Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
On Richard''s first night back, Reba could barely contain her excitement. She practically shooed Alistair out the door, eager to be alone with Richard. Wrapped in his gentle affection, she lost herself in dreams of their happy future together.
By Richard''s second night home, Reba discovered something new-taking care of a child was utterly exhausting.
After a night of constant attention, Daniel finally fell asleep, but it was already one in the morning. Reba''s beauty rest waspletely shot.
Richardy beside her, as tired as she was. Just yesterday, they''d been all over each other with passion. Tonight, they both copsed in bed,pletely wiped out.
"Reba," Richard sighed, "let''s hire two nannies. One to handle the cooking and shopping, and another to look after Danny."
Without hesitation, Reba refused. "No way. I don''t trust strangers with Danny, and I wouldn''t like anyone else''s cooking anyway."
Richard tried to reason with her patiently. "Don''t stress so much. He''ll be fine. Everyone does it this way, don''t they?"
Reba stood her ground. "But Danny''s never been left with
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba strangers before."
Richard''s smile had an odd edge to it. "Reba, aren''t you forgetting something? Alistair is technically a stranger too. You werefortable leaving Danny with him. Why can''t you trust someone else?"
Reba''s first thought was that it wasn''t the same at all. How
could it be?
Alistair had been there when Daniel was born, after all.
The second night after Alistair had been shown the door, Rebay t on her back in the darkness. She listened to the steady breathing of the man she''d longed for all these years, staring nkly at the ceiling. A strange emptiness she couldn''t. quite name wrapped around her.
She didn''t understand it. The man she''d pined for was finally beside her. She could finally sleep in his arms every night. She''d dreamed about it for so long. Yet somehow, the passion she expected just wasn''t there.
Reba felt lost.
What''s wrong with me? I must be tired. Yes, that''s it. I''m just exhausted.
Reba closed her eyes wearily.
Some timeter, Richard suddenly rolled over and pulled her into his arms. His hands began wandering over her body.
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
Too tired to respond, Reba felt none ofst night''s passion. She was about to push him away when a knock at the bedroom door startled them both.
Daniel stood there with unnaturally flushed cheeks, breathing heavily. "Mom, my head hurts,” he whimpered between sniffles.
Daniel was sick.
Reba and Richard rushed him to the children''s hospital in a panic. By the time they returned home, it was two in the morning.
To let Reba get some rest, Richard thoughtfully took the sick Daniel with him to care for.
*****
"Reba, would you mind giving me Alistair''s contact information?" Vivienne called around ten the next morning.
Reba had just gotten out of bed and paused, remembering that Vivienne had asked for Alistair''s number yesterday. The conversation had shifted before she could provide it.
She hadn''t expected Vivienne to be so persistent about it.
Reba sat at her vanity, applying mascara in the mirror while teasing Vivienne, "I never would''ve guessed you were serious! Is Anne right? Has he really gotten under your skin?"
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
Vivienne gave a vague "hmm" before breaking into a grin. "You bet! Now hurry up and give me his number. Don''t keep a girl waiting!"
Reba scoffed, "The more eager you are, the less inclined I am to share."
Vivienne clicked her tongue. "Reba, why do I hear a hint of jealousy in your voice? You''re not actually jealous, are you?"
"Jealous? Of Alistair?" Rebaughed dramatically. "Nice one, Vivienne! Your ability to insult me is really improving. Me, jealous of Alistair? Please! He''s nothing. He doesn''t deserve. that."
Vivienne''s face grew serious. "Reba, sometimes you can''t see the forest for the trees. From where I''m standing, you''re in denial. After six years of being together day in and day out, can you honestly say you have zero feelings for Alistair? Put bluntly, even if you had a dog for that long, you''d feel something when it was gone. Don''t you-"
"Fine, fine! You want Alistair''s number? Just stop making me sick with this nonsense," Reba interrupted with exasperation. She pulled up her contacts and recited a string of digits. "Hope you get your dream guy soon-as long as you don''t mind that he''s my reject."
After hanging up, Reba sat motionless for a long while.
It was only now that she recalled how Vivienne had always praised Alistair so
generously. She hadn''t taken it seriously
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
before, but the more she thought about it, the more something felt off.
Is Vivienne finally making her move? She must have been hiding her true intentions all this time because he was technically my husband. Now that we''re officially done, she''s wasting no time going after him.
Reba smirked.
Vivienne has terrible taste, going after a man even I didn''t want anymore. No wonder Anne has been quietly working against her all this time!
She continued applying her makeup, but halfway through, she suddenly hurled her eyebrow pencil to the floor. Rage clouded her pretty face.
Well, well, Alistair! Who would''ve thought? Acting all docile to my face while secretly lining up his next victim! And it looks like he actually seeded!
Reba was furious. One eyebrow pencil couldn''t possibly absorb all her anger, so the expensive bottles and jars on her vanity paid the price, shattering across the floor with a series of crashes.
Still seething, she grabbed her phone and dialed a number.
Alistair, who had turned off all his rms and was nestled in the plushfort of
his five-star presidential suite nning to sleep in, was jolted awake by the shrill
ring.
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
He fumbled for his phone, still half-asleep. “Hello?”
Hearing his groggy voice only infuriated Reba more.
Sleeping peacefully, is he? While I tossed and turned all night! What gives him the right to sleep so soundly?
When Vivienne called him, he must have been gloating about sneaking around right under my nose!
Reba let out a derisive snort and issuedmands in
her usual bossy manner. "Alistair, I''m giving you exactly ten minutes to get over here. Now!"
She hung up without another word.
Alistair stared at his phone in disbelief. From what he knew about her, this was the calm before the storm.
He ced his phone beside his pillow, muttered "psycho" under his breath, and rolled over to go back to sleep.
Just as he closed his eyes, something urred to him. He quickly grabbed his phone again and blocked Reba''s number. Only then did he close his eyes with a sense of relief.
Let someone else deal with that bad-tempered princess. He was done with her
nonsense,
Reba sat on the sofa with her arms crossed and fury written all over her face. Having issued her ten-minute ultimatum, she
18jt
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba began a silent countdown.
One minute passed. Then two, and three...
By the seven-minute mark, Reba was pacing impatiently around the living
room.
At eight minutes, she kicked over a chair in frustration.
By nine minutes, Reba''s anger turned to harshughter.
Well, well, Alistair. Nine minutes have passed and you''re still not here?
Ten minutes passed without any sign of Alistair.
Reba couldn''t believe he''d dare challenge her authority like this.
Fuming, she called him again. For the first time ever, she heard the automated message. "Sorry, the number you are calling is unavable..."
Her first thought was that Vivienne must have already reached out to him.
How pathetic was Vivienne that she needed to pick up my cast-offs?
The idea of Alistair and Vivienne
no away,
possibly
hooking up behind her back, drove Reba crazy. She kept calling him
obsessively, but by the tenth attempt, reality finally
Chapter 8 Exhausted Reba
hit her-Alistair had blocked her number!
Meanwhile, Alistair''s attempt to catch up on sleep wasn''t going any better.
Another ringtone soon woke him up. He naturally assumed it was the mentally unstable Reba calling from another number to yell at him after discovering she''d been blocked. He was fed
1. up.
This is ridiculous. We''re done with each other now. Why should I keep putting up
with her?