Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24 The next morning.

It was no longer Veronica’s birthday, but she was still thinking about her past birthdays right after waking up.

She vividly remembered her sixth birthday, when she asked her dad during breakfast as to what gift he was going to buy for her birthday. Jacob replied, “You are too young to receive gifts.”

And ever since then, he repeated similar sentences until she turned 18. She demanded a big gift from him on her 18th birthday, and Jacob said, “You are an adult, so you shouldn’t be asking for gifts.” In the end, Jacob never gave Veronica a single birthday present. He didn’t give gifts to Rebecca, either, at least not until she became a successful fashion designer. However, he gave gifts to his two sons every year.

There were times when Veronica cried because of the partiality his father had shown on his sons, and Selena had to console her during those times.

Veronica was now old enough she didn’t need any consoling. She was looking at the painting of a lake dazzling under the sunlight. Compared to all the superficial gifts his brothers or his family members ever gave her, this single gift felt a million times more precious. She really wanted to know more about Akash without directly asking him, so she thought of paying a visit to his sister.

When she entered Rebecca’s room, she was in for a shock. Her sister looked like a ghost because she hadn’t slept at all. “Look at you. You look terrible! Like you were clawed by a thousand cats in your dreams!” Benjamin just came out from the bathroom, and he was fully dressed already.

“Oh, you wear clothes in the bathroom itself?” Veronica laughed out loud. “What more strange habits do you have?”

“That’s something I learned from your sister,” replied Benjamin, cutting Veronica’s laugh short. “If you excuse me, I’ll go and have breakfast.”

“Yeah, yeah,” she moved aside. “I envy people like you who don’t even need to look into the mirror every day. Nothing changes whether you comb your hair or put on makeup.”

Benjamin didn’t mind her words and left without even sparing a glance at his wife. It was so obvious that even Veronica noticed the change.

“Why’s he behaving oddly?” she sat by his sister’s bed and asked. “Normally, he’s always itching to get your attention, but now, when you need it, he’s not even looking at you. I feel like he’s taking his revenge now that he’s gotten a chance.”

“Revenge or not, I don’t care what he does,” Rebecca said, acting as though she didn’t care.

“Sis, can you answer this question honestly?”

“First ask.”

“It’s about Benjamin,” Veronica said. “He’s average-looking, and he doesn’t even comb his hair properly. I don’t know what you saw in the bar to like him and be defenseless against him, but how could you marry him? Just what made you make such a rash move? No one in the house gets it. Even Mom feels clueless in this situation, I think.”

“What made me marry him, huh...” Rebecca took in a breath at a slow place. “Men think we don’t notice where they’re looking, but we notice everything, right?”

Veronica nodded twice.

“All the men I dated, they had beautiful smiles blooming on their lips, but this one guy was smiling through his eyes,” Rebecca thought back of the time when she first noticed him in the bar. “That’s what attracted me toward him. I didn’t even know who he was, but I boldly went and sat by his table.”

“You approached him first?” Veronica couldn’t believe it. “I thought it was the other way around.”

“Well, he looks average now because he doesn’t take good care of his hair and beard, but back then, he’s not someone you can easily take your eyes off. I’m talking about nine months back.”

“Your standards are pretty high. To think you consider him to be so good looking, I guess everyone has their personal preference type. Maybe he fits into your preference.”

“That’s not it. I’ve dated men more taller and more handsome than him,” Rebecca said, “but they all were too eager, you know, to get into bed with me, but he had this pure adoration in his eyes. I haven’t seen anything like it, I tell you.” “Adoration,” Veronica cocked her head back and forth twice. “Yeah. That very adoration made him fuck you that very same night and steal your virginity, huh?” “A-Ah, well, that’s...” Rebecca scratched her cheek. “We were both pretty drunk back then, and we were talking, and the next thing I remember, I woke up the next morning, and he was in my bed.” She was shaking her head. “I couldn’t believe it, that I lost my virginity to a stranger I met at a bar. Seeing me worry, he said he was a virgin, too. Maybe I was touched by his gesture, so I ended up asking him if he’ll marry me. Most men would run away when they hear the word marriage, but he said yes before he even knew I was Rebecca Sterling, so I’ve decided to make him mine.”

“It doesn’t surprise me. You’ve always been more selfish than me, but are you sure he was also a virgin? I mean, there’s no way we can check a man’s virginity, right? I feel like we should have had this discussion eight months back, but are you at least sure he didn’t know who you were before agreeing to the marriage?” “I’m not sure, but I’m positive,” Rebecca said confidently.

“Anyway, what brought you here?”

“Ah, yeah, I want you to do a little background search on my boyfriend.” “Huh,” Rebecca pulled her younger sister’s cheek, “didn’t you almost mock me for saying I’ll do the same thing?” “Yeah, I’m now only asking you to learn more about his hobbies.

What he likes and doesn’t.

Such things. Can you do this for me?” “That’s something you should learn by dating him, not by doing a background check on him, you idiot!”

Veronica laughed awkwardly for a second and then made a poker face. “So you won’t do it then.”

“I will do it if you help me until I am able to walk” “What? Can’t you ask the maids to help you?” Rebecca’s eyes reddened. “You want me to beg them every time I need to get off my bed?” “I-I’m sorry. I will help you, so don’t worry.”