Alle Kapitel von Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford: Kapitel 681 – Kapitel 690

Rebecca's mind was still reeling from the anguish that had left her gasping for breath in Paris. The moment she heard the name, she bolted."Hey, where are you going?" Jenny chased after her. "You just woke up from heatstroke. Don't go running out into the sun!"Rebecca was oblivious, her ears filled with the loudspeaker's chant of urging Vance to go on. She ran all the way to the athletic field.The long-distance race had reached its final lap and the final sprint. A crowd of students clustered at the finish line, ready to catch and support their classmates.Rebecca reached the line just as Vance came into view, leading the pack.The 17-year-old boy had strong, healthy legs. He was chasing the wind, his movements agile and athletic. The basketball forward and long-distance running champion wasn't some broken man who was all washed up and had trouble walking.As the runners closed in, the cheers swelled. The voice from the loudspeaker rose above the roar, urging him on. Vance sho

Tears streamed down Rebecca's face. "You're really here, aren't you? This is the real you."The 17-year-old boy couldn't understand the weight behind her words. He answered gently, "Yeah, I'm right here."He pulled out the tissue and wiped away her tears, his voice softening further. "I've always been here. You stopped looking for me."She shook her head. That wasn't the answer she needed."Vance, I'm lost," she said, her voice cracking. "I can't find the answer I'm looking for.""Tell me what you're looking for. I'll help you. Crying won't solve anything. The shaved ice is melting. If you're not going to eat it, I will." He paused, then added, "Aren't you happy living in that new house? Anyone bothering you?"She had no idea what house he meant—probably the one her brother bought. But that wasn't until a year later. By then, she and Josette should have already moved in."No, none of that." She clapped both hands over her face, catching the tears. "You disappeared. I couldn't fi

In the quiet classroom, Rebecca confirmed the timeline: first semester of senior year, during the autumn sports day—one of the few chances for seniors to breathe.It was the last day, and there was no evening study hall. Once the events ended, the students were dismissed and looked forward to a full weekend.They were overjoyed, cheering and celebrating.Rebecca checked her belongings. Her backpack and phone had been replaced with new ones. She wasn't even sure if her phone number had changed as well.Her frequent contacts were Josette, Gabriel, Kaitlyn, Jenny, and Aaron."Aaron? I met him so early?"Chats with Darren were plentiful, but Vance wasn't in recent contact. She looked him up in her address book and discovered a blank chat history.He hadn't enabled his social media profile, so she couldn't see his side. According to him, she had ignored him for a year. Now the blank chat history was proof.She accidentally sent an emoji while checking. No notification popped up, mea

"Okay," Rebecca said, grabbing her backpack. The two power banks really made it heavy.In the car ahead, Jethro's eyes widened as he stared through the rearview mirror. "That's the guy who picks Rebecca up every day? He's..."Vance stared at the rearview mirror, his jaw tight."Do you think he's a bad guy?" Jethro sounded worried. "You know the rumors going around school..."Before he could finish, Rebecca and Jenny got into the car.There was a driver. Vance sat in the passenger seat, while Jethro was on the other side of the backseat. Jenny took the middle seat so Rebecca could sit by the window.The moment they were settled, Jenny exclaimed, "Oh my God, Rebecca! Who was that guy? He's hot!""He's... an employee at my cousin's company," Rebecca replied cautiously, unsure what her younger self had told everyone.Jenny's fingers dug into her arm. "He's gorgeous! You should have asked him to come along. I was dying over here. How could you just let him leave? You totally didn't

"Can I help you, Miss?" the priest asked.Just then, the bell wasn't scheduled to be rung at this hour, yet for some reason, the deep peal of a church bell echoed through the grounds.Rebecca paused, feeling as though she'd been transported back to the stone-burying day. The bell's soft tones had hung in the air just like now, and the low murmur of prayer had filled the halls."Sir," she said softly. "If I told you I came here ten years from now, would you believe me?"The priest was holding a broom, his eyes seeming to see right through to the core of all human troubles. He didn't look even a little surprised by her almost unhinged words, only smiling gently. "Have you run into some unsolvable problem?""There's someone I can't find anymore, but he's still here," she mumbled, unsure if the priest could even understand her rambling, nonsensical words.The priest maintained his smile. "Miss, everyone has their own destiny. He is where he is meant to be.""You mean..." Rebecca's v