Betrayed and Dumped: She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 19

Sonja handed one of the purses to Lottie.

Lottie’s face lit up like a kid on her birthday. Of course the only daughter of the Campbell family could just buy a luxury bag on a whim. The Harpers always claimed they adored her, but not once had they ever gifted her anything designer.

She opened the bag and her eyes went wide when she saw the pink purse inside. It was the one she had been dreaming about for so long.

“Sonja, you just get me. Thank you, seriously, I love this so much.”

Sonja smiled. “I’m so glad you like it.”

Lottie felt a little guilty, like she owed her something in return. “Let me take you out for a fancy dinner. What do you feel like having?”

Sonja shook her head, still smiling. “I’m good. Let’s just grab something light. I’m trying to watch my weight lately.”

Lottie looked at Sonja and just knew she had made the right choice. Sonja was so thoughtful. She couldn’t help but feel lucky.

Thinking of Rebecca’s chilly attitude from earlier, Lottie just shrugged it off. Rebecca was probably chasing after Bruce, only to get turned down by him. Maybe she just needed somewhere to vent her frustration, and Lottie happened to be there. Honestly, Lottie felt like she was the real victim.

When Rebecca got to the hospital, her mom Samantha was chatting with the caregiver. The moment Rebecca walked in, the caregiver jumped up and poured her a glass of water.

Rebecca set down the daily supplies she’d brought, then leaned in close to her mom’s bed.

“Mom, how are you feeling after the surgery? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

Even though she’d already messaged with the caregiver and the doctor that afternoon, Rebecca still couldn’t relax.

Samantha smiled warmly. “I’m fine, really. I feel pretty good. But you, just look at you. You’re frowning and so pale, you must be working yourself too hard. I’m going to have words with Bruce. You’re about to get engaged, and he still won’t let you take a break. What kind of fiancé is that?”

Rebecca dropped her gaze.

She hadn’t told Samantha she was on leave. She hadn’t mentioned she was planning to break off the engagement or quit her job either. Her mom still thought she was running herself ragged for NovaStack Cloud.

Looking at her mom, who actually seemed to be in decent spirits, Rebecca hesitated, but then decided to tell her the truth.

“Mom, there’s something I need to talk to you about.”

The temperature dropped overnight. That morning, Rebecca saw the weather alert pop up on her phone, so she grabbed a warm coat before heading out.

While checking the forecast for the next few days, her eyes caught a note she’d left herself.

[Remind Bruce to get lunch properly. Cold weather is coming. Watch out for his stomach acting up.]

It all came back to her. A month ago, when she was restocking his medicine box, she’d noticed that today’s temperature was supposed to drop. To make sure she wouldn’t forget, she’d set herself a little reminder in the weather app.

Back when Bruce was starting his company, he worked so hard he’d forget to eat, and his stomach never really recovered. Thanks to her constant nagging, he’d gotten better, but even now, if he skipped meals or ate something cold, his stomach would flare up again.

But none of those reminders mattered anymore.

The girl by his side wasn’t her.

Rebecca let out a small, bitter laugh and deleted every note and calendar alert she’d ever set for him.