The <b>butler</b><b>, </b>Victor, greeted Reba with his customary formality, saying, “Wee home, Mrs. Hanson.”
Both Jeffrey and Andrea looked up at her entrance. When Andrea saw Reba, she hesitated for a moment before offering a quiet greeting. “Hello,
Reba
Reba walked directly toward the <b>staircase </b>without granting them even a nce. She was concerned <b>that </b><b>looking </b>their way might cause her to lose control of <b>her </b>temper.
Jeffrey’s voice emerged cold and detached as he asked, “Did you not hear Andrea greeting you? Or are you simply incapable of basic courtesy, Ms.
Jensen?”
Reba stopped abruptly <b>at </b>the way he called her.
She turned to face them with sarcasm evident in her voice, saying, “You’re openly carrying on your affair in our home, and yet you expect me to be polite to you?”
Jeffrey responded with deliberate calmness, “This is my house, and I will <b>conduct </b><b>myself </b>as I wish here. If you find this situation uneptable, feel free to leave.<b>” </b>
<b>Reba’s </b>hands clenched tightly into fists at her <b>sides </b>as she heard his words.
Though she knew his heart belonged to another, hearing him say those crucl words felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
He <b>had </b>been the one to tell her this was her home, that everything he owned washers too.
“Jeffrey, she is still your wife,” Andrea said, trying to mediate “Don’t you think that’s too harsh?”
“I gave her a chance, but she refused it,” Jeffrey y said to Andrea while looking directly at Reba.
Reba stared back at him, and neither was willing to give in orpromise.
“Reba, why don’t you just apologize to Jeffrey?” Andrea suggested<b>, </b>subtly making things worse. “He cares about you too much <b>to </b>stay angry.”
“I don’t need you to tell me to move out,” Reba snapped<b>, </bpletely ignoring Andrea. “This ce reeks of a cheater and his disgusting mistress, and 1 won’t stay here a moment longer than necessary.”
After saying this, she turned and walked quickly upstairs. Her pace quickened with each step, as if she was trying to escape something disgusting.
The door mmed shut with a loud bang that echoed through the house.
Once inside the room, she immediately took her suitcase and began packing her belongings. She know Jeffrey’s words were meant more to provoke <b>than </b>to truly drive her away, but she simply couldn’t tolerate the situation any <b>longer</b>.
After gathering her important documents, she made her way to the walk–in closet.
She paused for a moment as she looked at the countless items of clothing, bags, and jewelry, and then headed straight for the jewelry section..
She needed money urgently, and selling these items would solve her immediate problem.
Before she could even take the items out, Jeffrey entered the room with Andrea.
“Reba, how can you be so careless with these valuable jewels?” Andrea asked, her eyes filled with envy <b>as </b>she looked at the numerous limited–edition and custom pieces. “Are you nning to sell them?”
“That’s none of your business,” Reba réplied coldly.
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Andrea nced at Jeffrey before continuing. “But Jeffrey gave all these to <b>you</b>. How can you sell them?”
“It’s not your concem,” Reba retorted, her temper ring.
Hearing this, Jeffrey finally broke his silence with a cold remark. “I never would have taken you for a thief, Ms. Jensen.”
Reba’s hands froze fid–action at the word “this”
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Jeffrey kept his gaze fixed on Reba as he asked, “If I were to call the police, how many years do you think you would <b>spend </b>in prison?”
“We aren’t even divorced yet, Reba shot back, “and you gave these things to me. How can that possibly be considered stealing?”
Jeffrey moved closer, his voice deceptively gentle as he posed the challenge, How exactly do you n to prove these were gifts, and <b>not </b>simply items from my collection?”
Reba stood stunned as the realization dawned on her–he would not allow her to take anything from this house, and he was determined to leave her with no way out.
“Take whatever you want for now,” Jeffrey said<b>, </b>leaving no room forpromise, but on the day the divorce is <b>finalized</b>, <b>I </b>will be reporting a burry”
Her heart felt utterly broken as she whispered through trembling lips, “Do you really have to be so cruel
“I simply want you to understand that your <b>life </b>will fall apart without me: Jeffrey said, looming over her before adding with cold mockery, “Though if you’re that desperate to sell something to survive, you could always ask Andres for her approval
Andrea pointed at herself in surprise and asked, “Me?”
