<b>Chapter </b><b>127 </b>


    5 <b>vouchers </b>


    Jeffrey didn’t respond. He turned around and got back into the car. Seeing Reba <b>sitting </b>quietly <b>in </b>the back <b>seat</b>, he sent a quick message to Gregory and then slid into the driver’s seat and pulled away.


    He didn’t think it was the right ce to talk.


    “Aren’t we waiting for them?” Reba asked.


    “No,” Jeffrey said, his voice still rough as hisrge, striking hands gripped the steering wheel. “They’re heading back to the office. We’re not going the same way.”


    Reba just gave a simple “Oh” and didn’t ask anything else.


    The car fell silent again. Jeffrey kept his eyes on the road while Reba sat with her gaze lowered, lost in her own thoughts.


    Riley watched as Jeffrey drove off without so much as a goodbye. She clicked her tongue, didn’t bother to wave him down, and instead turned to Gregory, who’d juste out after changing. “Did your boss set up a ride for us<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Gregory nodded. “Yeah, he did.”


    Riley said, “Have him bring myptop to the office tomorrow.”


    Gregory shot her a suspicious look, half–serious. “Why don’t you just tell him yourself?”


    “Stuff that kills the mood is what assistants like you are for,” Riley said with a sly grin, her eyebrow cocked, looking almost roguish.


    Gregory just stared at her, speechless.


    Inside Jeffrey’s car, silence hung heavy. Outside, the asional horn broke the air, but even the sound of the tires seemed swallowed up by the quiet.


    Jeffrey nced at the rearview mirror, catching sight of Reba sitting with her eyes lowered, lost in her own world. He broke the silence. “Do you want to go to your manor or Maple Garden?”


    “Maple Garden,” Reba answered.


    Jeffrey nodded. “Alright.”


    They didn’t say another word for the rest of the ride to Maple Garden.


    Jeffrey brought her home, and this time Reba let hime inside without a word.


    “You…” Reba said softly, her gaze lingering on his wet hair, wondering if he was cold.


    “I’m going to take a shower next door,” Jeffrey said, leaving them both some time to think. “You should clean up, too. The pool water might look alright, but it’s not really good for you.”


    <b>12:25 </b>Fri<b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    “Okay,” Reba answered quietly.


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    Jeffrey nodded and headed back to his ce. After stripping down, he stepped into the shower and just turned the cold water all the way up, letting it crash over him.


    The image of Reba, helpless underwater and unable to fight back, haunted him–reying in his mind on a nonstop loop.


    His chest felt suffocating, crushed by guilt, and right then, the truth hit him hard: he’d screwed up. Big time.


    He shouldn’t have picked a fight with Reba. He shouldn’t have thought she needed “life lessons” or tossed her into the deep end. And he definitely shouldn’t have let his parents treat her like that.


    With a million thoughts spinning through his head, Jeffrey finally came to a decision. He would never get a divorce. He was done with all that drama. He couldn’t bear seeing her get hurt or bullied.


    Even if she tried to push him away, he was still going to keep her by his side. With that marriage contract tying them together, he’d always have the right to fight for her, stand up for her–whenever, wherever.


    The icy water poured down over his head, rivulets tracing along his perfect features, slipping down his chest before sshing onto the tiles below. The cold was biting, almost enough to freeze him to the core.


    But he knew that was nothingpared to the bone–deep chill he’d feel when Reba finally rejected him.


    About half an hourter, after both had dried their hair and changed, they finally met again. Reba was dressed infy, everyday clothes. It looked like she’d already bounced back to her old self.


    She poured Jeffrey a ss of water and handed it to him as he sat on the couch. “Thanks for today.” Reba said.


    If it hadn’t been for him, she’d probably still be suffering right now. So Reba was full of gratitude. It took real guts to face something one was scared of, and she knew she wouldn’t have pulled through without his help.


    “Don’t mention it. This all started because of me. It’s only right I solve it,” Jeffrey said. He’d never cared much about hearing her thank him anyway.


    With all this polite, distant talk, it was like they’d suddenly gone back to being total strangers.


