All Chapters of Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The speaker was none other than Desmond, who had just come back from the restroom.He regarded Vance and Catherine with an inscrutable expression. His words made the pair stiffen noticeably.Vance frowned at the blunt challenge. Back in university, he had been the leader of the student council, talented and ambitious. He had never encountered such awkward situations before.But the panic was fleeting; he quickly composed himself and smiled with utmost poise. "Yes, so for these five years, she has rarely gone out, dedicating herself to rehabilitation training. She's finally seeing some results, but she's still very sensitive about it, fearing odd looks from others. It took tremendous effort to convince her to come tonight. I assured her repeatedly that Mr. Lemke's guests are all people of quality who wouldn't offend her."His words were masterful, implying that if Desmond persisted, he would be the one lacking manners, offending Catherine.So, Vance knew this was an offense. Yet wh

Lauren craned her neck to look, and the girl who said she was a dancer crowded over too.Rebecca had no idea why Desmond had her wedding video. It had been a private ceremony, nothing extravagant, and she never shared it on any social media.But it was indeed her wedding video. She had smiled so brilliantly back then, having truly loved Vance and truly wanted to walk through life with him.Now it felt like a lifetime ago, so long that she had forgotten what it felt like to smile heartily. The video also showed something she had missed.It was Vance's despondent expression, as if his life had reached its end. Why bother?Every eye was now on Vance and Catherine. With the video right there, no more denial was possible.Catherine had already dissolved into tears. Vance, on the other hand, displayed immense responsibility, subconsciously shielding Catherine. "I'm sorry for the spectacle, everyone. It's my fault. I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I don't want to ruin the mood. Ple

"Yes," Rebecca replied, unwilling to explain further.Vance took a step forward. The distance between them was so close now that she could see the deep lines around his eyes.At barely 30, he already bore the marks of time."Rebecca," he muttered, gripping her shoulder. The faint scent of his cologne lingered in the air. "Have I ever treated you badly these years?"Exhaustion leaked from the deep furrows in his brow and the dark circles under his eyes.She sighed, "No."She admitted that he had tried, in his own way, to take care of her—food, clothes, shelter, money. He'd been generous to her grandma and family, showering them with wealth.But even all that wasn't enough. It would have been better if he had just given her a large sum of money instead of marrying her."If I haven't wronged you, how could you treat me like this?" he croaked, the rims of his eyes reddening. "How could you join forces with others to hurt me? Isn't what's mine yours? Isn't my business your business?

Rebecca had no idea what had gotten Vance.From the moment she first knew him, he had always been distant, ethereal, and untouchable. A veil seemed to forever stand between them.Even after they married, he remained the same. But now, he was acting out of character.She stared at his burst-open shirt and the smooth lines of muscle revealed as it fell apart."What do you want?" She cowered, pulling the blanket tightly around herself."What do you think I'm doing?" His gaze held a rare ferocity. "You eat my food and use my things, yet you conspire with others to sabotage me. What do you think I'm going to do?""I didn't," she retorted, then suddenly felt there was no need to explain.But his demeanor suggested that he was using this matter to go berserk.Her eyes widened as he suddenly unbuckled his belt. Clutching the blanket, she scrambled to get off the bed from the other side, but he lunged, pulling her back along with the blanket."Let go of me!" she shouted, but her warnin

"Open it yourself." Rebecca stood firm, turning her head away, her back against the wall as she clutched the envelope.Vance sighed, "Your temper has gotten worse lately."But he didn't push her any further, nor did he suspect that she was hiding something from him. He simply went inside.In the end, Nancy opened the package, while Rebecca swiftly hid her scores and retreated to the guest room."Rebecca, we're leaving," Vance called out from outside.She turned around sharply. "Could you respect me a little? Stop springing every decision on me as a last-minute notification?"He came to the guest room door. "Is this really a last-minute thing? Today is your father's birthday."She didn't respond, and he raised an eyebrow. "Or should I go alone?""Wait, I'll change," she said, trying to close the door.Vance blocked it with a hand, his gaze deep and suspicious. "Is it necessary to close the door? Is it because of that dancer kid?""Ridiculous." She slammed the door shut.In th