Chapter 44 After That Night?
When Rebecca finally stepped out of her room, she barely recognized herself in the mirror.
She had chosen a simple but elegant black dress, nothing flashy, just enough to feel put together. Her hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and for once, she didn’t look like someone trying to fade into the background.
When she walked downstairs, Derek was already waiting there. He looked up when he heard her approach, and for a brief moment, he froze.
Rebecca noticed it, the flicker of surprise in his eyes before he masked it with his usual composure. He had changed too, trading his daytime attire for a dark tailored suit that fit him effortlessly.
"Ready?" he asked, standing as she walked closer to where he was seated.
She nodded, and they walked out of the house.
The drive to the restaurant passed in near silence, broken only by the soft hum of the engine and the city lights blurring past the windows. When they arrived, the restaurant was already glowing with warm, elegant, understated light. A hostess greeted them immediately, leading them to the table Derek had booked earlier.
As soon as they sat, the waiter appeared with menus, followed quickly by a bottle of red wine. Their food arrived not long after, as though everything had been planned down to the minute.
The silence that followed stretched again, awkward and uncomfortable.
Rebecca focused on her plate, while Derek cleared his throat after a while.
"So," he began, cutting into his food. "Vanessa."
Rebecca’s grip tightened around her fork, her heart skipping a bit at the mention of Vanessa's name.
"What about her?" she asked carefully, trying not to let Derek notice the change in her demeanor.
"You clearly don’t like her," Derek said. "I want to know why."
She glanced up at him, her expression unreadable. "You’ll know soon enough," she replied. She wasn't ready to talk about Vanessa now, especially after spending almost all day in her presence.
Derek studied her for a moment, then leaned back slightly. "Alright. I’ll drop it."
That surprised her, she had thought he would keep pushing for more information, but he didn't.
Did he always respect people's opinions or he just wasn't curious enough? She thought as they continued eating while Derek asked her more questions about herself.
At one point, she set her cutlery down. "You really don’t have to do this," she said quietly. "This marriage… you made it clear what it is."
Derek paused, raising a brow.
"This," he said after a moment, gesturing vaguely between them, "is for my grandfather. He wants to see us… normal. At least on the surface."
Then, unexpectedly, his voice softened. "And... I think I owe you an apology."
Rebecca looked up sharply, surprised by his words.
"For earlier today," he continued. "I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that."
The words caught her off guard. She hadn’t expected regret, certainly not an apology. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond or how to feel about it all.
"Thank you," she finally said, as they continued eating, his apology making her feel somehow inside.
They were almost done with their food when someone walked closer to their table.
"Oh my God," a woman’s voice purred, "look who we have here."
They both looked up, confused. The woman standing there was stunning, confident, polished, her smile knowing. She leaned slightly toward Derek, completely ignoring Rebecca.
"Don’t tell me you don’t remember me," she added lightly. "After that night?"
Derek frowned, confusion clouding his features. He genuinely didn’t recognize her.
She laughed softly, clearly amused. "Wow. Guess I wasn’t that memorable, huh?"
Then she moved closer, her hand brushing his arm. "I’ve missed you. I wouldn’t mind spending the night together again if you don't mind. Maybe then, you'll remember me well."
Rebecca’s chest tightened and she resisted the urge to scowl.
She waited for Derek to correct the woman, to introduce her, to say something. Anything, to acknowledge that she was sitting right there, and that she was his wife.
But he remained silent, clearly trying to place a face that refused to register. Perhaps, he was enjoying the attention and probably considering actually spending the night with the girl, whoever she was.
Without thinking too much, Rebecca pushed her chair back slightly, anger simmering beneath her calm expression. She felt invisible, disrespected and treated like an afterthought. That, was what she wouldn't take. Not from anyone even though their marriage was a sham, he should've at least, accorded her the respect she deserved by being Mrs Hemsworth.
When Derek noticed Rebecca had stood up and was angry, he quickly turned to look at the woman. "I’ll call you," he said dismissively.
The woman smirked, satisfied enough, and walked away.
That was it.
"I think I’m done here," she said quietly, already reaching for her bag.
Derek looked up, startled. "Rebecca."
But she was already turning away, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she walked out of the restaurant, leaving him sitting alone at the table, the weight of his silence settling heavily on his chest. He had made a mistake again.
Rebecca didn’t slow down once she stepped out of the restaurant. The cool night air brushed against her heated skin, but it did nothing to calm the anger and shame burning inside of her.
Her heels clicked sharply against the pavement, each step filled with frustration and humiliation she refused to name out loud. No one, absolutely no one, has humiliated her the way Derek had just done. Or maybe Liam had but she wasn't going to sit there and do nothing.
"Rebecca," Derek called from behind her, his voice low but urgent.
She didn’t respond but he followed anyway, long strides easily catching up to her. For a moment, neither of them spoke as they walked to the car.
The silence was thick, heavy with everything left unsaid at the table. Derek opened the passenger door for her, hesitating when she slid in without looking at him. He shut it quietly and went around to the driver’s side.