BIT

Sean frowned, staring at Rebecca for a moment before nodding.

Rebecca swallowed nervously. She walked to the pantry, grabbed two cans of beer from the fridge, and then sat uncomfortably on a stool.

“Okay, what’s going on? You look really serious,” Sean murmured, casually taking a beer from the table and opening it, which made Rebecca hesitate to continue her

interrogation.

Rebecca sipped her beer slowly, taking a deep breath. “There’s something I want to ask about-*

Just say it, Becky, it’s okay!” Sean interrupted, noticing the hesitation on Rebecca’s face.

Rebecca cleared her throat softly. “Um, it’s about Maggie and Bea’s accident,” she said, trying hard not to show fear because she worried it might trigger Sean’s anger.

Sean’s face turned pale instantly. He gripped the beer can a little tighter, then nodded his head. “Go ahead, ask anything,” he said, trying to appear calm even though Rebecca could sense the tension in his voice.

“Just answer honestly, okay? I’m not going to judge you or anything; I just want to know the truth because, after all, you are Lily’s father,” she said with a stiff smile.

Sean nodded, staring at Rebecca without blinking.

“I heard a rumor from a gossip forum that you were reported to the police for domestic violence against Maggie. I just want to confirm with you about that rumor,” Rebecca said cautiously, deliberately hiding the fact that she had already seen Maggie Parker’s autopsy report

Sean’s eyes widened, and his jaw tightened instantly. For a moment, he remained silent, making Rebecca anxious, fearing Sean might explode.

“The rumor that Maggie reported me to the police is true, but the rumor that I committed domestic violence against her is a misunderstanding, Sean finally said. Rebecca frowned. “A misunderstanding? What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

Sean took a deep breath. “I remember that night, Maggie and I were arguing. I was playing billiards, and in a fit of anger, I threw a billiard ball toward the pool, but

13:25 Thu, Aug 154 C7.

accidentally hit Maggie on the head, injuring her pretty badly. She reported me to the police, but I was ultimately proven innocent because, well, I wasn’t guilty”

Rebecca clenched her fists beneath the kitchen island. From the way he spoke, she knew Sean was lying, but at least she had given him a chance to explain.

“Oh,” Rebecca murmured, nodding. “I’m glad asked you instead of listening to the nonsense out there, I knew you couldn’t have done something so low,” she added, smiling as she tried to appear sincere so Sean wouldn’t suspect her.

Sean cleared his throat, nodding nervously. “Well, is that all?” Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Rebecca nodded. “Yeah, I feel relieved now that I’ve heard it directly from you,” she said, standing up from the stool. “By the way, how’s the plan for your clinic opening?” she asked offhandedly.

“I’ve secured a great location nearby, and I just need to furnish the interior. I’ve also asked Ella to order the medical equipment, so I should be able to start interviewing staff candidates by next week,” he replied casually, no longer sounding tense like before.

“Great, I hope everything goes smoothly,” she said with a smile, while secretly her mind was busy planning something.

“Yeah, Lily will be proud to have a father who’s a great pediatrician,” Sean murmured with a warm smile, which confused Rebecca. She wondered, what was wrong with Sean? If he was so warm, why did he hurt Maggie?

The next day.

Rebecca was holding Lily when her phone vibrated. She placed Lily in the crib, picked up her phone from the nightstand, and saw Cassie’s name on the screen.

“What?”

“Becky, I’m so sorry! Please, don’t be mad at me!” Cassie whined on the other end. Rebecca sighed deeply. “I’m not,” she replied as she slowly walked towards her bedroom door and closed it gently, afraid that Sean might eavesdrop on her conversation.

“Thank you! I promise I won’t cross the line again! Can I still work with you?” Cassie pleaded.

Rebecca sank into the sofa, debating whether or not to tell Cassie, but she remembered

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Harvey’s warning that no one could know about the plan.

“Cassie, I might not be active on my social media for a while, so-”

“WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING?” Cassie shrieked on the other end.

Rebecca pulled the phone away from her ear, grimacing. “Don’t worry, I’ll find you another job. I have plenty of connections, so I’ll recommend you.”

“Becky! Is Sean threatening you? Tell me what’s really going on!” Cassie asked worriedly.

Rebecca fell silent, biting her lower lip.

“Cassie, listen carefully…” She explained all her plans to Cassie for nearly ten minutes, but she didn’t reveal the country she was going to, as Harvey had instructed her to keep that a secret from everyone.

“Oh my God, I’m going to miss you and Lily. I’m so coming to your house right now!”

“No, Cassie! Don’t!” Rebecca exclaimed, trying not to shout.

“Why?” Cassie asked, feeling rejected.

Rebecca sighed deeply. “I don’t want Sean to connect my departure with you, so I’ll tell him I’ve found a new job and won’t be able to help anymore.”

“So, we won’t see each other again?” Cassie asked, holding back tears.

“Maybe someday, I don’t know…”

After ending the call with Cassie, Rebecca lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. She wondered if her life would ever return to normal, like when she was a child in the orphanage.

Then suddenly, her thoughts drifted to Angela. She became curious whether Angela knew about Sean and Maggie or not. She sat up and called Max.

“Becky?”

“Um, Max, there’s something I want to ask you,” Rebecca whispered, almost inaudibly, so Sean couldn’t overhear her.

“I’m listening“

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“Um, it’s about Sean. Does his mother know about the abuse he inflicted on his wife?” Rebecca asked, gripping her phone tightly.

“She knew,” Max replied flatly.

Rebecca’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you sure?” she asked, unable to believe that Angela could have been involved in something so cruel.

Max sighed deeply. “She’s the one who asked Thomas Parker to bury the case.”

Rebecca was stunned. She had always thought of Angela as a kind fairy godmother. How could she have allowed Maggie to be trapped in such a toxic marriage with her

son?

“Becky? Becky?”

Suddenly, Sean banged on the door, hard.

*****