soundly?
When Vivienne called him, he must have been gloating about sneaking around right under my nose!
Rebecca let out a derisive snort and issued commands in
her usual bossy manner. “Alistair, I’m giving you exactly ten minutes to get over here. Now!”
She hung up without another word.
Alistair stared at his phone in disbelief. From what he knew about her, this was the calm before the storm.
He placed his phone beside his pillow, muttered “psycho” under his breath, and rolled over to go back to sleep.
Just as he closed his eyes, something occurred to him. He quickly grabbed his phone again and blocked Rebecca’s number. Only then did he close his eyes with a sense of relief.
Let someone else deal with that bad–tempered princess. He was done with her nonsense,
Rebecca sat on the sofa with her arms crossed and fury written all over her face. Having issued her ten–minute ultimatum, she
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Chapter 8 Exhausted Rebecca began a silent countdown.
One minute passed. Then two, and three…
By the seven–minute mark, Rebecca was pacing impatiently around the living room.
At eight minutes, she kicked over a chair in frustration.
By nine minutes, Rebecca’s anger turned to harsh laughter.
Well, well, Alistair. Nine minutes have passed and you’re still not here?
Ten minutes passed without any sign of Alistair.
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Rebecca couldn’t believe he’d dare challenge her authority like this.
Fuming, she called him again. For the first time ever, she heard the automated message. “Sorry, the number you are calling is unavailable…”
Her first thought was that Vivienne must have already reached out to him.
How pathetic was Vivienne that she needed to pick up my cast–offs?
The idea of Alistair and Vivienne
no away,
possibly
hooking up behind her back, drove Rebecca crazy. She kept calling him obsessively, but by the tenth attempt, reality finally
Chapter 8 Exhausted Rebecca
hit her–Alistair had blocked her number!
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Meanwhile, Alistair’s attempt to catch up on sleep wasn’t going any better.
Another ringtone soon woke him up. He naturally assumed it was the mentally unstable Rebecca calling from another number to yell at him after discovering she’d been blocked. He was fed
- up.
This is ridiculous. We’re done with each other now. Why should I keep putting up with her?
