Jeffrey kept watching the way Reba had gone.
67
$5 vouchers
Gregory noticed Jeffrey getting paler by the minute and couldn’t help saying, “You’re heading back to Jsburg tomorrow. Maybe you should swing by the hospital and get that wound taken care of first.”
Jeffrey just nodded.
Gregory walked alongside him, careful not to offer any help. With all those people around, he didn’t want anyone using it against them.
Reba kept her eyes on Jeffrey as he left. Even though he yed it cool, she knew deep down that his injury must’ve gotten worse.
But this was something they’d have to face sooner orter.
She figured it was better to justy everything out on the table at once.
“Reba?” Jessica Scott walked over, calling her name a few times, trying to get her attention.
Reba didn’t reallye back to herself until Jeffrey had left the banquet hall.
Jessica Scott noticed something was up and nced in the direction Reba was staring, but saw nothing there. “What did Max Quinn say to you? You look terrible.”
Reba asked, “Do I really look that bad?”
Jessica Scott answered, “Oh yeah, you look really rough.”
Reba lowered her gaze, suppressing her feelings.
The knife she’d aimed at Jeffrey ended up hurting herself in the process.
It wasn’t a big wound, but damn, it stung.
“Seriously, what did he say to you?” Jessica had never seen Reba this shaken up; even when she and Jeffrey were fighting or getting divorced, she never looked like this. “Just spill it, I’ll help you get back at him.”
“It’s not him,” Reba replied.
None of the stuff Max Quinn said ever got to her.
She didn’t give a damn no matter who told her to quit.
“Then who is it?” Jessica pressed.
Reba’s chest felt tight, her mood far from the relief she’d expected–if anything, she just felt weighed down inside. <fn5134> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?ndnovel</fn5134>
11:45 Tue, <b>Oct </b><b>7 </b>
Before Reba could answer, Jessica’s eyes widened as if something clicked. She asked carefully, “Jeffrey?”
Reba gave a quiet nod. “Yeah.”
Jessica asked, “So, did you two clear the air?”
Reba nodded, “I told him I wanted a divorce, and he agreed.”
We’re both worried about that cooling–off period. Jessica pressed, “When’s it happening?”
Reba pictured how pale his lips were. “Tomorrow.”
<b>67 </b>
Jessica almost mentioned that Jeffrey was still stuck in the hospital, but she held her tongue–drag this out any longer, and there were way more chances for things to go sideways. Better to settle it sooner rather thanter.
If Jeffrey, the guy who always stuck to his promises, suddenly stopped caring, that’d be a whole new level of messed up.
“Jessica, I just want to go home,” Reba said, sick of all the noise and crowds. All she wanted was to take a hot shower and crash for the night.
Jessica grabbed her arm. “Come on, I’ll keep youpany. Let’s go.”
Reba and Jessica went over to say goodbye to Chloe, then headed out together.
Meanwhile, outside.
Jeffrey slumped back against the seat, just resting for a moment.
Stanley, sitting next to him and looking pale, kept tossing nces his way before finally staring at that white shirt Jeffrey kept exposing under his jacket. “You love making things hard on yourself, why not just finish yourself off while you’re at it?”
Jeffrey kept his eyes closed, ignoring him.
Even now, Jeffrey still couldn’te to terms with the fact that Reba was the one who had actually saved his life.
“If you don’t want to get divorced, then just don’t,” Stanley said, which was rare for him to be on Jeffrey’s side. “Not every promise has to be kept.”
“Mr. Garcia, how about letting Mr. Hanson rest up a bit?” Gregory chimed in at just the right moment.
Stanley, the most dramatic one of them all, scoffed, “Tell me I’m wrong.”
Gregory hesitated before finally speaking up, “Mr. Garcia, you know better than anyone what kind of person Mr. Hanson is. If he didn’t care about keeping his word, he wouldn’t have still kept Andrea by his side back when Ms. Jensen wanted a divorce.”
At that, Stanley suddenly perked up.
<b>11:45 </b>Tue<b>, </b>Oct <b>7 </b>4
Stanley suddenly perked up.
He nced over at Jeffrey, who still had his eyes closed. “So, how are you nning to deal with Andrea<i>? </i>
Jeffrey’s voice was rough. “I’m suing her.”
Stanley raised an eyebrow. “That’s all you’ve got? just like that?”
