Alle Kapitel von Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford: Kapitel 211 – Kapitel 220

It was a classic goad, but Desmond didn't bite.From behind Rebecca, he taunted, "A real man's job is to protect the woman he loves most, not throw her under the bus the second things get dangerous."Rebecca laughed, sharp and mocking. "You're wrong. Mr. Bradford is a real man. Today, he protected the person he loves most."She wasn't Vance's anything or had ever received his love. If she had once tried to save face and pretend, that time was over. She had nothing left to hide.Vance squeezed his eyes shut. When he opened them again, they were full of pain. "That's not true. I didn't have a choice.""Oh, right. No choice but to sneak around with another woman. No choice but to parade her in public so kidnappers couldn't even tell who your wife was. No choice but to pick the other woman when your wife was right there," Desmond scoffed. "Where do all these scenarios come from?""Say one more word, and I'll kill you." Vance lunged forward again."Enough!" Rebecca snapped. "You have

Rebecca stayed calm the whole time. There was no yelling, no cold shoulder, and no drama.She simply packed her things, checked out of the hotel, and rode home with Vance. She was quiet, as if nothing had happened, acting as detached as a stranger.Vance glanced at her every time they stopped at a light, stunned by how she was reacting. He had prepared for hours of explanations and apologies, yet none came into use.When the kidnappers had taken her, the front door had been left wide open, and the delivery bags were still outside. Now everything was neat, the groceries were put away, and the two boxes of cherries sat on the counter.Rebecca knew they were Desmond's gift.Without a word, she changed her shoes, washed up, and put on loungewear. She washed a plate of cherries and stored the rest in the fridge. Then she sat on the sofa, scrolling on her phone and eating the cherries."You like cherries? I never knew that before." Vance sat beside her, popping one in his mouth. "Sweet

Rebecca decided not to rush it.If she brought up divorce now and met Vance's refusal, she might not be able to leave.She would write a heartfelt divorce letter, leave it for him the day she flew out, and give him a month to think it over. When she came back, they could finalize everything. She could get the divorce papers right before school started.That evening, she was boiling water when Vance came home.He leaned against the door frame of the kitchen. "Thought I'd stepped back in time. You look exactly like you did in high school."His eyes seemed to be smiling. The setting sun poured through the window and lit his face in a hazy golden glow. She couldn't quite see his expression.She turned back to rinse some green onions. Suddenly, his arms wrapped around her waist from behind."Look at the sunset outside. So beautiful. Doesn't it remind you of that day we went on the picnic, right when the sun was going down?" He rested his chin on her shoulder. "Everyone was lined up f

"They're my best friends, and you're my wife. It's hard for me if you guys don't get along," Vance explained. "They all want to make peace with you, and Cathy feels terrible about what happened this morning. She wants to have a nice talk. Do it for me, okay? Eat with everyone and accept their goodwill."Rebecca laughed at the absurdity of it. "Your friends talked trash about me and called me a cripple behind my back. That's their goodwill? If I don't accept it, then it's my fault?"His brow wrinkled. "They already apologized. Why do you keep bringing it up?"She laughed, feeling utterly incredulous. So, in his mind, an apology fixed everything."And Catherine sleeping naked with you... Was that goodwill too? I'm just not generous enough?"He slammed his palm on the table. "What the hell are you talking about?"She sneered, having just poked a sore spot.After the outburst, he seemed to remember the purpose of the meal. He sighed, "You always have to push my buttons. Fine. I was

"Rebecca is already here?" Catherine exclaimed.Rebecca dried her hands, stepped out of the bathroom, and smiled brightly. "Yep. Just fixing my hair. Even though I'm crippled, I still like to look nice."Aiden cleared his throat with embarrassment.Rebecca continued, "What's wrong, Aiden? Should I not care about my appearance? Or since I'm already a cripple, it doesn't matter if I'm pretty or not?""No... That's not what I meant," he stammered.Rebecca realized that when she let loose and acted recklessly, everyone else suddenly lost their nerve."We were just talking with Vance about going to the islands. Want to join us?" Catherine quickly changed the subject.Rebecca looked at Vance with a half-smile. He shifted uncomfortably. Of course, he was uncomfortable; he had just promised her they would take Josette on a trip."It would be nice if we went to the islands together, right?" Vance winked, signaling her not to spoil the fun."I'm not going," she refused. "I'm a cripple w