“Why?” Jeffrey’s voice was cold.


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    “Because I don’t like the cage you built for me,” Reba said, suddenly feeling fearless now that she saw him. All she felt was pure frustration. “I’m not going to y along with your little game of keeping your wife at home while you fool around with someone else.”


    “She’s someone I owe,” Jeffrey exined again.


    Reba shot back, “Lots of people owe others, but who else pays their debts the way you do?”


    Jeffrey said, “I gave her my word.”


    “Don’t hide behind promises,” Reba snapped, still fuming over how he’d dragged her here without warning. “No sane person would pull something like this.”


    Jeffrey’s presence felt colder and heavier, but his eyes were disturbingly calm.


    Reba could sense it.


    He was on the verge of snapping.


    ‘He brought this all on himself, Reba thought bitterly. ‘I gave him a chance, he wasted it–whatever messes after, he can clean it up alone.’


    Jeffrey looked at her, his tone still calm. “I’m giving you another chance to exin. If you just took Samuel and your mom out to rx, I won’t hold any of this against you. But if that’s not the case–don’t forget the agreement you signed.”


    “Jeffrey,” Reba’s expression was dead serious–he’d never seen her this stern before.


    Jeffrey looked up, his eyes meeting hers.


    They stared each other down.


    “Maybe you should go to the hospital and get checked out,” Reba said, her voice calm and sincere. “Your mental state is seriously off.”


    For five years of marriage, Jeffrey had always been impossibly calm around her. No matter how moody or yful she got, he never lost his temper–not even once. He never said a harsh word to her.


    He treated her like a delicate porcin doll, always holding her close and protecting her.


    Back then, she hadn’t given it much thought–she just figured he was devoted, the sort of man who truly adored her.


    But now, she saw that all that calm was just for show. The minute she crossed him, his whole sense of reality seemed warped. ‘You really aren’t normal, Jeffrey,‘ she thought, a chill creeping up her spine.


    “If youe back with me, I’ll do whatever you want,” Jeffrey said, his tone disturbingly calm.


    Reba took a deep breath, forcing her emotions back down.


    After a long pause.


    She locked eyes with him and couldn’t hold back anymore: “Seriously, can you stop acting like a kid and making everything my fault? Whether you want to get help or not is your call–it has nothing to do with whether I go back with you.”


    “I waited for you at the restaurant for over an hourst night,” Jeffrey said, still bringing it up.


    Reba shot back, “So what?”


    Jeffrey replied, “You promised you’de.”


    Reba kept her emotions in check. “I only said yes so I wouldn’t have to argue with you.”


    Jeffrey’s eyes grew even darker.


    Reba couldn’t stand his cold, suffocating presence any longer. “If there’s nothing else, I’m heading back. I don’t feel right leaving Samuel home alone.”


    “Riley’s over there,” Jeffrey said, his lips barely moving. Then he added, “You’re not leaving until you give me a satisfactory answer about this.”


    Reba was speechless.


    If all this weren’t aimed squarely at her, she might’ve even felt a bit sorry for him.


    He kept giving her chance after chance, each time moving his boundaries further down.


    But since she was the one dealing with it all, she just thought he wasn’t right in the head. “Are you seriously telling me you feel tricked by mest night, like you were the one who got hurt?”


    “Isn’t that true?” Jeffrey shot back. “Everyone kept telling me you weren’t in Jsburg anymore, but I still believed you–because you promised you’d show up once you were done with work.”


    “You’ve really got it bad,” Reba said, and she didn’t say stuff like that lightly.


    Jeffrey’s face was eerily calm.


    Reba didn’t hesitate to call him out. “Don’t even try to tell me you didn’t know deep down I’d already left. When they told you, were you even the slightest bit surprised?”


    ‘You definitely knew what was up,’ Reba thought, steel in her voice. “You just stayed there so you could turn around and stick all the me on me, acting like you’re the poor victim in this story.” Even Riley would think


    that was savage.


    Her words pierced the tension, making the air instantly heavier.


    Jeffrey’s eyes went pitch–ck, his stare suddenly so intense it sent a chill up Reba’s spine.


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    “But are you really the victim here?” Reba thought this guy was actually kind of creepy. Anyone who didn’t know the whole story would probably think he was just hopelessly devoted–like all his twisted behavior was just about ‘repaying a debt,‘ and she was the one making a fuss for nothing.