Jeffrey had ruthless means, alwaysing up with new ways to handle things. Last time someone talked diny about Reba behind his back, he had Tommy and Barry deal with that guy in the dead of night.
And now, with Andrea causing all kinds of chaos pretending to be his savior, and he’s just gonna let that go?
“It’s really not that simple,” Gregory replied as he drove. “Mr. Hanson already dropped 30 million on Andrea. If he sues her for fraud, she’ll probably end up spending the rest of her life behind bars.
Stanley mulled it over for a second.
Yeah, when he thought about it, that was true.
That ce at Harmony Estate alone was worth almost 30 million, not to mention all the other things Andrea got out of Jeffrey.
And all of it had been given to her on the basis that she was his lifesaver.
“So you’re seriously going through with divorcing Reba?” Stanley circled back, not letting the topic drop.
Jeffrey kept his mouth shut.
He didn’t even want to waste a single word on this.
“You better think hard before you sign those papers,” Stanley warned, not wanting to see him regret it. “Once you and Reba split for real, Ian Yeats will be all over her–you want her shouting ‘hubby‘ at Ian? You cool with Samuel calling him ‘Dad‘ instead of you?”
The moment Stanley dropped that bomb, the whole car froze–nobody dared breathe.
Gregory could feel cold sweat trickling down his spine as he drove.
Jeffrey stayed stone–faced, his tone t: “Pull over.”
Gregory obediently pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Stanley was like, “Huh?”
‘What’s the point of stopping all of a sudden?‘ he griped to himself.
“Get out,” Jeffrey said, voice t, expression impossible to read.
“What for? Seriously, why get out?” Stanley had no clue how heavy things just got.
11:45 Tue<b>, </b><b>Oct </b>7 A
5:0
Gregory stepped out to open the door for him, still putting on that gentleman act, “Mr. Garcia, please?
Stanley was like, “Seriously?”
Stanley nearly exploded. “Come on, I’m doing you a favor here–trying to make you face reality, so you don’t end up bawling your eyes out with nowhere to go!”
Jeffrey just stared ahead in dead silence, didn’t even want to spare Stanley a nce,
“Jeffrey, you’ve got some guts!” Stanley huffed, finally admitting both Jeffrey and Reba were way too stubborn for anyone to talk sense into. “If I ever butt into your mess again, I’ll swear off my own advice for good!”
Stanley hopped out, mming the door behind him.
The deafening bang echoed through the night.
“Your ride will be here in five minutes,” Gregory assured him, ever the professional. “Just hang tight for a bit.”
“Don’t bother!” Stanley shot back, still pissed off. “I’m walking.”
Gregory gave a respectful nod. “Understood. I’ll drive Mr. Hanson back to the hospital now.”
He got in, started the car, and pulled away without wasting a second.
Stanley was just standing there, totally dumbfounded–he could practically see question marks floating above his head.
‘Wow, they really just ditched me, huh?‘ Stanley griped to himself, still in disbelief.
He almost yelled for them toe back, but then remembered the dramatic speech he’d just made. So, with a bitter grin, all he could do was stand there and wait for the car Gregory said he’d arrange–serves him right, he guessed.
As soon as he got in the car, Stanley immediately shot Riley a text: [Jeffrey’s going back to Jsburg tomorrow to sign the divorce papers with Reba. I’m worried he’s gonna totally lose his mind. Maybe you should go talk him down?]
Riley: [Honestly, it’d be even better if he actually snapped.]
Stanley: [Wait, what?]
Riley: [Then we can just ship him straight to the mental hospital and nobody can say a thing.]
Stanley just blinked at his phone, totally lost for words.
‘ssic Riley,‘ he thought, rolling his eyes.
He pushed his personal feelings down, but couldn’t quite let it go: [I’m dead serious–Reba’s the only reason he ever acted even halfway normal. If they split up, there’s no telling what kind of disaster he’ll be.]
<b>11:45 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>Oct </b><b>7 </b>
:.
Riley didn’t even bother texting—she just called instead.
She got straight to the point: “This is something he has to deal with. If he doesn’t go through it, he’ll <b>never </b>toughen up.”
“Grow up?” Stanley repeated, sounding even more lost.
Come on. Jeffrey’s not exactly a kid anymore,‘ he thought, rolling his eyes.
“The guy’s sharp as hell and way too old for any “character development.” What kind of growing up is she even talking about?‘ Stanley muttered to himself.