Chapter 35 Just A Transaction
Rebecca shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She felt strange hearing this discussion so openly, especially since she was the subject of it. It was as if they were talking about her like she weren’t even there.
Mr. Edward noticed her discomfort and turned to her again. "Rebecca, I am truly sorry if my actions hurt you. I never believed those accusations, not for a second. I only wanted to see who my grandson truly was."
Rebecca forced a small laugh, though it felt awkward. "It’s… alright, sir." It warmed her heart to see Derek's grandfather defending her, and knowing that Derek had wanted to marry her at some point yesterday despite all Liam said made her feel oddly comforted.
Derek glanced at her and could tell she was only being polite.
Mr. Edward smiled gently at her. "You handled yourself with grace yesterday. Not many people would have stayed composed under such pressure."
Rebecca nodded, unsure what to say.
Then Mr. Edward turned back to Derek. "Because of what I saw yesterday, I’ve made a decision."
Derek raised an eyebrow. "Another one?"
"Yes," Mr. Edward said firmly. "I won't be waiting to see how this marriage will unfold. I've decided that I’m handing everything over to you now."
Derek nearly choked on his coffee. "What?"
"Within three months," Mr. Edwards clarified, "all documents will be prepared. The company, the properties and everything else will officially be yours."
Derek stared at him in disbelief. "So if I had failed your test—"
"You would have received nothing," Mr. Edwards interrupted calmly.
Derek laughed dryly. "Wow. That’s cold."
Rebecca watched them quietly, letting out a small laugh. Their banter felt strange but oddly warm, like two people accustomed to pushing each other.
"I like her," Mr. Edwards suddenly said, nodding toward Rebecca.
Rebecca looked up, startled. "Sir?"
"She’s calm," he continued. "Strong, and she doesn’t speak unnecessarily. That’s rare." He looked at Rebecca with a warm smile.
Derek smirked. "Careful, she might think you like her more than me."
Mr. Edwards chuckled. "At the moment, I might. She won't stress me the way you do," he replied jokingly.
Rebecca laughed softly, feeling a little more at ease. For the first time since the wedding, she felt like she wasn’t completely unwelcome.
After breakfast, Derek and Rebecca returned to their room.
The moment the door closed behind them, the mood shifted.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Rebecca sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers twisting together, while Derek sat in the reading chair.
She took a deep breath. "Can I ask you something?" she said, looking at him.
Derek looked up from loosening his watch. "Sure."
"Yesterday," she said carefully, "did you believe I was innocent?"
He paused, as if he was considering his response.
"Did you believe I didn’t cheat?" she clarified.
"No," he said after a moment. "I didn’t really care about all he said."
Her heart dropped as she waited for him to complete his sentence.
"I defended you because I didn’t want to start all over again," he continued honestly. "I didn’t want to waste time finding someone else especially after finding out it's you."
Rebecca stared at him unbelievably.
"So to you," she said slowly, "I’m just… a business transaction?"
Derek looked confused. "That’s not what I meant."
"But that’s what you just said," she snapped angrily. "You didn’t defend me because you trusted me. You defended me because it was convenient."
"That’s not—"
She cut him off, not wanting to hear more excuses. "Stop," she said, raising a hand.
Derek fell silent immediately, not wanting to make her angrier than she already seemed to be.
"I’m tired," Rebecca said, her voice tight. "I want to rest."
He opened his mouth to speak, but she had already turned away.
"Please," she added quietly, "just leave me alone."
Derek opened his mouth to argue, to explain himself better, but something in her tone stopped him. She sounded drained, like she had no energy left to fight or explain herself.
"Okay," he said quietly.
He stepped back, giving her space.
Rebecca climbed onto the bed without another word. She lay down and turned her back to him, facing the wall. She pulled the blanket around herself tightly, as if trying to protect herself from more hurt.
Derek sat in the room he shared with Rebecca, staring at his laptop screen. Since their mini-argument, he had been unable to focus on anything else.
His mind kept drifting back to her. Her silence, her sharp words, the way she had turned her back on him and shut him out without giving him a chance to explain.
He exhaled slowly and leaned back in his chair.
"This is exactly why I didn’t want marriage," he muttered to himself.
He closed the laptop and rubbed his face with both hands. He had taken time off work to "settle into married life," but instead of finding peace, his home felt tense and heavy; even the air felt uncomfortable.
Rebecca had barely spoken since she told him she needed some space. She hadn’t shouted or cried; she had done something worse. She had gone quiet.
And for some reason, that bothered him more than he expected. He stood up and walked out of the room. He didn’t want to disturb Rebecca, nor did he want another cold exchange, so he headed toward the guest room at the other side of the house. It was quiet there, far away from the bedroom they were supposed to share.
Once inside, he shut the door and pulled out his phone. He scrolled briefly and then stopped at Ryan’s name.
Ryan was the one person who always listened without judging. He knew Derek well enough to tell him when he was being foolish, and he was the only one who understood his reason against marriage.
He tapped the call button. The phone rang twice.
"Derek!" Ryan’s cheerful voice came through after the second ring. "Married man, How does it feel?"
Derek let out a humorless laugh. "Don’t start."
Ryan chuckled. "That bad already?"
"Worse," Derek replied as he ran a hand through his hair.
Ryan’s tone changed immediately. "Alright. Talk to me."