Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47 Oliver parked his car at a supermarket close to the Sterling villa. He paid the guard a thousand dollars and told him to keep the car safe, and the guard gladly obliged. Oliver bought products worth eight thousand dollars from the supermarket, three-fourth of which went for buying various kinds of quality meat. He returned to the villa and began cooking the kobe beef first. “I’ve tried kobe burgers before, but I never thought I’d eat full-blown kobe dinner. Hahaha.”

As he was very much involved in cooking, Devon sneaked up on him and struck his head with a wooden stick. Oliver fell unconscious before he could even turn to look who hit him. Devon took the platinum card from him and ran away.

The smell of the kobe beef attracted Vlad and Mercie to the kitchen. They went upstairs and called their mother. Bella came to the kitchen and cooked kobe curry, all the while Oliver was lying unconscious on the floor. Vlad ate the curry while sitting on Oliver’s body, and they really liked it. After the children left, Bella sprayed water on Oliver’s face, waking him up. “Couldn’t you find a better place to sleep than the kitchen? And that too in the middle of making a meal?”

“S-Sorry, Madam, Oliver apologized and left the kitchen. He hurried to the dorms, doubting Devon, but to his surprise, Devon was still in his bed, mumbling vague things. “He’s not the one who hit me?” Oliver wondered.

He then kept roaming throughout the dorms and the villa, looking at every butler and maid he came across. Who could have possibly stolen the card from him? Not knowing who hit him in the head utterly frustrated him. “Whoever you are, I’ll never forgive you!” At the same time, elsewhere in the villa.

Louis was sitting in the much decorated living room on the first floor, with Benjamin for company.

Benjamin had been sitting for the past fifteen minutes because Louis had called for him, but Louis hadn’t spoken a word yet.

“Why did you call for me, Brother-in-law?” Benjamin asked. “You know who paid a visit to Rebecca yesterday, don’t you?” Louis said, to which Benjamin nodded half-heartedly. “He’s a guy who spends more money buying things in a month than what our family earns in one whole year. He gifts yachts to his girlfriends, leaves Lamborghinis and Ferraris to his security guards. Now that his eyes fell on Rebecca, you think you can compete with him?” Benjamin faintly smiled, surprising Louis. “Rebecca doesn’t care about money or power, like my in-laws do, which is why she even married me in the first place.” “You are probably right, but that doesn’t mean she won’t change her mind. People change... all the time. For instance, no one knows this, but Rebecca used to love someone back in her university days. However, he broke her heart.”

Benjamin was stunned to hear this.

“What?” Louis smirked. “You think you were her first love or something? Verily I tell you, even though her first love betrayed her, she probably thinks that former lover is much better and wonderful compared to you.”

Benjamin gritted his teeth. His gaze turned sharp.

“She probably dreamed of marrying that man,” Louis continued. “Can you brush off the fact that she will always have that guy in her mind? First love is pretty special, after all. It is unforgettable.”

Benjamin’s gut twisted. He stood and hurriedly walked away, looking clearly upset.

Louis’ smile widened a bit.

Seconds later, Bella entered the living room. “He fell hook, line, and sinker for your story.”

“He did. The more personally he takes it, the more he’ll find it hard to even hope to have a proper relationship with Rebecca.”

“Mm, you are really cold, darling,” she leaned on him from his back and kissed his forehead,” even before I met you, which is exactly why I chose you.”

As Benjamin was approaching his room, Selena walked out and looked at him.

Benjamin’s gaze wasn’t soft.

“What’s with that look?” Selena’s gaze also sharpened. “Did the promotion at your job get into your head or something?” she shook her head and walked away. “I’m not in the mood for a rant. A brat who doesn’t know how to pick his battles is bound to lose anyway.” Her words agitated him, but he controlled himself and entered the room. Rebecca was eating. She glanced at Benjamin and said, “Lisa and Roshan caught cold and couldn’t attend school today. Brother Shawn is really angry at you. Why did you spray water at Lisa and Roshan without their permission?”

Benjamin silently walked up to his bed. Now he understood why Selena told him to pick his battles because they were thinking that he purposely sprayed water on the kids because he couldn’t do so to the adults in the villa. While it was true that Benjamin vented his anger on the kids, he did for a different reason. He knew that, but Selena’s words still made him doubt himself.

“Answer my question, Benjamin,” Rebecca was still looking at him. “I’ll apologize to them tomorrow,” replied Benjamin, covering himself with the blanket.” That should clear things up.”

Rebecca spoke no more.

She switched on the newly-installed television and started watching a tv-series named ‘Lost Love.

Benjamin’s heart felt like it was being squeezed by some invisible force. He kept telling himself to not let his dramatic in-laws poison his thoughts and his married life, but the negative thoughts weren’t going away.

Was the reason Rebecca was rude to him most of the time and never really conveyed her feelings to him because she still had her first love in mind? At this rate, if she was still measuring him against her first love, would Benjamin’s efforts ever be enough in her eyes? Would his love ever reach her? The thought itself tortured his soul. There was no one in the villa he could share his pain with, only those who would easily get offended at every little thing he did or said. Knowing this fact, he hid everything in his heart and silently suffered while his wife was engrossed in watching television all night.