    Reba bit her lip and nced back at him. “Are you feeling alright? I’ve heard that pushing yourself through a fear like that can mess you up a little after.”


    “Your husband’s tougher than that,” Jeffrey replied with a rxed confidence.


    That simple line made Reba swallow back everything she’d been about to say.


    Once again, silence settled between them.


    After a long pause, Jeffrey finally spoke up, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Reba,” he said, voice unwavering.


    <b>12:25 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>26 </b>


    “Hmm?” Reba responded.


    “I’m not divorcing you,” Jeffrey said, firm and clear.


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    <b>Reba </b>froze, her brows knitting together as she tried to figure out if he was joking.


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    “All this time<b>–</b>saying yes to the divorce, going to the courthouse with you, setting a date for the license–it was all just me going along with you,” Jeffrey said. He knew she’d get mad, but right now, honesty <b>mattered </b>more than her reaction.


    He didn’t want to keep running into this again. He just wanted to end it for good.


    “I never thought about divorcing you,” Jeffrey said, looking her right in the eye, his voice steady and sincere. “Even if nothing happened today or we went to the courthouse next week and you signed the papers, <b>I </b>would just walk away.”


    Reba’s feelings of gratitude shattered on the spot, reced by a re of anger in her chest. “Oh, so I should be grateful you’re so dead set on picking me?” she shot back.


    Everything he’d just said made her feel like all the divorce drama and all her stubborn fighting had just turned her into a joke.


    She kept pushing and fighting all this time. But he could just toss out one sentence and make everything she’d gone through meaningless.


    Seeing her so guarded and bristling with thorns, Jeffrey felt like someone had stabbed him right in the chest. A dull, heavy ache settled in his heart.


    “Divorce!” Reba snapped, her eyes red with fury, emotions at their breaking point. “We have to. It’s happening, no debating.”


    “Reba,” Jeffrey tried to soothe her.


    “Why do you get to decide everything? If you say divorce, we divorce. If you say no, then I just have to deal with it? How is this any different from your parents always bossing people around?”


    Reba’s anger was explosive now, her words sharp as thorns. “You’re just as controlling as they are!” When people were really pissed, they’d justsh out and say whatever came to mind.


    This was the first time Jeffrey had ever heard Reba say something like that to him. And in that moment, he realized he’d just hurt her even worse than when he told her about Andrea. He stood up and wrapped her in a tight embrace.


    Reba struggled. “Let go of me!”


    But Jeffrey wouldn’t let go.


    Reba punched, pounded at him, and bit him. She tried every way she knew to vent her fury.


    This wasn’t like thest time, when she’d just nipped him out of irritation. Now she was furious<b>–</b><b>really </b>going at him, putting her whole body and soul into every bite, wanting him to <b>feel </b>just how angry and hurt she <b>was</b>.


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    I’m sorry, Jeffrey murmured, refusing to loosen his hold on her. He could feel the <b>pain</b>, but for <b>him</b>, none of itpared to the ache tearing through Reba’s heart. He’d take a thousand bruises over seeing her this


    hurt.


    If he released Reba now, she couldn’t vent all this rage. He couldn’t bear to leave her here, struggling alone. making her swallow all this pain and then pretend to move on. That would be too cruel.


    So instead, he chose to let her unleash all her pain and fury on him, letting her vent every emotion she needed until she felt lighter. Whatever he had to endure, it was only fair.


    Reba bit down without mercy, not holding back this time. Blood bloomed on the fresh <b>white </b>shirt Jeffrey had just put on. He didn’t try to stop her. He just kept holding her, same as before.


    Maybe hugging her would just make her hate him even more. But if he let her go, she’d end up crying all alone for a long, long time.


    Jeffrey had always believed he could just wait it out, that after hitting one brick wall after another, Reba would eventually turn around ande back to him.


    But now he realized that Reba had no concept of turning back. She only knew how to charge forward. zing straight ahead no matter what.


    Even when she was out of strength, she’d just keep throwing herself at that wall. Either she’d smash right through and keep moving, or she’d copse against it–never able to get up again.


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