<b>Chapter </b><b>38 </b>


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    “You should focus on your work. No need toe back just for me,” Andrea said, her tone soft and considerate now that she’d gotten what she wanted. “It’s really nothing serious. I’ll be fine after a little rest.”


    “Alright,” Jeffrey said, not insisting.


    They chatted a bit more, checking in on each other, before ending the call.


    Stanley knew all about Jeffrey’splicated history with Reba and Andrea, but he didn’t expect him to go this far. “You do realize Andrea’s lying, right?”


    “What exactly are you trying to say?” Jeffrey’s gaze was unreadable.


    “Let me put it simply.” Stanley leaned in, choosing his words carefully. “Andrea’s what you’d call an angelic bitch. Sweet on the surface, but calcting underneath.”


    Jeffrey looked unbothered. “Yeah.”


    Stanley was stunned by his simple response.


    “It was Andrea who started the fight with Reba, not the other way around. Aren’t you going to sit her down and talk some sense into her?” Stanley pushed, hoping to make him reconsider.


    Jeffrey turned his eyes back to the monitor, where Reba was nervously watching the operating room doors. His tone remained cool. “Is this really your first day knowing me?”


    “I get standing up for your own, but you’ve got to look at the facts,” Stanley said, shaking his head. “Honestly, there’s something seriously wrong with Andrea’s behavior.”


    “Let thew worry about justice,” Jeffrey said quietly, barely moving his lips. “My job is to protect the people I care about.”


    Stanley bit back whatever he was going to say. He knew Jeffrey had always been the type to shield his people.


    Like before, when Reba was wronged, Jeffrey didn’t bother asking for the details. He just showed up and made it clear he was there to support her, no matter who was right or wrong.


    Back then, Stanley had thought Jeffrey was a stand–up guy, always backing his people no matter what. But now, with Reba wanting a divorce, Andrea had somehow be “his person,” and Jeffrey was ming Reba without caring


    about the facts.


    His protectiveness was one thing, but something about it felt off.


    “Just be real with me,” Stanley said, his suspicion growing. “Are you into the angelic bitch type or what?”


    Jeffrey gave him a look but stayed silent. He wasn’t into that type. Andrea wasn’t an exception, even though she had helped him out before.


    He was acting this way because Reba’s attitude had gotten under his skin. He was sure that if Jessica had said the same things Andrea did today, promising Reba she could break free from him, Reba wouldn’t hesitate to leave.


    <b>15:34 </b>Thu, 18 Sept


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    For Jeffrey, Andrea was just a way to make his point clear–he wanted Reba to see what choice was really best for her.


    “Aren’t you worried that if Reba everes back, she’ll hold all this against you?” Stanley asked, steering the


    conversation in a new direction.


    Jeffrey paused for a second.


    “Dude, you know women never let things go,” Stanley reminded him.


    “I spelled it out for her from the start,” Jeffrey replied after a moment. “If she chooses the harder road, she has to face the


    consequences.”


    Stanley shot him a look but didn’t push any further. Deep down, he figured Reba would nevere back. If she cared even a little, she wouldn’t be working as a dance teacher at the Reed residence and risking getting yed like that.


    After a while, Stanley nced over at Jeffrey, trying to make his point clear. “Is Andrea really that important to you? Important enough to give up on the woman you’ve been doting on for five years?”


    “Yeah,” Jeffrey said, his eyes darkening.


    “What if Reba doesn’te back after the cooling–off period?” Stanley asked, hitting him with the harsh truth.


    Jeffrey’s hand, resting by theputer, tightened slightly, and his lips pressed into a thin line. ‘She’d have to be an idiot not toe back. She isn’t stupid,‘ Jeffrey thought to himself.


    “Before you do anything you can’t take back, really think it over. Between the two of them, who’s really worth it?” Stanley pressed, speaking frankly since they were like brothers. “Honestly, Andrea can’t evenpare to Reba when ites


    to character.”


    Jeffrey shot him a cold stare.


    “Forget I said anything.” Stanley instantly shut up.


    Jeffrey had always been the smartest of the group, but once he fixated on something, there was no talking him out of it.


    About half an hourter, the operating room doors finally swung open.


    As soon as the doors opened, Reba jumped to her feet and rushed over, anxiety written all over her face. “Dr. Johnson, my mom…”


    “The surgery went very smoothly,” Timothy replied, removing his mask and offering her a gentle smile. “Come by every day to talk to her and keep herpany/ She should wake up within two months at the most.”


    “Really?” Reba asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.


    Timothy nodded, his smile reassuring. “Really.”


    “Thank you so much,” Reba said, her voice trembling with emotion as she bowed deeply to Timothy and the entire surgical team. “Thank you all for everything you’ve done for us.”


    13.34


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    When her mom was wheeled into the hospital room, Reba finally felt a wave of relief wash over her, like the weight that had been hanging over her head had lifted.


    The staff helped her mom get settled into bed and went over the care instructions. Once they were done, Timothey turned to Reba and said, “Come to my office, and I’ll go over everything with you. The nurses will take care of things here.”


    Reba thanked the nurses once more and followed Timothy.


    In the office, Timothy sat down and started going through her mom’s medical chart. His brow furrowed with concern, and he looked even more troubled than before.


    Reba noticed his worried expression and immediately felt her anxiety spike. “Is there something else wrong with my mom?” she asked, her voice tight with worry.


    Timothy stood up and poured Reba a ss of water, setting it gently in front of her.


    Seeing this, Reba’s anxiety only deepened, her heart racing.


    “Her condition isn’tplicated. We just need to wait for her to wake up,” Timothy said, sitting back down, though there was something unreadable in his eyes.


    Reba pressed, “Then what is it?”


    “Before the surgery, I told <i>you </i>the fee was 150 thousand dors,” Timothy said slowly, trying to ease her concern. “But right now, we can’t predict how much post–op care will cost. You remember that, right?”


    Reba nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”


    Timothy steadied himself before continuing, “At the moment, daily expenses could range from 1,000 to 1,500 dors. So, for a month…” He didn’t finish the sentence.


    Paying thousands of dors each month for medical bills was a nightmare for regr people. Even though Jeffrey had transferred some money into her mom’s prepaid ount, Reba still had to work to earn it herself.


    “It’s fine. I’ll work for it,” Reba said, feeling some of the weight lift now that the surgery was over. “As long as she wakes up, I’ll earn whatever I need to.”


    Timothy almost told her the truth that even if she couldn’t pay, her mom’s treatment wouldn’t be cut off, but he kept quiet. One wrong word, and he’d <i>lose </i>his job for getting involved in personal matters, and it wasn’t worth the risk.


    “I’ve got some cash saved up. I’ll put it into the ount soon,<i>” </i>Reba said, trying to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I won’t fall behind on any payments.”


    After selling her ring, she’d covered the hospital deposit and rent, with a few thousand left over. She had earned another 1,000 dors from illustration work, and her dance teaching would bring in 500 dors a week.


    If she passed her final interview, she’d have a steady paycheck soon. Plus, she could take on more artmissions and part–time work. After all, it was only two months. She could push through.