<b>Chapter </b><b>122 </b>
<b>77 </b>
<b>35 </b>vouchers
Jeffrey nced at Riley, excused himself to take a call, and walked to the window. He answered with a warm voice, as always, “What’s up?”
“You still haven’t given me an answer to yesterday’s question,” Reba spoke calmly with him, not wanting any conflict at that moment.
Jeffrey asked, “Our divorce?”
“Yes,” Reba replied.
“I’m not avable on Thursday,” Jeffrey replied. As CEO of the Hanson Group, he spent every day putting out fires, and on top of that, he was running Primey Technologies, too.
Given all the hats he wore, unless he made a point of freeing up time, his calendar was always jam–packed.
“Then when do you have time?” Reba knew he was always busy and wasn’t using him of dodging her. “Let’s pick a date, so I can request some time off too.”
“Drop by my office on Monday,” Jeffrey said, all business. “I’ll have Gregory send you my current schedule, and we’ll figure out a time that works for both of us.”
Reba’s brows furrowed. She really didn’t fancy being alone with Jeffrey at Primey Technologies, because everyone there loved to gossip way too much.
“If you’re not up for that, then you’ll just have to wait until Gregory sorts my schedule and I send it over,” Jeffrey added, offering a backup n.
Reba replied without missing a beat, “I’lle see you tomorrow.”
Waiting for Gregory to sort things out could take forever. If she wanted to keep things from getting messy, she had to take matters into her own hands.
“Alright,” Jeffrey replied and hung up, then immediately called Gregory, telling him to make sure his calendar was packed from morning till night.
It was Monday soon. As usual<b>, </b>the morning started with a meeting thatsted about half an hour.
When the meeting wrapped up, everyone started packing up their stuff and heading out.
Reba took her time packing up, shooting a nce at Jeffrey, silently wishing he’d give her a work excuse to stay behind. After all, this was the conference room, and even the oflice gossip wouldn’t have much material
here.
But Jeffrey stayed silent, not saying a single word. With other people still in the room, Reba’s lingering any longer would only make things awkwardly obvious.
Just as she <b>sat </b>back down at her desk, her phone buzzed with a message: [Thought we were supposed to talk. Why’d you leave?]
<b>12:22 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
<b><i>77 </i></b>
35 vouchers
Reba could only pause, momentarily lost for words. ‘<b>Is </b>he seriously clueless about why I left?‘ Reba thought, exasperated.
“Jane,” Reba said, doing her best to keep it together, “I need to step out for a bit. Is that okay?”
“Sure, go ahead,” Jane replied, always easygoing with her.
Reba grabbed a couple of tissues and left her desk, making it look like she was just heading to the
restroom.
When she got to Jeffrey’s office, she nced around to make sure no one was watching, then slipped inside.
Jeffrey pulled up the schedule Gregory had sent him and let her take a look. “When do you think we should file for the divorce?”
Reba scanned his schedule, trying to figure it out. Every morning and afternoon was booked solid with high–priority meetings and project work. It seemed like there was zero wiggle room.
“I’m not really familiar with all your meetings and coborations,” Reba said, leaving the choice up to him. “Just as long as it’s sometime this week or next.”
Letting this drag on would only work against Reba. ‘What if, like Ian had warned, Jeffrey changes his mind and doesn’t want a divorce after all? That would be a disaster,‘ she thought.
“You really want to end this?” Jeffrey asked, his voice steady but with a hint of something else.
Reba didn’t even hesitate. “Yes.”
Jeffrey asked, “Not even a little regret?”
“None at all,” Reba replied sharply, shutting down any doubts.
Of course, that wasn’tpletely true. Five years of marriage, and his care and thoughtfulness weren’t things she could just forget so easily.
But there were boundaries that simply couldn’t be crossed, and certain things she’d never get over. Everything that happened between him and Andrea was like a shadow in her mind, refusing to fade away.
