\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 6\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the next six months, Vincent was a fixture in my office.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was waiting for me every morning at seven sharp.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew I couldn\u2019t stomach the local breakfast spots, so he started showing up with homemade meals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back when we were together, I used to beg him to just make me some oatmeal, and he wouldn\u2019t do it. Now that we were splitting up, he\u2019d suddenly learned to cook.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was ironic, really.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wouldn\u2019t touch the food. He didn\u2019t let that stop him; instead, he pulled a figurine from behind his back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was ceramic, modeled after the two of us as kids.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The glaze was uneven, the colors bleeding into one another, but his eyes were full of expectation. \u201cBecca, look. Doesn\u2019t it remind you of us playing in the yard back then?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at the rough texture and felt nothing but distance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later, when I took sick leave with a bad cold, he scoured half the city to find the specific brand of medicine I always used.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood at my door, clutching the box, knocking relentlessly. \u201cBecca, come on. Let me take care of you, alright?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could see the tips of his ears were red from the cold, but I didn\u2019t open the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
0.00%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:06\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of backing down, his behavior got erratic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During a company retreat, he actually tried to recreate our wedding\u00a0<\/p>\n
ceremony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rolled a red carpet from the entrance all the way to the stage and stood up there holding a ring. \u201cBecca, let\u2019s start over. Okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My colleagues started chanting, urging me to say yes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt nothing but mortification. I turned around and walked away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He refused to sign the papers for six months, so I eventually had to file for divorce myself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the day of the hearing, Vincent stood on the defendant\u2019s side, his eyes rimmed with red.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He held up the ring and pleaded, \u201cBecca, give me one more chance, please? I was wrong before. I won\u2019t do it again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him and shook my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The damage had been done; nothing he did afterward could undo it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When the divorce decree finally came through, Vincent slumped into a depression for a while.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he seemed to bounce back, claiming it was a chance for a clean\u00a0<\/p>\n
slate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I ignored him, but he shadowed me daily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If I worked late, he sat nearby, waiting in silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once, noticing I was shivering, he draped his jacket over me. \u201cBecca, it\u2019s cold tonight. Put this on, okay? Don\u2019t catch a cold.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He even overpaid for the apartment right next to mine just to be close.\u00a0<\/p>\n
20.82%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 6\u00a0<\/p>\n
18 288 Wouchers\u00a0<\/p>\n
I liked walking home, so he would walk beside me, chattering nonstop about the past. \u201cBecca, do you remember? When we were kids and you scraped your knee, I carried you to the hospital. The first time you cooked, you burned the eggs, but I ate them anyway\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
These were memories I had held onto for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, hearing him recite them, I realized they were fading.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To finally shake him off, I accepted my boss Damien Gordon\u2019s confession at the company dinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damien was a cultured man who had helped me significantly since I joined the firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He knew my history but never pried, only offering a hand when I needed\u00a0<\/p>\n
I figured I could use Damien to get Vincent to back off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside the private dining room, he flipped the table. Plates shattered across the floor, and soup splattered onto Damien\u2019s suit. Damien didn\u2019t get angry. He simply moved me behind him, shielding me. His voice was calm but commanding. \u201cMr. Cohen, let\u2019s talk like adults.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s eyes were wild, his voice rising to a scream. \u201cRebecca\u2026 all these years, and now you just walk away from me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I gripped the fabric of my dress and said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damien put a reassuring arm around my shoulder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at Vincent with cold eyes. \u201cMr. Cohen, as a man who cheated, what right do you have to question her? When you chose to betray her, you should have known someone else would step in to cherish her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
43.94%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11.06\u00a0<\/p>\n
KINGUOROTS\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCherish her?\u201d Vincent let out a laugh that sounded painful. \u201cDo you know how many years we were together? Do you know how much she loved me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d Damien cut him off, his voice firm. \u201cI only know she doesn\u2019t want to start over with you\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent\u2019s face drained of color.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is between her and me, Mr. Gordon. What business is it of yours?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat business?\u201d Damien chuckled softly, his gaze shifting to me. \u201cI\u2019ve noticed her since her first day at the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI like her. I want to pursue her. Is that enough?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Damien paused, then lowered his voice to a whisper near my ear. \u201cI know you approached me to make him give up, but I\u2019m sincere. Becca, I want to protect you. I want to give you a stable future. Would you\u2026 give me a chance?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood frozen, the tips of my ears burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent lunged to grab me, but Damien blocked him. \u201cVincent, stop harassing her! You\u2019ve only caused her pain. I can give her the happiness she wants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHappiness?\u201d Vincent roared, eyes red \u201cI can give her that, too! I know I was wrong. I\u2019ll change everything! Becca, please, just one more chance\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cVincent, the divorce means I am not starting over with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned to Damien and offered a faint smile. \u201cMr. Gordon, I appreciate that you like me. I\u2026 I\u2019m willing to give us a chance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vincent stood paralyzed, watching us leave together. Suddenly, he crouched down, covered his face with his hands, and let out a low,\u00a0<\/p>\n
69.60%\u00a0<\/p>\n
11.06\u00a0<\/p>\n
muffled sob.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the corridor outside, Damien gently adjusted my coat. \u201cDon\u2019t worry. I\u2019m here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, my eyes suddenly burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So, this was what it felt like-to be firmly chosen and protected.\u00a0<\/p>\n
11:06 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Nothing Fell Apart by Mark Twain 6 \u00a0 Chapter 6\u00a0 For the next six months, Vincent was a fixture in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-unfaithful-husband-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22839\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}