Chapter 48

Rebecca, sitting in Theodore’s car, felt angry and anxious. She hadn’t expected him to pull her in. She wanted to leave, but seeing his stern profile, she remembered their impending divorce. Going along seemed easier; it was fine to ride with him as long as the appointment was successful. With that thought, she calmed down.

In the car, Theodore discreetly observed Rebecca. He thought of the previous night’s email. He wondered, “Did someone really call Grandma secretly when we went to the Courthouse to schedule the divorce? If… by any chance… it’s true, does that mean Rebecca hasn’t changed and is still clinging to me? Maybe these actions are a clever strategy to fool me?” He smiled briefly, then pressed his lips together angrily.

He grumbled inwardly, “Is Rebecca out of her mind? Even if she’s trying to get my attention, she shouldn’t mess with our children’s last name like this. How could she let our kids take another man’s last name? What’s wrong with her?” Thinking of Charlie, the actor close to Rebecca, and their children’s Carter surname, darkened his mood.

Rebecca, beside him, avoided his gaze, trying to prevent her heart from aching. But the confined space felt suffocating. She kept her eyes on the scenery, nervously waiting to reach the Courthouse.

Time passed slowly. As they neared the Courthouse, Theodore instructed the driver, “Take us to the Civil Registry Office.” Rebecca’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Theodore scoffed. “If you want a divorce, fine. But first, we need to change the children’s last name. They must take my last name!”

Rebecca snapped, “Theodore, are you out of your mind?!” Her outburst ached her heart. “You didn’t want them before, so why are you fighting me for them now that they’re born?”

“I didn’t want them before, but now that they’re born, they’re my children. I naturally have to take responsibility for them, and they should bear my last name!” Theodore stated. Rebecca, mimicking her parents, spat in his face.

She rarely fought and wasn’t good at it, but Theodore had gone too far. Spitting felt like the only way to express herself. Theodore was speechless. He touched the spit on his face, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Did you just spit on me?”

His face grim, he snapped, “Rebecca, what have you been learning from that woman lately? You weren’t like this before!”

Rebecca wondered, ‘That woman? Is Theodore talking about my mom?’ Thinking of her mother gave her courage. “Yes, I wasn’t like this before. That’s why you all bully me every day, doing whatever you all wanted without ever considering how I felt!” Theodore was speechless, gritting his teeth.

Rebecca, anxious, shouted at the driver, “Driver, pull over. I want to get out!” If Theodore wouldn’t go to the Courthouse, there was no point. The children’s surname couldn’t be changed.

When Theodore forced her to sign the divorce papers during her pregnancy, and refused to acknowledge her and the child after birth, that’s when she severed ties with him.

He wiped the spit from his face and remained silent. The driver, being an Edwards family employee, ignored Rebecca. The car continued driving.

Rebecca laughed angrily, turned to Theodore, and found him unreasonable. The car arrived at the Civil Registry Office. Rebecca got out and turned to leave. Theodore grabbed her.

He dragged her, snapping, “Rebecca, have you had enough?”

Rebecca laughed angrily. “Theodore, am I the one being unreasonable, or is it you? It was you who didn’t want the child in the first place! It was you! It was you!” she shouted, despairing. Her eyes welled up.

She didn’t want to cry, so she turned, tilting her head high. What was done was done. She wanted a clean divorce and to sever all ties with Theodore and the Edwards family.

After her outburst, Rebecca left quickly, almost running. She mused, ‘I can live without a man. I don’t want Theodore anymore. I’ll never pitifully seek his love again, but I won’t give up my children. During my hardest times, it was the babies in my belly that gave me the courage to persevere. Theodore has no right to insist the children bear his last name. He doesn’t deserve it!’

She pondered, ‘Moreover, given the Edwards family’s way of doing things, if they want the kids to take their last name today, they’ll definitely try to keep the kids at Edwards Villa tomorrow! For the sake of the babies, I can’t let them stay with Theodore. Theodore already has a child with Janet. If we divorce and he ends up with Janet, what will become of my two children? They will surely be bullied at Edwards Villa! Someone like Janet would never treat my children well.”

Theodore didn’t chase her. He stared at her retreating figure, then irritably lit a cigarette. Smoking didn’t ease his turmoil. He kicked the car hard. The driver watched, his heart skipping a beat, as the Rolls-Royce’s door was dented.

Theodore got in the car. He coldly said, “Drive to the company.” The driver started the car and drove toward the company.