“You know I never wanted a divorce,” Jeffrey finally came clean, his eyes locked on hers. “I was just indulging you before, letting you vent.”
Reba didn’t crack a smile. “I’m not joking around here,” she said, utterly serious.
Jeffrey frowned, pushing back, “You seriously think I’m just messing with you now?”
This moment hit Reba like a ton of bricks, and panic suddenly wed at her chest. She thought, ‘Crap, what if Jeffrey really won’t let me go?
‘Take him to court? Get evidence that he’s cheating? Andrea covers his tracks way too well. Besides, when ites to a legal fight with Jeffrey, I’m totally outmatched.‘
12:22 <b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
:
77
35 vouchers
“Since you called me over, that must mean there’s still something to talk about,” Reba said, grasping at any shred of hope. “Just be straight with me. What do you want? What’ll it take for you to agree to our divorce?<b>” </b>
“I’m not divorcing you,” Jeffrey said tly, putting his cards on the table.
Reba’s temper snapped. “Don’t go overboard, Jeffrey.”
Jeffrey didn’t take his eyes off her for a second. “I know I’ll never find another you, Reba. And I know if I let you go, you’ll never be the one who turns back.”
Reba just let out a bitterugh. “Oh, really? Did you care about any of that when you spent the night with Andrea at Harmony Estate?
“Or when you started moving your money around? Did you think, while tearing me down, that maybe I’d end up hating you forever?”
“I can exin,” Jeffrey said, still calm as ever. “If you’d just hear me out.”
Reba crossed her arms, chin up, and stubborn as ever. “Don’t bother. After all this time, no fancy speech is going to change my mind.”
Jeffrey saw how Reba worked up. If he refused her this time, she’d definitely do something wild, something he honestly couldn’t even predict.
Jeffrey thought, ‘But divorce? That is absolutely off the table.’
“Next Friday at three,” Jeffrey said.
Reba froze for a moment. “Huh?”
Jeffrey repeated, “We’ll get divorced.”
Reba paused, raising an eyebrow questioningly. She shot him a suspicious look, not quite believing he’d just thrown that out there so casually.
“But I have one condition,” Jeffrey said. “After the divorce, if Samuel wants to visit me, you can’t stop him. And during school breaks, if I want to take him somewhere, you can’t interfere.”
“Deal, Reba agreed quickly. “As long as he’s cool with it.”
“Alright,” Jeffrey replied.
Reba still felt suspicious about the whole thing. First, he insisted he wasn’t going to divorce her, and then he was giving in so easily. It really made her wonder if there was some catch to all this.
But she knew if she brought it up, he’d just twist it around and say, “What’s wrong? Having second thoughts about leaving me?”
And once things got to that point, getting him to actually go through with the divorce would only be
even more difficult.
<b>12:22 </b>Thu, <b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
:
“Anything else?” Jeffrey asked.
Reba shook her head. “That’s all.”
77
E35 vouchers
She turned around and left his office, heading back to her desk. Inwardly, her feelings were all over the ce.
Even with his supposed agreement, she couldn’t bring herself to trust anything. At least, not until that divorce certificate was actually in her hands.
It wasn’t something Reba could solve by herself. Eventually, she decided to ask Jessica and Ian and see what they mighte up with.
Night had fallen by the time Samuel drifted off to sleep, and just as the house quieted down, Jessica and Ian came knocking on Reba’s door. Reba was surprised. “Wait, what brings you two here sote?”
“You were stressing about whether the divorce would even go through,” Jessica said as she slipped inside, her voice barely above a whisper. “So, we’re here to put our heads together and help you out.”
“That’s right.” Ian grinned, tagging along behind her, ready to brainstorm.
Reba led them over to the couch, and they all sat down. She gave them a rundown of everything that had gone down.
Reba couldn’t help but think, ‘If Jeffrey really decides to dig in his heels and refuse the divorce, I’d rack my brains and stille up empty trying to pressure this guy. He is just t–out impossible to threaten.’
&