    But in reality? None of the real problems ever got fixed.


    Not once had any of the real issues been dealt with.


    “Are you done?” Jeffrey’s voice was steady, his eyes so deep they seemed bottomless.


    Reba snorted softly, a bitter edge to herugh.


    ‘Same old story,‘ she thought.


    Arguing with him was like swinging at air–her words never evennded.


    “If you’re done, get ready to go back to Jsburg,” Jeffrey said, standing up and walking over to her, his tone slow and unhurried. “If you agree toe back on your own, it’ll save you a lot of trouble.”


    “I’m not going back,” Reba stood her ground, refusing to back down.


    “I’m not asking,” Jeffrey said, his gaze sweeping over her stubborn face. “I could’ve used Jessica and Ian to force you home, but I came here myself–that’s me already going easy on you.”


    Reba didn’t buy his psychological games for a second. “So you admit you’re just trying to force me?”


    Jeffrey said, “Reba, don’t push me.”


    Reba fired back, “Right back at you.”


    The room went dead silent. Neither moved a muscle.


    Two hard–headed people staring each other down, neither budging an inch, both waiting for the other to cave first.


    Her name might sound soft, but when ites to stubbornness, Reba’s got nerves of steel–even Jeffrey can’t break her on this one.


    “Since you won’t do it the easy way, I’ll just have them drag you back,” Jeffrey said, icy and firm. “Once we’re home, you can scream, hit, curse, whatever–knock yourself out. I won’t even flinch.”


    “So you’re just gonna strong–arm me now?” Reba stared at him, shocked he was still this stubborn even after all they’d been through.


    Jeffrey shrugged, sounding helpless, “You won’te on your own, this is all I’ve got left.”


    Reba shot back, “And you really don’t care if I end up hating you for this?<b>” </b>


    “I’d rather you hate me than let you go,” Jeffrey answered, ice–cold but steady as ever.


    <b>10:46 </b>Fri, Oct 3


    Reba gave him onest look, her voice dripping with disbelief, “This is how you show love?”


    “When we’re back, I’ll make sure you’re safe, and I’ll say sorry <i>to </i>your mom too, Jeffrey said, taking a step closer and reaching for her hand. “As for whether this counts as love, you’ll see for yourself as <b>time </b>goes by?


    Reba pulled away, refusing to let him touch her.


    Jeffrey didn’t let it bother him–the rest of their livesy ahead, and he was sure he’d find a way to make it right, little by little.


    “I told you, I’m not leaving with you,” Reba said, voice icy and unyielding. She stepped forward and snatched up a fruit knife from the table, her stare absolute. “If you’re really going to force me, then fine–haul my corpse back and spend the rest of your life loving a dead woman.”


    Jeffrey’s eyes widened for a split second, startled by her words.


    But he collected himself almost instantly, all that shock wiped away.


    His gaze lingered on the knife gripped in her hand. He spoke with unnerving certainty, “You won’t do it.”


    Reba, pushed to her breaking point,shed out. “Then do it, see what happens.”


    “You can’t just walk away from Samuel, and your mom means too much to you,” Jeffrey said<i>—</i>almost like he was trying to reassure both her and himself. “You’re not the kind of person who’d do something truly drastic.”


    “Maybe that was true before,” Reba said, her eyes hollow, all hope gone. “But things aren’t the same anymore.”


    Jeffrey nearly asked what had changed, but suddenly it clicked–Amelia’s awake now, she’s got her finances sorted, and she can step up and take care of Samuel if Reba no longer could. With her biggest worry gone, she really didn’t have anything tying her down anymore.


    ‘She might actually go through with it…‘ The thought stabbed at Jeffrey, ice–cold fear crawling into his chest. Just imagining it, his usually rock–solid nerves began to unravel–panic gnawed at him, sharp and unfamiliar.


    “So what is it you want?” Jeffrey finally gave ground, his tone less rigid.


    “Swear to me you’ll never control my life again,” Reba said tly. “And we’re heading to the courthouse- today. We’ll get those divorce papers and end this, for good.”


    Jeffrey was the kind of man who never broke a promise–if he said he’d do something, you could bet it’d get done.


    If he backed out now, all those years stubbornly taking care of Andrea would just make him look like a fool. <fn7f05> Follow current nov?ls on Find~Novel</fn7f05>


    10:46 Fri, <b>Oct </b><b>3 </b>