Implored 10_After the divorce, he begged

Chapter 10 

 Of all the people who might have done this, Reba could think of only one person with both the means and the motive–Jeffrey

 without thinking twice, she grabbed her phone and dialed his number, her anger toward him boiling over.

 “Who may I say is calling?” a secretary’s professional voice answered.

 Reba stared at the phone in confusion, verifying she had indeed dialed Jeffrey’s private number, it made no sense that his secretary would be answering his personal line.

 “This is Reba,” she said, pushing her confusion aside. “I need to speak, with Jeffrey

 The secretary nced at Jeffrey, who sat watching from his leather chair. Taking his subtle cue, she replied smoothly, “Mr. Hanson is in a meeting for the next two hours. Can I take a message?”

 “He’s right there with you,” Reba said, her voice firm. She knew he never let anyone else handle his personal phone, not even his secretary.

 The secretary instinctively looked to Jeffrey for instruction

 Jeffrey took the phone from her and gestured for her to leave before speaking. “When my secretary said I was unavable, thought that would be enough to make you understand I’m not taking your calls.”

 “If you hadn’t deliberately sabotaged my job prospects, I wouldn’t be calling, Reba stated bluntly. “Why did you tell them to reject me!”

 Jeffrey feigned ignorance. “What job?””

 Reba shot back, “Don’t y dumb with me.”

 “If you got rejected, maybe you should look at your own qualifications instead of ming me,” Jeffrey said coldly. “After five years out of the workforce, what did you expect?”

 Reba wasn’t buying it. “You’re seriously going to pretend you didn’t have someone block my hiring?”

 “I didn’t,” Jeffrey answered quickly, “I just made it clear they shouldn’t lower their standards for you because of me. You’re not my wife anymore, and you don’t get special treatment.”

 He never actually said it, but the message came through loud and clear. Everyone in their circle knew how to read between the lines.

 “What’s the point of this?” Reba couldn’t figure out why he was so set on making her life miserable. ‘He’s agreed to the divorce, and he’s the one who cheated, so why is he stilling after me?” she thought to hersell.

 “Say that again?” Jeffrey hadn’t quite caught what she said.

 Reba hung up, knowing there was no point in arguing further. She realized finding a decent job would be nearly impossible now.

 Just then, her phone buzzed with an iing text.

 It was from Jeffrey. If you’re really looking for work, I could make an exception for old times sake. There’s a position for you at the Hanson Group]

 Reba didn’t reply. She knew his job offer was just another way to mess

 with her.

 With her job prospects looking dim, she had to start herpany search from scratch

 She cklisted everypany connected to Jeffrey–former partners, business associates, even </bpetitors–until only small and mid–sized firms remained..

 After sending out another round of resumes, she turned to apartment hunting

 One afternoon, as she returned from apartment viewings, she found Andrea waiting by her doorstep.

 Andres stepped forward to block her path. “We need to talk,” she said.

 don’t speak with homewreckers,” Reba retorted, pushing past her toward the door,

 “I know Jeffrey left you penniless after the divorce,” Andrea said, closing the distance in her designer heels. “And I know you’re desperate for money right now.” She stood confidently in head–to–toe limited edition fashion.

 “Take your child and leave Jsburg, and this card with 300 thousand dors is yours,” she added, extending the card toward Reba.

 Reba’s eyes turned cold as she nced at the card. 

 “Beyond that, I’ll make sure Jeffrey covers your mother’s medical treatments,” Andrea continued. “If you have other conditions, we

 we can negotiate.”

 Reba didn’t understand her motives. “Why are you doing this?”

 “What do you mean, why?” Andrea replied, distracted by her own thoughts.

 “Jeffrey loves you </bpletely,” Reba said, looking directly into her eyes with the familiarity of their past friendship. “Why would you still want me to

 leave?”

 *No woman wants to share the man she loves,” Andrea said, pulling back the card while steadying her emotions. “I can see he still has feelings for you. If you stay, he’ll never be able to move on.”

 Reba did not believe a single word she was hearing.

 If that’s truly the only reason, she could have easily framed me and destroyed my reputation just like she did back in our college days, rather than simply trying to make me leave town, she mused.

 “if the money’s not enough, just tell me how much you want,” Andrea said, growing uneasy under her stare. “I’ll make it happen.”

 “I’m not going anywhere,” Reba said firmly. She had deep roots in this city and saw no reason to be driven from her home when the faulty entirely

 elsewhere.

 “My child attends school here, and I need to stay to care for my mother,” she added.

 Andrea’sposure snapped. “Rebal”

 Reba stays, Jeffrey will eventually find out everything. What if one day he just cracks and tells her the real reason he’s with me? Then I’m finished, she thought to herself, her anxiety growing.

 She’d never allow such a thing to happen under any circumstances.

 “Andrea, what are you so afraid of? Reba watched Her closely. “You look exactly like you did after framing me, when you were terrified your secrets would be exposed.

 Andrea’s heart tightened.

 “You’re keeping something from me,” Reba sald, sooing right through her. “Or was it Jeffrey you lied to?”

 “You’re imagining things, Andrea said, trying to keep her voice even, “I just don’t want you in Jsburg, As long as you’re here, Jeffrey will never be fully

 mine.”

 “I’m sure he’d told you about me when you started seeing him, Reba said, pointing out the obvious w in Andrea’s words.

 Jeffrey was not a man who operated with secrets, so Reba was sure he had told Andrea he was married.

 The difference was, she had refused his proposal to share him with another woman, while Andrea had epted it.

 “He did mention you,” Andrea admitted without any shame. “But people are selfish. I don’t want to share him. I wanted him for myself.”

 Reba pulled out her phone and started tapping the screen.

 -Andrea made a quick grab for it. “What are you doing?”

 “I’ll make sure Jeffrey hears exactly what you said,” Reba replied. She pulled up the security feed, clipped their conversation, and sent it to Jeffrey. “You don’t want him to read into this, and I definitely don’t want him toe after me.”

 Reba knew she had to control the narrative. Being upfront with Jeffrey was way better than letting Andrea twist thingster behind her back. She really wasn’t up for any drama right now.

 “Don’t you dare!” Andrea made a frantic grab for the phone.

 Jeffrey had repeatedly told her to bring any y concerns directly to him and not to try any underhanded tactics. She knew he would be furious if he discovered she had tried to pay Reba to leave town.

 “Already sent,” Reba said, tucking her phone away as she headed inside.

 Andrea stared after her, fists clenched at her sides. This was supposed to be between the two of them, and she was furious that Reba had to involve Jeffrey.

 Wh

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Implored 10