Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31 “I‘ve already had sex with you, Rebecca,” Benjamin coldly said to her. “Even if I hadn‘t, you are not worth the work it takes to get to you ” Saying that he walked away “Wait,” she called out for him desperately, but he didn‘t stop. She felt like her whole world collapsed, and her heart crumbled “Madam, breakfast!” a voice penetrated through her dreamy world and forcibly wole her up. Rebecca suddenly opened his eyes and realized that it was a dream. Her heart, however, we beating fast in reality. She looked to her right. Benjamin had already gone, but her car keys were still on the desk. She purposely left them on the desk to see if he would take them again, but apparently, he didn‘t The maid put the food and water on a foldable table nert to her bed wash yourself and eat before the food runs cold, madarn,” the maid said and left. Meanwhile, at the dining table downstairs.

The whole table was occupied by guests, with both Jacob and Selena sitting anong them Benjamin was serving them food along with some other maids. “When are you going to show us the rushes of your films, Mr Jacob)” one of the guests asled “We can‘t wait to see them on the big screen with the public, but of course, we still would love to see how they have shaped up before the release.” “The shooting is almost done.” Jacob said. “Once the post–production work begins, I’d definitely screen both the movies on the same day for you guys.”

“Haha, we‘ll be waiting.”

“You have a 92% success rate,” Jane‘s father said, “so let‘s hope both of your movies will become highest grossers across various countries.” He looked slightly older than Jacob, not counting the painting done to his hair. “They will,” Jacob confidently replied, “and with those profits, I will build a charity organization”

“Haha, you really are an interesting man, Mr Jacob Sterling.” Some of the guests praised him Selena, however, was buying none of ir, not even her own husband‘s words Jane‘s father was not hall as rich as Jacob, but being in the finance business, he had connections and so helped Jacob by gathering money from other rich people across the country. However, Jane‘s father also had a big crush on Selena for years, and despite loowing that, Jacob still took his help which Selena didn‘t like. As for Jacob, she knew him better than the most Jacob wasn‘t someone who would stand and wait in the queue, but at the same time, he was too miserly to buy a privat e flight, afraid that others would ask the flight for temporary use when he wasn‘t using it. She had never seen him donate to a beggar, so how could he build a charity organization with the profits he might earn from his movies? Those were nothing more than empty words spoken to elevate himself at the moment, she believed.

As one of the guests, an old financier with a long beard, was eating scrambled eggs, Benjamin brought waffles with almond butter, and as he was putting it on the table, the butter dripping on the waffles slightly brushed past the guest‘s sleeve. The old financier‘s face warped pretty fast. “I‘m sorry,” Benjamin was quick to apologize. “I‘ll clean it right away.” He took out his kerchief, but the old financier stood and slapped Benjamin in the face. It was a loud slap that even reached upstairs. “I didn‘t wear this 6000 dollar suit so you could apply sauces and creams on it,” the old financier rebuked Benjamin who was covering the cheek that was just slapped hard. “Mr. Robert,” Jacob said, “please sit.” “Sorry, Mr. Jacob,” Robert, the old financier, looked at the almond butter that was on his sleeve and frowned in anger, “but, tell this man to get out of my sight.” Jacob looked at Benjamin who then had to lower his head and leave. As he was leaving, he noticed that Selena looked quite amused.

Robert wiped the butter off with a tissue paper and still muttered under his breath. “Waste fellow.”

Another financier, an Italian guy with a long ugly–looking hairstyle, said, “My son seems really interested in your daughter Veronica. How about we arrange a date for them?” “Sure thing, Mr. Fabio,” replied Jacob, pleasing the ears of Fabio.

Benjamin didn‘t go to the kitchen but stormed into his room, rubbing his cheek as he sat down on the bed. Rebecca guessed what might have happened; however, she suddenly had this imagination where she planted a ldss on that same cheek and eased his mood.

She clutched her cheeks. (What the heck am I thinking?) Benjamin took his mobile and walked out. After he left, Rebecca started feeling weird. A kiss. What would being kissed feel like? She wondered.

Even though she had dated many men, she didn‘t even kiss one of them. Though some men tried their best to kiss her while on date, she gave them a death–glare, and they approached her no more. She didn‘t spare Benjamin, either. She either gave him the death glare or shook her head disapprovingly everytime he endeavored to kiss her. “Come to think of it, I didn‘t even let my husband kiss me, not even once...” tears almost sprang to her eyes as she understood that something was definitely wrong with her. “Is this really who I am? Who I wanted to be?” When growing up, she didn‘t receive much of the parents‘ love, and so she longed to be loved. She looked for the best husband, and somewhere in that process, she changed. Where? She had no idea When was the last time she smiled at Benjamin? she couldn‘t remember. She always thought he was her husband, but he had no jurisdiction over her, so he could wait as long as he wanted, hut was she fair in thinking so?

LLL She briefly remembered the day when she and Benjamin had gone to the supermarket, and while they waited in the queue at the checkout, an old woman tried to cut the queue, and another man in the queue scolded the old woman, making her stand in the back end of the queue with a tearful face. However, Benjamin then let her stand before him, and his simple action brought a smile upon her face, and she wished both Benjamin and Rebecca to lead a happy married life. Rebecca was only standing behind, and she wasn‘t even wearing the ring, yet the old woman had blessed them as though she knew they were both husband and wife. “Why did I remember that now?” her brows raised. “Yeah, right. We haven‘t been living a married life at all.”

After taking a deep breath, she leaned over and opened the drawer next to her bed and fetched a black, feathery box. She opened it, and there was a diamond ring, with the diamond shaped thin like a feather. This was her wedding ring, which she was supposed to be wearing.

She brought the ring closer to her ring finger and hesitated for a while. Should she, or should she not? After pursing her lips a bit, she put the ring on and kept staring at it, which brought a faint smile to her face. The self–serving larvae that had cocooned themselves in her belly were perhaps beginning to break out of their shell and become something else entirely.