“This will be your home, so you have every right to decide <b>what </b>stays, Jeffney told Andres, though his eyes remained <b>fixed </b>on Reba, <b>silently </b>conveying the consequences of defiance.
Reba clenched her hands into fists at her <b>sides as </b><b>a </b>deep sense of humiliation <b>washed </b>over her.
“It’d be fine if Reba wanted to keep a few pieces to remember better times, Andrea remarked, skillfully adding fuel to the fire. “But selling your gifts? That’s like spitting on your affection. Personally, I’d rather starve than betray someone’s love like that
Jeffrey turned his gaze to Reba and asked, “Did <b>you </b>hear that?”
In response, Reba threw the jewelry in her hands onto the floor creating a loud tter
She then turned and walked away without sparing either of them another nce.
“Why did Reba get so angry?” Andrea wondered aloud, biting her lip with a feigned look of guilt. “Did something I said upset her<b>? </b><b>Should </b>I go apologize?
“That won’t <b>be </b><b>necessary</b>,” Jeffrey replied.
Andrea started to speak but then hesitated. “But…
“Go see if <b>there’s </b>anything you don’t like, and I’ll have it removed,” Jeffrey said affectionately as he ruffled her hair. “From now on, everything here belongs to you.”
“<b>Thank </b><b>you</b><b>, </b>Jeffrey, Andrea said as she embraced him.
Reba noticed this scone from the corner of tier eye.
Even <b>though </b>she know the two were in a rtionship and would share intimate moments, seeing him treat Andrea with such tenderness and affection still made her heartache.
He used to say that she was the one he loved most, that she was his exception and his favorite person. But now all of that <b>was </b>gone.
<b>23 </b>
19:53 Sun, 14 Sept
Chapter
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“You’re still not done packing<b>? </b>Could it be that you don’t want to leave?” Jeffrey asked as he approached her and looked down from his greater height.
Reba closed her suitcase firmly and said, “I was just thinking about how a perfectly good person can turn into trash.”
“Did you find the answer you were looking for?” he inquired.
“<b>I </b><b>did</b>,” she responded.
Jeffrey said coldly, “Then I must ask you to leave. You are no longer wee here.”
Reba was tempted to ask if he wasn’t worried she might stay and never grant the divorce, forcing Andrea to remain his secret mistress forever, but then she realized that was exactly what he wanted.
Jeffrey said in his typically provoking manner, “There’s no need to pack Samuel’s things. I’ll have them delivered once you find a new ce. Let’s hope you won’t resort to selling them to cover your mother’s medical expenses by then.”
“Not everyone operates without principles like you do,” Reba retorted.
Jeffrey <b>stepped </b>closer, leaning in until she was trapped against the wall, and <b>said</b>, “Then I’ll be watching to see how well you manage on your own.”
Reba red back at him and was about to push him away when Andrea walked out of the closet.
<b>415 </b>
Andrea’s smile instantly faded when she saw how close they stood together. Worried Jeffrey might notice her jealousy, she forced a casual tone. “Jeffrey.”
“What is it?” Jeffrey asked, ncing at Andrea.
“I really love everything in there. Mind if I keep it all?” Andrea asked, her eyes briefly darting toward Reba.
Jeffrey straightened up, lookingpletely unfazed. “If you like it, it’s yours. No need to run it by <b>me</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
“But you originally got all this for Reba. Isn’t it kind of wrong for me to take it?” Andrea asked, looking genuinely torn
“If you really thought it was wrong, you shouldn’t have asked in the first ce. Don’t y innocent now,” Reba snapped, her face flushed with anger. “You’re <b>already </b>the other woman. Stop pretending to care about what’s proper.”
Andrea’s eyes glistered with tears. “Jeffrey,” she whispered, trying to getfort from him.
Jeffrey’s demeanor turned frosty in an instant. He took a step toward Reba, closing the distance until they were breathing the same air. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that the person who isn’t loved is the <b>real </b>outsider?”
Reba looked up, stunned, as if she’d never heard anything so messed up.